Jain Spirit 2002 10 No 12

Author(s): Jain Spirit UK
Publisher: UK Young Jains

Page 19

NEWS IN BRIEF
Compiled by Prakash Mody
IMAGES OF TIRTHANKARAS FOUND FROM CAVES CHANDKHEDI, MADHYA PRADESH The Jain saint Sudhasagarji, disciple of Acharya Vidyasagarji came out of the caves at Chandkhedi, 55 kilometres from Ataru on 31 March 2002, carrying three images made of quartz colourless crystal rock, sphatik mani. The images were of a rare nature, of an almost supernatural quality. One of them was of Chandaprabhuji, 2.5 feet in height, the second of Arihant Bhagwan and the third of Parshvanath Bhagwan. It is probably the first time that statues of such clear crystal stone have been obtained. The saint had earlier proclaimed that he had been advised in a dream to take these images out from a certain place inside the caves on a particular day and time. According to the saint, Chandkhedi village is itself about 1,200 years old and so the images would be much older than that. The images are at present in the custody of the temple authorities and will be appropriately installed in due course.
HARISH BHARTI TAKES BATTLE TO PIZZA HUT NEW YORK, USA Harish Bharti, a Seattle-based Indian American lawyer who fought and won a $10 million settlement from McDonald's for deceiving vegetarian customers, is now taking on the world's largest pizza chain, Pizza Hut. McDonald's had said that the oil used to cook its popular French fries contained no beef extracts, a claim Bharti proved wrong. Now Bharti is confronting Pizza Hut, a subsidiary of Tricon Global Restaurants, with the claim that the chain intentionally failed to publicly disclose its continued use of beef product in its pizza and other food items sold as vegetarian."
Pizza Hut spokesperson, Patty Sullivan denied the claim. "There are no beef products in the Veggie Lover's pizza... the pizza sauce is pure. It does not contain beef or chicken flavouring." Pizza Hut 'fully discloses' all ingredients on its web site in view of customers' dietary requirements and the firm 'exceeds' federal labelling and disclosure requirements, she claimed.
“The enzyme used in our pizza cheese, both in the shredded that goes on the majority of our pies and the sliced for P'Zone are vegetable/microbial based," Sullivan added. However, Bharti says this is not the case and has attached an affidavit from one of his clients, which declares Pizza Hut employees had told her that there was beef in the enzymes. "Pizza Hut say there is no beef in the vegetable pizza. Our claim is that they have 50 percent beef in their cheese," Bharti said. "I am not surprised that their initial knee-jerk reaction is to deny. Just as how McDonald's denied it. First we are going to have them to admit it. It took McDonald's three months to apologise and admit. It's too early perhaps for Pizza Hut."
EDUCATIONAL LOAN FOR JAIN STUDENTS NEW YORK, U. S. A. The International Alumni Association of Shri Mahavir Jain Vidyalaya, a non-profit organisation, enters the third year of its educational loan programme for Jain students graduating from US high schools. The loan of US$ 4,000 ($1,000 per year) is awarded for undergraduate college studies to students selected on the basis of academic merit, community services and financial need. During the first two years, the Association awarded a total of $32,000 in loans. For more information visit: www.jaamjv.org
NEW JAIN CENTRE MANCHESTER, ENGLAND: A new community centre is about to be opened in Manchester during September 2002. There are over 100 Jain families in this city and the new complex will serve their social and cultural needs.
RELIGIOUS LEADERS LAUNCH EFFORT TO END WORLD CONFLICTS BANGKOK, THAILAND Religious leaders representing the world's major faiths assembled in the Thai capital to shape a programme of community initiatives aimed at solving some of the world's more pressing problems. More than 100 religious leaders launched a world peace council on 13 June 2002, pledging to work toward reducing sectarian conflicts especially in Asia and the Middle East. The council was established at the start of a three-day meeting in Bangkok, attended by Christian, Buddhist, Jewish, Jain, Muslim and Hindu clerics with the support of the United Nations. The World Council of Religious Leaders, which aims to actively intervene in conflict areas, is the outcome of the recommendations of the August 2000 UN Millennium World Peace Summit. "There is a sense of urgency among the leaders to work for peace," said Bawa Jain, secretary general of the Millennium World Peace Summit. "The use of religion to promote divisiveness and violence must be countered by religious leaders from all traditions willing to become actively engaged in building peace," he said.
SARNATH JAINS RESENT PREVENTION OF IMAGE INSTALLATION VARANASI, INDIA: The Jain community has strongly resented the ban placed by local authorities on the installation of the image of 11th Tirthankar, Shreyansnathji in the premises of the Digambar Jain Dharmshala at Sarnath, near Varanasi in India. When the installation ceremony of the 11 feet tall statue, weighing 1,000 kilograms, had been arranged, the Archaeological Department raised an objection and prevented its installation. Sarnath is the birthplace of Shreyansnathji. In Jain history, it is regarded as a holy place of worship. Refusal to allow installation has hurt the feelings of the local Jain community.
September - November 2002. Jain Spirit
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