Why is the Jain community protesting across the country?

India crawled its way into 2023 with widespread protests taking place across the nation. Cities including Delhi, Mumbai, and Ahmedabad saw people from the Jain community pour into the streets against the Jharkhand government’s latest decision to declare the holy Shri Sammed Shikharji in Giridih district as an eco-tourist place.

The Capital witnessed heavy traffic on Sunday with protesters blocking India Gate. They demanded to meet President Droupadi Murmu with their complaint, forcing the police to detain and release several by the evening.

Hundreds of members of the Jain community also carried out parallel rallies in Ahmedabad and Mumbai, demanding action against anti-social elements allegedly desecrating the sacred Shetrunjaya Hills in Gujarat’s Bhavnagar district.

Let us take a closer look at the matter and understand the significance of the temples.

Sammed Shikharji protests over religious tourism

Located on Parasnath Hills in Jharkhand’s Giridih district, Shri Sammed Shikharji is considered one of the most sacred shrines of Jains. The state government’s decision to use it to boost religious tourism has not gone down well with the community, which believes it will impact the sanctity of the site. Protests have been reportedly going on in Delhi’s Risabh Vihar since 26 December.

The pilgrimage site is important for both the Digambara and Svetambara sects as 20 out of 24 Jain Tirthankaras along with monks attained moksha in the place, reports Hindustan Times.

The Jharkhand government announced the decision to convert the site into a tourist spot as part of its Tourism Policy launched in July last year.

#Breaking | The #Jain community hold a protest rally on against #Jharkhand govt’s decision to turn pilgrimage centre into #ecotourism spot@dave_janak shares details@GoyalYashco with a ground report

Join the broadcast with @GrihaAtul pic.twitter.com/AZH1X0IrjD

— News18 (@CNNnews18) January 1, 2023

In November, the community had written to the chief secretary of the Government of Jharkhand, urging the administration to declare the Shri Sammed Shikharji temple a holy place only as it is considered the highest place of pilgrimage of the Jain religion. However, no action has been taken so far.

According to The Hindu, the Vishva Hindu Parishad extended its support to the Jain community and has said the VHP is determined to protect the sanctity of all pilgrimage sites in India. “The area should be declared a holy area and there should not be any tourist activity involving meat and drugs,” the VHP said in its statement.

AIMIM supremo Asaduddin Owaisi has also extended support to the protests by saying the Jharkhand government must rescind its decision.

Vandalism at Palitana temple  

Protests were held in Ahmedabad after CCTV TV footage emerged of miscreants vandalising the steps and pole of a temple in Palitana, Shatrunjaya Hills. Members of the Jain community alleged that Shatrunjaya Hill has become a site of illegal mining activities, liquor dens, and unlawful encroachments.

Located on the banks of the Shetrunji river, the place near Palitana city is home to 865 Jain temples and is considered holy for Shwetambara Jains.

Notably, community members have held more than 85 rallies in various parts of Gujarat ever since the “charan paduka” of a Jain saint was vandalised at a temple on the hills on 26 November last year, Pranav Shah, secretary of Samagra Jain Swetambar Murtipujak Tapagachh Shree Mahasangh of Ahmedabad city was quoted as saying by The Times Of India.

According to him, the community also handed over a memorandum with a list of demands at the district collector’s office.  “All illegal activities in the hills such as mining and land grabbing should be stopped and the hills should be mapped to remove illegal construction — these are our main demands,” Shah told PTI.

Reaching out to PM

According to media reports, the minority community handed over a letter to President Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, expressing displeasure over the two incidents and urging the top leaders to not convert the Shri Sammed Shikharji temple into a tourism spot.

According to ANI, parallel rallies were taken out in Mumbai and Bhopal against the alleged desecration of the Palitana temple. “We are protesting against the vandalisation of the temple in Palitana and the Jharkhand government’s decision. The Gujarat govt has taken action but we want strict action against them (who vandalised the temple). Today more than five lakh people are on the streets,” ANI quoted Maharashtra minister MP Lodha as saying.

The Jharkhand govt’s say

While speaking to Republic Media Network, Jharkhand finance minister Dr Rameshwar Oraon stated that the “sentiments of Jain community members will be respected,” adding that the issue will be discussed again before coming to any decision regarding the holy site.

He asserted that the government took the decision for the “benefit of the region,” however, since it is hurting the sentiments of the minority community, the matter will be discussed again.

NCM decides to hold a hearing 

The National Commission for Minorities (NCM) has written to the chief secretary of the Jharkhand administration about denotifying Parasnath Parvatraj Giridih (Jharkhand) as an eco-tourism centre and declaring the same as a holy place. The commission will hold a hearing on 17 January 2023 at 3 pm, according to Outlook India.

With inputs from agencies

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