________________
A Reformist Jaina Missionary: Br. Shital Prasadji :
(269)
many persons, travellers, students and businessmen started moving for Jinistic promotion in almost all continents of the world. The soul of Brahmachariji must be feeling happy over the current state in this regard. Social Activities: Association with Institutions.
The active life of an individual is judged not only from his literary activities but from his social and institutional associations also. The biography of Brahmachariji has mentioned about 36 institutions/organisations with which he was actively associated. Many of them were established by him for carrying out his reformist activities. These institutions belong to the following categories: (i) Educational Institutions: Varanasi, Hastinapur, Delhi,
Bombay, Arrah, Etawah and many other Jaina primary
schools. (ii) Social Institutions: Sanātana Dharma Samāja, Digambara
Jaina Parişad, Digambara Jaina Mahāsabhā, Jaina Dharma
Pravardhani Sabhā, Jaina Parişads, etc. (iii) Publicational Institutions: Central Jaina Publishing House. (iv) Religious Institutions: Prani-raksha-sabha (v) Hostels and libraries: at many places (vi) Associations with Indian National Congress and Jaina
political Conference. These categories of institutions indicate his wide interests in different type of activities for the progress of Jainism and Jaina society. He collected donations for many of them to run them smoothly. He permeated his rational thoughts mentioned earlier through social institutions and newspapers, which he edited. His reformist thoughts and activities, though meant for overall social development of the community, were not liked by the traditionalists. This resulted in two groups in the community. There were quite tense situations in many places like Panipat and Sammed Shikharji and many other places, which were tactfully tackled by his intellectual and social supporters. His reformist ideas about widow marriage and deprivation from temple visits for petty offences etc. led to boycott and other harassment to him. But they did not make him yield or budge from his reformist ideology. He showed high degree of tolerance during these days and encouraged people to actively
Jain Education International
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
