Jains hurt by bandh on Mahaveer Jayanthi

Chennai, Mar 31 (UNI) The Jains India Trust today said the Jain community had been hurt by the Tamil Nadu government's decision to hold a bandh on the occasion of the Mahaveer Jayanthi.

In a release here, the Trust said the day-long bandh in Tamil Nadu, protesting against the Supreme Court's interim verdict on 27 per cent OBC quota issue, on the occasion of birthday of Bhagwan Mahaveer, an apostle of peace and non-violence, had hurt the feelings of Jains living in the state for centuries.

Appreciating the government's gesture of declaring a holiday on Mahaveer Jayanthi, the trust said the government and other parties could have avoided holding the bandh on this day.'' Recalling the contribution of Jains to Tamil literature, education and health, the trust said in deference to the interests of the community, the state-wide bandh could have been postponed to some other day.

The trust said the Mahaveer Jayanthi celebrations, scheduled for today, had been postponed to tomorrow following the bandh.

A free medical camp, rally and public meetings would be held and sweets would be distributed to prisoners at the same venues as announced earlier, as part of the Mahaveer Jayanthi celebrations, the release added.

UNI