Parsi ad row

New Delhi, Nov. 12: An advertisement which is part of a campaign urging Parsis to multiply has raised eyebrows among a section of the community members who have found it “offensive”.

The campaign was launched on Monday by Parzor Foundation, a Delhi-based NGO that works to preserve the Zoroastrian heritage of the community. The NGO is working in collaboration with minority affairs ministry to arrest the dwindling numbers of Parsis.

The advertisement that has caused outrage shows a Parsi colony in Mumbai’s Dadar with a signboard saying “Hindu Colony”. The ad further says: “If you don’t get married and have kids, this area will have a new name in your lifetime.”

“After getting negative feedback from community members we have asked the ad agency to remove it from the campaign,” said an official of the Parzor Foundation.

A fortnight ago, the Jiyo Parsi scheme — a central scheme launched by the UPA government that encourages Parsis to multiply — had sired twins in Mumbai. That scheme is also being implemented by the Parzor Foundation.