One question is asked frequently by those of other religions, even the Hindus of today. "Are Jain Hindus?" Some scholars regard Jains as Hindus, whereas other scholars recognize that Jains are independent and not of the Vedic traditions.
Once there was a gathering of scholars in Pune. A Sanskrit scholar asked Acharya Shree whether he considered the Jains as Hindus. Acharya Shree replied, "In fact, the word 'Hindu' means someone belonging to Hindustan or India. But if it is today accepted as someone following the Vedic religion, then the Jains are not Hindus".