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AHIMSA TIMES - DECEMBER 2007 ISSUE - www.jainsamaj.org
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stimulated students by saying, when the knowledge acquired is used with righteousness and courage in all the educational campuses; we will have empowered and enlightened citizens, which is required for the growth of the individual and the growth of the nation. Shri Lallchand Singhi, Chancellor of the university, imparted oath to the faculty, members, scholars and students of the university. At this occasion, 662 graduates, 875 postgraduates, 19 M. Phil's, 39 doctorates and 11 gold medals were awarded. Courtesy:Samani Mangal Pragya, Vice Chancellor, Jain Vishwa Baharati University, Ladnun- Nagour, Rajasthan - 341306.
SESSIONS ON JAINISM AT AMERICAN ACADEMY OF RELIGIONS CONFERENCE A report from Prof. Anne Vallely of University of Ottawa at conference in San Diego. Nov 16-19, 2007. The Jain sessions were well attended and extremely well-received. Although I have not received final confirmation, Prof Rita Sherma of DANAM spoke with me after the panel and suggested that we establish a permanent Jainism panel as part of DANAM each year. This gives you an idea of how well the 8 student papers went! A few have been invited to publish the papers in a forthcoming volume on Dharma. The only Jainism session that I organized was part of the AAR proper, and it included Jim Hastings, Whitney Kelting, Sherry Fohr, Stephen Quinlan, Chris Chapple and myself. Paul Dundas came to that session (all the way from Edinburgh!). It went swimmingly and I am now looking for a journal to publish the papers as a special edition. I also gave a paper on Jainism at a session on Sacred Space. Prof. Diane Eck (From Harvard) came out for it and we had a nice conversation about my paper and about the summer school. She handed out flyers at that session and the Jainism panel session. Courtesy: Dr. Sulekh Jain, Houston, Texas, USA.
RECENT BOOKS ON JAINISM JAINA STUDIES: THEIR PRESENT STATE AND FUTURE TASKS -By Professor Dr Ludwig Alsdorf, Pandit Nathuram Premi Research Series Volume 1, English Tr. by Bal Patil,Revised & Edited by Professor Dr Willem Bollée, Mumbai: Hindi Granth Karyalay, 2006,220 x 145 mm 144 pp. ISBN 978-81-88769-13-1, Deluxe Hardcover Edition Rs. 395.
DEVLOK GAMAN Acharya Shri Kalyan Sagar ji maharaj, belonging to Jain Digambar sect left for his heavenly abode on the 26th December, 2007 at Jain atishay kshetra nasiaji, Kota in Rajasthan after a short period of illness. He had accepted sallekhana prior to his death and he had also relinquished his 'acharya' title due to his illness, retaining only the 'muni' title.
READER'S VIEWS
MISLEADING REPORT IN THE HINDU ABOUT INCLUDING JAINS IN THE SC CATEGORY Bal Patil, Mumbai - I have attached three documents concerning the misleading report in the Hindu dated 5th November, 2007 including Jains in the SC category. I have protested to the Editor-in Chief, Mr.Ram of the Hindu. You may kindly publish all the three documents in the Ahimsa Times for the information of the Jains worldwide.
I appeal to my Jain sisters and brothers worldwide irrespective of sectarian consideration to protest against the constitutionally unwarranted and false inclusion of the Jains in the SC category as per the Hindu report and demand retraction and publication of my rejoinder along with an apology by the Editor.
November 5, 2007 - To, The Editor, The Hindu - Your Special correspondent from Kochi in his report published in The Hindu dated 05/11/2007 mentions quoting Vijay Sonkar Sastri, president of the All-India Scheduled Caste Reservation Protection Forum." that : "The Central government's reported move to give Scheduled Caste status to Dalit Christians and Dalit Muslims will deprive current SCs (among Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, and Budhists) of their job and education quotas..." I take a strong exception to such clubbing of Jains among the Dalits. To club together among the "current SCs" Hindus, Sikhs, Jains and Buddhists" Jains is not only misleading but false factually because while there may be SC converts among Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists there cannot a single case of a Jain and that too a Dalit converting to Hindu, Sikh or Buddhist faith for the simple reason that there are no Dalit Jains :
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8/11/2009
