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Dimapur, Jan. 6 (EMN): The Jain community in Dimapur on Friday converged at the Mahavir Bhawan near Jain Temple in Marwari Patti to protest the declaration of their sacred worship site Shri Sammed Shikharji (Parasnath Hill) at Giridih in Jharkhand as a tourist spot by the Ministry of Forest and Environment and Climate Change, Government of India on the request of Jharkhand govt. in 2019.
All business establishments in Dimapur run by the Jain community remained closed from 6 am to 6 pm on the day as a mark of protest.
Shree Digamber Jain Samaj Dimapur president, Om Prakash Sethi, addressing media persons, said the protest was a way of conveying to the Centre to co-operate with the Jain community and not to make their holy place into a tourist destination.
"The place is a complete holy place for us irrespective of age. From toddler, young and old, we visit the place bare foot and the Jain community is pure vegetarian. Making the place a tourist spot will damage the sanctity of our pilgrimage site (which has been there) since time immemorial.
“We appeal the Government of Nagaland to act as a mediator to appeal to the GoI to consider our demand," said Sethi, adding that the Jain community, though a minority, has always supported the government.
On the Centre’s stay notice on January 5, stopping all tourism activities at the worship site, Sethi said they were satisfied with the order but they until a final notification and order is out the community will be hesitant.
The Jain community in Dimapur had in 2022 written a memorandum to the President of India and Prime Minister for withdrawal of the notification to declare Parasnath wildlife sanctuary, eco-sensitive zone and to permit tourism and various non-religious activities at the ancient Jain Sanctum Sanctorum Shri Sammed Shikhar Ji Parasnath Hill, Madhuban in Giridih district, Jharkhand.
