As a Jain, it is alarming to see our community align with Hindutva, an ideology that contradicts our principles of non‑violence, pluralism, and rejection of domination. Although cultural proximity to Hinduism offers apparent safety and benefits, this alignment is a dangerous fantasy. The belief that proximity grants special protection is naive and mirrors historical mistakes made by other communities when aligning with authoritarian powers. Short‑term advantages may appear, but they imperil our distinct religious identity and moral foundations.
The Seduction of Hindu Adjacency: False Promises of Security
The appeal of aligning with Hindutva lies in the tangible benefits Jains have gained from their proximity to Hinduism. This cultural closeness has provided social acceptance, economic success, and political influence. Over the years, shared festivals, dietary practices, and religious overlaps have made it easy for Jains to believe we are part of a broader, safer cultural fabric.
But these benefits come with significant costs. Our community has convinced itself that shared values will guarantee protection under Hindutva, yet history shows that authoritarian movements do not offer lasting security to minority groups. Hindutva’s ultimate project is control and homogenization, not preservation. Jain distinctiveness is a potential threat to be neutralized.
Hindutva’s Real Agenda: Control, Not Inclusion
Hindutva seeks to consolidate power by enforcing a rigid, exclusionary vision of Indian identity. While Jains may currently enjoy acceptance under this movement, that acceptance is conditional. Hindutva’s goal is a homogeneous national identity that leaves no room for the pluralism central to Jainism. Our adjacency may offer temporary protection, but Hindutva demands conformity from all communities, including Jains.
When our community asserts its distinctiveness—our commitment to non‑violence, rejection of domination, or ethical independence—we will find ourselves on the wrong side of Hindutva’s agenda. The benefits we once enjoyed will evaporate, leaving us vulnerable to the same forces of control and exclusion that have targeted other religious minorities.
Historical Parallels: The Trap of False Security
The belief that aligning with dominant powers can offer protection has been a recurring mistake throughout history. Jewish communities in pre‑World War II Europe believed that cultural integration and loyalty would shield them from rising anti‑Semitism, but the Nazi regime shattered that fantasy. Similarly, various ethnic minorities in colonial India and Africa aligned with European powers, believing cooperation would guarantee privilege and protection, only to be abandoned once their usefulness expired.
Jains today risk falling into this same trap. Our community has convinced itself that aligning with Hindutva will spare us from the authoritarianism and exclusion faced by other religious minorities. But authoritarian powers do not tolerate difference for long. Once Hindutva’s control is consolidated, our religious distinctiveness will no longer be benign—it will be seen as a challenge to the uniformity they seek.
The Moral Cost of Complicity
Beyond political risks, our alignment with Hindutva carries a significant moral cost. Jainism’s core principles of non‑violence and pluralism demand that we reject all forms of oppression and exclusion. By aligning with Hindutva, we compromise our religious values and participate in a political project that marginalizes other minorities, perpetuates violence, and enforces rigid hierarchies.
This complicity erodes the ethical foundations of our community. Jainism has long stood as a beacon of non‑violence and justice, offering a radical alternative to the systems of power and domination that plague the world. By supporting Hindutva, we betray this legacy and sacrifice moral integrity for short‑term gains that will ultimately prove fleeting.
The Dangerous Fantasy of Special Treatment
At the heart of our community’s alignment with Hindutva is the belief that we will receive special treatment because of our cultural and religious proximity to Hinduism. This fantasy mirrors similar delusions throughout history—whether it was Jewish communities believing they would be spared by the Nazi regime or ethnic minorities aligning with colonial powers for privilege. In each case, proximity to power promised protection that ended when the dominant forces no longer found them useful.
The same danger exists for Jains today. The benefits we currently enjoy from Hindu adjacency—economic success, political connections, social acceptance—are real but temporary. They depend on our willingness to conform to Hindutva’s demands, and the moment we assert distinctiveness, these benefits will be stripped away.
Breaking Free from the Illusion
It is time for Jains to recognize that the protection offered by Hindutva is an illusion. The realpolitik of Hindu adjacency may offer short‑term rewards, but these rewards rest on control, not inclusion. Our community must break free from the dangerous fantasy that aligning with Hindutva will secure our future. Instead, we must acknowledge that this alignment risks losing everything that makes Jainism unique and valuable.
Disavowing Hindutva is not about reforming Jainism itself—it is about protecting the core of our faith from being subsumed into a political project that opposes everything we hold dear. Jainism’s legacy of non‑violence, pluralism, and justice must be defended against the corrosive influence of Hindutva’s exclusionary agenda.
Rejecting the Fantasy, Reclaiming Integrity
Jains must wake up to the reality that their alignment with Hindutva is a dangerous, self‑destructive path. The benefits of Hindu adjacency are real but fleeting and come at the cost of our moral and spiritual integrity. Hindutva’s agenda is one of control, not protection, and if we continue down this path, we will lose everything that makes Jainism distinct.
Our community must reject the fantasy of immunity to Hindutva’s exclusionary politics and recognize that true security lies in standing firmly by our principles of non‑violence, justice, and pluralism.
Only by breaking free from this illusion can we ensure that our faith continues to thrive as a force for peace and ethical living in a world that desperately needs its message.