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THE SAMETSHIKHAR AFFAIRS.
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of the district and the result was that it was found to be teeming with poss- bilities of cholera, plaguc and leprosy. The Government of India wasn't in the lcast impressed by this awful list of disadvantages, and upheld the Lieutenant Governor. Now the Jains have changed their tactics. They have ceased to pose as benefactors of the would-be visitors to Paresnath, or to worry about its supposed unhealthiness. They have come out into the open and told the Government frankly that they want the whole hill for themsel - ves and will fight tooth and nail to retain their monopoly. They are hol- ding meetings and threatening to join the "unrestful” elements unless they have their way. We are fully persuaded that this sudden change of front will
do them no good whatever. It strikes a hollow note, and suggests that in India, as in America, rich men bent on getting their own way are prepared to go to any lengths. Moreover if the Jains are going to take the question to the Privy Council all this sound and fury are worse than thrown away. Law and precedent are the only considerations which will avail them there, and if there is any law which permite any body of men to monopolise a range of bills, they will doubtless receive the full benefit of it.
I leave this upon my learned Jain friends to pay the Empire in its own coins which interprets our policy in connection with our most sacred Tirth as the dog in the manger Policy.
SHRI SAMEISHIKHERJI
AND THE ANGLO-INDIANS.
A friend of mine has drawn my atten. Mr. Cantwell, who had admittedly a tion to an article named 'stage thunder' pecuniary interest in the matter, taken from the 'Empire' by the wherein he quite wantonly and reckles
Bombay Gazette' in its issuc of the 5th sly in the typical Joba Bull fashion inst., to enlighten its readers by plac. revils at the Jains, and torms their ing before them what it styles "con- Arali'- a form of worship as 'devilish, temporary opinion.'' I believe that the adding in brackets to make the cup of 'Boiubay Gazette' has shown a sad lack his spite full to the brim, that he does of discrimination in doing so. The arti: not find any more hideous word in ole has subsequently been reprinted in the English language to give vent to some other papers also, so I refrain his feelings! He even goes to the length from quoting it here.
of denouncing the Jains as people This article reminds me of the arti- capable of forging an Akbar's sunnad, cle contributed to the ‘Englishman' by and for a while quite forgets himself
Shree Sudharmaswami Gyanbhandar-Umara, Surat
www.umaragyanbhandar.com
