The Telangana government has declared the Jain community as a religious minority. Following the presentation of the issue to the government by  Delhi-based organization named the All India Digamber Jain Organisations Coordination Committee, the Minorities Welfare Department (MWD) issued a government order.

An excerpt of the GO reads, "Jains belong to a distinct religion different from Hinduism (sic)."

MWD secretary Syed Omer Jaleel said, "The organisation met us recently and presented their case. The government will publish a notification in the next Telangana Gazette issue."

"We are different from the Hindus. A representation to release our places of worship from the ED will now have more weight on account of the GO. We can now have the equivalent of a State Wakf Board to manage our places of worship," Jain said.

The move was welcomed by Jain community members and said that the declaration would provide them with an equal footing vis-a-vis other religious minorities.

SMC chairman Abid Rasool Khan said that the APSMC Act of 1998 does not reserve a post for a member of the Jain community. The notification, he opined, could change that.

"The first step of declaring the community as a religious minority has been taken. The next step should entail an amendment to the Act in the assembly so that a Jain is made a member of the community. Though we have a Jain member, we require an amendment which will mandate a member of the community be represented in the commission," he said.

- Sumana