SC directs Centre to decide on Jain community's plea for equal status at par with Muslims

New Delhi: Aggrieved by the Centre and majority of the states not extending any benefit to Jains as a minority community, the Akhil Bhartiya Jain Mahasabha moved the Supreme Court for a direction to the Centre and states to treat them on par with Muslims in granting benefits.

The Supreme Court on Wednesday asked the Centre to consider and decide the representation seeking various reliefs including adequate representation of members of the Jain community in national and state minority panels.

The petitioner claimed that all these years the Centre had ignored the interest of the Jain Minority Community and had not given equal treatment to them.

Jains were recognized by the Centre as minorities only last year and till now 11 states had granted minority status to Jains. It alleged that the government “has adopted appeasement policy towards Muslims and in the name of the minorities all the benefits are being given to this community whereas other minorities are not being given the same benefit and status.”

It also said “the government has always appointed Chairman of the Minority Commission from a particular community in the States and also at the Centre even in the matter of appointment of members of the commission. The Muslim community is given the major share in the representation ignoring the interest of Jain Minority Community. The population of Muslim Community is 18.5% in the census of 2001 and that of Jain Community is 0.4%. However till date no member of this community find representation either in the State Minority Commission or in the National Minority Commission.”

“The administration and management of the affairs of Jain minorities’ institutions such as their religious places and temples had also not received the benefit from the funds reserved for minorities’ institutions,” it said.