News Digest

Summary

"1. National Celebrations for Mahavira’s 2600th Birth Anniversary (India) i) The Government of India declared April 6, 2001 as “Meatless Day” to launch the 2600th Janma Kalyanak celebrations of Lord Mahavira (599–527 BCE). ii) Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee chaired a high-level meeting approving ₹100 crore as seed funding for projects by NGOs and celebration associations. iii) Proposals included: a) Creating permanent institutions and assets. b) Establishment of an Institute of Prakrit Studies in Vaishali. c) Release of commemorative stamp and coin. d) Survey and conservation of Jain monuments and manuscripts. e)Transfer of 25-acre Mahavir Vanasthali (Sardar Patel Marg, Delhi) to the Jain community for park development. iv) Indu Jain (Times Group) pledged Jain Samaj’s adoption of 1,000 villages for holistic development, including roads, water, health, education, and environmental initiatives. v) Other ideas included setting up: a) Mahavira Chairs b) Mahavira Foundation & IT Foundation c) International seminar and welfare projects. 2. Historic Jain Prayer at U.S. House of Representatives (USA) i) In May 2001, Gurudev Chitrabhanuji became the first Jain spiritual leader to offer the opening prayer at the U.S. House of Representatives, marking the 2600th anniversary of Lord Mahavira. ii) Organized by JAINA (Federation of Jain Associations in North America) with support from Rep. Frank Pallone Jr., India Caucus founder. iii) This was the third non-Judeo-Christian prayer in U.S. House history. iv) Pallone praised Jain non-violence and acknowledged Dr. Sushil Jain for organizing the event. v) Over 140 delegates, including all past and current JAINA presidents and Indian Embassy representatives, were present. vi) The prayer emphasized ethical governance, peace, mutual well-being, and universal bliss. 3. JAINA Developments and Upcoming Events i) JAINA, formed in 1981, is an umbrella body for 57 Jain organizations in North America, representing over 80,000 Jains and around 40 temples. ii) The 11th Biennial JAINA Convention (theme: Practicing Jainism in the 21st Century) was planned for July 5–8, 2001 in Chicago, expecting 10,000 attendees. iii) Leadership: Dr. Sushil Jain (event guide, White House medical consultant) and Dr. Manoj Dharamsi (chairman, 2600th celebrations). iv) Future plans included a prayer in the U.S. Senate and a major New York celebration in September 2001, expected to be attended by PM Vajpayee. v) Senator Hillary Clinton was invited as chief guest for the JAINA convention and responded positively; Sen. George Voinovich was approached for Senate prayer co-sponsorship. vi) Several U.S. states, including Maryland, declared 2001 as the Year of Non-Violence. 4. Obituary: Kurt Titze (1922–2001) i) German scholar Kurt Titze, a significant promoter of Jain studies, passed away in 2001. ii) Inspired by a personal encounter with Digambara monks in Shravanabelagola in 1988, he devoted himself to Jain philosophy and non-violence. iii) Key works: a) Keine Gewalt gegen Mensch, Tier, Pflanze (1993) b) An Open Letter from the Blue Planet (1997) c) Jainism: A Pictorial Guide to the Religion of Non-Violence (1998, Motilal Banarsidass).\