The Parsi Community Is Facing Severe Existential Crisis The Parsi community in India is confronting an alarming demographic crisis, with projections suggesting its population could drop below 10,000 by 2101. A recent report presented at the National Commission on Minorities conference, attended by Union Minister Kiren Rijiju, highlighted the accelerating decline, attributing it to low birth rates, an aging population, and social isolation. Despite government initiatives like the Jiyo Parsi programme, the community continues to grapple with existential threats to its survival. Historically, Parsis migrated to India between the 8th and 10th centuries to escape persecution following the Arab-Islamic invasion of Persia. They initially settled in Diu before establishing roots in Gujarat’s Sanjan, Navsari, and Udvada. The community thrived in Bombay, which the British developed into a trade hub, and later generations expanded their influence through business and philanthropy. Over centuries, they adopted Gujarati as their primary language but maintained distinct settlements called baugs, preserving traditions through endogamous marriages and excluding mixed-race children. These practices, while fostering cultural cohesion, have inadvertently contributed to the current demographic crisis by limiting population growth. The decline is stark. In 1891, the Parsi population numbered 89,490, but by the 2011 census, it had dwindled to 57,264—nearly half the 1941 figure of 115,000. The trend has accelerated in recent decades, with the community’s death rate far outpacing its birth rate. In 2010 alone, Mumbai recorded 210 births against 933 deaths, underscoring the severity of the issue. The Jiyo Parsi programme, launched in 2013-14 to reverse the decline, has yielded minimal results.#mumbai #kiren_rijiju #parsis #national_commission_on_minorities #jiyo_parsis
