On Jain monks facing highway-side accidents

By Japan K Pathak, Ahmedabad, DeshGujarat

It is sad that Jain monks are hit and many times killed on highway by trucks or other heavy vehicles. The latest incident took place near Bhavnagar. A Jain monk was hit by a truck. In response to this, other Jain monks joined by Jain community members stopped traffic for an hour or so until police arrived there to control the situation. This sudden protest on highway caused problem to people who stuck in traffic.

Later, a meeting of Jain community was held in Rajkot on this issue. A decision to make representation before the government was taken in this meeting. There was a feeling that there could be some conspiracy behind these accidents. One option presented in the meeting was possible safety cover to Jain monks on journey.

It is very sad that Jain monks suffer accidents on highways while walking from one village to other village. Jain community has suffered huge loss by losing some of the finest monks like Jambuvijayji due to such accidents.

But at the same time, Jain community needs to understand that highway is after-all highway. It is built for heavy vehicles that move in extreme speed. Highways are not for walking. Though walking is allowed on highway, and it is legal right, the practical fact is that it is very risky and dangerous. On many stretch, for a driver of heavy vehicle, it’s just not predictable that somebody could be walking on highway side.

The issue, if we look at in a larger perspective is that the Jain monks don’t use vehicles. They just walk, mostly without shoes. At the most, they would use push cart. This is their tradition and one needs to give respect to it and take care of it. Now though they have sticked to this centuries old tradition – which is not bad, and no-one can have objection to it – the world outside their community has changed so much. The vehicles are heavier and more powerful, traffic is increasing, roads are smoother, speed levels are much higher, walking on highway path is increasingly riskier. Discussions on conspiracy theories are pointless. When thousands of Jain monks are walking any-day on highways, some incidents of accidents in any year are unfortunately bound to happen due to reasons narrated above.

Some measures suggested are:

-A local person must accompany a group of Jain monks on highway side.
-If alternate routes parallel to the main highway are available, Jain monks should explore that option, rather than walking on highway. Again, to guide them about village side routes, local person should be there with them. There was a tradition of ‘Valaviyo’ existing in parts of Gujarat and Rajasthan to make this possible. It should be revived.
-Dark or blending hours must be avoided to take journey on highway side. To make this possible, there should be more rest-houses suitable to them on highway, or nearby village.
-Modern ways like reflectors if the journey is taking place during dark hours need to be explored.

Some members of Jain community in a meeting at Rajkot said that while Padyatris(highway side walking) to Ambaji are higher in number, they don’t face accident, but Jain monks face accidents regularly.

But this is not fair argument. Pad yatra to Ambaji is seasonal, and it take place in mass on particular highway stretches for particular period. Therefore truck drivers and others have judgement in advance that they need to take extra care during particular period of time on particular stretch. Even then, some accidents do take place sometime.

Rather than useless discussions on conspiracy theories, making representations to government, and instant agitation like traffic jam on highway, the community need to understand the basic fact that highways are risky for walking and should proceed to adopt safety measures prescribed above.

Following is a report on the accident of Munishri Jambuvijayji Maharaj Saheb, mailed to me by a Japanese student Hiroko Matsuoka in December 2009. Hiroko’s some suggestions to Jain community are matching with the suggestions I penned down above:

Attached:
Report on the accident of Pa. Pu. Munishri Jambuvijayji Ma. Sa.
By Hiroko Matsuoka

Ahmedabad, 9th December 2009

Summary of the event:We all, 87-year old Param Pujya Munishri Jambuvijayji Maharaj Saheb, 7 other sadhujis, 7 sadhvijis and I, left Nakoda (Badmer Dist., Rajasthan) for Jaisalmer (RJ) on 9th November. Unfortunately the road accident happened on the fourth day of the pilgrimage (vihaara). At 6:55 AM of 12th November on Balotra-Barmer, Muni Jambuvijayji and the three of his disciples were brutally hit by a speeding jeep from the behind. At that time I was walking along with sadhvijis 4 km ahead. When we rushed back, we just found that 4 sadhujis were laid in a pool of blood on road and Muni Jambuvijayji and 34-year old his disciple Namaskarvijayji were already dead. Their bodies were cremated on 13th in Shankheshvar (Patan Dist., North Gujarat).

Circumstances*:9th November:8 sadhujis, 7 sadhvijis, 1 assistant, 1 driver and I started the vihar towards Jaisalmer from Nakoda (Barmer Dist., RJ). Walking about 15-km in the morning and the evening and staying overnight at a school near by Tilwala.

