Representative image of census.
Credit: iStock Photo
Hubballi: In a significant move, various Jain seers, including Varur Navagraha Teerth Kshetra seer Gunadharanandi Maharaj have started a foot march across the state from Thursday to conduct a survey of the Jain community and provide accurate population data to the government.
Speaking to reporters at Varur on Thursday, Gunadharanandi Maharaj expressed concern over the caste census data, which pegged the population of Jains in the state at 1.62 lakh. "Minority Welfare Minister B Z Zameer Ahmed Khan, in the legislative assembly, had informed that the Jain population in the state is around 20 lakh," he said.
The caste census has left out many people of the community, including himself. "There are around one lakh Jains in Chikkodi of Belagavi district alone. Therefore, the population data reflected in the caste census is far from the truth. If the caste census report released by the media is official, we strongly oppose it," he said.
He further added that as a community they will carry out their own survey and submit the accurate population details to the government by June 8.
The seer also pointed out that the Jain community has repeatedly faced injustice. "A massive meeting of the community will be convened to plan a more organised resistance, at Ainapur in Belagavi district on May 6," he said.