National Minority Status for Jain Community Soon: Union Law Minister

The Union government is working out a formula for ensuring national minority status for the Jain community, Union Law Minister M.Veerappa Moily said here on Saturday.

Speaking at the inaugural function of Jain International Trade Organisation (JITO) Global Summit-2011, he said, “We are definitely working out a formula to execute it as early as possible.”

He urged the Jain community to utilise the capacity as entrepreneurs to take the nation forward. “We are with you,” said Mr. Moily. He also pointed to the contribution of Jain poets to literature, particularly Kannada literature.

Jain community is a minority in some States of India. But they are not a Central minority, said Abhishek Manu Singhvi, AICC spokesperson.

He stressed the need for filing a new Public Interest Litigation (PIL) for reversing a judgment of the Supreme Court that said Jain community was part of the Hindu tradition. Mr. Singhvi said various High Court judgments had recognised the Jain community as a minority. He asked the Jain community to seek national minority status, “get it and return it” to celebrate the diversity of Indian culture.

Mr. Singhvi advocated the codification of ritualistic differences between various sects of the community. “Today's youth do not realise the footprint of Jain heritage. We live in an era of multiple crises. Old structures are breaking down,” he added.

“We do not have consensus for statutory amendments,” said Mr.Singhvi. Adding that the problem of moral deficit cannot be solved by legislation, he said “The present system of education values memory more than intellect. This imbalance has to be corrected.”

Voicing a similar view, Editor-in-Chief of The Hindu N. Ram said, “We are not doing enough to strengthen the foundation of education. The media have not concentrated enough on this. Much more effort has to be put in by all stakeholders, including the media.” The media can do much more, through its agenda-building role, to promote this positive learning about culture, he added.

“Diversity of Indian culture has to be respected,” said Mr.Ram. He urged the Jain community not to declare themselves as Hindus in the Census 2011, as “we want a precise figure.”

On the summit's concluding day on Sunday, JITO Secretary General Rakesh Metha said Jain universities would be set up in the four regions of the country. Speaking on the theme ‘Entrepreneurship: start up and scale up', he said 2011 has been declared as ‘Education Year' in which Jain universities would be set up to streamline the education system. “Besides, existing schools run by Jain institutions would be upgraded. If they need fund for upgradation, the Central Apex body would come forward to match it with the donors' contribution,” Mr. Metha said.

N. Tarachand Dugar, Secretary General (TN, AP and Pondy Zone), JITO said that the apex body would take up the issue of setting up the universities with the University Grants Commission. (The Hindu)

Jain Girl to Become Jain Nun

22-year-old rich girl chucks it all for sainthood
M R Venkatesh, Chennai, Jul 19, DH News Service:
Monday, July 19, 2010

As the medical world on Monday remembered the angelic Nurse Florence Nightingale for her deep compassion and devotion in tending the sick as ‘Nurses Day’, the Jain community here sprang a surprise.

In a different kind of compassionate response to cure men of the “sickness within”, Deepa, a 22-year-old commerce graduate, who could have gone miles for an MBA and a plum job, stunned her parents when she announced that she plans to “give up this world for a better tomorrow”.

Deepa, hailing from a well-to-do business class family in the city, whose forefathers had migrated decades ago to old Madras from Sojat district of Rajasthan, did not wish to go in search of more riches or gold.

Deepa’s father Tarachandji Garadia runs a profitable jewellery shop in Sowcarpet in North Chennai, the mini-Rajasthan in Tamil Nadu’s capital. The young girl could have got all that she wanted.

But a reflective Deepa chose to follow in the footsteps of her younger sister, Rekha, who has already taken ‘Diksha’ (initiation into monk-hood as per Jainism’s religious tradition) three years ago.

After getting the parental nod, including of her grieving mother Vimala Bai Garadia, the spiritual aspirant Deepa, clad in bridal attire, symbolically for the first and last time in her life, announced at a press conference here about her intent to become a ‘Jain Muni’.

“Deepa thinks that this world is so full of evil and ugliness; she strongly feels the only way to go to heaven as per our Jain tradition is to renounce the world and do some good to society as a monk,” Sangeetha, a close relative of the young girl told Deccan Herald. The ceremony for Deepa’s formal initiation into a life of renunciation – Diksha – has been fixed for July 21, Sangeetha added.

