Close to 2,000 persons, including hundreds of women, from various Jain associations in the city took out a procession here on Thursday to show their protest against the verdict of the Rajasthan High Court declaring the religious practice of Santhara (voluntary fasting till death) of Jains as a punishable offence.
Hurt
Participants said that Santhara was in practice for centuries and the verdict hurt their religious sentiments.
The verdict that came earlier this month created ripples across the country with the members of the community showing their protest to it by taking out rallies and other peaceful forms of agitations.
On Thursday, persons from the community started their procession at Women’s Polytechnic College on Balasundaram Road and concluded it at V.O.C. Park Ground.
The procession was organised by the Sri Coimbatore Jain Mahasangh. Traders of the community also had their shutters down till noon as a mark of protest.
The Nilgiris
Sri Jain Sangh Ootacamund on Thursday sent a memorandum to the Prime Minister stating that the Rajasthan High Court terming Santhara as suicide had hurt their religious sentiments. According to secretary of the association, C. Balchand Bothra, Santhara was a sacrifice and a part of their religious practice.Recalling that Jainism is a religion that promotes non-violence, he said that persons from that religious background believed that they had no right over any life and this included their life too. About 100 members of the community submitted the petition to The Nilgiris District Collector P. Shankar, at the Collectorate.
