New Dehli,
On August 26, 2013, a delegation of Jains from the US went to India to meet with the Prime Minister Shri Man Mohan Singh on the occasion of Government of India launching one yearlong celebration for the 150th anniversary of Jain Leader Shri Virchand Raghavi Ji Gandhi. Prominent Jain leaders from all sects of Jains from all over India also joined the delegation and in the celebration of life of an extra ordinary Jain scholar who was also a super patriot and ambassador of India to the west as a delegate to the first Parliament of World Religions in Chicago in 1893 along with Swami Vivekananda Ji and a Buddhist scholar.
The meeting at the PM house in New Delhi on August 26 was attended by the Union Minister of culture Hon. Chandresh Kumari Kotech, Acharya Lokesh Muni (Founder and Chairman Ahimsa Vishwa Bharti), Padma Shri Kumarpal Desai, members of descendent of the family of Shri V.R. Gandhi and many Jain leaders along with the US delegation led by Dilip Shah of Philadelphia representing Center for Jain Studies at Claremont Lincoln University in California.
Acharya Lokesh muni Ji began the meeting with introductory remarks and thanked the Prime Minister for taking time to meet with the international Jain delegation on one of the busiest days for him during the session of the Parliament when the Food Security bill was being discussed. Shri Kumar pal Desai spoke of the spiritual, cultural and nationalistic flavor with which V R Gandhi represented India to the west in 1890s.
Days earlier, Lokesh Muniji had presented to the Prime Minister a written copy of a proposal - request from Claremont Lincoln University to setup a Chair for Peace and Non-Violence in honor of Shri V R Gandhi at Claremont Lincoln University just as the Government of India had setup a similar chair for Hindu studies at University of Chicago in the honor of Swami Vivekananda’s 150th birth anniversary. Dilip Shah spoke of the Claremont Lincoln University as the world’s first fully interreligious University where each religious tradition of the world is represented by its community and its own scholars. Each religion shares in the ownership and management of this great University for the 21st century. The V.R. Gandhi Chair will bring praise and gratitude to the Indian Ministry of Culture; it will bring pride to Jains around the world; and it will strengthen the hands of Indian-Americans, who are becoming increasingly influential in American public life.
The minister for Dept. of Culture; Smt.Chandresh Kumari Kotecha read a congratulatory message from the honorable Shri Sonia Gandhi praising the efforts by Claremont Lincolns University and its plans for VRG chair. Lastly the Prime Minister Shri Man Mohan Singh ji spoke of the importance of VRG’s life work and how it can be inspiration to the new generations of India taking pride in its culture and religion. He thanked everyone in attendance and handed the University’s proposal to his colleague, the minister of Culture Smt. Chandresh Kumari ji to consider and process the request.
Members of the delegation presented books and literature on VRG to the prime Minister. The meeting ended in a festive mood and increased admiration for V. R Gandhi - a first Jain scholar who brought Jainism to the attention of the west 120 years ago.
