Dr. Sulekh Chand Jain
Being members of an affluent class in India, many Jains employ people as servants in their homes (domestic servants) and in also their factories. Unfortunately there is a big distinction (based on the level of education, caste, economic status) that all men/women are not treated equal as five-sensed human beings. In some respects, they are considered quite inferior, especially the domestic servants. It is not uncommon to see that in some homes, they are subjected to verbal abuse not only in private but also in front of guests. Frankly, in some homes I have personally observed that the higher the affluence, the poorer the treatment to the domestic servants. Here are a few illustrative examples.
- A few years ago, I, along with a group of American friends (who were in India on a trade mission), were at an affluent Jain’s house for dinner. The host had many domestic servants. My American friends noticed and told me that the host was abusing and ridiculing some of the servants at top of his voice in front of his guests. This was as if he wanted to show his power and control. In fact, one of my American friends (a highly placed executive) commented to me that in next life he wishes not be born as a servant in India but instead prefers to be born as a dog or a pet in the USA. What an example!
- In the International Summer School for Jain Studies 2007 class, one participating professor from University of Hawaii, after listening to the lectures on Jain festivals such as Paryushan, Das Laxan and the tradition of saying “Michchhami Dukhadam” (asking for forgiveness), inquired “Do Jains normally say ‘michchhami dukhadam’ to their relatives and friends only or do they do the same to their domestic servants and factory workers as well?”
To my surprise, hardly any Jain present raised his/her hand to show that they say the same “michchhami dukhadam” to their servants and factory workers also. This example shows we don’t consider all humans equal. In visits to several Jain homes, the professor had seen how badly and sometimes abusively the domestic servants are treated by some Jains.
Now you decide: is this behavior consistent with ahimsa?
