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THE JAIN CONFEEENCE HERALD.
The evil that conduces to the misuse of trust funds and property is exclusiveness of individual institutions and want of one central governing and guiding body such as was provided for in our old Shastras and practice in the person of a Shripujya or an Acharya in religious matters and of a Nagarseth or Sangapati in secular matters or of a Sanga as a whole in all matters either secular or religious; or as is found in modern times in all good Governments or even in all well managed societies throughout the world.
However much you may blame a Shripujya you can not but admire the constitution which has created him. But for such a constitution bringing good government in your society and every thing that belongs to it the number of good works and deeds, that you see, notwithstanding so many vicissitudes in Mahomedan and Maratha times, might have been lost to us for ever and anon.
There ought to be one central governing body of capable and well-to-do men for all India to manage and take under its power or possession all public and private charitable property and funds; these members to be elected to act far a certain fixed period.
It is true that the present managers will be reluctant to part with their power. But by managing the affairs with tact and circumspection and taking slowly the heads of different castes into confidence the time will not be far off when we shall be fortunate enough to see our long cherished desire
fulfilled.
The benefits of such management by a central body backed by 13 lacs of Jains, who are reputed to be proverbially rich, are too manifest to require any mention. It will be a force in itself strong enough to carry any reforms within and to attract attention of governing class too. In the absence of existence of such an organized force, and in the presence of internal disunion and mis-management so many rights and privileges of Jains-rights and privileges obtainted after so much loss, trouble and tact of ancients and given by solemn documents by representatives of existing Governments, Mahomedan, Peishva and British, are trampled under foot by private and public agencies and power, that it is of paramount importance that such a force should be collected together and made use of. It is not still too late to rise. To give you one example of our present incompetence I will refer you to the finding of so many images in all parts of India. To what trouble the Jains are put to recover the images of their gods admittedly belonging to them is a notorious fact. If such a strong and powerful institution such as the Jain Association of India or Shet Anandji Kalyanji Firm of all India instead of that of Ahmedabad or of Gujerat were in existence, what amount of money and trouble would have been saved? This one instance would be sufficient to arouse you to the necessity of some such central organization to which all Jains can look for help and support in time of need and to support which it should be a salamn duty of all Jains in tin r affluence.
