A new controversy has started regarding Sammed peak. The tribal Santhal
community of Jharkhand has claimed that the entire mountain belongs to them.
The tribals say that this is their Marang Buru i.e. old mountain. This is the center
of their faith. Here they sacrifice a white cock every year in Ashadhi Puja.
Tampering with it will not be acceptable to them.
However, the district administration held a meeting with the Jain community
and tribals on Sunday. A committee was formed to form a general opinion,
in which administrative officers, public representatives, representatives of
Jain society, and tribals are included.
However, the tribal society is still adamant. Preparations for the big movement
are also going on. The front of the protest and agitation is being handled by
Lobin Hembram, MLA of the ruling party JMM. Hembram has said that the
fight will be one-on-one. People of tribal society have been living in this area
for years, and now they are being prevented from performing the sacrifice.
The land is ours, the mountain is ours and we will not let it be occupied by
anyone else.
The government will have to declare Parasnath as Marang Buru Sthal Hembram
said that the government will have to declare Parasnath as Marang Buru Sthal.
If our demand is not met by January 25, then on January 30, we will sit on a
fast in Ulihatu. There will be a big movement against the central and state
government.
Santhal community in preparation for big movement
from January 10:
The Santhal community is preparing for a major agitation in the state from January 10. Naresh Kumar Murmu, executive president of the International Santhal Council, has told Dainik Bhaskar that we are preparing a strategy for a big movement. In this, people of the Santhal community from different states of the country including Odisha, Bengal, and Assam will reach Parasnath.
If the government failed to free Marang Buru from the Jain occupation, there would be a rebellion in five states. Our organization is not weak, he claimed, adding that President Draupadi Murmu himself is the patron of the council and former Assam MP P Manjhi is the chairman.
International Santhal Council said- our faith
should also be respected along with the Jain
community:
The International Santhal Council also said that we welcome the initiative of
the district administration or the government. We will not call off the agitation
until the state government takes a clear decision. We will continue to get the
rights we have. We will see whether the government is giving our share or not.
Chief Minister Hemant Soren also wrote in the letter regarding this importance
for the Jain community, while our religious sentiments are also attached to
this place. We respect all religions, but we feel that we are being thrown out.
Paras Nath for Santhals like Ayodhya for
Hindus - Salkhan Murmu:
Padha Sarna Prayer Meeting organized Mahasammelan cum Sarna Prayer
Meeting in the capital Ranchi on Sunday. Parasnath was discussed in this
event. Ajay Tirkey of Raji Padha Sarna Prayer Sabha said Parasnath belongs
to the tribals. There the status quo ante should be restored.
The government distanced itself from the whole
matter:
At the same time, we also wanted to know the stand of the government on
this whole controversy. Tried to talk to Supriyo Bhattacharya, Central General
Secretary of the JMM party. He declined to make any official comment over
the phone. We are looking into the matter, he said. It is too early to comment
on this matter. We will understand the whole matter and the appropriate
decision will be taken. He termed the statement of MLA Lobin Hembram as
his personal opinion.
The MLA of the area said – the earlier situation
should remain intact:
Spoke to Giridih MLA Sudivya Kumar on this matter. He said – Santhal
society also has recognition. They also have rights, this whole hill cannot be
given to anyone. Anyway, our country teaches us to respect all religions.
Parasnath mountain Marang Buru was, is, and will remain. The tradition
that has been going on for hundreds of years will remain intact in the future.
Jains and tribals are related to the era of Tirthankaras. There is only one
solution to this matter, that the status quo be maintained as before. Any
decision in this matter can create problems. Along with the Jain society,
the sentiments of the local people living in this area and the Santhal society
are also attached. This matter should not be politicised.
Now know what is the side of the Jain community
on the dispute:
On the condition of not publishing the name of this whole matter, a big Jain
monk told that he has no objection to anyone coming and going on the
mountain. The tribal society also performs Sarna Puja here once a year.
They themselves welcome it. Their only demand is that their faith be
respected. Consumption of meat and alcohol should be banned on the hill.
People should be allowed to go up after investigation.
Sammed Shikhar was, is, and will be our place of
pilgrimage:
Ashok Kumar Jain, the priest of Parshwa Nath temple, said on this issue that
Sammed Shikhar is our Tirtha Raj. It was, is, and will remain a pilgrimage site.
It is not a place of pilgrimage because of prosperity. Our Lord has done
penance here. Munivar has done penance. This land has been sanctified.
Know where the controversy started:
The controversy over Sammed Shikhar started in 2022 when a video of a
young man drinking alcohol from here went viral. The sale and purchase of
meat and alcohol are prohibited in the area around Sammed peak. Even after
this people were consuming it here. Jain society believes that its trend has
increased after 2019. They are telling the reason for this is to declare Paras
Nath mountain as a tourist area on behalf of the state government.
To stop the consumption of meat and alcohol, they are demanding that
Sammed peak be declared a tourism-free zone. For this, they are holding
agitations and protests across the country. In this protest, two Jain monks
have also left their bodies.
In view of the controversy of the Jain society, on the recommendation of the
state government, the central government has amended the notification in
which the area around the mountain was declared as an eco-tourism area.
There is happiness in the Jain society after this decision of the central
government, but now the tribal society has started preparing for a big
movement.
There was an attempt to form a consensus in the
meeting:
The deadlock between the tribal community was resolved by the district
administration and public representatives by holding a meeting on Sunday.
District officials including local MLA Sudivya Kumar Sonu, Deputy
Commissioner Naman Priyesh Lakra, SP Amit Renu, and AC Wilson
Bhengra were present at the meeting. Along with this, local public
representatives and representatives of Jain Trust were also involved.
The main agenda of the meeting was to end the ongoing dispute over
Sammed Shikhar Parasnath.
For this opinion was taken from Jain trustees and people of a tribal
community. Emphasis was laid on maintaining peace and order from both
sides. The only thing that came from both sides was that the system which
has been running since ancient times should remain intact in the future as
well. Because here it is not a matter of ownership but of faith. In such a
situation, as much as Jains have faith in Lord Parasnath, tribals have the
same faith in Marangburu.
In such a situation, there should not be any kind of fire on each other's faith.
On this question, both communities agreed. District administration and
people's representatives also said that at present no new system will be
implemented. All parties will be on the committee. The committee will first try
to resolve any kind of dispute. If the dispute is not resolved in the committee,
then it will go under the ambit of the law.
what does dc say:
DC Naman Priyesh Lakda said- A meeting was held on Sunday with the Jain
committee and the committees of the tribal community under the mediation of
the district administration. There is a general opinion in this that the system
which is running in the past will continue to be applicable. Both the Jain
society and the tribal community will respect each other's religious beliefs.
Now nothing new will be implemented in it nor will any change be made to
the old system. The DC told that there is information about the rally there on
10 January. For the time being, after this meeting, the pressure has been
reduced.
