Sahu Shanti Prasad Jain
Encyclopedia
Sahu Shanti Prasad Jain was among the most prominent Jains of the 20th century. He was a leading industrialist and philanthropist.
He was born at Najibabad
in Uttar Pradesh
in the famous Sahu Jain
family in 1911. His grandfather was Sahu Salekh Chand Jain who was involved in religious and charitable activities. His parents were Sahu Diwan Singh and mother Smt. Murti devi were deeply religious. Sahu Shanti Prasad received his primary education in Najibabad and his college education was first in Meerut and later at Banaras Hindu University
. He did his B.Sc. from Agra University.
He founded Bharatiya Jnanpith on February 18, 1944 at the suggestion of many scholars who had gathered at Varanasi for All India Oriental Conference. He was the Trustee-Founder and his wife Rama Jain was Trustee-president. Since 1965 Bharatiya Jnanpith has been awarding Annual Literary Award Jnanpith Award
of Rupees One Lakh and Fifty Thousand, for the best creative Indian Literary work of a specified period.
He took over from his father-in-law Ramkrishna Dalmia
, the Rohtas Industries Ltd. at Dalmianagar in Bihar. Under his stewardship, Dalmianagar, developed into a massive industrial town with factories producing sugar, cement, paper, chemicals, vanaspati etc. employing top professionals of the country. Dalmianagar boasted of vast & beautiful housing colony, gardens, schools, clubs, market complexes etc. for its employees. Rohtas Industries had their own private aircraft in those days and a small air-field near Dalmianagar.
He acquired Bennett Coleman Co. Ltd in 1948, which has emerged as the influential The Times Group
of India.
.
In a repeat of sorts, Jain's son Ashok was indicted and arrested in 1998,a year before his death, in connection with an alleged violation of the FERA (Foreign Exchange Regulation Act).Again, the Times was accused of distorting facts pertaining to the case,even giving Ashok's indictment by the Enforcement Directorate the tint of a larger conspiracy against the Jain community in general. Adding to the controversy were sacked editor H.K. Dua's claims that his dismissal was retaliation for his refusal to comply with Ashok Jain's request to help him out by using his editorial position to build up public support besides lobbying with politicians.
He died on October 27, 1977, two years after the death of his wife. His work was continued by his brother Sahu Shreyans Prasad Jain.
He was a major supporter or founder of these organizations.
He was awarded the Shravak Shiromani title by the Jain community.
He was born at Najibabad
Najibabad
Najibabad is a pleasant city / partially hill station and a municipal board in Bijnor district in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. It has a railway junction and is one of the administrative blocks of the Bijnor district...
in Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh abbreviation U.P. , is a state located in the northern part of India. With a population of over 200 million people, it is India's most populous state, as well as the world's most populous sub-national entity...
in the famous Sahu Jain
Sahu Jain
Sahu Jain is an important industrial family of India. They own the Times Group and its parent company, Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd.. They are of Agrawal Jain community....
family in 1911. His grandfather was Sahu Salekh Chand Jain who was involved in religious and charitable activities. His parents were Sahu Diwan Singh and mother Smt. Murti devi were deeply religious. Sahu Shanti Prasad received his primary education in Najibabad and his college education was first in Meerut and later at Banaras Hindu University
Banaras Hindu University
Banaras Hindu University is a public university located in Varanasi, India and is one of the Central Universities of India. It is the largest residential university in Asia, with over 24,000 students in its campus. BHU was founded in 1916 by Pandit Madan Mohan Malviya under the Parliamentary...
. He did his B.Sc. from Agra University.
He founded Bharatiya Jnanpith on February 18, 1944 at the suggestion of many scholars who had gathered at Varanasi for All India Oriental Conference. He was the Trustee-Founder and his wife Rama Jain was Trustee-president. Since 1965 Bharatiya Jnanpith has been awarding Annual Literary Award Jnanpith Award
Jnanpith Award
The Jnanpith Award is a literary award in India. Along with the Sahitya Akademi Fellowship, it is one of the two most prestigious literary honours in the country...
of Rupees One Lakh and Fifty Thousand, for the best creative Indian Literary work of a specified period.
