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)

JITO to Help Housewives, Enterprising Jains

Mumbai: Are you a small entrepreneur, or a housewife with savings under Rs1 lakh and belong to the Jain community? Here is good news for you. In the fourth annual global summit, organised by the Jain International Trade Organisation (JITO) -- a two-day Financial Supermarket -- starting December 24, will cater to the community's young entrepreneurs.

"Our team comprises of CAs, financial advisors, bankers and lawyers. They will help the investors with their businesses and assist them to come out with an IPO for less than Rs25 crore. Housewives with savings under Rs1 lakh will be given opportunities to invest and earn more," said Hemant Shah, JITO president.

Prominent Jain businessmen, service providers and financial leaders will be participating in the meet. "We plan to help many Jains to corporatise their businesses," said Pratap Jain, CEO, JITO.

The meet will see financial advisors like State Bank of India, Bank of India, JM Financials Limited, Enam Securities Pvt Ltd, SBI Capital Market Limited, etc giving in-principle approval to all projects. "JITO will act as a platform for facilitating the projects," said Ganivarya Nay Padmasagarji Maharaj.

'Every Jain should be able to employ 1000 individuals'

MUMBAI: Speaking at the inauguration of a four-day trade fair organised by Jain International Trade Organisation (JITO), its President Hemant Shah expressed the desire that every young Jain should be economically empowered so as to employ 1000 individuals each.

Stressing on Jain unity, he appealed that the Jains should overcome obstacles that may come in the way of their unity, under the banner of JITO.

The JITO Triple Grand Event, comprising Multi-Product Trade Fair, International Business and Industry Conference and Jain Pavilion, is being held at the Bombay Exhibition Centre, Goregaon. JITO is a world wide body of Jains set to achieve socio-economic empowerment, value based education, community welfare, practice of compassion, spiritual upliftment of fellow beings through global fellowship.

"JITO doesn't believe in talking, but in actions. The facilitation of 60 people took 60 seconds, but their contribution to business, industry and society is noteable," Shah said. He added that it is also necessary that instead of being critical, people have to appreciate the good work that is being done.

JITO Secretary General Shantilal Kawar recalled the formation of the residential training institute for aspirants of the union and state civil services, which is one of the dream projects of JITO.

Kawar said that when he discussed the concept of the civil services examination training centre with their religious leader, the latter called him over one day and told him that it was an auspicious day to start work on the institute and asked him to call up individuals to seek their support. Not surprisingly, of the 13 individuals contacted, three promised to contribute Rs 1.5 crore each to become the trustees immediately, Kawar added. Today, the institute has 23 trustees and it requires a total of 32.

Rasiklal Dhariwal, another Jain industrialist, described Shah and Kawar as the two wheels of the chariot of JITO, who have been taking JITO ahead at a great speed and expressed confidence that the Jain community would give them all support. Dhariwal said that he has been sponsoring film award functions over the years and he has realised that by doing so he was merely entertaining people, but today he had an opportunity to contribute to the future of the Jain youth.

The religious leader, who is instrumental in the formation of JITO, gave an example of a Jain collector of Vadodra, who saved the lives of thousands of animals, preventing their slaughter, by making a statement that they are diseased. He said that JITO is the amalgamation of philanthropy, universal brotherhood and the welfare of all living beings.

The religious leader, who does not like his name or photograph being carried by the media, said that Ratan Tata expressed pleasure that Jains are coming together under one banner and described the unity as the ocean of philanthropy.

Earlier in the day hoisting of the national flag and the Jain flag marked the beginning of the JITO Triple Event. Later, the Jain Pavilion, which has on display some of the finest and rarest pieces of Jain art and sculpture, was inaugurated.

Jain meet in Mumbai attracts many

MUMBAI: A triple grand event of Jains from across the world is being held in Mumbai to deliberate on a wide range of issues relating to business and life.

The Jain pavilion at the event organised by Jain International Trade Organisation (JITO), a worldwide body of representing the community, is attracting huge crowds of Jains as well as non-Jains.

An 11-tonne Asthapa, that stands 12.5 feet high, is proving to be a major crowd puller at the pavilion. The Jain pavilion is displaying attractive collection of Jain iconography, miniatures and wall paintings from different periods in history together with exquisite Patts of the finest kind.

"The entire pavilion has been divided into two sections - sculptures and digital pictures. There are around 400 pictures of the Jain art right from the eighth century to the 11th century," Director of JITO and the organiser of the Jain Pavilion, Premal Kapadia, said.

According to Kapadia, the idols of all the 24 Jain Tirthankars, made from some of the rare gemstones are kept in the Ashtapad.

"A Jain temple is being built in New York and most likely even this will go there. Apart from that, a large number of idols presently kept at the Jain Pavilion will also be taken to New York," said Kapadia.