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â. 7. श्रीमंत युवराज फत्तेहसिंहराव महाराजे
श्री जैन लाक्षणिक प्रदर्शन खुल्लू मूकतां करेलुं भाषण.
I regret to say that the previously arranged and pres sin g engagements have prevented my father the Maharaja Saheb from presiding at the opening ceremony of your Exhibition; but wishing to show his great sympathy with the movement Maharaja Saheb has asked me to come forward and welcome you to Baroda in his name and in the name of his people. I can assure you that much as I feel my inability to fill adequately the place of my father, I have great pleasure in presiding here to-day; that pleasure is enhanced by the sight of this large assembly which is a sign of the growing unity of India, of the effort made to carry on free enquiry in matters ethical and religious, and of the desire to progress on the part of India's people.
It is a source of genuine pleasure to me to learn that you the followers of one of the ancient religions of the world are advancing in a way peculiar to morden times, in making researches into the antiquity and truth of your faith. Europe has once more given us the stimulus in the matter, for historical works of great critical value, have mostly been published there; and scholars like Professors Jacobi, Weber and Leumann have sifted history from beyond the secred books of the Jain religion accessible to the world at large. While I was at Oxford a series of books was published at the Clarendon Press of our University, which made it possible for those, who took general interest in Eastern faiths or a particular interest in some particular faith to study the sacred books of the East.
I am glad to find that Indian scholars have followed the lead of European Savants and the learned Doctor Bhandarker
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