Answer

Yes — from a Jain perspective, the usual counter is that Jain dharma judges a person by intention, restraint, and degree of हिंसा, not by birth or occupation alone.

Explanation

In Jainism:

• Muni-dharma and gृहस्थ-dharma are not the same.
• A monk is expected to follow very strict non-violence.
• A householder lives in the world and may be involved in occupations that are not perfectly non-violent.

So if a South Indian Jain community was largely agrarian, Jain acharyas would generally not say, “there is no issue at all.” Rather, the more likely Jain explanation is:

• Agriculture involves unavoidable हिंसा, especially to soil beings, insects, and other living entities.
• But householders are graded ethically; they are not held to the same level as monks.
• If people are tied to agriculture by historical, social, or economic conditions, the focus becomes:

- reducing harm as much as possible, - avoiding cruelty, - maintaining vows, - supporting temples, charity, fasting, and spiritual discipline.

So the “counter” is not that agriculture becomes fully ideal in Jainism. The counter is that Jain tradition often makes room for practical life while still preserving the ideal of ahimsa.

Spiritual Understanding

The deeper Jain view is:

• Ideal dharma is non-violence in its highest form.
• Practical dharma recognizes that household life is imperfect.
• A community can preserve Jain identity even if its livelihood is not perfectly free from injury, as long as it:

- minimizes harm, - remains restrained, - supports the Sangha, - and keeps spiritual values alive.

That is why prominent acharyas could guide such communities without rejecting them completely. They would usually emphasize right conduct, repentance, self-discipline, and gradual purification, rather than social condemnation.

Takeaway

So yes, the Jain counter would be: occupation does not define the whole spiritual worth of a community; intention, restraint, and commitment to ahimsa do.

If you want, I can also explain this from the angle of Jain ethics of livelihood or how South Indian Jain communities balanced agriculture and dharma.