Goof up by Jains in the Hindu-Jain dispute at Shri Girnar ji Siddhakshetra

Dear fellow Jains,
Jay Jinendra

Here at Shri Mahavirji Digambara Jain Atishay Kshetra, Shri Mahavirji, Rajasthan, - a seminar (sangoshthi) with ~ 80 participants was organized on June 8-9, 2013 on the Girnarji Hindu – Jain dispute [where on January 1, 2013 Jain Muni Prabal Sagarji was gravely assaulted by Muktanandgiri, the Jains are not allowed to have equal right as to Hindus to worship at 5 th peak (known as Neminath Tunk and also as Dattatrey Tunk) and the Jains face many other problems and harassment during pilgrim].

During this seminar colored pamphlets (small booklet) were distributed in which it was mentioned at many places that despite efforts of many prominent leaders of Jain Community the Interim Order of Gujarat High Court dated February 17, 2005 is not being implemented by Gujarat Government therefore Jains are getting all these problems and it was projected as if most of their problems will be solved if this order is implemented.

I requested the participants of this seminar to provide me the copy of this Interim Order and on June 20, 2013 I got this order copy (which I can email if your email ID is SMSed at 07829074704) from one of the participant (advocate in this matter) and I am surprised to see this Interim Order. In fact this Interim Order is against Jain Community and more or less is being implemented therefore Jains are facing all the said problems.

It is evident from this Interim Order that Jains committed blunder of taking burden of proving (before asking any thing from Court) that the site is Neminath Trunk and idols / scriptures / foot-prints are of Lord Neminath without putting similar burden on Hindus to prove that the site is Dattatrey Tunk and idols / scriptures / foot-prints are of Lord Dattatrey. And in the process naively gave practical exclusive possession & title of site to Hindus and accepted the arrangement of visiting the site as tourists or as followers of any other religion like Muslims etc of a secular country. In a nutshell Hindus got the possession & title and everything [that is why they took permission from authorities (a right recognized by even Jains in Interim Order) for new construction and for replacing idol of Lord Dattatrey] without proving anything.

As told to me by many participants of this seminar, the main factor behind not fighting cases in Courts etc properly by Jains is the unfounded fear of Jains where (in a legally baseless & ridiculous manner) Jains think that Hindus are much more in numbers than Jains and Narendra Modi is ruling in Gujarat.

But Still there is time, Jains should organize another small seminar with few participants at Girinarji where after studying all the pending & so called decided cases (in Courts and with Police & Administration) and by taking ground realty in reckoning - instead of wasting their time in digging-out references to prove the title (as they unnecessarily did in Shri Mahavirji on June 8-9) - the Jains should vigorously renew legal battle to gain exclusive possession of 5 th peak (Neminath Tunk) so that after Sidh Kshetra Sammed Shikharji the second most sacred place for Jains the Girinarji Sidh Kshetra can be retrieved from Hindus so that Jains can offer Pooja-Archana over there as per Jain-Amnay {faith} during the time allowed by Court.

Here one more point is important and relevant. The Jain Tirth Kshetra / Atishay Kshetra / Sidh Kshetra are owned, controlled and run by Trusts of handful of people mostly from outside. For example in Girnarji Trust, the Jains from Gujarat have negligible representation. But for protecting Girinarji, the Gujarati Jains from Girinarji, Junagadh District, its Division and Gujarat State are expected (being effective) to fight & struggle - which is impractical in a democratic country because now days nobody takes interest unless he / she has representation and stakes in it.

Therefore if Trusts of all these are not reconstituted by giving proper representation to local Jains through Jain Temple Societies and their Federations and to such International Organizations of Jains in other countries like USA, UK etc, then these apex places of Jain Religion are bound to face more and similar problems in future and that will be fatal for Jain Community and Religion

Yours truly,
Hem Raj Jain

My contact details are as under:

Hemraj Jain
A 3 Shri Mahavirdham
Shri Mahavirji
Pin Code 322220
District Karauli
Rajasthan
India

Telephone
+91.78290.74704 (m)

Email
hemraj_jain@yahoo.com

JITO Worldwide body of Jains to launch its New Chapter at Hyderabad

JITO is setting up a Jain Universtiy at an outlay of Rs 500crore, offers free medical insurance to 8000 Jain Monks at a cost of Rs 50 crore.

Jain International Trade Organization (JITO), a worldwide body of Jain businessmen, industrialists, knowledge workers and professionals in various fields reflecting their glory of ethical business practices to launch its 20th Chapter in India at Hyderabad on Sunday at 10am at Hotel Marriot.

The JITO Hyderabad Chapter will be inaugurated by Shri Ajay Jain, IAS, Managing Director of A.P. Genco. And guests of honour include Shri Hemant M Shah, National President, Shri Shantilal M. Kawar, Secretary General, Shri Mahinder Kumar Jain, President and Shri N. Tarachand Dugar, Secretary General of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Pondy Zone.

