VEGETARIAN-FOOD AND JAIN-CONDUCT > Inedible Vegetables

Whenever some discussion takes place on vegetarian food or attempt is made to write on it or posters, etc. are published, then in these, vegetarian food is presented and shown in the form of green-vegetables only. In green-vegetables, too, carrot, radish, etc. tuber-root and brinjal, cabbage, etc. only are indicated and talked about, whereas in Jain-conduct these are treated as non-eatables. While propagating vegetarian food in Jain community, we shall have to keep in mind specially the fact that knowingly or unknowingly, it may not be so that we start propagating about vegetarian food and the result may be the propagation of non-eatable products. Therefore, we shall have to keep an eye on the broader aspect of vegetarian food and propagate the same accordingly. Wheat, rice, etc. cereals; mango, guava, apple, orange, etc. fruits and pumpkin, etc. pure eatable vegetables too are included in vegetarian-food. These alone should be exhibited in the form of vegetarian-food. Carrot, radish, etc. are vegetables or not ?

It is not worthwhile for us to get involved in this controversy. Therefore, we thought it befitting to add the word Jain-conduct with the word vegetarian food. May these be vegetables, but these are not eatables for Jains; therefore these are non-eatables. Their propagation is not desirable for us. We intend propagation of vegetarian food agreeable with Jain-conduct only. This is the reason why we have declared this year as the year of vegetarian food and Jain-conduct.