Compassion and Sanskara in the context of Neoliberalism: factors shaping a Jain socio-spiritual organisation's development activities in Gujarat, India

Based on multi-sited fieldwork in India, Britain, USA and Singapore, I examine a Jain socio-spiritual organisation’s (TripleS) involvement in development activities in Gujarat, India. I ask how religious links with the Jain tradition strengthen or weaken TripleS’ ability to deliver ‘secular’ development activities. I examine the religious ideas and spiritual resources on which Jain nuns have built the organisation, and the wider socio-political environment in India, and particularly Gujarat, to understand TripleS’ phenomenal growth in a short space of time and delivery of value-based education at multiple levels that it has undertaken in rural Gujarat. My findings suggest that the nun’s adoption of reformist Jainism, emphasizing compassion, sanskara (values) and seva (selfless service) without regard to caste, creed, religion, or gender earned them initial spiritual capital that has attracted enormous economic and social capital from both diasporic and national Jains, which in turn has further strengthened TripleS’ spiritual capital amongst these groups, as well as amongst politicians, civil society organisations, and media in the state of Gujarat. I argue that this spiritual capital, and the accompanying moral authority, has contributed to TripleS’ ability to provide opportunity and help meet the aspirations of not only the most disadvantaged but also the ‘autowalas’ and the ‘dudhwalas’ who can now dream of their children becoming doctors, pharmacists and engineers. I also examine how the adoption of a neo-liberal project in India shapes the orientation and activities of a socio-spiritual organisation focused on selfless service to the most disadvantaged. Neoliberalism introduces not only market driven forces but also an emphasis on self-enterprising and educated subjects. Such pro-talent strategies are necessarily selective and target certain populations and places. TripleS’ provision of value-based education at primary, secondary and tertiary levels does not challenge such exceptions generated by the neoliberal logic. However, the organisation’s reformist Jain approach of education as seva perhaps softens the impact of the neoliberal logic. It fills a much needed gap created by neoliberal education policies and extends access to education to disadvantaged groups and aspiring members of the poor.