Former Tamil Nadu Director General of Police, S Sripal, a Jainism scholar himself, said when women take ‘Diksha’, “the hair on their head would be plucked”. The initiated girl would then have to don white attire and go barefoot, along with the other woman saints in the fraternity.

Jains threaten stir if no step taken

Rajkot

The state government has roped in CID (crime) to investigate the alleged scam of killing Jain holy men/women in the guise of road accidents, but the community leaders want results. The Jains have given an ultimatum till Wednesday to the Gujarat government to make headway in the investigation or they have they threatened to intensify the silent agitation.

Saurashtra on Tuesday saw a widespread protest by Jains in the form of silent marches and scooter rallies by the four Jain sub-sects: Derawasi, Sthanakwasi, Digambar and Rajchandra. The protests have been organised following the death of four sadhaks last week in two different road accidents, where the victims were mowed down by speeding four-wheelers.

The conspiracy theory arose after the son of one of the holy men killed in a road accident near Mehsana filed an affidavit in the court, claiming it to be a pre-planned murder and one of several in a series of such crimes.

The Anup Mandal has come under suspicion due to its alleged remarks that religious practices of Jain holy men have resulted in a drought-like scenario.

The ultimatum was given at the end of a Monday meeting at Palitana— the second most important pilgrimage seat located in Bhavnagar—that was chaired by Acharya Abhaydev Sursishverji.

The meeting was attended by over 25 acharyas and 800 priests, who emphasised that the priests, who walk from one place to another and do not use vehicles, must be given protection.

Sursishverji, who also received a threat mail, has said that the Jains will begin an intense agitation if the police do not make headway in the case by Wednesday.

At Rajkot, members of all the four sub-sects took out a silent scooter rally on Tuesday and submitted a memorandum to the collector. This was the second day of the protest.

“We strictly condemn such acts. Saints must be given protection from negative elements,” said Chandrakant Sheth, a Jain leader from Rajkot.

Similar protests rallies were organised at Morbi, Jamnagar and Amreli.

Tamil Nadu Jains are from Mysore: Ham Pa Nagarajaiah

MYSORE (TOI): The Jains scattered across Tamil Nadu are originally from Mysore, senior writer Ham Pa Nagarajaiah said on Tuesday. Some of the manuscripts
published in TN recently have traced the origins of the community settled there to Mysore, which, he said, is being discussed in academic circles.

Speaking after inaugurating a day-long meet on Jainology hosted by the University of Mysore, Hampana stated: some 89 manuscripts have been published in TN recently of which 85 relate to Jains. According to one of the manuscripts, Jains travelled to Tamil Nadu from Mysore. The city was then known as Yermayanadu.

However, he said scholars are divided over the subject as one of the manuscripts state that the Jains in Tamil Nadu are from Orissa. Scholars are debating the issue, he said at the meet which is supported by Shravanabelagola-based National Prakrit Studies and Research Institute and Meeruts Shrutha Samvardana Sansthan.

Jainism brings peace
Speaking on Jainism, he said that it is all inclusive. According to Jain scriptures, peace and co-existence are primary, which has made areas where its influence is more, like the coastal region, peaceful. That is why Jain religion can be practiced cutting across time barriers, he stated. Referring to recent developments like the political imbroglio, violence in the high court, he said,"there is a need to preach Ahimsa mantra to them. They need darshan of Digambar seers."

Jain religious leader Gnanasagarji Maharaj graced the event. On the occasion, three V-Cs B S Sherigar (Kuvempu University), Geetha Bali (Women University) and V G Talawar (University of Mysore) were felicitated.

Talawar said the department that is operating out of Kuvempu Institute of Kannada Studies in Manasa Gangotri, the PG campus of the varsity, will get its own building in a year. The varsity has allocated Rs 50 lakh for the project and the head of the department of Jainology and Prakrit, Padma Shekar has prepared a Rs 1.30-crore project. The Jains should pitch in and help realize the dream, he added.

Mahavir Sanglikar

www.jainology.blogspot.com/