Looking to increase numbers, a section in Jains may put up candidates

A section of leadership in the Jain community which has been looking to increase their clout in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) may put up candidates on their own if political parties do not oblige them in the upcoming elections. Presently, there are around seven corporators from the community. The community feels it has enough strength to provide for at least 34 corporators as the number of Jains in each such constituency is between 15,000 to 30,000.

Naypadmasagar Maharajsaheb, the Jain monk under whose guidance Jain International Organisation (JIO) runs, has a board that looks after political affairs. That board is looking to put up candidates. "But we want to first do it through political parties. Only if they do not, we will put up candidates in areas where Jains are not given tickets and they can elect a Jain," said Naypadmasagar while talking to DNA. Most political parties at present have not been committal because even though they have been claiming of putting up all candidates, they are waiting to see if the alliances work out or not.

Besides the 34 corporators, the community feels that their numbers can play a vital role in many other seats. As per the community's calculations, there are 19 lakh eligible voters who they are asking to vote compulsarily in the upcoming elections. These voters are scattered in different constituencies. "In nearly 54 seats there are over 8,000 Jain voters which can play a deciding factor in electing a corporator. The community also feels that they have sizable number of voters that can play a role in 110 of the total 227 corporator wards," said Naypadmasaagar who claims that political parties have been approaching them to have their votes and in return want to give tickets to Jains.

Each of the 227 wards has an approximate population of 54,000 voters. Of the seven that are from the community, BJP has four and Congress has three corporators. BJP, which has in the past had Jains as core voters, has already decided to give seats to as many but is waiting until mid-January when the situation on coalition will be clear. "Other parties have also promised that they will be giving seats where people can win. Situation will be clearer January 15 onwards because in seat sharing the numbers may reduce. There are sitting corporators who need to be given ticket and other factors that play a role," Naypadmasagar said.

The community is looking to also factor into reservation that has displaced a lot of sitting corporators by "barter system". "We are in open category which is nearly 150. If the seat where Jains are in majority is reserved, we will do barter system. We will tell political parties that you make us win a certain seat and we will make you win wherever Jains are in greater number," he added. In the past, however, his pitching for a candidate has not necessarily meant that a candidate has won.

Criticism has been levied on him to have exceeded the brief of being a monk who should not get into telling who should be voted to power. And what if a non-Jain is a good candidate, him favouring "cronies", and a view among some other Jain Sadhus that they should not get into deciding who to vote? "By birth Jains know how to do seva (serve people). They do that irrespective of caste or community. Jains are giving a lot of free seva in hospitals. We want all hospitals to be provided with latest facilities. Our service is not restricted by a community or even a country. Politics comes naturally to Jains because all their Tirthankars have been kings. A Jain is afraid of paap (sin) and so he is given priority in candidacy. Jain is a way of living. We are not communal," said the Sadhu who will be promoting the idea of a Jain voting for a Jain. He added, "With respect to Sadhus not being into politics, as per Bharatiya parampara, every Raja has had a Dharma Guru. Shivaji, Gandhi and even Modi had Gurus. Only Dharma Guru can put these politicians under control. They have to have a role. If Dharma Gurus do not do their bhumika (role), there will be anarth (injustice)."

But should that role not be restricted to just stating voting for a good candidate as some of his other Jain monks feel? Naypadmasagar said, "I do not think any Jain Sadhu will say that."
Vimalsagar Maharajsaheb, one of the other Jain monks who is not in the city at present and had earlier stated that Sadhus should not be actively advocating who to vote for, said, "Every samaj is asking for votes on the basis of their community. It is not just Jains. And if a Sadhu has said something, he must have thought something about it."