Protesting against the Rajasthan High Court's decision which held the practise of Santhara (a ritual self-starvation to death) among the Jains as illegal, a large number of community members today staged a demonstration here.
"One should understand the difference between Santhara and suicide. Santhara is not at all a suicide," local corporator and Jain Yuvak Sangh president Deepak Jain told reporters during the protest at Regal Square.
Generally a person commits suicide when facing some crisis, while the decision to give up life through Santhara is taken in front of everyone and of one's own free will, he said.
The Rajasthan High Court, while disposing of a PIL on August 10, termed Santhara as illegal. The court said it would be punishable under section 306 (abetment of suicide) and 307 (attempt to commit suicide) of the IPC.
