Jain Journal 2005 07

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

Page 29

JAIN JOURNAL VOL-XL, NO. 1 July. 2005
cataloguing Jain manuscripts, and a research Journal in English under the name of Jaina Antiquary was also published from there. There were, however, a number of periodicals in Hindi, Gujarati and other regional languages, belonging to different sects, some of which were also devoted to furthering studies and research in Jainology, while most of them devoted themselves to the organizational problems of the concerning sects or groups.
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During the later half of the 20th century, a number of Research Institutes, as also educational institutions, were founded in different parts of the country by members of the Jain community. Whereas there has been an effort to create social awareness and educate the community about the drawbacks and backwardness of some of the social customs and religious practices, there has also been, unfortunately, an upsurge in retrogressive trends with the blessings of some of the religious pontiffs, as is with other sectorial or denominational religions. The tragedy is that the community at large is unable to take a stand against these trends, and the progressive and enlightened are shy of expressing their opinion.
All through the 20th century, the Jain youth was drawn to the nationalist movement. Some fire-brands joined the revolutionary groups against the British Government and some of them also spearheaded popular uprising in the Indian States against the autocratic rule of local rulers. Some of them faced bullets and were sentenced to capital punishment and transportation to the Cellular Jail in the Andmans. Great many took part in the freedom movement under the Indian National Congress, and suffered imprisonment and privations. Thus the Jain community though numerically small, was always in the mainstream of national life. Its enterprising members also soon got over the taboos against oversea journeys and went abroad in pursuit of trade and studies.
Since independece the Jain community has been active in the social, economic and political life of the country, as well as in making India proud aborad, in a greater measure in proportion to its numerical strength.