Ambala (Haryana) [India], January 6 (ANI): The Jain community members of Ambala district on Thursday led a fury march on the roads and protested against the declaration of Shri Sammed Shikharji as a tourist spot by the Jharkhand government. They led the protest to the residence of the MLA and submitted a memorandum in the name of the Prime Minister.
Situated in Parasnath hills in Jharkhand, Shri Sammed Shikharji is a Jain pilgrimage considered ‘sacred’ by the community. The protesters claimed that the state government intends to disrupt the sanctity of the place by declaring the site a tourist spot.
Through their protest, the community representatives sought the Jharkhand government to revoke the declaration of the site as a tourist spot. “Sammed Shikhar is the most ancient and sacred pilgrimage for the Jain community where 20 teaching gods out of the 24 attained salvation. Even today, we go there with clean clothes and bare feet,” said Arihant Jain, Shri Digamber Jain Samaj.
The MLA of Ambala city, Aseem Goyal affirmed, “Not the Jain community but the entire community empathizes with the Sammed Shikharji pilgrimage. Jain community’s demand is valid and just. The Central government is also seriously considering this issue. Jharkhand government should take the ‘Tughlaqi’ notification back. I am personally with the Jain samaj on this.”
Recently, the Jain saint Muni Sugyeya Sagar passed away on Tuesday in Rajasthan who was sitting on an indefinite hunger strike protesting the government’s decision. Various representatives of the community blamed the Jharkhand government for his death. Several protests have been carried out in various parts of the country including Mumbai, Aligarh, and Delhi. (ANI)
