Members of the Jain community carried out a rally around the premises of the Jain temple, Marwari Patti, Dimapur on January 6. (Morung Photo)
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Morung Express News
Dimapur | January 6
The Shree Digamber (SD) Jain Samaj along with the Jain community of Dimapur district in Nagaland closed all its business establishments on Friday, January 6 and carried out a mass rally around the premises of the Jain temple, Marwari Patti as a mark of protest against the government’s decision to turn Shri Sammed Shikharji (Parasnath Hill) located in Giridih, Jharkhand as a tourism site.
Consequently the Centre had put a stay on this same decision on Thursday after being met with a flurry of protests from the thousands of Jains across the country. The Dimapur Jain community had also carried out a similar protest outside the premises of the Deputy Commissioner’s office in Dimapur as well on December 21, 2022 in this regard. For the Jains, Shree Sammed Shikharji is regarded as “the holiest and the greatest Tirth of the Jain community.”
Om Prakash Sethi, President, SD Jain Samaj at the conclusion of the rally spoke on the need of the government to heed to their requests. “We are requesting the Central government to please reconsider the decision and understand the religious sentiments of our community,” he said.
In regard to Thursday’s decision, he stated that they were satisfied as of now but unless the government issues a final notification, the people will remain apprehensive. However, he added, “We are fully confident that the government will make the necessary changes in the coming days.”
Sethi mentioned that the business establishments which remained closed were grocery stores, clothing, furniture, industry, hardware and medical infirmary.
The issue was sparked after the Union Ministry of Forest and Environment’s decision to declare their most sacred worship site as a tourist spot and opening for commercial exploitation at the behest of the Jharkhand state government in 2019 according to its members. Millions of Jain saints have attained their salvation from this sacred hill. Every particle of this Hill is worshipped and lakh of Jains climb it barefooted, many without eating or drinking anything during 27-km walk. As such, the community stated that anybody having any non-veg food or alcoholic drinks or unholy celebrations on the sacred hill after having declared it as a tourist spot is unpardonable sin.
It was further made known by the Jain Samaj that simultaneous protests had also carried out across the North-east region in Assam, Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh.
