Jains up in arms against Jharkhand govt's decision

Mangalru/Shravanabelagola: The decision of the Jharkhand government to convert the Shikarji hill station in that state into a tourism hotspot has echoed in Karnataka, the Jain leaders in the Southern Jain Kashi Moodbidri in Dakshina Kannada district, Jain pilgrimage towns like Shravanabelagola in Hassan district, Hombuja in Shivamogga district have expressed shock over the decision of the Jharkhand government.

A silent march has been planned at the Jain Kashi Moodbidri on 28 December (Wednesday). Jain leaders and Swamiji including Lalitakirthi Bhattaraka of Hombuja Jain mutt and Charukirti Panditacharyavarya Swamiji of Moodbidri Jain mutt several top leaders of the community will take out the silent march from the apex temple of Jain community in South India- Tribhuvana Tilaka Chudamani (1000 pillar Basadi) in Moodbidri town.

Jain leader and four-times MLA of Moodbidri-Mulky Assembly constituency Abhayachandra Jain who is also a tall leader of Jain community told that "Shikarji in Jharkhand state is one of the top Jain pilgrimage centre in the world for the Jain society. The Jain community is protesting all over the country against the decision to turn Sammed Shikharji, which is a holy pilgrimage site for Jain people, into a tourist attraction.

Meanwhile, the Union Environment Ministry has written a letter to the Jharkhand government asking it to consider the objection raised by the Jain community.

The Director General of Forests CP Goyal to Jharkhand Chief Secretary Sukhdev Singh on Friday. The letter stated that the ministry has been receiving several representations from the Jain community and other individuals. It states that the Parasnath Sanctuary is the sanctum sanctorum of Jain spirituality. As a result, the order of activities such as eco-tourism there has hurt their sentiments and may turn this pristine environs into a littered and polluted tourism destination, which the Jain community does not want. In the letter, the Ministry is asked to think again about letting these things happen near Parasnath Sanctuary. The Ministry has sent a copy of the representation to the Government of Jharkhand.

In fact, Sammed Shikharji, located on the Parasnath hills in Jharkhand's Giridih district, is the Jain community's most important pilgrimage site. The people who live in Parasnath Hills are against the state government's plan to promote religious tourism there. The main reason why people all over the world are gathering to show support for Sammed Shikharji is because of a recent notice from the Central and Jharkhand governments. In the notice released by the Central and Jharkhand governments, it was stated that Sammed Shikharji would be promoted as a tourist destination.