New DelhiNational Commission for Minorities Chairman Iqbal Singh Lalpura said on Wednesday that the Center and the Jharkhand government have decided that the Jain shrine of Sammed Shikharji will continue to be a pilgrimage center and will not be converted into a tourism centre. He said the commission held a hearing on the matter on Tuesday where the Jharkhand government assured that it would soon issue an official order.
“On the issue of Sammed Shikhar in Jharkhand, which Jains were protesting against, the Center and the Jharkhand government have decided that it will remain a pilgrimage site,” Lalpura told a press conference here. “Liquor or meat will not be allowed there. We intervened in the matter and thanked the Center and the Jharkhand government for taking note of our recommendation. We had a hearing yesterday and it was decided that it will not be converted into a tourist spot and Will be.” A religious place,” he said. Lalpura said the Jain community is now calm with the decision.
He said the concerned authorities in Jharkhand have been advised by the NCM to review the government notification to add the words “sacred/religious” so as to preserve the sanctity of the area. Lalpura said, “We have recommended that the word ‘tourist’ be replaced in the government order. In principle, it has been decided that this pilgrimage site will remain and the word ‘tourist’ will be replaced by another suitable word ” , He said that the date of the next hearing has been fixed, but if the order of the Jharkhand government comes, then it will not be needed.
This will solve a long-pending demand of the Jain community, Lalpura said. The National Commission for Minorities (NCM) had earlier said that various representations have been received from the Jain community regarding the conversion of Jain pilgrimage site Shree Sammed Shikharji Hill into an eco-tourism hub by the Jharkhand government and the central government.
The Center had on January 5 banned all tourism activities at the Parasnath hill where the Jain shrine of Sammed Shikharji is located and directed the Jharkhand government to take all necessary steps immediately to protect its sanctity. Union Environment Minister Bhupendra Yadav met various representatives of the Jain community on the issue and assured that the government is committed to maintaining the sanctity of the ‘Sammed Shikharji Hill Area’, which is not only a sacred place for the Jain community, but also for the whole country.
Sammed Shikharji, located on the Parasnath hill in Giridih district of Jharkhand, is the largest pilgrimage center of the Jain community. The community members are opposing the state government’s move to promote religious tourism at the Parasnath hill. In August 2019, the Union Environment Ministry notified an eco-sensitive zone around Parasnath Sanctuary and approved eco-tourism activities in pursuance of a proposal submitted by the state government.