The Minority Department of the All India Congress Committee has written to the Nagaland government demanding urgent administrative reforms to recognize Jainism as a distinct religion in all state government documents and platforms.
In a letter addressed to the Chief Minister, Rajesh Kumar Sethi Jain, National Coordinator of the Minority Department, highlighted the persistent exclusion of Jainism as a separate category despite its formal recognition as a minority religion by the Government of India in January 2014 (Order No. Str. Hrith. 1/11/2014-St (Kha)).
“The community continues to face denial of its rightful religious identity in official documentation,” Sethi wrote, emphasizing that “even after a decade of minority recognition, Jains are still compelled to mark themselves under the ‘Hindu’ category or select ‘Others – Please Specify’.”
This, according to Sethi, “diminishes the visibility and independent identity of this ancient, non-violent, and philosophically profound religion.” More importantly, the omission violates constitutional safeguards, specifically Articles 25 to 30, which guarantee freedom to profess, practice, and manage religion.
Sethi called on the Nagaland government to take immediate action, outlining concrete demands:
· “Issue a notification mandating the inclusion of a separate ‘JAIN’ column in all existing and future government forms, portals, and applications across ministries and departments.”
· “Direct all Government Departments, Educational Boards, and Recruitment Agencies to incorporate Jainism explicitly in their documentation and digital platforms.”
· “Ensure a separate listing for Jainism in the 2025 Census, to accurately reflect the Jain population and its contributions.”
· “Instruct NIC and relevant agencies to update all citizen information systems, digital IDs, and government schemes to reflect ‘JAIN’ as a religion category.”
Sethi framed the demand not as “merely an administrative request—but a constitutional obligation,” underscoring the Jain community’s long-standing values of peace, non-violence, and national integrity.
The letter’s tone leaves little room for ambiguity, urging the state government to “take immediate cognizance and redress this long-standing grievance of the Jain community.”