At the turn of the calendar year 2022, the Jain community across the country started protests and agitations to protect one of their holiest shrines called Sammed Shikharji, situated on Parasnath Hills in Giridih district in the state of Jharkhand. In Delhi, a group of Jains were sitting on a fast unto death to protest against the policy of the Government of Jharkhand, which was later ratified by the Government of India. With the advent of the New Year, the protests escalated and spread across the country. Protest marches and rallies were organised across the country. Leading Jain monks and nuns along with prominent Jains from the society participated in these rallies.
On Tuesday, 3rd January, in Jaipur, Rajasthan, a Jain monk named Muni Sugyesagar Maharaj lost his life because he was on a fast unto death against the decision of the governments of Jharkhand and India in order to protect Sammed Shikharji. The protests in Delhi and various other cities have become stronger, because of the inaction of the governments to address their concerns and resolve their issues pertaining to the shrine, which have arisen due to the tourism policy of the state. Temperatures and sentiments in the Jain community started rising after police took action against a peaceful march by the Jains on 1st January 2023, from India Gate to Rashtrapati Bhawan, to request the President of India, Draupadi Murmu, to intervene and urge the Union and state governments to take necessary steps to save the holy shrine by withdrawing the notification.
On 22nd February 2019, the Jharkhand government issued a notification announcing Sammed Shikharji as a tourist destination of international importance. Subsequently, the gazette notification dated 28th December 2021 declared the Jain shrine and Parasnath Hills as religious tourism zone. The same notification stated that along with religious tourism, the location has huge potential for mining tourism, eco-tourism, adventure sports, etc. It is intriguing how mining can be connected with tourism.
Clause 2.2.17 of the Jharkhand Tourism Policy 2021 states that it endeavours to promote mining tourism around abandoned and closed mines. However, it is unclear how it can be done. Clause 2.2.11 of the policy states that it intends to attract high-end tourists and increase their stay in the state. In continuation, Clause 2.2.12 endeavours to position Jharkhand as the one-stop destination for all adventure-related tourism activities, comprising air, land and water-based adventure facilities. The Union Government of India issued a notification dated 2nd August 2019, approving the notification issued by the Jharkhand government.
The Jain community also alleges that the development in accordance with the Jharkhand Tourism Policy of 2021 and the preceding notification of 2019 is abutting the holy sites of Sammed Shikharji and Parasnath Hills. They are concerned over the maintenance of religious sanctity and purity of the area, which would be affected due to the influx of leisure tourism in the area. They also assert that the area, which is now brought within the ecotourism zone, was notified as a wildlife sanctuary by the Government of Bihar’s gazette notification dated 21st August 1984. The Giridih district was then a part of Bihar, and later became part of Jharkhand when Bihar was bifurcated. Hence, since 2019, the Jain community has opposed the Jharkhand government’s policy to convert the area around Sammed Shikharji and Parasnath Hills into a tourism zone.
The concerns of the Jain community are multifold.
First is the significance. Sammed Shikharji is one of the holiest Jain shrines for many millennia. 20 out of 24 Jain Tirthankaras, who are Jain spiritual leaders, along with many other monks, attained moksha or salvation here. As per Jain beliefs, Sammed Shikharji is one of the five holiest shrines in Jainism along with Ashtapad, Girnar, Dilwara temples of Mount Abu, and Shatrunjaya Hills. Jains equate Sammed Shikharji with the importance of Kashi, Mathura and Ayodhya in Hinduism; Golden Temple and Kartarpur in Sikhism; Bodh Gaya in Buddhism; Mecca in Islam; Vatican in Christianity; and Jerusalem in Judaism. Jains argue that Sammed Shikharji is a place of worship for Jains and the community was not taken into confidence in framing the policy that impacts the religious site and the area around the site, which the Jains own through their religious trusts.
The second issue that has become the core issue relates to the core belief and principles of Jainism. The religion calls for non-violence and maintaining utmost purity in precinct of the shrine. Jharkhand government’s tourism policy has created concerns amongst the Jains about the sale of non-vegetarian food and alcohol in the area, as leisure tourists start flocking in the area. Jains believe that this will defile the religious and spiritual sanctity of the shrine. This concern has been repeatedly highlighted by many Hindus — about leisure tourists hurting the religious sanctity of holy shrines like Kedarnath etc. Many Hindus have also complained on social media that the area around and leading to Kedarnath is littered with beer cans and people coming for entertainment, instead of pilgrimage.
The issue of non-vegetarian food being sold in the vicinity of Sammed Shikharji is an old and ongoing matter. Many illegal non-veg food stalls owned by locals have come up in the area directly owned by the Jain temple trust. Jains also quote how the religious sanctity and purity of Hindu shrines like Vaishno Devi is maintained by ensuring non-vegetarian food and alcohol is not allowed in the religious circuit of Katra to Bhairavnath. In this area, even the vegetarian food served is pure Vaishnav cuisine. Jains argue that similar strict norms are required in Sammed Shikharji.
The third issue is about the harassment and vandalism of locals. There have been repeated complaints of local biker groups doing rash joyrides on the path leading to the shrine. Along with rash driving, they have engaged in violent behaviour with the pilgrims. The community complains that the law enforcement machinery has broken down, which is a serious issue. Despite repeated complaints made by the Jains to the government authorities, the issue is not resolved. They are hurt that repeated requests and representations to the authorities and law enforcement agencies have fallen on deaf ears. They also allege that the state and Central governments would not act in the same manner on complaints made by other religious groups.
Last week, there was an incident of firing by the vandals associated with the vested interests groups involved in subverting the sanctity of the shrine. CRPF (Central Reserve Police Force) had to be called to control the vandals and ensure the safety of pilgrims.
Vandalising Jain shrines has now become a very contentious issue. Jains have experienced violence and vandalism at a Jain shrine in Palitana in the temple of the first Tirthankara – Lord Adinath. The feet of the Lord were broken by the vandals, thereby desecrating the temple. Jains have been experiencing ‘goondaism’ by vested interest groups in Palitana for a long time. Pilgrims have complained that they are not allowed to even chant the ‘Namokar Mantra’ on a stretch which leads to the main shrine. There were complaints of attacks on Jain pilgrims who were chanting the Namokar Mantra. Later, the pilgrims started maintaining silence while crossing the stretch.
These incidents have hurt the Jain community and they fear that similar instances of harassment and terrorising of pilgrims can begin at Sammed Shikharji in future. Jains also complain of feeling dejected with the abject failure of the government authorities in ensuring that the community can exercise its fundamental right to profess and practice its faith in the country under Article 25 and manage the shrine under Article 30 of the Constitution and maintain purity and sanctity of the shrine.
Hence, the Jain community is now on the streets to protest against the acts of vandalism and desecration of Jain shrines and hurting the purity and sanctity of the shrines. Their sole intent is to seek justice and support from the governments at the Centre and the state.
Sumeet Mehta is a Chartered Accountant by qualification and a Corporate Finance professional. He is the author of ‘Diagnosing GST for Doctors’, published by CNBC Books18. He tweets from @sumeetnmehta. The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not represent the stand of this publication.
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