Jaina Community a Social Survey

Author(s): Vilas Sangve
Publisher: Popular Book Depot Bombay

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Population
These figures of total Jaina population do not, however, portray the real demographic situation about the Jainas since in the census records all Jainas are not enumerated as Jainas for
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different reasons. Even though Jainism is a distinct religion and not a sect of Hinduism, still it is a fact that in the past many Jainas used to regard themselves as Hindus and were also regarded by others as Hindus. That is why specific instructions were issued to the census enumerators that "the Jainas should be entered as Jainas and not as Hindus, even though they themselves regard themselves as such. Hence on some occasions more and on others less Jainas were incorrectly returned as Hindus. At the same time the converse case of Hindus being returned as Jainas in census records did not possibly occur. Thus this fact that the Jainas regard themselves and are regarded as Hindus necessarily vitiates the census figures and obscures the increase or decrease of the Jaina population from census to census. Again, as a part of the programme of non-cooperation movement launched by Mahatma Gandhi, the Jainas boycotted the census operations of 1931. Naturally this affected to a very large extent the figures about Jainas in the Census Report of 1931. Due to these reasons incorrect enumeration has always remained as a dominant factor in the census figures of Jainas. But the situation is showing definite improvement as a result of change in the attitude of the Jainas towards themselves. The tendency among the Jainas to regard themselves as Hindus was very prominently noticeable among' the Jainas from the beginning of this century and that is why there was a continuous decline in the Jaina population during the decades from 1891 to 1921. This tendency has been largely overcome by various methods adopted during the last fifty years by the Jainas with a view to reorganizing their community. This is clearly visible from the census figures of 1941 and 1951. After Independence there has been a great religious awakening among the Jainas and nowadays the Jainas definitely regard themselves as Jainas and not as Hindus. This situation is clearly reflected in the census figures of 1961 and 1971. During 1951 to 1961 the Jaina population increased by 25.26 per cent and in the next decade of 1961 to 1971 it registered an increase of 28.48 per cent. In spite of this increase during the last few decades, the Jainas are still sceptical about the reliability of census figures pertaining to them as they
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