He took over from his father-in-law Ramkrishna Dalmia
Ramkrishna Dalmia
Ramkrishna Dalmia was a pioneer industrialist and founder of the Dalmia-Jain Group. Starting with a bullion business, he built several sugar mills, and went on to acquire Bennett and Coleman,...
, the Rohtas Industries Ltd. at Dalmianagar in Bihar. Under his stewardship, Dalmianagar, developed into a massive industrial town with factories producing sugar, cement, paper, chemicals, vanaspati etc. employing top professionals of the country. Dalmianagar boasted of vast & beautiful housing colony, gardens, schools, clubs, market complexes etc. for its employees. Rohtas Industries had their own private aircraft in those days and a small air-field near Dalmianagar.
He acquired Bennett Coleman Co. Ltd in 1948, which has emerged as the influential The Times Group
The Times Group
The Times Group is the largest media conglomerate in India and is headed by brothers Samir and Vineet Jain.The company has eleven publishing centres, fifteen printing centres, fifty-five sales offices, Over 7000 employees, five dailies, including two of the largest in the country with approx 4.3...
of India.
Arrest
Jain was caught, and subsequently arrested,at Palam airport(in latter day Mumbai) for illegally bringing in foreign currency, during Nehru's regime.The event was blacked out by the Times of India,even though other newspapers carried the story..
In a repeat of sorts, Jain's son Ashok was indicted and arrested in 1998,a year before his death, in connection with an alleged violation of the FERA (Foreign Exchange Regulation Act).Again, the Times was accused of distorting facts pertaining to the case,even giving Ashok's indictment by the Enforcement Directorate the tint of a larger conspiracy against the Jain community in general. Adding to the controversy were sacked editor H.K. Dua's claims that his dismissal was retaliation for his refusal to comply with Ashok Jain's request to help him out by using his editorial position to build up public support besides lobbying with politicians.
He died on October 27, 1977, two years after the death of his wife. His work was continued by his brother Sahu Shreyans Prasad Jain.
He was a major supporter or founder of these organizations.
- Prakrit Research Institute, Vaishali (Bihar)
- Syadvad Mahavidyalaya (college), Benaras
- S. P. Jain College, Sasaram Nagar, Bihar
- Non-violence Expansion Committee, Calcutta
- Varni Sanskrit Vidyalaya (school), Sagar
- Sahu Archaeological Museum, Deogarh, Uttar PradeshDeogarh, Uttar PradeshDeogarh is a small farming village near the town of Lalitpur in Lalitpur district, in the state of Uttar Pradesh, India. Located at the border with the former princely state of Gwalior, which is now part of Madhya Pradesh, it is known for its Gupta monuments, located on and near the hill fort on...
- All India Digambar Jain Holy Places Committee, Mumbai
- Digambar Jain Committee
- Sahu Jain College, Najibabad
- Moorti Devi Saraswati Inter College, Najibabad
- Moorti Devi Kanya Vidyalaya, Najibabad
- Indian Art Jain Research Institute, MoodabidriMoodabidriMoodabidri , is a small town 37 km northeast of the Dakshina Kannada district headquarters, Mangalore, in Karnataka, India....
- Shraman Jain songs Pracharak Sangh (inspired by Muni Vidyanandji)
He was awarded the Shravak Shiromani title by the Jain community.
External links
- Shravak Shiromani Sahoo Shri Shantiprasadji
- White Collar Crimes http://books.google.co.in/books?id=Rs52IWA2kLMC&pg=PA107&lpg=PA107&dq=Ashok+jain+arrested&source=bl&ots=U1QxcK9ZGt&sig=AuU-has2DDfZKhhERgVRO_jpcoY&hl=en&ei=wr3qTPLiNs2ecbnutfwK&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=7&ved=0CEIQ6AEwBg#v=onepage&q=Ashok%20jain%20arrested&f=false