From Our Bureau
NEW DELHI: Jains, a minority community with 0.4% of India’s population, are up in arms all over the country over the Centre trying to turn their pilgrimages, religious places, into places of tourism to fill the state coffers, defying their sanctity.
Congress media chairman Pawan Khera and former union minister Pradeep Jain Aditya on Thursday highlighted the anguish of the community, pointing out that it is the most peaceful people who contribute 24% in the taxation.
Aditya said the Centre could have removed the 2019 gazette notification that seeks to convert the Jain pilgrimages as tourist places by the environment and forest ministry and prohibitory orders were issued in Mumbai and many cities of Gujarat like Ahmedabad and Surat when the Jains came on the streets.
He said the notification was issued during Raghuvar Das of the BJP being the chief minister of Jharkhand and present Chief Minister Hemant Soren has already written to the Centre not to convert their religious places into tourist spots as that will result in opening up of hotels, bars and restaurants, “destroying the sanctity of the religious places.”
Aditya wondered why the Modi government does not want to let Jains live peacefully and not to turn Sammed Shikharji in Jharkhand as a tourist destination. The shrine in Parasnath Hills in Giridih district, home to the highest peak in the state some 160 km from state capital Ranchi, is among the holiest places of the Jains, including for both Digambar and Shwetambar sects, as 20 of the 24 Jain Tirthankaras attained ‘moksha’ (salvation) in this location, he said.
Moreover, he said the Parasnath Hills cannot be a tourist place since it comes under a wildlife sanctuary which requires permission of the wildlife authorities for even a small construction.
Jains form abou 5% of population of the Mumbai city, the country’s financial capital and yet they have been forced to agitate over attempts to detroy sanctity of their religious places.
The National Commission for Minorities has scheduled a hearing on January 17 to make recommendations on helping out the Jain community, Aditya said. He said the Modi government did not bother to consult the Jain community before issuing the notification for promoting eco tourism in the Jharkhand hills.
In reply to a question whether the Congress being part of the Jharkhand government can ask the chief minister to reverse the controversial notification, he said the state government can’t do anything since the notification was issued by the Centre, which alone can withdraw it.
