Gujarat Govt announces ‘minority’ status to Jain community

Gandhinagar

The Gujarat Government today announced ‘minority’ status to Jain community.

The significant decision came close on heels to the earlier major decision of 10 % reservation for the economically backward sections of the non-reserved community.

Minister and state president of ruling BJP Vijay Rupani said that Chief Minister Mrs. Anandiben Patel today gave her consent to the minority status to the Jain community in the state, a long time demand.

‘With this the Jain community will also get all the facilities that the minority communities like Muslims, Christians and Sikhs get in the state government run schemes,’ he said.

‘The decision was taken after the 10 % quota announcement for the non-reserved category to avoid any mix up. The economically weaker Jain community people will also get the benefit of reservation the scheme apart from the benefits of minority community status,’ he said adding that the quota announcement was meant to pacify the agitations like Patidar quota stir.

To a query, he however ruled out any possibility of change in quota % in the earlier announced scheme for economically weaker sections (with up to 6 lakh annual income).

– DeshGujarat

PTI reports: Gujarat Government today issued a government resolution (GR) giving minority status to the Jain community.

Transport Minister and BJP state unit chief Vijay Rupani made the announcement here.

The previous UPA Government at the Centre had conferred the minority status on the community at the national level in January 2014.

“Chief Minister Anandiben Patel today decided to accord the minority status to the Jain community. The matter had been put on hold for some time due to the Patidar reservation agitation,” said Rupani who himself is a Jain.

“A GR has been issued today,” he added.

The decision was also pending so far because a large section of the Jain community felt that several rituals of the community are similar to those practised by the Hindus, so the Jains are a part of the Hindu community and should not be treated as separate entity, he said.

“The decision has nothing to do with reservations. The status will benefit the poor among the Jain community as they can avail of various scholarships, government welfare schemes.

Jain institutions will get special status like the one given to Christian and Muslim institutions,” he said.

The decision comes within a week of the state Government awarding 10 per cent reservation to the economically backward class among the upper castes in the face of Patel (Patidar) community’s agitation for OBC quota.