Jain community alerts sadhvis and munis

Alarmed by the rising casualties in road accidents, Jain spiritual leaders have asked members to be more careful

-Dhwani Pathak

Jain munis and sadhvis have been asked to walk carefully on highways when they are on a ‘vihaar’. A word of precaution has been circulated among the Jain sanghs following the Ahmedabad-Borivali highway accident which killed two sadhvis.

Following the Monday morning accident near Dahisar in Maharashtra, a lot of nuns and monks have stopped midway  fearing the same fate. This is the first road mishap after this year’s paryushan.

According to Jain tradition, the munis and sadhvis resume their walk only after Dev Diwali after the rains have stopped.

For the last three years, the sadhvis and munis are being instructed to affix to their walking sticks radium strips which reflect light. This could help prevent accidents. Says Jasmin Shah of Sarva Dharma Rakshak Sewa Trust, “It has been made compulsory for all munis and sadhvis on vihaar to have radium strips so that vehicle drivers can spot them from a distance.”

These radium strips are also affixed to their clothes and wheelchairs or tricycles as the case may be.Apart from this, they have also been asked to not travel in the dark. Acharya Kulchandrasurishwarji Maharajsaheb says, “Early morning is risky for sadhujis. A lot of these accidents happen when vehicles try to overtake in the wrong manner.”

Adds Shah, “Sadhujis and sadhvijis will now be travelling only after 6 am so that they can walk for 10-15 km and reach their destination by 8.30-9 am.”

Various sections of the Jain community have asked the state government to step up the security of the Jain spiritual leaders who walk on highways.

Says Yuvak Mahasangh president Piyush Jain, “The government should take concrete steps in this direction. Sign boards should be put up on the roads on which they walk and instructions be given to every driver who passes through toll booths. Pamphlets could be distributed among them as part of an awareness campaign.”

According to Maharajsaheb, “Often the truck drivers’ licences are not checked. Traffic police and the concerned area police should step up security.”

The community wants a separate lane for pedestrians built.

No conspiracy in deaths of Jain sadhus, sadhvis, says CID

Ujwala Nayudu, IE

The recent deaths of Jain sadhus, sadhvis in road accidents in Gujarat and Rajasthan were “pure accidents and nothing more”, concludes the CID (crime).

The state government had handed over the investigation to CID (crime) in these road accidents following representations by an agitated Jain community three months ago. The report will be submitted to the state government shortly.

The state government had handed over the investigation to a four-member committee headed by V V Rabari, ADGP CID Crime, after representations by the Jain community leaders. Rabari said the investigations of the three accidents at Unjha (Mehsana), Barmer (Rajasthan) and Limbdi (Surendranagar) respectively show no hands of Anoop Mandal or any other group as was being alleged.

He added, “In all the three cases, the truck and jeep drivers were arrested immediately by the respective zone police. Those incidents were pure accidents and there is no substance in the allegation of any conspiracy behind their alleged ‘attacks’ or ‘murders’.”

He added that most of their investigation is over and only minor cross-verification is going on.

The CID stated that driver Vishnoi arrested in connection with Unjha accident was interrogated thoroughly but he had no connections with any group. However, they told The Sunday Express that he would be put under the narco analysis test this May.

The spate of accidents began from November 9 last year at Unjha-Mehsana Highway where four sadhvis died and five others were reportedly injured by a speeding truck.

The Mehsana police had arrested truck driver Manojkumar Vishnoi, a resident of Madiya Village (Bikaner) near Ankleshwar.

On November 12, in another accident, two sadhus were knocked down and one was seriously injured when they were travelling to Jaisalmer from Barmer. The truck driver was arrested on November 13 by Baitu Police and later bailed out.

On February 4, five sadhvis were going to Limbdi on Rajkot-Limbdi Highway when a speeding truck knocked down two of them and injured two others. The truck driver, Anis Pathan, was arrested on the same day by the local police.

Inspector J M Chaudhary, CID Crime (Mehsana), said, “The report does not show any association of the accidents with the Anoop Mandal. Moreover, from whatever he has told the police till now, there is no involvement of Anoop Mandal in the accidents. The drivers’ background, connections, family details were checked and they don’t’ have any relation with any religious group. We are, therefore, making one last attempt through a narco test in May to see if the allegations regarding Jain sadhus, sahdvis are true at all.”

Jain Acharya Gets Threat Mail : Persecution of Jains

RAJKOT/SURAT, NOVEMBER 20

Even as the CID (Crime) is investigating the incidents of road accident deaths of Jain monks and sadhvis, the main acharya at Palitana in Bhavnagar district and his disciple has received a threat mail, the second in a week’s time.

The first one, also addressed to acharya Abhaysurishveraji, was received last week, after the Jains demanded a probe into the deaths of saints killed in road accidents in the state.

A total of six saints have been killed in two different road accidents in the last week. The Jains have claimed that over 25 saints have been killed in the guise of these accidents in the past six months or so.

The Palitana police began investigations on Friday after a letter arrived through post, even as heavy police security cover has been set for the pilgrimage town.

Investigating Officer Inspector R L Rathva said: “The letter is written in Hindi addressing acharya Abhaysurishveraji and his disciple Mokshratna Vijay, the head saint at Vaav Dharmshala. The sender has asked Jains to stop their legal and media campaign against the Mandal or they will be killed.”

The fresh complaint has been registered by Mokshratna Vijay.

The letter states that Jain saints and the community are responsible for the deterioration of the world. “No matter where you go, be it Rajasthan, Maharashtra or Gujarat, you will not be safe. We will dig up your graves,” the threat mail signed in the name of one Kashan Prajapati said.

The letter further said that no inquiry by the Gujarat government can harm them.

In view of the threat mail, the police have deployed additional security around Vaav Dharmshala in Palitana — considered among the most important pilgrimage place for Jains.

Following the outrage by the Jains, state Home Minister Amit Shah has ordered a CID probe into these incidents.

Elsewhere in Surat, members of the Jain community took out a silent rally from Katargam Darwaja to Bahumali building outside the collector’s office at Nanpura today to protest against the accidental death of four Jain sadhvis and two Jain monks in North Gujarat.

Later they handed over a memorandum to the district collector demanding free and fair investigations and strict punishment to the accused.

The rally started around 11.00 am today.

People from 25 different Jain organisations in Surat took part in the rally carrying banners stating the deaths were not accidental, but were killings done intentionally.

The Jain community started protesting over the deaths after a speeding truck hit four sadhvis near Mehsana and two Jain monks were killed under similar circumstances a few days ago.

Samast Surat Jain Sangh member Navin Nagarsewak said:
“We have demanded a free and fair investigation into the deaths.

The accused should be found out and punished strictly. The police should also provide security to the Jain monks and sadhvis walking on the highways. The police should ensure that the state is safe and secure.”

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.