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Jaina Community-A Social Survey
Jaina from Aliganj (U. P.) has written about 50 books in Hindi and English on Jaina History and Comparative Religion and has contributed dozens of articles to English and Hindi Journals of repute like Indian Antiquary, New Indian Antiquary, Indian Culture, Indian Historical Quarterly, etc. He is the editor of Jaina Antiquary, Jaina Siddhanta Bhaskara, the important research journals, and of Vira, the Jaina Hindi Weekly. Pandita Nathurama Premi is a great research scholar who is respected for his learning and writings by all sections of the Jaina community. Through his efforts as an editor and a publisher many Jaina works in Sanskrit and Prakrit saw the light of the day and in the social field he has rendered a yeoman's service as the editor of Jaina Hitaishi', the magazine which probably, for the first time, strongly advocated revolutionary reforms in the Jaina community. Among the living Jaina research scholars who have rendered distinguished services to Jaina studies mention may be made of Prof. Dr. A. N. Upadhye, M. A., D. Litt., Kolhapur, Prof. Dr. Hiralal Jaina, M. A., LL. B., D. Litt., Nagpur, Pandit Jugal Kishora Mukhtyar, Sarsawa, Pandit Sukhalalji Sanghavi, Ahmedabad, and Muni Jinavijayaji, Bombay.
The Jainas being mainly a business community are likely to be engroseed in commercial activities. In the ancient and medieval period when the Jainas wielded political power, either as rulers or as ministers, they did contribute according to their mite to the progress of their country in various fields. With a view to ascertain whether there are active political and social workers in the Jaina community at present and whether according to Jainas their community has contributed in recent years towards the political, social and economic progress of India, the question number 50 was asked. From the replies it will be seen that out of 154 persons there are 38 persons who take active part in political activities and 46 persons in social activities. The 12 persons are reported to be taking active part in improving the conditions of their respective professions especially legal, medical and teaching professions. The 27 persons specifically state that they are not taking part in any public activity at present and in this category there are many Government servants and the persons who had done active public work formerly. This shows that the Jaina community seems to possess a good number of active public workers in various fields.
