 |
||
|
||
| Advertise with us! |
|
|
The Jain Samaj has made it clear to all concerned including the government
that Jains are not a minority and that those who are trying to seek that
status-or grant that status-should desist from such attempts.
The Jain Samaj has further reiterated their stand that they are Hindus.
Ever since the attempt of some people to get the Jains declared as a
minority, various Jain Acharyas, including late Acharya Tulsi, have
publicly stated that the Jains are Hindus and that they have no intention
of seeking the status of a minority.
Now, however, the Supreme segment of Chaturvidh Sangh (four-fold body of
followers of Jain religion) which is responsible for conducting the affairs
of Jain Shasan (religion), at its meeting at. Rajnagar (Ahmedabad) has
stated that "Hindu people (praja) following Jain religion should not get
themselves included in the list of minority community."
In furtherance of this decision, the three-day meeting also advised the
Government "not to include Jains in the list of minorities".
In a letter dated 6-8-97 to Shri Balwant Singh Ramoowalia, Minister for
Welfare, Government of India (with copies to the PM, the Cabinet Secretary
and the Chairman of National Commission for Minorities), Acharya Shri
Ramsurishwarji Maharaj on behalf of all Shwetambar murti-pujak Jain
Acharyas has asked the Government "to modify the Census enumeration form
wherein the classification of the citizens is done based on 6 religions.
One of such religions he described as 'Vedic' religion what presently is
described as 'Hindu' religion-so that the mixing of two concepts, i.e.,
praja (race) and religion under one word 'Hindu' is rectified and both
identities of the people as praja (Hindus) and the followers of their
respective religions are clearly spelt out and recorded."
Elaborating the Jain point of view, - Acharya Ramsurishwarji said in his
letter, "The Hindus (as people of this country) have been living their
lives centering around Dharma since time immemorial. The people of this
country, keeping their sight always on attainment of Moksha (Supreme
Salvation) have been following various Dharmas (religions). Amongst the
main religions followed by the Hindus of this country are the Vedic
religion, the Jain religion, the Baudha religion and the Sikh religion.
Thus the correct, clear and unambiguous position is that people of this
country should correctly be described as Hindus, following various
religions and one section of Hindus follows the Jain religion. However
their diverse religions have one common feature that followers of these
different religions are 'Hindus' as praja (people/race) of this country.
"As the followers of Vedic religion etc. are known as Hindus, the followers
of Jain religion also are Hindus. One of the definitions of Hindus is
'people who are pained by violence towards other creatures are Hindus'.
According to this definition also, we Jains are Hindus only. Any
understanding except this is misunderstanding of the concept."
In a separate letter to the an of the National Minority Commission, Acharya
Padamasagar Suri has also stated that as per tradition, the Jains have
always remained and want to continue as part of Hindus. He added that Jain
Samaj had never desired favours from the Government nor does it want any
favour now. He declared, "Our interests are secure in going alongwith
Hindus and that a status quo should be maintained in respect of Jain Samaj.
This is our wish."
This rebuff from Jain Acharyas to the move by the Minorities Commission and
the Government to divide the Hindus by offering them the bait of certain
facilities constitutionally available to the minority has come after
prolonged deliberations at various levels of the Jain Samaj. The Minorities
Commission formed under the National Commission for Minorities Act, 1992,
had listed Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists and Parsis as minority
groups. The Government till today has not made it clear the criteria for
declaring a group as a minority. Later, some Jains whose identity is yet to
be disclosed allegedly put in an application seeking minority status. Thus,
for the last two years or so, the debate has been going on among the Jains
about the pros and cons of remaining in the Hindu fold or to accept any
future award of minority declaration.
On August 2, 1997 some newspapers carried the news that the Central Cabinet
is about to take a decision on declaring fresh groups including Jains as
minority groups. The Jain Acharyas' response is a fitting reply to the
Government's move.
Commenting on the Acharyas' decision, Shri Ashok Singhal, Working President
of VHP, and Shri Arvind Parekh of Viniyog Parivar in a joint communique
have said that those belonging to Jain religion do not want minority
status. They wish to continue as part of Hindu religion as before. In
Article 30 of the Indian Constitution there is a reference to minorities.
After Independence, there has always been some vote-bank considerations.
After preparing a list of minorities, avowedly to safeguard their interests
on October 10, 1993 through it s Notification No. 633: Muslims, Christians,
Sikhs, Buddhists and Parsis were listed as minority groups.
Is the people's voice considered or is the Government on its own to decide
on the inclusion in or exclusion from the minority groups. As such the
position is not beyond doubt and many questions still remain to be answered.
The two leaders further said that on the publication of the list of
minority groups, some Jain organisations, without seeking clarifications,
applied to the social Welfare Ministry for minority status through its
application of September 23, 1995. When the rest of the community heard
about it, Jain religious leaders started the debate and serious
deliberations took place spanning a period of two years.
Thus, all Jain sects got together, through their senior dharmacharyas, and
discussed the matter in their recent monsoon session in Karnavati
(Ahmedabad). As a result, they unanimously decided to continue as part of
Hindus, and not to accept minority status.
The two leaders pointed out that Article 51 of Indian Constitution directed
the rulers of the country to uphold the unity of the country, and thus not
to encourage separatist tendencies by way of indiscriminately adding to
groups of people (originally belonging to the majority community) to the
minorities list. This view of the majority of Jains has the concurrence of
the Vishwa Hindu Parishad.
|
||
|
||
| Advertise with us! |
|
|