Jain Amnesia: Complicity in Hindutva and the Fantasy of Protection
the community's reluctance to disavow Hindutva in its pursuit of Hindu adjacency reeks of a Faustian bargain
As a Jain, it’s alarming to see our community align with Hindutva, a political ideology that fundamentally contradicts our principles of non-violence, pluralism, and rejection of domination. Despite the apparent safety and benefits offered by our cultural proximity to Hinduism, this alignment represents a dangerous fantasy. The belief that this proximity will grant us special protection is not only naive but a perilous delusion that mirrors historical mistakes made by other communities when aligning with authoritarian powers. This alignment may bring short-term advantages, but it imperils 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 real, tangible benefits that Jains have experienced from their adjacency to Hinduism. This cultural proximity has provided us with social acceptance, economic success, and political influence. Over the years, we have shared festivals, dietary practices, and religious overlaps that make it easy for Jains to believe that we are part of a broader, safer cultural fabric.
But these benefits come with significant costs. Our community has convinced itself that our shared values with Hindus will guarantee us protection under Hindutva, yet history tells us that authoritarian movements do not offer lasting security to minority groups. Hindutva’s ultimate project is not one of protection or preservation, but of control and homogenization. Jain distinctiveness is not an asset in this framework—it is a potential threat to be neutralized.
Hindutva’s Real Agenda: Control, Not Inclusion
Hindutva is a political movement that seeks to consolidate power by enforcing a rigid and exclusionary vision of Indian identity. While Jains may currently enjoy a degree of acceptance under this movement, that acceptance is conditional. Hindutva’s ultimate goal is the imposition of a homogenous national identity, one that leaves no room for the pluralism that is central to Jainism. Our adjacency to Hinduism may offer temporary protection, but Hindutva’s long-term project demands conformity from all communities, including Jains.
The moment our community asserts its distinctiveness—our commitment to non-violence, our rejection of domination, or our ethical independence—we will find ourselves on the wrong side of Hindutva’s agenda. At that point, the benefits we once enjoyed will quickly 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 their cultural integration and loyalty would protect them from rising anti-Semitism, but this fantasy was shattered when the Nazi regime turned on them. Similarly, various ethnic minorities in colonial India and Africa aligned themselves with European powers, believing that their cooperation would guarantee them privilege and protection, only to be abandoned or marginalized once their usefulness expired.
Jains today are in danger of falling into this same historical trap. Our community has convinced itself that by aligning with Hindutva, we will be spared from the authoritarianism and exclusion that other religious minorities face. But the reality is that authoritarian powers do not tolerate difference for long. Once Hindutva’s control is fully consolidated, our religious distinctiveness will no longer be viewed as benign—it will be seen as a challenge to the uniformity they seek to impose.
The Moral Cost of Complicity
Beyond the political risks, our alignment with Hindutva comes at 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 ourselves with Hindutva, we are not just compromising our religious values—we are actively participating in a political project that marginalizes other religious 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. Yet by supporting Hindutva, we are betraying this legacy. We are sacrificing our moral integrity in exchange for short-term political and economic 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 due to our cultural and religious proximity to Hinduism. This fantasy mirrors similar delusions throughout history—whether it was the Jewish communities who believed they would be spared by the Nazi regime or the ethnic minorities who aligned with colonial powers in exchange for privilege. In each case, these communities believed they were protected by their proximity to power, only to face betrayal 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 are conditional on our willingness to conform to Hindutva’s demands, and the moment we assert our 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 are built on a foundation of control, not inclusion. Our community must break free from the dangerous fantasy that aligning with Hindutva will secure our future. Instead, we must recognize that this alignment puts us at risk of 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 stands in direct opposition to everything we hold dear. Jainism’s legacy is one of non-violence, pluralism, and justice, and it is our responsibility to protect that legacy from 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 and self-destructive path. The benefits of Hindu adjacency are real but fleeting, and they 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 that we are somehow immune to Hindutva’s exclusionary politics and recognize that true security lies not in complicity with authoritarian powers, but 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.
