Palitana: Can ahimsa be imposed forcibly?
Palitana has become the first city in India to impose a complete ban on the sale and consumption of meat, even though it is home to meat-eating communities, writes Harsh Bodwal.
Published on: 18 August 2024, 11:09 am
Palitana has become the first city in India to impose a complete ban on the sale and consumption of meat, even though it is home to meat-eating communities, writes Harsh Bodwal.
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IN recent developments, the city of Palitana in Gujarat has become a focal point of attention due to the imposition of a complete ban on the sale and consumption of meat.
This significant development was preceded by a protest involving 200 Jain monks advocating for the principle of ahimsa, or non-violence. This protest is not unprecedented; a similar campaign occurred in 2014 when 200 monks undertook a fast unto death, demanding that Palitana be declared a "hinsa mukt" (violence-free) city.
This earlier movement involved a series of negotiations with local administrators, police officers, politicians and fasting monks, culminating in the cessation of the fast on June 25, 2014, in the presence of a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) member of Parliament and a minister of State.
Palitana is of considerable significance to the Jain community— home to the revered Shatrunjaya Hill. This hill, a crucial pilgrimage site, houses numerous temples and shrines and holds deep spiritual and cultural importance for Jains.
“This significant development was preceded by a protest involving 200 Jain monks advocating for the principle of ahimsa, or non-violence.
During the 2014 movement, the Jain community sought a broader ban that extended beyond the existing administrative notification, which covered a main road leading to the holy hill and a 250-meter area on either side.
They advocated for a comprehensive prohibition on the sale and consumption of non-vegetarian food, eggs and slaughtering activities throughout Palitana, not just within the initially designated limited area.