Members of the Jain community from across the district staged a protest here on Monday against a verdict of the Rajasthan High Court that ‘Santhara’ (Sallekhana), one of their religious practices is illegal.
The protesters took out a silent rally from Holalu Circle to the Deputy Commissioner’s office premises, where they staged a dharna for a while.
Claiming that santhara, which was a practice of fasting till death, wasn’t an act of suicide, they said that the Rajasthan High Court had hurt the sentiments of Jains by calling it an act of suicide in its verdict.
“We will challenge the Rajasthan High Court’s judgment soon in the Supreme Court,” they told The Hindu.
They urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to immediately initiate measures to protect the religious sentiments and rights of the Jain community. Later, they submitted a memorandum, addressed to the Prime Minister, at the Deputy Commissioner’s office. Krishnan, Shanthi Prasad, Padmanabhaiah and Shridhar led the protest. Mandya Jain Samaj and Dharm Bachao Andolan Samiti had organised the protest.