10th:Walking 15-km and staying overnight at school in a small village north away from Tilwala.

11th:Walking 15km and staying overnight at school about 10-km east away from Baitu on Balotra-Barmer Rd.

05:30AM 12th:7 sadhvijis I left school for Baitu (Barmer Dist., RJ).

06:00AM:8 sadhujis also left. Jambuvijayji led his group taking by both hands of Dharmagoshvijayji and Himavantvijayji. Namaskarvijayji follows just after these three sadhujis with rolling a wheelchair which would be provided when Jambuvijayji would get tired. 4 other sadhujis walked slowly because an old aged disciple used a wheelchair. An assistant and a driver cleaned up the rooms of a school where the group had a night-halt after that they will reach the next destination by bike and truck.

06:55AM:According to Himavantvijayji who was the only eye-witness; 4 sadhujis, who were walking together on the left edge of road, were hit by a speeding Toyota jeep from the behind. Namaskarvijayji was killed instantly. At the time the wheelchair, which Namaskarvijayji rolled on, made Jambuvijayji lay down over Namaskarvijayji, his head was hit heavily and his stomach and bones were crushed by car but still breathed a little. Dharmagoshvijayji, who was taking Jambuvijayji by the left hand, was seriously injured and became unconscious. Himavantvijayj, who was taking Jambuvijayji by the left hand, was not able to move with his injured legs. Toyota jeep stopped after hitting them, saw, and went away without giving any help.

07:00AM:According to Himavantvijayji, Jambuvijayji breathed for a while and stopped as life was no more and there was no aid available.

07:10AM:According to sadhujis, Pundarikaratnavijayji and 3 other sadhujis, who were walking 2-km after them, reached the scene by foot.

07:20AM:One road side kind driver informed us that there is serious accident in which sadhujis are crushed and some are injured. Greatly shocked to hear such tragic news, Jinendraprabhushriji and all other sadhvijis including me, who were walking 4-km before them, rushed back to the scene breathlessly. It was horrible scene to see Muni Jambuvijayji and Namaskarvijayji lifeless and one other old sadhuji Dharmaghoshvijayji almost unconscious as he was dragged about 5-meters by the speeding car. He was lying in a pool of blood where his both legs were crushed.

08:00AM:The police came from Baitu 15-km dist at the same time an ambulance car came from Balotra 35-km dist. Only Dharmaghoshvijayji and Himavantvijayji were taken in an ambulance to hospital and dead bodies of Jambuvijayji and Namaskarvijayji were taken to Nakoda by car. Since I had my camera, the police asked me to take a photograph of Jambuvijayji in car and two photographs of Namaskarvijayji on road.

08:30AM:We all reached to a hospital in Balotra (Barmer Dist., RJ).

09:00AM:The bodies of deceased sadhujis were kept in open for darshana of visitors and devotees at Nakoda Parshvanath Jain Derasar 12-km away from Balotra.

There was a heated discussion that mortal bodies of sadhujis should be cremated at Nakoda only since they were there for full caturmasum. But various samgha leaders finally decided to take dead bodies to Shankheshvar where Muni Bhuvanvijayji (Guru and Father of Jambuvijayji) was cremated.

01:00AM early morning 13th:We all left Nakoda for Shankheshvar (Patan Dist., GJ) by car and traveled about 250-kms.

07:00AM:We all reached Agama Mandir in Shankheshvar. The bodies were kept for darshana at Agama Mandir.

03:30PM:The bodies were set on each palanquins (paalakhii).

04:00PM:The funeral march (antimayaatra) towards a crematorium (samaadhi) 2-km distant from Agama Mandir via Shankheshvar Parshvanath Jain Derasar started. Thousands of people who came from all corners of India attended it.

05:00PM:The cremations (agnisa.mskaara) started.

09:30PM:The cremations ended.

14th:Their bones were collected each in small cans. Jambuvijayji’s ashes were packed for gift.

18th:The tapagaccha, to which Jambuvijayji belonged, held the Requiem Mass (Gu.naanuvaada Sambhaa). While presiding over the mass, the head sadhuji of the tapagaccha accused Anoop Mandal of this incident.

28th:5 sadhujis including Himavantvijayji, 7 sadhvijis, 1 driver and 3 assistants left Shankhesvar for Patan (North GJ).

