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Jaina Community-A Social Survey
people and that the caste system which has no religious sanction and which was not existing in the Jaina community in the past should be totally removed. The new unit of society for maintaining inter-relations may then be formed and it may include all the Jainas residing in a region formed on a linguistic basis. It is believed that this new arrangement of organising the community on a regional basis will solve the out-standing problem of the community. As the Jainas are spread throughout the length and breadth of India, they cannot be effectively organised on an all India basis. The regional basis will well suit the purpose. Ger.erally marital and other social relations are maintained among the people of a region. We have seen that even now the members of a sub-caste in a region do not contract matrimonial alliances with their own sub-caste members of another region. Hence this arrangement will not much sever the connections of the people. Further, since the Jainas have settled in different regions from a long time, they have imbibed the culture of their regions. .They use the regional dress and ornaments. Their houses, household furniture and utensils, and items of food and drink are the same like those of other people of the region. They participate in all important festivals of the region. In superstitious beliefs ar.d practices and in the observance of ceremonies they do not differ from the rest of the people of the region. Thus the Jainas of a particular region present a coherent and homogeneous group ard it would be feasible and better if they formed into a unit of Jaina social organisation. This unit will, no doubt, be a sufficiently big unit for maintaining social relations and all the defects arising from the division of the community into small water-tight compartments will automatically disappear. The disintegrating tendencies will vanish and there will be a new orientation in the life of the community. The resources of the community will be easily pooled together and distributed evenly to all members. There will not be a lop-sided development, as that of one caste in relation to other castes, as at present. The common interests of the community like propagation of Jainism by various means, protection of Jaina institutions of a religious and philanthropic nature, safeguarding of Jaina religion and culture from external attacks, etc. will be better served. As the Jainas will be a close knit group of a tolerably good number of people, a feeling of unity will be enger
