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Dear Sadharmiks,
Jai Jinendra! Pranam!
The collective efforts of everyone finally seem to have paid off. Reacting to massive protests by Jains over designating Shri Sammed Shikharji in Jharkhand as an eco-tourism destination, the central government has halted all such activities in the larger Parasnath Hills sanctuary.
It is important to remember that this is not a victory for Jains but a half-hearted concession by the Central government. The decision by the Central Government to declare a stay on all eco-tourism activities at the sacred Jain religious site came after the Union Environment Minister Bhupendra Yadav met members of the Jain community and "Assured them that PM Shri @narendramodi ji’s government is committed to preserving and protecting the rights of the Jain community over all their religious sites, including Sammed Shikhar,"
While it is a piece of welcome news that the government will not allow the desecration of our holiest pilgrimage place, it falls far short of our central demands that Shri Samed Shikarji be declared a Teerth Kshetra and a holy site for all the Jains.
While the struggle to preserve Samed Shikharji's status as the holiest Jain place of pilgrimage is going on, what is happening at Palitana is no less disturbing. Long-term illegal encroachments by non-Jain mischievous elements on the sacred Shatrunjay hills have only escalated. Neither the state nor the central Government has done much to stop the incidences of harassment of the pilgrims and insults/intimidations of our Sadhu- Sadhvis on the sacred Palitana mountain.
What is urgently needed is a united front by all the Jains to demand the central and state governments declare our places of pilgrimage like Samed Shikharji and Palitana as Terrth Kshetras and sacred places for the Jains deserving respect and protection by everyone. It is our sacred duty to protect our history. We need to unite and stand up to preserve, protect and propagate our precious Jain heritage.
JAINA invites you to Winter Programs in India during January 2023. Please look at the details of eight programs starting from January 15th. This is an amazing opportunity to represent JAINA at various events and network with other organizations. We encourage you to attend these events if you are traveling to India during that time.
JAINA and Shrut Ratnakar cordially invite you to the 2nd International Jain Conference on January 21-22 in Ahmedabad, the theme of the conference is Forgiveness. Check more details below.
It is with great pleasure we share the news that Strauss Brands has given up on building a new slaughterhouse in Franklin, Wisconsin. Many organizations like Franklin Community Advocates, Love Care Compassion, Jeev Daya Committee of JAINA, and the local Jain community made this possible. Read more about it below.
Veerayatan invites you to their grand celebration to commemorate the 50 Years of Veerayatan, the 87th Birth Anniversary of Pujya Shri Chandana ji, and other events from January 26-28, 2023.
On the occasion of the Golden Jubliee and the Inauguration of a Camp, Bidada Sarvodaya Trust has invited JAINA to Child Health & Dental Outreach program on January 27, 2023, in Kutch, Gujarat. Please find more details below.
Sincerely,
Haresh Shah,
JAINA President
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CENTRAL GOVERNMENT HALTS TOURISM ACTIVITIES IN JHARKHAND'S PARASNATH HILLS
This is good news for the Jain community! The central government has stopped all similar efforts in the greater Parasnath Hills, where Sammed Shikharji is located, in response to Jains' concerns about the designation of their revered temple as an eco-tourism attraction in Jharkhand.
Additionally, it has instructed the government to take harsh action against forbidden behaviors like drinking alcohol or defiling locations of religious and cultural value or ecological harm. Sammed Shikhar falls in the eco-sensitive zone of Parasnath Wildlife Sanctuary and Topchanchi Wildlife Sanctuary. There is a list of prohibited activities that can't take place in and around the designated eco-sensitive area. Restrictions will be followed in letter and spirit.
Please read the letter from the Government of India.
Chief Minister Hemant Soren emailed the Centre earlier today to request proper decisions regarding its 2019 announcement. He claimed that the community opposes the state's 2021 tourist policy, which calls for the creation of a management board to properly oversee the shrine.
It will be chaired by the state's secretary of tourism and have six non-government members picked from the Jain community, according to the letter. It further stated that the shrine's location in Parasnath Hills should not be designated as an ecotourism destination. Days before, the state had received a letter from the Union Environment Ministry requesting it to recommend necessary modifications for further needful action. Just two hours later, Bhupendra Yadav, the Union Environment Minister, issued a note requesting that any environmentally hazardous activities be "stayed" right away. He also shared a list of activities that would be barred in the region. A minimum of two management board members must be from the Jain community, according to the memo from the Center.
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JAINA Winter Programs in India
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Strauss Brands Gave Up On Operating a Slaughterhouse in Franklin
JAINA Director Kamal Shah from Wisconsin gave the best new year gift to the Jains of North America. . “It is with immense pleasure we share the news that Strauss Brands has given up on operating a slaughterhouse in Franklin, Wisconsin. In addition, the venture capitalist company supporting the project has publicly announced that their investment was a mistake, and they will refrain from investing in meatpacking plants in the future. The land has been bought by an affiliate of Verizon Communications and will be used for an entirely different, nonviolent purpose.
It took two long years to fight this ugly and cruel industry in the residential area within the city limits of Franklin. And now, we see a very positive outcome within our reach. A local group of concerned citizens called Franklin Community Advocates (FCA) took charge and built a coalition to oppose the building of a vast new slaughterhouse in this small town outside of Milwaukee. Our local Jain community joined this effort and established a non-profit group called Love Care Compassion (LCC). Together, LCC and FCA worked hand-in-hand in opposing this cruel and dirty plant. Our strategy was built on dedicated legal action against the company and the city because of their questionable dealings, and a sophisticated media relations operation to raise awareness about the harm to the local community. LCC raised considerable funds for this effort and our members put in countless volunteer hours to take on the City of Franklin and their special interests. None of this would have been possible without the help of JAINA, a number of Jain Centers, and the Jain community at large. We want to send our gratitude to both Ketanbhai Sheth and Dilipbhai Shah of the Jiv Daya Committee who stepped in to support us immediately after hearing our story and helping us every step along the way. Had the project been completed, the plant could have killed upwards of 2,000 cattle a day. We all can take pride in stopping “hinsa” on such a large scale.
We are about to win a key victory. But the legal battle is not yet over. The city will not allow Strauss off the hook for the contract they signed, even though they have abandoned their plans to build a new plant, largely because of our efforts to eliminate all killing activities in the location. We also learned that it is possible to fight the slaughter industry in this country even with limited resources if we Jains take on the challenge on a large scale.”
Read More
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Veerayatan - A Grand Celebration
Veerayatan invites you to their grand celebration to commemorate the 50 Years of Veerayatan, the 87th Birth Anniversary of Pujya Shri Chandana ji, the Opening of an Auditorium, and Diksha Mahotsav from January 26 to 28, 2023 in Kutch, Gujarat. Please find the details of each day's event
here.
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Bidada Sarvodaya Trust Camp
Bidada Sarvodaya Trust is celebrating the Golden Jubilee of the Trust and the Inauguration of the 49th Medical Camp. They invite JAINA to Child Health & Dental Outreach program on January 27, 2023.
Please find the invitation and camp schedule.
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