Jorhat (Assam), Jan 31: Amid protest against a religious procession led by nude Jain monks in Assam’s Jorhat, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Friday said any attempt to obstruct the community’s devout practices will be dealt with firmly.
Sarma’s comments came on the backdrop of protests by a group of people in Jorhat town following the religious procession by the Jain community on Wednesday.
The procession through the arterial roads in the headquarters of Jorhat district was led by two Jain monks, who were nude as per their religious practice, eliciting sharp reactions from a section of residents of the Upper Assam town.
“The Jain religion, with its revered Param Pujaniya Munis, embodies ahimsa, sacrifice, and selfless devotion. Any attempt to disrupt their sacred practices will be met with firm and decisive action,” the chief minister said in a post on X.
Assam stands resolute in upholding religious tolerance, and will continue to carry forward the message of compassion and humanity with unwavering determination, he added.
On Wednesday, the two nude Jain monks came from Dimapur in Nagaland in a religious procession to the Marwari Thakurbari campus in Jorhat town.
Protesting this on Thursday, a group of people representing various organisations took out a protest march to the district commissioner’s office shouting slogans against the procession.
Eight people, including Jorhat Bar Association President Hemen Bora and some members of Bir Lachit Sena, were arrested in front of the DC’s office. They were released on bail on Friday afternoon.
“The presence of such naked monks will definitely create an imbalance in the society and culture. So, we from Bir Lachit Sena will never tolerate such kind of activities and will not allow such persons to move in public areas in the name of religious practices,” Bir Lachit Sena State General Secretary Ranju Paniphukan told PTI.
Along with Bir Lachit Sena, members of other organisations also submitted memorandums seeking the intervention of the district commissioner about the practice of the two nude Jain monks. (PTI)
