A Jain priest on hunger strike against the Jharkhand government’s decision of declaring Shri Sammed Shikharji, a sacred pilgrimage site for the Jain community, as a tourist place passed away on Tuesday in Jaipur. It is located at Parasnath Hills in Jharkhand state.
Jain priest Sugyeyasagar Maharaj, 72, a native of a village in Banswara district of Rajasthan sat on a hunger strike at Sanghiji temple in Sanganer after participating in a peace march in Jaipur.
Rajasthan Jain Sabha president Subhash Jain said, “A priest passed away fasting, protesting for the cause. The government of India and Jharkhand government is working at snail’s pace, if it continues then the public anger will spread.”
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The members of the Jain community held a countrywide massive protest on January 1 against the Hemant Soren-led Jharkhand government’s decision of declaring the ‘sacred’ Sammed Shikharji a tourist place.
At present, the community members are keeping themselves calm till January 15, thereafter it will not be easy to maintain the resentment, Subhash added.
It is also the biggest pilgrimage destination for people of the Jainism faith, for both its sects — the Digambaras and the Svetambaras. It is believed that this is the place where 20 of the 24 Jain Tirthankaras attained “moksha” or salvation after meditating.
With protests erupting across the country in the past two weeks seeking withdrawal of the notification, both centre and the state government took note of it.
