Sanatan Jain

Author(s): Unknown
Publisher: ZZZ Unknown

Page 17

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SANATANA JAIN,
practices which the Jains are abhor. rent of, go on marrily in the Hill, how it will lie in the face of the Government to say that there will be not the least interference with the excrcise of religious rights vested in the Jains? The point is not too subtle to escape suitable consideration. If the Government declines to ensure that the killing of animals or the use of meat and other repugnant practices by the prospective residents will be unknown in the Hill, the Jains are within their rights to hold that the act would be as much a desecration of the shrine and a hindrance to religious service as the hateful Piggery estab lished by the late Mr. Boddam. But the permission of animal slaughter and the use of meat will not of itself constitute a valid ground for detracting from the sanctity of the Hill by the construction of human residences. The Jains cannot persuade themselves to assent to any proposal which will have the effect of affecting even to the least degree, its sacred character. It has been said that 'the residences would be built on the furtherest parts of the Hill so that they may not con. front the temples. But (assuming that it would be done although the the fact remains that even this would not be done) there is one contention to this proposal, which I beg to ad vance in the words of the judgement on the Piggery case. The Judges said that "it has been argued before us that in ascending the Hill for the 'purpose of visiting the temples that exist on the top, the pilgrimo have
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not to pass by the Piggery and that it is not visible except from two of the big high peaks and that therefore there can be no hindrance to the performance of their religious duties by reason of the Piggery in question." Arguments on the same basis and in the same line are employed to justify or afford a colourable pretext to the proposed action of the Government in the present circumstances. The only assurance that the Government deigns to give the Jains is that the residences will be built away from the temples although the sites proposed are quite within sight of the temples so that there is no reason for apprehension that the devotees will be in any way disturbed in their meditation by the protruding of wordly associations. But the answer to this piece af inginious quibbling is effectively given by the Learned Judges of the High Court in their decision of the aforeside point. I give it below in their convincing words which take away the ground altogether from the feet of the apologists of the other view. The points raised by the Hon. Judges demolish the present plea
like a house of cards that the further the proposed habitations are made the greater will be their validity as if proximity, in space is the only objection that can with a show. of reason be entertained. It will be seem that
the argument is a mere make-believe, which is only destined to cover..the circumstances as they now are and takes no. note of the contingencies that may come about to merrow. It