Jain Journal 1986 10

Author(s): Jain Bhawan Publication
Publisher: Jain Bhawan Publication

Page 10

40
If we look at the figures pertaining to the percentage of total number of Jains living in these districts (presented in the same Table) we find that little more than one-fifth are concentrated in four districts only each having more than 1 lakh population. These four districts are: Greater Bombay and Kolhapur (Maharashtra) Belgaum (Karnataka) and Ahmedabad (Gujarat). These were followed by 6 districts falling under second category viz., Kuchchh (Gujarat), Sangli and Pune (Maharashtra), Pali and Udaipur (Rajasthan) and Delhi which accounted for 13 percent of Jains. Of the remaining, 38 districts falling under third category comprised more than one-third of Jains and 32 districts of the fourth category accounted for 14 percent of Jains. Thus, 70 percent of Jains have been enumerated in 48 districts (each having more than 20,000 Jains). Moreover, if we consider all the districts having at least 10,000 Jains, we find that 80 such districts (i.e., one-fifth) of the total number of districts) accounted for more than four-fifth of the total population. (Further details about the name of the districts, number of Jains, decadal percent population change etc., are presented in the Appendix Table). When we compare this position of 1981 with that existed at the earlier census of 1971, we notice that the number of districts having at least 10,000 Jains increased from 69 to 80 whereas, the percentage of Jains living in such districts increased from 80 to 84.
JAIN JOURNAL
In order to analyse, district level changes in the number of Jains, growth rates for all the 327 districts having Jain population both at the 1971 and 1981 censuses are computed for 1971-1981. Subsequently, these have been classified in Table 5 according to growth rate into two broad categories viz., those having at least 10,000 and those having less than 10,000 Jains. It is seen that 41 districts recorded 100 percent and more growth followed by 37 having it varying from 50-99 percent. In 60 districts on the other hand, there is a decline followed by 31 districts having virtual stagnation (i.e., less than 10 percent growth). It is, however, to be noted in this connection that a large number of districts falling under both the categories (i.e., having higher growth and those having a stagnation or decline) have less than 10,000 Jains. For instance, only 1 district out of 41 districts having 100 percent and more growth 6 out of 60 districts having a decline in it respectively had more than 10,000 Jains in 1981.
6 The number of districts considered here does not tally with those reported earlier, as all those districts which have been carved out after 1971 Census are clubbed together (with the districts from where, they were carved out) for the purpose of computation of growth rates as no separate population figures are available in such cases. For instance, Nalanda district of Bihar which has been carved out from Patna district after 1971 is clubbed with Patna for this purpose.