Mumbai: An editorial published in the Shiv Sena’s mouthpiece Saamna on Thursday took on the Jain community for its influencing the ban on meat during Paryushan Parva: “Jains must not follow the path of Muslims and become fanatics. At least Muslims have Pakistan to go to. Where will the Jains go?”
It warned the Jains not to take on the “sons of the soil” with such demands, warning the community that it would “bite the dust” if it persisted with such measures.
Paryushan Parva is an eight-day period during which members of the Jain community observe fast and pray, and authorities in Maharashtra imposed a four-day ban on meat.
Sections of the Jain community have been pushing for a ban on slaughter of animals during Paryushan Parva, citing their religion’s emphasis on non-violence.
But the Saamna editorial described the Jain community’s emphasis on non-violence hypocritical, reminding it of the 1992-93 riots.
“The Sena protected Jains and their businesses from mobs. Hordes of Jains queued up outside Matoshree, wanting to thank Balasaheb for this. Why didn’t they remember this doctrine of non-violence then?” the editorial stated.
The editorial asked, “If a terrorist like (Lashkar-e-Taiba member Ajmal) Kasab was to enter Mumbai during this period, would a Jain protect him from being killed and instead offer up his own life?”
