Jains praise Catholic priest’s peace efforts

(October 14, 2010) The followers of Jainism have honoured a Catholic priest for promoting harmony in Madhya Pradesh, a communally-sensitive state in central India. “We recognize Father Anand Muttungal’s efforts to build peace in the state,” said Ajay Prakash Jain, one of the organizers of an event held on October 13 and attended by 1,500 members of the Jain community. Father Muttungal is the spokesperson of the Catholic Church in Madhya Pradesh state. The function, held in the state capital of Bhopal, also honoured one leader each from Islam, Sikhism and Jainism for helping maintain peace in the wake of a recent court verdict on Ayodhya, a disputed religious site in Northern India. “People will not appreciate the value of peace and harmony unless we recognize these efforts, Jain said. Jain said the leaders played a “very crucial role” in helping the state’s Hindus and Muslims accept the Ayodhya verdict peacefully. The Allahabad High Court issued the verdict on September 30, dividing the contested land among Hindus, Muslims and Nirmohi Akhara to appease the religious groups. Jain added that Father Muttungal has “consistently” tried to bring together religious communities and ensure harmony, especially during communal discord. Organizers also commended the priest for setting up a public helpline accepting violent incident reports following the court verdict. Jainism is a religion prescribing a path of non-violence to attain divinity. At present, there are about five million Jains in India. Father Muttungal considers the award an honour for the Church.