Jain Spirit 2003 06 No 15

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

Page 18

NEWS IN BRIEF
ACHARYA SUSHIL KUMARJI PEACE AWARD Toronto, Canada The recipient of the inaugural International Acharya Sushil Kumarji Peace Award was Professor Polanyi, who also won the Nobel Prize for Chemistry in 1986. The awards ceremony and reception was held at Isabel Bader Theatre in Toronto on 17 January 2003. Professor Polanyi is a noted peace activist. In his acceptance speech, he said as long as much of humanity remains poor. voiceless and at the mercy of the rich, peace is unattainable. He added that change will come from the clamour of the poor. They must be heard in international forums, made effective through international agreements and through international law. He concluded that Jainism, with its central tenet of non-violence, may appear irrelevant to contemporary world politics, but that it could in fact guide the way to peace in many conflicts around the world.
PETA WINS RELIEF FOR MISERABLE CIRCUS ANIMALS Mumbai, India As part of a lawsuit filed by PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) against the Indian State of Maharashtra and the Empire Circus, Chief Justice Mr. C.K. Thakkar and Justice Mr. Chadrachur ruled that until the case is settled the animals banned from performing should be sent to a rescue centre. Additionally, the performances by the other animals are to stop because the circus does not have registration with the Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI), which is required by law. The judges noted that since the animals were not allowed to perform they should not be forced to suffer. PETA represented by Advocate Mr. Pradeep Rajagopal, had filed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) in the Bombay High Court in November 2002. By the order of the court, the animals can now be moved to Nahargarh, a rescue centre outside Jaipur where they will live a better quality of life, till the final judgment is made. For more information visit: www.petaindia.com/cent.html
QUEEN AND SCHOLAR HONOURED BY INDIAN POST India The Indian Postal Department honoured two eminent Jain personalities by issuing special covers in the first quarter of this year. Firstly it recognised Veera Rani Abbakka, the Jain Queen of Karnataka. Veera Rani Abbakka Devi reigned over the region of Ullal of Dakshina Kannada. She was known for being the first Indian warrior queen, whose courage often surpassed that of her male counterparts. The infamous queen descended from the Chowla family of Jains, and fought the Portuguese on several occasions in order to restore independence to her coastal kingdom of Dakshina Kannada. An image of Rani Abbakka has been immortalised by the Indian Postal Department, who issued a special cover in Mangalore on the 15 January 2003, in celebration of the renowned Philatelic Exhibition Magnaplex 2003.
The second Jain personality to be honoured by Jain Spirit is the prominent Jain scholar Shri Bhanwarlal Nahta, a gifted linguist who studied scripts written in Brambi, Kharoshthi, Pali, Sanskrit, Gujarati and Rajasthani, produced nearly 8000 essays and research papers and 81 big and small printed books. To mark Shri Bhanwarlal Nahta's first death anniversary, the Indian Postal Department issued a special multicoloured cover in Kolkata on 11 February 2003
DEMAND FOR JAIN REPRESENTATIVE AT AYODHYA EXCAVATION Jodhpur, India In March 2003 a Jain organisation, which has staked claim over the disputed land in Ayodhya - where the Archeaological Survey of India (ASI) is undertaking excavations on a court order - demanded that a Jain representative be allowed as observer while the excavation is on. "A team of four representatives of Hindus, Muslims, Buddhists and Jains should be formed and allowed to witness the excavation by the ASI to ascertain if a temple existed on the site where Babri Masjid was built," Jain Samta Vahini (JSV) said in a statement in Jodhpur. The JSV demanded that it be made a party in the ongoing legal battle to settle the issue because "historical records showed that the disputed structure stood over a Jain temple."
CELEBRATING NIRVANA Rajkot, India Sri Sudhaben Sheth, a Jain from Rajkot in India, has written a new book to mark the centenary celebration of Shrimad Rajchandra's attainment of Nirvana. The title of the 200-page, Gujarati language book is Shrimad Rajchandra Nirvana Shatabdi Smaranika. Sudhaben has written this book to inspire readers about Shrimad Rajchandra's teachings, and to help his followers understand those teachings better. The book is sent free of charge, if you would like a copy, please contact: Niranjanbhai and Sudhaben Sheth, 111 Silver Shine. Panchayat Chowk, University Road, Rajkot 360 005. India. Tel: 0281 575182: Fax: 0281 573262; Email: sahajatma@icenet.net
HELP PRESERVE KANNADA JAIN HERITAGE Bihar, India An organisation in Bihar needs Kannada Jain volunteers to undertake the indexing of old Jain scriptures stored in the library. All volunteers' expenses will be taken care of for the duration of their stay in Bihar. Interested persons may contact Prof. C.Devakumar on: cdevakumar@yahoo.com
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Jain Spirit . June - August 2003