Chandigarh:
Haryana government, on Friday, notified the Jain community as the minority community in the state. A notification to this effect has been issued by Haryana Social Justice and Empowerment Department, an official release said.
Addressing a gathering of Jain devotees at a function organised to mark the birth anniversary of Lord Mahavira at Gannaur near Panipat, Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda said "The Jain community will be included in the list of minorities." Now the Jain community is equal to the other minority communities in the state like Muslims, Sikhs, and are going to be considered separate from the Hindu community. But the government of India includes the Jain community as part of the Hindus.
At the 11-day long Panchkalyanak Pratishtha Mahotsav and Mahamastakabhishek organised at Guptisagar Dham Tirath, the Chief Minister announced that the Guptisagar Dham Tirath at Gannaur would be developed as a tourist site. He also said that the government would send its recommendation to National Highway Authority of India to name the flyover at NH No 1 in front of Guptisagar Dham after Jain Saint Shri Guptisagar Ji Maharaj.
Now onwards, at least in Haryana, Jains will enjoy all the rights given to Muslims and Sikhs under different government policies to protect their separate identity.