Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today promised all governmental help to the Parsi community to check the alarming decline in its population. The PM voiced his concern during a half-hour meeting today with Gen (retd.) Homi Sethna, member of the National Commission for Minorities.Sethna told Express that the PM was ‘‘very sympathetic’’ to the cause of Parsis. He also expressed ‘‘how concerned the country is about this miniscule population’’, Sethna said.Demographic experts have warned that unless the Parsis act to pull up their numbers, the community could fade out in 150 years. The latest census of religions shows that there are only 68,601 Parsis in India and their death rate is three times higher than the birth rate.Sethna said the PM evinced keen interest in all proposals submitted by the experts for ensuring an increase in the growth rate of the population. ‘‘The Prime Minister said these proposals would have to be sent to various ministries to be acted upon,’’ Sethna said. The PM is known to have stressed that ‘‘Parsis were a knowledge-driven community, whose culture and rich heritage needs to be preserved at all costs’’.Experts had proposed that the government step in to support health clinics for Parsis, which are few and badly maintained. The clinics would have to be fully equipped to help community members cope with health problems and low reproductive growth, they said.The government, sources said, has also been asked to initiate dialogue with the Parsi community to persuade them to change their personal laws forbidding marriages outside the community. Another suggestion, sent in by the National Commission for Minorities, is that the government waive for Parsis, the two-child norm for Central employees.
