Why in News?

The Jharkhand High Court directed the state government to enforce an existing ban on meat, alcohol, and other intoxicants on a sacred hill in Giridih district.

Known as Marang Buru to the Santal Adivasi community and Parasnath to Jains, the hill is a site of religious significance for both groups and has been at the center of a long-standing inter-community conflict.

What’s in Today’s Article?

• A Sacred Hill Revered by Two Communities
• An Old Conflict Over Sacred Rights
• Situation After Independence

A Sacred Hill Revered by Two Communities

• Jain Significance
  • Parasnath Hill holds immense religious importance for Jains, as it is believed that 20 of the 24 tirthankaras, including Parshvanatha (after whom the hill is named), attained nirvana here.
  • Today, the hill features over 20 Jain temples and pilgrimage sites, symbolizing its deep historical and spiritual roots in Jain tradition.
• Santal Significance
  • For the Santal Adivasi community, the hill is known as Marang Buru or "Great Mountain" and is the abode of their supreme animist deity.
  • It houses sacred sites like Jug Jaher Than and Dishom Manjhi Than, where vital rituals are performed.
  • The hill also serves as a spiritual and cultural hub during the annual Hudur Durga festival in December.
  • The tribal council Lo Bir Baisi convenes at its base to resolve major disputes.
    • It was with a resolution of this council that the historic Santal Hul was launched in 1855.
    • Led by Sidhu and Kanhu Murmu, the rebellion targeted the oppressive dikus (outsiders), including za- mindars, mahajans, and British officals.
  • Source of Conflict
    • The dual sanctity has made the hill a shared yet contested religious space between the two communities.

An Old Conflict Over Sacred Rights

• Historical Claims and Disputes
  • While Jains claim that an ancient king once donated Parasnath Hill to their community, historical records challenge this.
  • According to the 1957 Hazaribagh District Gazetteer, the oldest Jain temple on the hill dates only to 1765 AD.
  • The formal dispute between the Santals and Jains over the hill was first documented in 1911, during the preparation of the record-of-rights.
• The Sendra Festival and Religious Friction
  • A key point of contention is the Sendra festival—a three-day ritual hunt during the full moon of Baisakh, considered a rite of passage for Santal men.
  • The hill, called Marang Buru by Santals, becomes the center of this religious and cultural practice.
  • For Jains, who adhere strictly to non-violence and vegetarianism, this tradition is deeply troubling.
• Legal Battles and Customary Rights
  • Early efforts by the Jain community to legally halt the hunting practice failed.
  • In 1917, the Patna High Court dismissed the suit, terming the Jains’ grievance as “hyper sentimental.”
  • Ultimately, the Privy Council—the highest court in British India—upheld the Santals’ customary right to hunt on the hill, recognizing their longstanding traditions.

Situation After Independence

• Loss of Constitutional Protections
  • After India’s independence, the rights of Adivasis over Marang Buru began to decline due to increasing state control over forests and pressure from non-tribal communities (dikus).
  • In 1972, the same year the Wildlife Protection Act was passed, Adivasi villages around the hill lost their Fifth Schedule status, stripping them of constitutional protections that allowed forest usage.
• Impact on Religious Practices
  • This led to restrictions on traditional rituals, especially at Jug Jaher Than, the sacred Santal site.
  • Between the 1970s and Jharkhand’s formation in 2000, Santals faced growing limitations on access and gatherings at the hill.
• Recent Government Directives and Legal Orders
  • In 2023, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) issued a memorandum banning alcohol, meat, and eggs within a 25 km radius of the hill—covering 99 mostly Adivasi villages—to honor Jain sentiments.
  • This included restrictions in Anganwadi centers and primary schools.
  • The Jharkhand High Court’s recent order enforced this directive.