Centre stays tourism activities at Sammed Shikharji in Jharkhand

Asks Jharkhand to protect sanctity of holy Jain site

CM writes to Union minister

Ranchi, January 5: A release issued by Jharkhand CM secretariat in the evening informed that acting on the letter by the chief minister the Union environment and forest ministry has stayed implementation of clause 3 of the Eco Sensitive Zone notification pertaining to the buffer zone beyond the sacred Parasnath Hills, including amongst others all tourism and eco-tourism activities. 

The ministry has also directed Jharkhand government to have two members from the Jain community and one member from the local tribal community as permanent invitees in the eco sensitive zone monitoring committee for their involvement and oversight. 

Earlier, Amid Jains protest to promote tourism in Parasnath Hills, one of the holiest places for the community, Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren on Thursday urged the Centre to take an “appropriate decision” on one of its notification.

Though Soren wrote to Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Bhupender Yadav on an August 2019 notification issued by the Centre that called for promoting tourism and eco-tourism in Parasnath Wildlife Sanctuary, he maintained silence on another February 2019 notification issued by the then BJP government in the state that designated Parasnath Hills as a tourist spot.

Parasnath Wildlife Sanctuary is a part of the Parasnath Hills in Giridih district.

Soren said that the state government has so far not acted on provisions in the Centre’s notification keeping in view the sentiments of the Jain community.

“As per applications received from followers of Jainism, have written a letter to Union Forest Minister Bhupender Yadav to take an appropriate decision on Centre’s notification to maintain the sanctity of Sammed Shikhar in Parasnath,” Soren said in a tweet.

Shri Sammed Shikharji in Parasnath Hills in Giridih district, home to the highest peak in the state some 160 km from Ranchi, is among the holiest places of the Jains, including for both Digambaras and Shwetambars sects, as 20 of the 24 Jain tirthankaras attained ‘moksha’ (salvation) in this location.

Soren, in the letter, said police patrolling has been intensified in the area to ensure that the sanctity of the place is maintained.

The Jain community has been demanding the scrapping of all notifications declaring the place as a tourist spot, fearing it may lead to consumption of liquor and non-vegetarian food in the area, which will hurt their sentiments.

Few hours later Union environment and forest minister Bhupender Yadav tweeted about meeting Jain community members.

“Met Jain community members who have been urging to protect the sanctity of Sammed Shikhar. Assured them that PM @Narendramodi ji’s government is committed to preserving and protecting the rights of the Jain community over all their religious sites, including Sammed Shikhar.”

The central government has stopped all similar efforts in the greater Parasnath Hills  where Sammed Shikharji is located, in response to Jain’s concerns about the designation of their revered temple as an ecotourism attraction in Jharkhand.

Additionally, it has instructed the government to take harsh action against forbidden behaviours like drinking alcohol or “defiling of locations of religious and cultural value” or ecological harm.

The Union Environment Minister, issued a note requesting that any environmentally hazardous activities be “stayed” right away. He also shared a list of activities that would be barred in the region.

A minimum of two management board members must be from the Jain community, according to the memo from the Center. Sammed Shikharji is located in the Topchanchi and Parasnath Wildlife Sanctuary’s eco-sensitive area.