From correspondents in Andhra Pradesh, India, 09:34 AM IST

To mark Gandhi Jayanti celebrated as 'International Day of Non-Violence' the occasion, thousands of Jains in Hyderabad in response to a call given by a top Jain Acharya in a rally to create public awareness to stop abortions. Calling for abolition of the Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) Act, 1971 and protesting against the proposal to amend and liberalise the abortion law, a huge rally was taken out from State Assembly to Vivekananda Statue, Tank Bund. Holding postes and raising anti-abortion slogans, the Jains offered flowers and rice at the Hussainsagar Lake for the peace of the departed souls of the 2.5 crore infants killed in abortions across India.

Killing an infant child before he / she takes birth is nothing short of violence. It should be stopped with immediate effect, stated Acharya Rajyesh Suriswar Ji, one of the top Jain Monks who is in city on a nation wide journey. He urged Jain Community and other people to observe October 2nd as the Non-Violence Day befittingly. He also stressed that offlate the number of abortions are on the increase in India. Annually approximately about 2.5 crore unborn kids are killed by their mothers while they are in their womb. Which is unfair. To stop this practice and to create awareness on the increasing number of terminations of pregnancies thousands city Jains under the guidance and preachings of their Guru Acharya Rajyesh Suriswar Ji embarked on two novel activities.

A skit ‘Maa, muje math maro’ is also being performed today evening on the occasion of the Non-Violence Day. This is being staged at 7:30 pm at Mahavir Bhavan near Feelkhana Jain Temple.

The young siblings have right to take birth. Parents don’t have right to kill or terminate their pregnancies, said Acharay Rajyesh Suriswar Ji. Reacting sharply to the proposed amendments or liberalisation of abortion law in our country he said, Health Ministry is currently examining to amend the Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) Act 1971 and explore the possibilities of increasing the period of MTP from current 20 weeks to 24 weeks and relaxing the conditions for such MTPs.

The matter was put to debate recently, when Mumbai resident Niketa Mehta approached Mumbai High Court to legitimise the MTP in the 24th week. Her unborn child was detected with severe heart disease when she was pregnant by 24 weeks and Niketa wanted to abort the baby for fear that it would suffer for life. The court had declined her request.

Acharya Rajyesh Suriswar Ji deplored the Indian Government’s Review Proposal to extend cutoff time for abortions and urged them to stop such proposal immediately. Instead of making stringent laws to punish those who kill the innocent kids, now they are planning to further relax or liberalise the law. Which is not in good interest to the Indian Society. He urged the Union Government to rethink and withdraw any such proposal.

Before 1971, there was no law for permitting abortions. Under any condition, the doctors or the persons responsible for abortions were equally punishable for murder or killings. At that time our country had a severe problem of over population, as there were no effective means and medicines available to stop pregnacy. But now the world of medicines has progressed very rapidly and if one desires one can easily control the number of members of a family and thereby the population of the nation. So the law permitting the abortions must be abolished because the law is not strictly implemented by the Government, he said. Under this law about 95 per cent of abortions taking place are punishable! So what is the use of the law which has resulted in the killing of crores and crores of innocent unborn children, Acharya Rajyesh Suriswar Ji lamented.

Source: Press Release Distribution via India PRwire