Death of Jain monks sparks violent outbursts across Gujarat

 Harish Joshi, TNN Jan 2, 2013

 Bharuch: Wide spread protests have been reported following the mowing down of two Jain monks by a truck near Asuria village located nine kilometres from Bharuch on Tuesday. Stone pelting on the police and subsequent lathi charge took place during their Palkhi Yatra in Bharuch on Wednesday.

More than 10,000 people from the Jain community across the state gathered in Bharuch to attend the cremation of the two monks. The route of the Palkhi Yatra of monks Shri Gyanshekhar Vijay Maharaj and Shri Hastigiri Maharaj Sahib was to begin at 9 am from Srimali Pole Jain Temple in Bharuch to the place where the accident had taken place. However, the route was changed following insistence by the police that was protested by the community leaders.

 The yatra reached Zadeshwar Chowkdi on the highway causing a massive traffic jam. Efforts were made by Inspector General of Police Shashikanth Trivedi, Superintendent of Police Gautam Parmar, MP Mansukh Vasava along with MLAs Dushyant Patel and Arunsinh Rana to maintain calm but they went in vain.

Some miscreants started pelting stones on the police and the latter resorted to a lathi charge to disperse the crowd.

The yatra eventually reached the spot of the accident late in the afternoon where the bodies of both the monks were cremated.

Ajitbhai R Mehta of Jain Monk Vihar Group based in Surat said, "We demand a thorough investigation in the accidental deaths of the monks which we believe is premeditated. We condemn the attitude of the police. Instead of beating innocent people who came to attend the cremation of respected monks they need to investigate the killing of saints who spread the message of peace and harmony in the society." He said that more than 40 monks have been killed in road accidents in the last five years.

Meanwhile, reports of protests by community members have also poured in from Vadodara, Navsari, Ankleshwar and other places.

TOI

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.

CID to probe controversial deaths of Jain monks

Ahmedabad: Concerned about the increase in number of road accident deaths of Jain monks, the state police has assigned VV Rabari, additional director general of police, CID (crime) and railways to investigate such accidents that happened in the last three years in the state. Rabari said the move comes after the police department received several applications requesting them to look into the matter.

Rabari further said that police of all the districts have been asked to get the details of accidents involving Jain monks.He said usually each district has the details of such deaths but to find out how many of the victims were Jain monks will take some time.

Meanwhile, another complaint under the Cyber Crime Act is likely to be filed against the anti-Jain cult 'Anoop Mandal'.Jasmin Shah, a Jain social worker, who has filed several police complaints against the activities of the Mandal is planning to file one more complaint.

"The Mandal is propagating against the Jains in a very vicious manner on its website and through blogs. This is hurting the religious sentiments of Jains. I will be filing a police complaint against the Mandal on Monday under the Cyber Crime Act to ban the website."

Jains seek joint probe into deaths of Jain monks

Misbah Nayeem Quadri

Amedabad: The death of a number of Jain monks and sadhvis in mysterious road mishaps in the state recently continues to cause concern among Jains. Ashok Jain, a Supreme Court lawyer, suggested during a meeting of the Ahmedabad-based Bharat Jain Mahamandal that the police of the three states -- Gujarat, Rajasthan and Maharashtra-- should work together to nab the culprits.

The SC lawyer stated that suspects caught in any of the three states should be put to narco-analysis and a lie detection test. He said Indian law prescribes severe punishment for anyone found fanning religious hatred by any means, including websites. Prayer sessions were held at different places in the state for the peace of the soul of the Jain monks and sadhvis who were recently killed in road mishaps.

In Ahmedabad, more than 30 Jain organisations held prayer sessions for the deceased. Four Jain sadhvis died in a road accident near Soneri Patia village in Mahesana district on November 9. Five other sadhvis walking with the deceased escaped with injuries. Three days later, two Jain sadhus were hit by a jeep in Barmer district in Rajasthan.