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Epilogue
413
dered in their minds and this spirit of oneness will keep them bound together for a long time. By this way when the Jainas will begin to act in a concentrated manner with a union of purpose, they will realise their strength and will be in a better position to contribute fully to the all round progress of the region. The Jainas could achieve so many things in the past in different parts of the country because there were no factions among themselves. The Jainas lost their dominant position in the South, which they had built up and assiduously maintained for more than thousand years, after the Middle Ages when they were divided into several small groups. The intimacy of social relations between the Jainas of all sects and sub-sects of a region will foster the spirit of religious toleration and the attitude of hostility between the sects will be slowly banished from their hearts. The converted people will be easily amalgamated into the common Jainas as the latter will be having no distinctions of caste and this will give some fillip to the proselytizing activities by which the growth of Jaina community will be considerably helped. Thus the social organization of the Jainas on a regional basis will, it appears, be beneficial to the Jaina community and will solve their main question of ensuring preservation and growth of their community. This does not mean that there will be a ban on the relations of Jainas of different regions. As all Jainas comprise one community, inter-relations will occur and for the sake of considering the important common questions with which the community as a whole is concerned they may have an association, of course without any distinction of sect or caste, on an all India basis. It is obvious that if the Jainas in a certain region form a very meagre number, they will have to merge for all social relations into the Jainas of adjoining regions, and this will automatically establish inter-relations between the Jainas of adjacent regions.
NOTES
1. Vide the Prime Minister's letter No. 33/94/50 P. M. S., dated 31-1-50,
addressed to Mr. S. G. Patil, representative of Jaina Deputation, New Delhi. (The letter is published in 'Pragati āņi Jinavijaya', dated
11-2-50). Also see The times of India, dated 3-2-50. 2. Vaidya, C. V. : History of Medieval Hindu India, Vol III, p. 406.
