Jains rejoice Supreme Court staying ban on Santhara

The Jain community on Monday welcomed Supreme Court's decision to stay Rajasthan High Court's ban on Santhara. Calling Santhara akin to suicide, the HC had termed it illegal and banned it.

Following the ban, there were protests by Jain organisations in the city and in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, where the population of Jains is large.

"The high court had made a mistake. This is the first step to correct that mistake. The next date has not been given, but we will be putting up the case," said Kanak Parmar, trustee of Jain Shakti Foundation, which had given a letter to the governor.

Among Jain groups, messages have been moving around, asking community members to make sure that they turn up in big numbers to get the ban lifted and put the issue up before the court in a better way as it will be the last stop.

"It is an interim order, we are yet to see the details of it. They have not put it up on the website. The community is very happy because it feels that the HC judgment was erroneous and now it has been rectified," said advocate Dhanpal Solanki, a resident of Worli.