RANCHI, July 4: The legal battle between the two Jain sects Digambar and Shwetamber - took a hairpin turn when the Ranchi bench of the Patna High Court annulled the agreement between the Sheth Anandji Kalyanji Trust and the Bihar State.Justice P K Deb noted in his order that it ``is decreed to the limited extent of declaration of agreement. executed between Seth Anandji Kalyanji and the State of Bihar as null and void''.Ever since February 5, 1965, when the Bihar Government entered into an agreement with the Shwetamber's Anandji Kalyanji Trust, vesting the latter with the right to ``own and manage'' the land on the top of the Parasnath hill in Giridih district where the Jains' most sacred Sammed Shikhar, temples and tonks are located. There has been a number of cases and counter cases without any judgement going in favour of either side.As a result, while all these years the Sammed Shikhar virtually controlled the Shwetambers, the Digambers remained powerless in its management and any development for the benefit of the pilgrims could not begin.Disposing off a bunch of cases (first appeals) filed in 1990 by Seth Srenikbhai Kasurbhai and others on behalf of the Digambers against Seth Chandulal Kasturchand and others belonging to the Shwetamber community. Justice Deb in his 132-page verdict yesterday noted: ``I am in agreement that the Jains of the Digamber sect are facing a problem in not getting proper facilities for offering puja by the devotees for lack of dharamshalas and rest houses.``Both sects of the Jain community are financially affluent and the State Government for the purposes known to them had made agreements with these sects separately.''`'It is my feeling that until and unless a proper scheme is made for the proper management of the religious institution for the facilities of the devotees, there would be no end to litigation between different sects of the Jain communities because of their narrow and sectarian view and the way the cases are being fought.''With a view to end their feud, Justice Deb has suggested that ``a committee be set up by the Government wherein both the sects or other sectionss of the Jain community should be well-represented and then prepare a scheme acceptable to all for proper management'' of the Sammed Shikar, temples and tanks on top of the Parasnath hill.
