Jharkhand considering proposal to amend the Parasnath tourism centre notification

RANCHI: With voices of discontent growing and sporadic protests by the Jain community being held in different parts of the country, the Jharkhand government is considering a proposal to amend the notification of 2019 that had earmarked Parasnath Hills as a religious tourism centre, government officials said

RANCHI: With voices of discontent growing and sporadic protests by the Jain community being held in different parts of the country, the Jharkhand government is considering a proposal to amend the notification of 2019 that had earmarked Parasnath Hills as a religious tourism centre, government officials said.

A pilgrim being carried to the hill top at Parasnath hills in Giridih in Jharkhand. (HT Photo)

Sammed Shikhar ji, considered one of the most revered pilgrimages by all sects of the Jain community as they consider that 20 out of the 24 Tirthankars (saviors and spiritual teachers) attained salvation here, is located on Parasnath Hills in Giridih district.

The then state government had in 2019 notified Parasnath Hills, which is also a notified wildlife sanctuary, as a religious tourism centre. The Centre in 2019 had also notified the hills as an eco-sensitive zone and allowed eco-tourism. As part of the Tourism Policy launched in July this year, the Jharkhand government has decided to promote religious tourism at Parasnath Hills.

However, sporadic protests by the Jain community have erupted in different parts of the country in the past few days demanding reconsideration of the decision to develop Sammed Shikari into a tourist centre. The issue was raised in the Parliament, besides community members giving representations to Lok Sabha Speaker as well Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren.

“We have received few representations from the community members, who have raised some apprehensions. We are looking into the technical details of the notification. We have mooted a few suggestions to the community members to make some amendments to the notification. We are also studying how other states like Uttarakhand run their religious centres. We will come up with a workable proposal which takes care of the community concerns without compromising on enforcement issues,” said tourism secretary Manoj Kumar.

The tourism secretary further said he has issued fresh directions to the Giridih district administration to implement a 2018 order, to keep the place sacrosanct as per the tenets of Jainism, in letter and spirit.

Sources in the government said the department could make the notification more clear in sync with Jainism identity, besides strengthening the Parasnath Development Authority by including members of the community in it.

“Though the place was notified as a religious tourism centre in 2019, nothing has been done on the ground. Anyway, not much can be done in terms of infrastructure development as the area is a notified sanctuary and an eco-sensitive zone. But withdrawing the notification altogether would be difficult or else certain enforcement issues would get affected. The existence of the authority depends on the tourist centre notification. If it is completely withdrawn, even the basic demands of the community for limited development would become difficult to honour,” an official said.