Immediately after the inauguration of the new Hyderabad Chapter, Shri Goutam Chand Jain Pikarna as Chairman, Shri D.C. Galada as Chief Secretary and other members of Managing Committee will be installed by The National President of JITO.

JITO aims to confer its members the benefits wider Global Business Contacts, access to Global Trade Directory on Web, opportunity to participate in International Trade Fairs, Conferences and Delegations. JITO invites all fellow Jains throughout the world to become a united force.

JITO is fast spreading many countries abroad such as South East Asian Countries, Far East Countries, USA, Europe and others. It already has chapters at Dubai and Hongkong. It has three tiers of membership. And has about 2000 across all categories of memberships. Many well known Jain Industrialists in the country have already become the members of JITO.

Some of the activities of JITO includes setting up a Jain University at an outlay of Rs 500crore. For which Rajasthan and Gujarat Governments promised all sorts of help in setting up the same. JITO has already mobilised Rs 2.5 cr as seed capital towards the same. JITO has been providing free and cash less medical insurance to 8000 Jain monks spread all over India at a cost of Rs 50 crore. JITO has been providing free training to Jain youth who plan to write Civil Service exams. It even provides educational loans at very nominate rate of 4 per cent interest.

Muni Param Pujya Naypadmasagarji, Maharaj Saheb, is the mentor and conceptualiser of JITO with the blessings of Guru Bhagwants had a dream of uniting all Jains under one Umbrella Organisation i.e.JAIN INTERNATIONAL ORGANISATION (JIO), JIO is the Apex confederation of all Jains, spread around the world, having under it sixteen different organisations such as Jain International Trade Organisation (JITO), Jain International Doctors' Federation (JDF), Jain International Chartered Accountants' Federation (JICF), Jain International Advocates' Federation (JIAF),Jain International Women (JIWO), Jain International Youth Organisation (JIYO), Jain International Government Employees' Organisation (JIGEO) etc. Almost 75% of the working population of Jains is engaged in business and industry.

The Jain population in India according to 2001 census is about 50 lakhs. The Jain population is spread across Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh. The Jain population in Andhra Pradesh is estimated to be about one lakh. The Jain population in USA is estimated to be about 130,000.

Top Jain business groups to power JITO

AHMEDABAD: They were among the first to renounce their homes to seek greener pastures abroad, soon after the world war, turning adversity into business opportunity. Now with the global meltdown, the Jain International Trade Organisation (JITO), a global organisation connecting Jains worldwide, is now here to host its global summit just ahead of Vibrant Gujarat global investor summit.

The three-day JITO summit begins on Friday. Members and guests will interact and introduce themselves to each other. Leading business groups, Adanis, Torrent and Future are the key participants here. "This event will certainly boost the overall tempo of Gujarat's vibrant progress. We expect more than 7,000 delegates from across the globe to take part in this summit and witness Gujarat as a business friendly state. This might help encourage them to invest in the state," says Utkarsh Shah, president of JITO's Ahmedabad chapter. He adds that many foreign delegates of JITO will attend Vibrant Gujarat global investor's summit-09.

On Saturday and Sunday at expert sessions, prominent political, community and business leaders will participate.

"We want to look beyond recession and tap opportunities. In this summit, we have invited Jain visionaries from all fields to make most of this exclusive opportunity to exploit frontiers of value-based change for business growth. Being a premier organisation that works to make a difference, JITO feels that it is time to demonstrate and react to the situation with well thought out and realistic planned responses," says Shah.

Leader of opposition in the Lok Sabha LK Advani will inaugurate the summit which will have the blessings of PP Naypadmasagarji Maharaj saheb.

The sessions will cover lectures on capital market and commodity, real estate and construction, textile and garment, dyes, chemical and pharma, plastics and allied products, gems, jewellery and bullion, IT, ITES and education.

The Jain International Women's Organisation (JIWO)'s international conference will be inaugurated on Saturday by Union minister Renuka Chowdhary. "In JIWO international conference, Jain women from across the globe will take part and discuss many important issues. It is expected that 3,000 women delegates will converge in the conference. The main aim is that women should come out and take part in social initiatives and not be restrict simply as housewives'' adds Ajit Shah, media in-charge of JITO.

JITO mentor calls for uniting Jains

AHMEDABAD: 'Jains of the world unite', was the call given by Naypadmasagarji Maharaj, a revered Jain sadhu at the introductory meet on Friday on the eve of Jain International Trade Organisation (JITO)'s global summit.

Speaking to delegates, Naypadmasagarji, who is also JITO's mentor emphasised on the importance of unity for a better future.

