After beef ban, Jain sadhus have started advising their followers to avoid eating naan, rumali rotis and kulchas expressing their apprehension that vegetarian restaurants might be making use of eggs to increase the popular breads’ softness and texture.
he spiritual leaders are urging community members to remain faithful to their plain roti if they want to sincerely follow the core Jain principle of ahimsa.
“The plain roti is the best choice,” Hemchandra Surishwarji Maharaj, a Jain sadhu for 43 years, told.
“It has been debated for long whether eggs are vegetarian or non-vegetarian. In our religion, we consider them non-vegetarian food. There is no guarantee that vegetarian restaurants will never use eggs as softening agents for breads.”
Hemchandra Maharaj has forwarded messages on the issue to over 500 followers.
“Do all vegetarian restaurants stick to the no-egg rule? We don’t know, and that is why we are telling our followers to choose wisely,” said Vijayratna Maharaj, a sadhu for the past 49 years.
Concerns over naan, kulchas and rumali rotis were first raised in the community two months back when a member circulated a message alleging that even vegetarian restaurants use eggs to make the breads and said that a chef had revealed the practice to him.