Division Bench headed by Justice CT Ravi Kumar is slated to hear the application on July 31
Ahmedabad, July 29: Shikharji Hills, the most sacred pilgrimage site of Jains, is facing an existential threat as a six-decade-long legal battle remains unresolved. A devout Jain, Darshanaben Shah (74), has moved the Supreme Court for urgent intervention to protect the sanctity of the revered hills located in Jharkhand’s Giridih district. Shikharji Hills is the Nirvana Bhoomi of 20 Tirthankars and numerous Sadhaks, which is the source of its sanctity. Today, Jains find themselves experiencing the adage “justice delayed is justice denied”. The impact of this prolonged legal struggle on their most sacred place of worship is profound.
The 16,000-acres Shikharji Hills in Jharkhand, purchased by Jains in 1918 for approximately Rs. 4 lakhs, was taken over by the State of Bihar (now in Jharkhand) in 1953 under the pretext of land and agrarian reforms. Since then, the sanctity of the hills has been under severe attack. The application, settled by Senior Advocates Darius Khambata and Gopal Sankaranarayanan, seeks an injunction order against the Jharkhand government from taking any further steps about eco-tourism, erection of structures, construction of a ropeway, and permitting constructions of any sort on the Parasnath Hill. The application also seeks an injunction against carrying out activities considered sacrilegious according to Jain tradition and tenets affecting the religious character of the hill, and to maintain the hill’s sanctity. A Supreme Court Division Bench, headed by Justice CT Ravi Kumar, is slated to hear the application on July 31. Spiritual Sovereign Jainacharya Yugbhushansuri, who is an inspiration for the petitioner, said, “This is a gross injustice to Jains.
In the history of independent India, no other community has faced the injustice that Jains have faced and continue to face for their significant religious place. Every faction of the Jain community is saddened by the defilement of the hills and demands quick delivery of justice.” The legal battle for protecting the sanctity of Shikharji Hills has been going on for more than six decades. It has cost crores of rupees but it is still unresolved. The case reached the Supreme Court in 2005 and has been pending since then, getting adjourned each time. The long delay in justice has given room to a series of sacrilegious activities prohibited by Jain scriptures on the hills. These include the killing of animals, consumption of non-vegetarian food, tourism and other activities that defile the hill’s sanctity. The sanctity of the hills has also been compromised by secular and other encroachments, the establishment of schools serving non-vegetarian midday meals, New Year celebrations, and other inappropriate activities.
The State has further exacerbated the situation by setting up polling booths and constructing helipads and military barracks on the hill. Recently, the X handle of the Jharkhand government’s tourism department advertised the beauty and serenity of the tallest Jain tonk on Shikharji Hills to attract tourists. Aggrieved by this, Darshanaben Shah, a devoted follower of Jainism, filed the interim application in the Supreme Court to seek urgent directions to halt such activities. Members of the Jain community say the Jharkhand government has failed to fulfil its responsibility and duty to protect the hill’s sanctity and has engaged in activities as if it is the owner. “The recent news of animal sacrifice on the hill by the CM of Jharkhand himself was extremely hurtful to Jains.
Shikharji means more to Jains than what Ayodhya means to Hinduism, Mecca means to Islam, the Golden Temple means to Sikhism, and Jerusalem means to Abrahamic religions,” said a Jain devotee, Siddharth Bagadia. Another ardent devotee, Lajesh Khona said, “It is extremely shocking to see such activities by the state, especially after committing to keeping the sanctity of Shikharji Hills intact, considering it the most pious and revered pilgrimage for Jains.” Darshanaben Shah’s devotion is not limited to legal battles. She has undertaken a remarkable spiritual vow to protect the sanctity of the Tirth by practising an unimaginable feat of abstinence. She refrains from food for three days and eats on the fourth day, a cycle she has repeated 2,700 times over 30 years without a single day of interruption. However, pointing at the root cause of all such ordeals, the 79th successor to Tirthankar Mahavir Swami, His Holiness said that “not just Shikharji Hills but all tirths nationwide, which have been taken over by the State, are facing severe attack to their sanctity. The root cause of all these depredations is the liberty that the State takes to interfere in religions and hamper their required autonomy. State interference into religion is a virus in a balanced and civilised society and is alien to Bharatiya tradition.” As the hearing date approaches, the Jain community hopes for a swift and just resolution that will restore and protect the sanctity of Shikharji Hills, and ensure it remains a revered site for future generations.
