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JAINISM
of the community, in which castes had not yet penetrated.
Instead of caste divisions they offered the suggestion to divide the community in big endogamic groups according to the linguistic regions of India. They assume that this will also ensure the strengthening of the position of the Jain community in every state since the efforts of its members to better the position of the community as a whole within the limits of a given region would be directed in more organised manner.
As far back as in the 1920's an attempt was made in Punjab. There was created an endogamous unit out of several Jain castes. It was called Bhavada. The castes comprising this group have more or less equal position. That is why this new community was comparatively more stable and there are more chances of intercaste marriages in this group even now. But this could not become a rule.
Analogical groups of castes were formed in other regions of India also—in Bengal, Rajasthan and Gujarat. It is reckoned that persons converted to Hinduism and also persons who had earlier joined Arya Samaj, which did not recognise castes are returning back to the Jain community and that in general the proselytising activity can be extended under new arrangement of the community..
Positive suggestions to abolish prohibition of widow marriages are put forward in order to fight against the decrease in the numerical strength of the community. These suggestions received adequate and wide support in the south but they are not very popular amongst the northern and western Jains.
Both the chief sects formed a number of organisations on an all-India scale for strengthening their positions. Organisa tions of Digambaras are the All-India Digambara Jain Parishad, with its centre in Delhi, the All-India Digambara Jain Mahasabha with its centre in Delhi, and the All-India Digambara Tain Sabha with its centre in Mathura. The Shvetambara organisations are All-India Shvetambara Jain Sthanakavasi Conference with its centre in Bombay, and Shri Jain Shvetambara Terapanthi Mahasabha with its centre in Calcutta. Almost all the subsects of Shvetambaras have their all India organisations.
A number of organisations of local importance also exist.
1. Ch. Krause, The Social Atmosphere, at Present Jainism.
