ROAD ACCIDENTS AND JAIN SAINTS

by : DR. T.K. JAIN for the cause of PROMOTION OF SPIRITUALITY AND SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP Ph: 0151-2544275, 9414430763 tkjainbkn@yahoo.co.in, afterschool@in.com

Yesterday a Jain Saint died in the road from Jaipur to Kota. This is yet another incident which has propelled me to write onthis issue. For years, there are cases of Road Accidents. If we cant protect our saints, we must be shameful of ourselves. Our saints have given us nector of knowledge and wisdom. They have made tremendous contribution to the development of our nation. The peace, and prosperity that we see today is all due to our saints. In other countries, ethics is taught in Universities - and even after spending crores of Dollars, most of the persons are unethical. In rural India, ethics is taught by the saints (for no money), and most of the rural India is ethical. If you find fraternity, unity, and secularism spread our in every part of India, it is due to our saints. Our saints walk down from one village to another and try to promote positive values and spirituality. We must give our saints due respect and protection. It is a tragegy the India is developing (in terms of money), but it is not able to give required protection to its saints. The number of Jain Saints dying in Road accidents is increasing continuously. Jain Saints have promoted spirituality and peace throughout our country. However, they met with accidents almost

every day. There is no protection from the government. The Jain Saints walk (they cant use vehicle) and they are barefoot also. However, you will find many instances when they are killed in road accidents. Drivers drive racklessly and kill the great saints. Some of the news are as under : Agam Prabhavak, an eminent research scholar, most respected Jain monk by all sects of Jainism and by the scholars of South Asian regions, Muni Shri Jambu Vijayji passed away early this morning (November 12, 2009 Thursday Indian time). Early morning, Muni Shri Jambu Vijayji was traveling on foot along with other monks from Balotra (a town in Rajsthan) to Jesalmer and they were hit by a high speed truck. Two munis, Jambuvijayji and Namaskarvijayji died in the accident and others are seriously injured. Jambuvijayji was 87 years old. A great loss not only to the entire Jain community but also to the entire South Asian Religion Research Scholars. another news : Jain Muni Jambuvijayji dies in road accident 2009-11-13 04:52:28 Gujarat Global News Network, Ahmedabad Renowned Jain saint Jambuvijayji and his associate saint Namaskarvijayji died in a road accident in Rajasthan. Two other jain saints were also injured in the accident. The last rites of 87 year old Jambuvijayji will be performed in Shankeshwar in Gujarat.Jambuvijayji with a large following in Gujarat and Rajasthan was going to Jaisalmer from Nakoda. Jambuvijayji had stayed in Nakoda for Chaturmas. It was a group of 15 jain saints which was on Balotara-Badmer route at the time of accident in the morning.The two other saints who were injured in the accident are Hemant Vijayji and Dharmghosh Vijayji. A quails had hit them. The driver ran away after the accident. The bodies of the saints were kept for Darshan at Nakoda and are being brought to Sankheshwar for the funeral.Jambuvijayji belonged to Bahucharaji in Gujarat and was committed to Agam studies. He had excellent command over Sanskrit, Pali, French, German, Japanese and other languages.

ANOTHER NEWS : -

Jain community alerts sadhvis and munis Alarmed by the rising casualties in road accidents, Jain spiritual leaders have asked members to be more careful -Dhwani Pathak Jain munis and sadhvis have been asked to walk carefully on highways when they are on a vihaar. A word of precaution has been circulated among the Jain sanghs following the Ahmedabad-Borivali highway accident which killed two sadhvis. Following the Monday morning accident near Dahisar in Maharashtra, a lot of nuns and monks have stopped midway fearing the same fate. This is the first road mishap after this years paryushan.

According to Jain tradition, the munis and sadhvis resume their walk only after Dev Diwali after the rains have stopped. For the last three years, the sadhvis and munis are being instructed to affix to their walking sticks radium strips which reflect light. This could help prevent accidents. Says Jasmin Shah of Sarva Dharma Rakshak Sewa Trust, It has been made compulsory for all munis and sadhvis on vihaar to have radium strips so that vehicle drivers can spot them from a distance. These radium strips are also affixed to their clothes and wheelchairs or tricycles as the case may be.Apart from this, they have also been asked to not travel in the dark. Acharya Kulchandrasurishwarji Maharajsaheb says, Early morning is risky for sadhujis. A lot of these accidents happen when vehicles try to overtake in the wrong manner. Adds Shah, Sadhujis and sadhvijis will now be travelling only after 6 am so that they can walk for 10-15 km and reach their destination by 8.30-9 am. Various sections of the Jain community have asked the state government to step up the security of the Jain spiritual leaders who walk on highways. Says Yuvak Mahasangh president Piyush Jain, The government should take concrete steps in this direction. Sign boards should be put up on the roads on which they walk and instructions be given to every driver who passes through toll booths. Pamphlets could be distributed among them as part of an awareness campaign. According to Maharajsaheb, Often the truck drivers licences are not checked. Traffic police and the concerned area police should step up security. The community wants a separate lane for pedestrians built.