HASSAN: The programme on the second day of religious discourses by Jain muni Tarun Sagar at Government College Grounds in Hassan on Saturday included a speech by former Prime Minister and national president of the Janata Dal (S) H.D. Deve Gowda on Jainism.

Mr. Gowda also released a magazine, "Ahimsa Maha Sthamba", published by the district Jain association. The book was to have been released by Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy, who could not attend.

Mr. Gowda said that most religions in the world sought to guide their followers through preaching. But Jainism was an exception as it not only preached the principles of peace, compassion and non-violence, which it said were the requisites for "moksha" (salvation), but also practiced them.

The Jain munis, he said, took care not to hurt smaller creatures, even accidentally, while they walked.The message of the 36th Tirthankar Bahubali (Gommateswara) that "non-violence is supreme" was a guiding force for mankind and the Tirthankar had practised it too all through his life, he said.

Mr. Gowda said that during his visits to Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat and Rajasthan, he had seen how the Mahavir Samaj took care to protect cows at the many goshalas it had opened.

Minister H.K. Kumaraswamy; H.S. Prakash, Hassan MLA; former MP Javare Gowda, Hassan DCCB president Patel Shivaram and ZP president Annappa Shetty were also present.

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