A Jain man approached the family court in Surat with a forceful application. He demanded that the court halt the planned initiation of his seven-year-old daughter into monkhood. The child currently lives with his estranged wife.
The man named Samir Shah is a share-market trader. He also sought custody of both his children: the seven-year-old daughter and a five-year-old son. He argued that he wanted to educate them and secure their future.
In Jain tradition, diksha is the formal initiation into a renounced life governed by strict vows and total detachment. Bal diksha refers to this initiation when the participant is a child.
Some Jains regard it as an ancient sacred path for spiritual elevation, while others dispute whether a child can fully comprehend such irreversible vows.
Shah, a resident of Adajan, married in 2012. He said his marriage was troubled by frequent quarrels.
Speaking to a national daily, he said his wife left their joint family home with both children. She later moved into her parents’ home in Nanpura, Surat.
In his application before Judge S V Mansuri, Shah said he discovered through a Jain community WhatsApp group that a diksha ceremony was planned for February 2026.
He said the list of participants included his daughter’s name. He also said he had never been asked for his permission.
He mentioned that he had lived in a joint family with his parents. He said his wife had problems with him and with his mother. He said he had remained patient and continued the relationship. He said he had hoped her behaviour would improve after the birth of their children. He said the quarrels continued, and she left the house last year to live in Nanpura.
He explained that after learning about the planned initiation he had appealed to his father-in-law and several community leaders. He said he asked them to stop the initiation of his daughter. He said his appeal was rejected.
He said he was financially stable and wanted to give his children better education for a bright future.
According to the national daily, Shah revealed that the application was filed under the Guardian and Wards Act, 1890. He said it relied on Section 7, which he described as empowering the court to make orders in a minor’s welfare. He also cited Section 24, which he said defined a guardian’s duties in matters such as custody, support, health, and education.
He said the children’s mother was living with her parents and depended entirely on the income of her elder brother. He said they wanted to initiate his daughter into monkhood, which he opposed because she was so young.
He said the children might face financial difficulties and that their needs might not be met. Declaring his noble intentions, he mentioned that he wanted to provide the best education so they could become self-reliant.
He added that the couple was not divorced and that he preferred his wife and children to live with him.
Also Read: Gujarat: 9-Year-Old Daughter Of Diamond Trader Becomes Monk https://www.vibesofindia.com/gujarat-9-year-old-daughter-of-diamond-trader-becomes-monk/
