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GLOBAL NEWS
INDIA: ACHARYA WALKS FOR PEACE IN GUJARAT
ALL PHOTOS: L BHANDARI
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Acharya Mahapragya's entourage in Balhotra, Rajasthan
During the Rajasthan leg of his three-year Ahimsa Yatra, Acharya Mahapragya (the head of the Terapanth sect of Jainism) condemned recent incidents of communal violence in Gujarat as acts of great shame for all of 3 us. While in the village of Balotra in Rajasthan, he made a speech urging everyone to come together and make sincere efforts to stop such inhuman acts of crime and cruelty and he stated that communal bigotism cannot be a solution to any problem.
Acharya Mahapragya is currently in Gujarat as part of his Ahimsa Yatra, where he is engaged in special efforts to spread the message of communal amity, love and goodwill for all. In light of the tragic events at Godhra and subsequent violent uprisings, the message for non-violence and tolerance has acquired renewed urgency and poignancy. Acharya Mahapragya has stated that broadbased training in non-violence should be provided for all sections of society, including children.
The Ahimsa Yatra began from Rajasthan and Sujangarh, District Churu on 5 December 2001. It is being led by Acharya Mahapragya, an original Jain thinker and philosopher, who is joined by hundreds of monks, nuns and lay people as he travels across India with the aim of creating mass awareness about the importance of non-violence. So far, Acharya Mahapragya's discourses in different towns and villages have attracted audiences which have included hundreds of Muslims, Sikhs and Hindus - a testimony to the widespread relevance of the ahimsa message For further information on the Ahimsa Yatra, please send an email to: ahimsayatra@terapanthonline.com
September - November 2002. Jain Spirit
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Jain Education Intemational 2010_03
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