"JITO's aim is to work for betterment of society. We should unite to eliminate poverty in the world. For this, I would ask JITO members to even go meet terrorists and try to understand their side of the story. Why should anybody choose to become a terrorist ? There must be some reason. We have to find this out for the cause of humanity", he said.

He urged that if they wanted to live in a peaceful world, they will have to create it themselves. "Jains have never discriminated while doing social works in their life. It is a tradition. I urge Jain leaders to invest their money in value based education", he said.

According to a JITO official, day one was like a "get together where JITO members and executives from various chapters presented their future course of action"

Jainism is the most ancient green movement:LK Advani at JITO

Following is the full text of Shri LK Advani’s speech delivered when inaugurating Jain International Trade Organization(JITO) Global Summit at Ahmedabad, Gujarat on January 10th, 2009.

I thank the organizers of this Global Summit of the Jain International Trade Organization (JITO) for inviting me to the inaugural ceremony. At the outset, I convey my best wishes to you for a Happy New Year and also my greetings for Makar Sankranti, which is just four days away.

I have participated in many conferences of business platforms such as FICCI, CII and ASSOCHAM. These organizations are focused almost entirely on business and economy. But your conference is different. This is because the Jain International Trade Organization does not concern itself only with trade matters. Its outlook and activities are far more holistic, embracing many other aspects of life and society.

JITO’s philosophy is encapsulated by five noble commitments: Seva (Service of Humanity), Shiksha (Education), Arthik Sudharata (Economic Uplift), Samajik Utkarsh (Social Progress) and Adhyatmik Unnati (Spiritual Elevation). I compliment your organization because it is actively promoting programmes in each of these areas.

Jainism’s holistic approach to life

This holistic approach to life is not surprising because Jainism itself presents a profound and all-encompassing outlook towards life. Its ideals like satya, ahimsa, and aparigraha are both universal and eternal in their relevance. And in every century, Jainism has produced saintly figures who have both embodied these ideals. In our own times, I can think of two venerable personalities – Acharya Tulsi and his worthy disciple Acharya Mahapragya. I consider it my good fortune that I have sat at the feet of both these great Acharyas.

One of the great qualities that I have observed among Jain organizations is how they have tried to follow the teachings of the Tirthankars to practice philanthropy by enhancement of business. The spirit of volunteerism and social service that they display is truly remarkable. I remember that, at the time of the massive earthquake in Kutch and other parts of Gujarat in 2001, some of the best relief and humanitarian work was done by Jain organizations. I commend JITO for supporting this praiseworthy tradition.

Jainism the most ancient Green Movement in world history

Friends, in popular consciousness, Jainism is associated with its insistence on ahimsa or non-violence. Indeed, the greatest apostle of nonviolence in the modern era, Mahatma Gandhi, has written in his autobiography that he had a Jain ’spiritual mentor’, a young diamond merchant named Shrimad Rajchandra.

We often do not appreciate why Jainism attached such paramount importance to ahimsa. However, we should remember that two of the greatest challenges before the world today Terrorism and Climate Change are both manifestations of violence.

Terrorism is of course the most extreme and inhuman form of violence. And we have seen its evil face in Ahmedabad, Jaipur, Hyderabad, Delhi, Bangalore, Guwahati and, most recently, in Mumbai. Violence of this kind must be put down with a firm hand.

But there is another form of violence which the world has been much slower to recognize, and much more hesitant to take firm action against. I am referring to the violence being inflicted on Mother Earth by our materialistic civilization. The destruction of the environment, which is evident in the alarming levels of pollution of our land, water and air resources and which is now climaxing in Climate Change, has catastrophic implications for man and other species on our planet.

It is when we reflect on the challenge of Climate Change that we begin to appreciate the enormous contemporary relevance of the Jain philosophy of ahimsa and jiva daya. We realize that Bhagwan Mahavir and the other Jain Tirthankars were great environmental conservationists. They taught us that we human beings are merely trustees of this planet. We need to re-learn their teachings in our times. If we do so, we realize that eco-friendliness is not a mere fashionable phrase, it has to be interwoven into our development paradigm and also into our day-to-day living. In a sense, we all have to become adivasis or tribals who know how to exist in harmony with the earth. The earth takes care of us, and so we have to take care of her. In this sense, Jainism is the most ancient Green Movement in world history.

I would like to assure the audience here, and the people at large in our country, that, in the event of the BJP and the NDA elected to form the next government in New Delhi, we shall take appropriate steps to deal with both forms of violence – Terrorism and Climate Change.

Vibrant Gujarat: A role model for other states

Friends, your conference is taking place at a time when Gujarat is once again hosting another prestigious meet: The Vibrant Gujarat summit. This annual event has now become an advertisement, both nationally and internationally, for the highly impressive achievements of the Government of Gujarat, under the leadership of its dynamic Chief Minster Shri Narendra Modi.

