Jains visit Vatican for talks

The Vatican and the highest international institution of Jainism met for the second time Tuesday in Rome to discuss common ground, focusing particularly on the Jain principle of non-violence.

The meeting between a delegation of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue (PCID), led by Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran, and 14 Jain delegates led by the deputy chairman of the London-based Institute of Jainology, Nemu Chandaria, took place at the Vatican.

According to a press release from the Pontifical Council, delegates looked for concrete areas of convergence as a basis of collaboration between the two religions. They focused on the principle of non-violence, comparing it to the Christian notion of ‘charity’, finding common ground for further collaboration while highlighting differences between the two principles.

In particular, Monsignor Andrew Thanya-anan Vissanu, under-secretary of PCID, said that while Jains extend the principle of non-violence and absolute respect for life to all living beings, including plants and animals, Christians maintain that man is at the centre of creation and thus is called to respect, protect but also use God’s gifts.

The meeting recognized the “cordial relations and cooperation that exist between both Christian and Jain communities in countries where they live their day-to-day lives in proximity” and stressed the need to strengthen ties at local level to “better contribute towards the common good of the entire society”.

Msgr Vissanu stressed that the Rome meeting was a “good starting point” to promote mutual understanding in a community where in some cases the distinction between Catholics and other Christian denominations is still unclear.

The first high level Jain-Catholic meeting took place in February 1995. Contact between the Vatican and the Jain community dates back to the first interfaith prayer meeting in Assisi, Italy, in 1986. Jain delegations also participated in other interfaith gatherings in Assisi in 2002 and last October.

On November 13 the Pontifical Council organized a seminar on Christian-Jain dialogue in collaboration with the Catholic Church in India and the World Fellowship of Religions at the Acharya Sushil Muni Ashram in Delhi.

The Jain delegation was due to meet Pope Benedict XVI Dec 7 during the pontiff’s weekly general audience.

Child Diksha Issue in High Court

Rosy Sequeira, TNN Nov 30, 2011 TOI


MUMBAI: Right to childhood conflicts with right to religion, observed the Bombay High Court on Monday while hearing petitions saying child diksha or renunciation is a practice integral to Jainism.

A division bench of Justice P B Majmudar and Justice Mridula Bhatkar was hearing a petition filed by Ashok Bagricha and others challenging the jurisdiction of the Child Welfare Committee (CWC). In March 2004, a diksha ceremony in which an eight-year-old girl renounced the material world had created a furor among child rights activists. It was brought to the attention of the CWC by Childline, an NGO. In July 2006, the high court had directed the CWC to find whether she had taken diksha voluntarily or had been forced to do so. The CWC reported that the young girl needed care. Her parents challenged the CWC order in the HC, which granted a stay on it.

Bagricha's counsel Srihari Aney said, "The CWC passed the order without considering it is a practice of my religion.''

The judges asked who takes the decision for a child. Aney said it is not a hasty decision. A child sadhvi is brought to stay for two years with a senior who recommends whether she has to be taken into the fold or not. This further goes through a deliberation process before acceptance into the fold, he added.

"The court is concerned only with the legal point and not religious sentiments," said Justice Majmudar. "What if a child is not happy? If he is ill-treated in the mutt?" he asked. Aney said there is not a single such case of ill-treatment.

"They are well-supported by the community,'' he said. Justice Bhatkar said the right to childhood is covered under Article 21 (Right to Life) of the Constitution. "Whether right to childhood will conflict with right to religion (Freedom of Religion, Article 25)? This would include right to laugh, to cry, to play. There is a conflict," said Justice Bhatkar. Aney said the girl is now over 16 and "capable of entering the convent on her own".

The judges were told that the minimum age for diksha is eight. "Can a child also be taken from the maternity house immediately after he is born?'' asked Justice Majmudar. Aney said it is not that child diksha is rampant in the community. .

Aney urged the court to decide the issue once and for all. Adjourning the matter, the judges directed that affidavits be filed by two sects of Jainism, including those by experts on the issue.