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Book launch Ceremony of "WHO IS A PARSI?" by Prochy N. Mehta was held on Thursday, 7th July 2022

on Jul 14, 2022

Book launch Ceremony of "WHO IS A PARSI?" by Prochy N. Mehta was held on Thursday, 7th July 2021 at India international center New Delhi. The Launch was organised by Niyogi Books

Who is A Parsi? by Prochy N Mehta, published by Niyogi Books was launched at India International Centre (IIC), New Delhi on 7th July 2022.

The book was launched by Chief Guest, Ervad Yezad Kapadia, Former President, Delhi Parsi Anjuman, Guest of Honour Mr. Kersi K Deboo, Vice-chairman of National Commission of Minorities along with the author, Mrs. Prochy N Mehta, and editorial director of Niyogi Books, Dr. Nirmal Kanti Bhattacharjee.

Dr. Shernaz Cama, Director of the UNESCO Parzor Project for the Preservation and Promotion of Parsi Zoroastrian Culture and Heritage was also present at the launch.

After the introduction by Ms. Trisha De Niyogi, Dr. Nirmal Kanti Bhattacharjee shared, "The Parsis are dangerously dwindling in numbers today. The crux of this problem lies in the community's refusal to accept children born to a Parsi mother by a non-Parsi father. When India as a nation today is debating the uniform civil code, such personal laws should be abolished and gender justice should be safeguarded."

Author Prochy N Mehta said, ‘There is no definition of ‘Who is a Parsi?’ This book has been conceived with the endeavour to aid those women and children who have been alienated from the Parsi community and help them understand their constitutional rights. She also added that there was child marriage and prostitution in the Parsi community which was accepted but as you must be knowing children of Parsi intermarried women face discrimination. I have explained the difference between the two Special Marriage Acts of 1872 and 1954. It is only after the Special Marriage Act of 1954 that interfaith marriage became a reality in India. In this book, I try to show that there is no legal, religious, social, or age-old custom on which it is based. If you have any questions or explanations required do ask. I hope the book will pave the way for equality for men and women in our community. If you have any questions or explanations required do ask. I hope the book will pave the way for equality for men and women in our community. I really have to thank Mr. Fali Nariman, India’s foremost constitutional lawyer who guided me in putting the facts and legal aspects together’.

Ervad Yezad Kapadia added ‘The core of this book lies in two cases- Petite vs Jeejeebhoy and Saklat vs Bella. The book successfully answers the question it raises in its title’. He noted ‘The Parsis are considered to be racially pure, but scientific research has proved that no people in this world can be racially pure’. He also raised several pertinent questions like ‘Should inducting children of inter-religious marriages be considered heresy?’

Kersi K Deboo said ‘The tussle between orthodox and reformists which is age-old. Reformation is slow but certain. Women have been ex-communicated from the Parsi temple on many grounds and so did the Panchayats. But, with time we have to change.’ He applauded the author by saying that ‘Prochy has challenged the authorities of the Special Marriage Act by ailing many cases as evidence for the readers to go through and understand by themselves.’

Dr. Shernaz Cama also shared ‘The whole concept of Zoroastrianism is based on truth and that is what I am reminded of by Prochy’s book’.

About the book

The author takes the reader through a detailed analysis of the court cases and seeks to reveal through transcripts the true picture of the community. She unveils the history of an ancient Persian trading community, the ‘Persees’ or ‘Persians’, familiar with the sea route to India from before 500 BCE, living as a tribe among the Hindus, and narrates how they rediscovered their religion and their ancient connect with Persia – how in the 19th century they read their recently translated holy book, Gathas, and understood that they were the followers of Ahura Mazda, the one God, who preached a religion for all humankind. The epiphanic realization dawned upon them that the greatest ‘meritorious act’ performed by a follower of Ahura Mazda was to bring an alien into the faith.

The author depicts the dichotomy of the community in the 20th century, between the orthodox and the reformist groups, and explains the anomaly of how the reformists who followed the original Mazdayasna or Parsi religion, constituted the real orthodoxy. It was a reform movement led by the high priests of the community and the most influential members of society, for a return to the pristine purity of the original Zoroastrian Religion. This book documents, through letters, articles in the newspapers, and transcripts from court cases, the views of those brave men, Dadabhoy Navroji, Ratan D. Tata, Ratan J. Tata, Sir Dinshaw Maneckji Petit, Sir Jehangir Cawasjee Jehangir, Rustumji Byramji Jeejeebhoy, Homi J. Bhabha, K.R. Cama, and many others who had the courage to stand up and fight for what they believed in, that Parsi and Zoroastrian meant the same thing.

About the Author

Prochy N Mehta is a daughter, wife, mother, grandmother, school leader and topper, and a highly successful sportsperson. She represented West Bengal in hockey and basketball, and India in Masters Athletics. She has won 71 medals at international athletic meets including 52 gold medals. She is the Asian record holder in the 400 meters and in the Triple Jump in the Women’s 40+ age group. A recipient of the Ladies Study Group Award for contribution to the field of sport and the Federation of Parsi Anjuman of India Award for Sports, Mehta is also the President of the Athletic Coaches Association of Bengal. She is the first female President of the Calcutta Parsee Club. Her father, the late Rusi B. Gimi, an eminent social worker of Calcutta, was a pioneer in outdoor advertising in India. His company Selvel started in 1945, is now synonymous with out of home advertising. Mehta is actively involved in the business and is a director in several of the companies.

About the Publisher

An internationally acclaimed publishing house, Niyogi Books, established in 2004, has more than 500 titles today. They not only specialize in textual context but also strive to give equal importance to visuals. They purvey a wide range of content on art, architecture, history, culture, spirituality, memoirs, and every aspect, which connects, with our rich heritage. Their publishing umbrella consists of fiction and non-fiction that cover books on social science, cookery, and self-help as well as English Translation of modern classics from different Indian languages.

Niyogi Books have recently launched four new Imprints: Olive Turtle (English fiction), Thornbird (English Translation) and Paper Missile (English non-fiction), and Bahuvachan (Hindi Translation: Fiction & Non-Fiction). They have also co-published a number of critically acclaimed books with reputed institutions like the British Library, Rietberg Museum Zurich, IGNCA, National Gallery of Modern Art, Ministry of Culture (Govt. of India), National Manuscript Mission, Sahitya Akademi, among many others. We also publish books on ecological themes, such as Flora of the Sothern Western Ghats & Palnis, The Great Himalayan National Park, Sunderbans, Mahanadi, and Iridescent Skin among others.