Even our political and ideological opponents have to grudgingly recognize that Gujarat has now become the No. 1 destination for investments. Recently, a Member of Parliament from Kerala belonging to the CPI(M) publicly lauded Shri Modi and said that the Communist-led Government in Kerala should emulate the example of Gujarat.

Gujarat today is a role model for Good Governance, for Development and an uncompromising approach to Security. It has also set an example for an uncompromising approach to Corruption. Let me assure you that a future NDA Government in New Delhi will replicate this model nationally.

We shall take bold and quick steps to revive the economy out of the recessionary crisis that it is in today. Our policies will help create more employment, self-employment and entrepreneurship opportunities for young Indians. In this, we would actively seek the cooperation of organizations like JITO.

Govt must take firm action against cases of financial fraud

Friends, since most of you are from the fields of business and commerce, I have to share an important thought on this occasion. India has all the potential to grow into a giant economy. The successes of Indian entrepreneurs in recent times, both in India and abroad, have been spectacular.

But as Gandhiji used to exhort, business without ethics is sin. Even if a few business organizations indulge in unethical practices, they bring a bad name to the business community as a whole. I am saying this I am distressed by the recent shocking disclosures about financial fraud in a major IT company in Hyderabad. Corporate India must put its house in order. The Government cannot turn a blind or lenient eye to such fraudulent practices.

With these words, I declare the inauguration of the Global Summit of the Jain International Trade Organization and wish it all success.

Thank you.

Now Conversion law violation is a criminal offence in Gujarat

GANDHINAGAR: From now on, anyone wishing to convert will have to tell the government why they were doing it and for how long they had been following the religion which they were renouncing, failing which, they will be declared offenders and prosecuted under criminal laws.

Forced conversion could land those responsible a three-year jail term. This clause is contained in the rules of the anti-conversion law which came into effect on April 1.

The new law is called Gujarat Freedom of Religion Act, 2003, and took five years to be implemented because of the failure of the state government to come up with rules on the kind of information to be provided when applying for permission to convert to any religion.
The Bill confirms that Jainism and Buddhism are not sub-sects of Hinduism. The rules have been published in the Gujarat government gazette.

The rules make it obligatory for a priest seeking to convert someone from one religion to another to take prior permission of the district magistrate in order to avoid police action.

The priest, in fact, will have to sign a detailed form providing personal information on the person whom she/he wishes to convert, whether the one sought to be converted is a minor, a member of Scheduled Caste or Tribe, her/his marital status, occupation and monthly income.

Anyone willing to convert will have to apply to the district magistrate a month before the rituals and give details on the place of conversion, time and reason.

After getting converted, the person will have to obligatorily provide information within 10 days on the rites to the district magistrate, reason for conversion, the name of the priest who has carried out the ritual and full details of the persons who took part in the ceremony.

The district magistrate will have to send a quarterly report to the government listing the number of applications for prior permission, comparative statistics of the earlier quarter, reasons for granting or not granting permission, number of conversions, and number of actions against offenders.

From TOI

Modi and Singhal: Pro-Jains?

Junagadh, December 7 All India Sadhu Samaj president (Gujarat Chapter) Mahant Gopalanand has come down heavily on Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) president Ashok Singhal for his derogatory remarks on the sadhus of Gujarat, who have been tacitly campaigning against the Narendra Modi government.

Gopalanand said in a statement that while the VHP has been playing politics in the name of Hindutva, it has also misused the sadhus under the banner of Dharma Sansad and Hindu Jagaran.

He said the VHP under the leadership of Singhal, has mustered crores of rupees and gold bricks in the name of constructing a Ram temple at Ayodhya, but it never made the account public, and since it has failed to construct the temple, the VHP should be considered as an anti-national, anti-society and anti-religious organisation.
"Ashok Shinghal himself is a Jain and in spite of being a Jain, he is the leader of a Hindu religious organisation (VHP). He (Ashok Shinghal) never bothered about Jain sadhus," Gopalanand said in his statement.
He said though the foundation-laying ceremony of the ambitious Girnar ropeway project in Junagadh has been completed thrice, it could not get started, because of the opposition of the Jains to this project. "This is because Jains are against this project and, Singhal and Modi are pro-Jains," he said.

He said during the last five years, many sadhus, including several VHP office-bearers have been murdered, but none of the accused have been convicted or punished by law. "Why is the VHP not raising this issue of sadhus' murder under the BJP rule? There are number of slaughter houses functioning in Gujarat, but why is the VHP keeping quiet?" he said.

Gopalanand declared his support to Sarsa-based sadhu Avichaldas for the latter's announcement to start an agitation and mobilise sadhus from across Gujarat against Singhal. Gopalanand said the VHP is playing dirty politics in the name of Hindu Jagaran and looting the country and the religious people.