Jain Journal 1971 01

SR No.: 520021
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Jain Bhawan Publication
Publisher: Jain Bhawan Publication
Publication Year: 1971
Total Pages: 54
Language: English
Classification: Magazine, India_Jain Journal, & India
File Size: 3 MB

Page 40

134
Postscript
Even such a noble work recently became a victim of political victimisation by the Government of the Madhya Pradesh.2 Objection has been particularly raised against lines at pp. 29, 33, 38-39, 43-44, all in Canto three entitled 'Conspiracy' and page 86 which contains a part of Sita's lamentation. Adequate English rendering of some of these portions has been given above. Any sane reader would see and opine that these words do not contain the poet's estimate of Sita but only the conspirator's opinion about her and the subsequent public gossip, because of which there was the separation, followed by the fire-ordeal. The work was published in 1961 and it is somewhat surprising that it became a victim of fanatical agitation and political action ten years later when the work was almost a forgotten thing. If during these long years the Sanatanist orthodoxy could survive, despite the work, it would have remained equally unscathed even in future. But this was not going to be and the Sanatanist orthodoxy suddenly woke up. Interestingly enough, some foolish acts even bear useful fruits, as this act of the M.P. Government has now done, and many, like the writer of this article, who had never read this work by the Acarya or even aware of its existence before the ban, would now carefully go through it. This indeed is good but the way in which it has been brought into the public lime-light has been extremely painful, and the writer would hazard a guess if not, behind this Sanatanist uproar there is the hidden hand of some of the leading lights of the Jaina order who had never viewed the Acarya's reformist mission with sympathy and who may have provided the necessary fuel to ignite the fire. It is indeed a debatable issue whether, as per Indian spiritual tradition, the monks should indulge in a reform programme or concentrate exclusively on personal liberation about which the present writer has some strong views; but the way in which the Acarya and the monks and nuns of his order were harassed and exposed to personal risk was sheer cowardice which deserves only unqualified condemnation.
JAIN JOURNAL
The venue of the incident was Raipur where the Acarya and his monks and nuns were passing a monsoon sojourn. As the events unfolded, the Acarya was induced to give a sermon on his version of the Rama-story which he did in good faith on August 16, 1970. This gave the cue to the fanatics to start the carnage and give it a communal colour
2 Since the above lines were written, the Government of Madhya Pradesh has withdrawn the ban under the verdict of the Hon'ble High Court of Jabbalpur.-Editor