29th:I joined their vihar from Mujupur 5-km away from Shankheshvar.

2nd December:We all safely reached Sagar Upashraya in Patan. I stayed with them for a day and then left for Ahmedabad on the same day.

12th:First Anniversary will be performed at Patan.

Present Condition of the group:Dharmaghoshvijayji, who has been hospitalized in Jodhpur ever since 12th, regained consciousness. Other sadhujis and sadhvijis are expected to stay at Sagar Upashraya in Patan for about an year to study under the local Pandits in order to fulfill the last desire of Jambuvijayji. Jambuvijayji was adequately prepared for the project on scanning manuscripts in Jaisalmer from December 2009 to March 2010, as he did in Patan from February to June 2009.

Social Repercussions:Incidentally just 3 days before i.e. on 9th November four sadhvijis were brutally crushed by truck near Mahesana (North GJ). Shocked by serial deaths of sadhu-sadhvijis on road, all Jain communities don’t believe they were killed by misadventure but strongly suspects that one Gujarat-based anti-Jain cult group named ANOOP MANDAL was involved in these serial unnatural deaths. It is easy to find the sensational articles headlined ”It was not an accident (akasmaat) but a plot (.sa.dyantra)!”, ”Who is the criminal?”, etc. on the newspapers and the magazines which treated this incident. As mentioned above, the head-sadhuji of the tapagaccha officially accused ANOOP MANDAL with anger at the Mass. Even on the short journey from Shankheshvar to Patan, in fact, whole group had been really frightened that the cult group may attack them.

Wonderfully I am lucky to get their love towards me. All of them told me not to join vihar as Anoop people might be knowing everything about you from newspapers. So better avoid the vihar but I am Japanese, strong in spirit, so I continued the vihar with them successfully. I am sure this gesture of mine must have given them courage and confidence.

It is irony of fate that most of non-Jain as well as the police seem to take the matter lightly as one of the many accidents which always happens everywhere in India. They do not realize that this accident has taken precious life of saint who was noble, knowledgeable and most respected among the intellectual of the world.

My analyses or impressions: I cannot judge the incident was an accident or a kind of terrorism as I was 4-km away from the scene but do feel that there were no vehicles, road was quite wide and sadhujis were walking in extreme corner of the road in bright sunlight. How can accident happen? Around 15 minutes after sunrise, bright and white color of the sky are linked to color of white clothes which Jain sadhu-sadhvijis wear. I still wonder how can accident happen?

These circumstances never give an enough answer to the question why Jambuvijayji, who was walking at the safest point on the corner of road, was terribly injured. It gave me an impression that car driver has already seen a small group of sadhus (including Pundarikaratnaji etc) walking. How he drove on Muni Jambuvijayjis group which was 2-km ahead of Pundarikaratnajis group. Driver must have known that sadhus are on vihar. It is mystery why he drove over Muni Jambuvijayji.

In my own humble opinion, a Japanese living in India since last two years is greatly impressed of Jain sadhus walking from place to place no matter whether it is cold or hot. People normally pay lot of respect to them.

But this incident has opened my eyes that government in general do not observe road rules very strictly. I am shocked to read newspapers reporting many vehicle accidents every day.

May I request the government to take strong actions so that accidents are avoided and precious lives are saved.

To Jain community my hats off. They are most ideal care takers of sadhu-sadhvijis. I hear a lot of stories how Jain communities in remotest villages well taking care of sadhu-sadhvijis. I was pleasantly surprised to hear that normally escort will lead the sadhu-sadhuvijis group in vihar from one place to another place. So they were totally safe on the road.

It is observed that most of Jains have migrated to large cities like Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai and Ahmedabad. There is vacuum in villages.

May I request leaders of Jain community to make arrangement in villages for escort of sadhu-sadhvijis from their village to next stop of vihar, very important is arrangement for boiled water and proper foods (gocarii). I have seen by my eyes troubles faced by sadhu-sadhvijis in vihar when they do not get boild water and gocari.

I sincerely request Mahajans to look after all types of facilities in their villages so that villagers can have benefit of knowledge of sadhu-sadhvijis.

Hiroko Matsuoka
fune423@gmail.com

Also read

Two Jain Monks killed in a road accident near Nakoda

Shri Jambu Vijay Ji Maharaj was Guru of numerous scholars

Jain Muni Shri Jambuvijayji, Namaskarvijayji cremated

Jambu Vijayji was a Moving University, completely irreplaceable

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