A New Way Of Seva:

How Jainism Calls For Civic Engagement

Utsav Gandhi

This photo is of the memento I received from the campaign I was a part of, in the general election season of fall 2020 in the U.S. I think it is emblematic of the diversity of viewpoints, perspectives, individuals, and identities that I have come to seek from a Jain perspective and appreciate in democracy-building efforts.

Does the word “government” trigger you or make you roll your eyes?

You’re not alone. According to Pew research data from 2019, three-quarters of Americans say that their fellow citizens’ trust in the federal government has been shrinking.

To be fair, it’s easy to get disillusioned by the realities of politics or wearied by the intricacies of public policy. Politicians come to us with big campaign promises — TV and radio ads and fundraising drives — every two to four years to radically change our world. Amidst all of this, the big issues of our time appear to be structural challenges that our static political structures and deep political differences might never be able to overcome. However, on the other end of the ugly side of politics, lies its very promise. For me, there are motivations and beliefs directly from our Jain faith, ideas, and traditions that directly inspire curiosity, participation, and engagement in the political process.

The first point of inspiration I derive from Jainism is its emphasis on non-violence and minimizing harm to other individuals, as well as the environment. One of the earliest ways I tied my faith to the environment around us was when in school I learned about the Forest Conservation Act of India in 1980. This piece of legislation was a direct result of the indigenous “Chipko Movement,” where women in villages would physically hug trees in an effort to stop them from being chopped off. Another formative example was the Supreme Court of India upholding the “Narmada Bachao Andolan” in Gujarat, where villagers and activists protested a hydroelectric power project because of its non-consultative, unsustainable, and displacive nature. Both these efforts remain powerful symbols of nonviolent activism directly influencing policy and law, and which have left an indelible impact on generations of communities.

The second personal motivation for me is “Parasparagraho Jivanam,” or that souls render service to one another; it is why I see activism, speaking up, and empowering others as a vehicle towards achieving these means. Over the course of my career so far, I’ve had the privilege of working on two major issue-based and long-term campaigns, one in health care (reducing drug prices and expanding Medicaid access) and one in technology (digital inclusion, freedom of expression, and protection of personal privacy rights). For these, I have built coalitions, amplified stories of lived experiences, empowered others with information, and used the power of storytelling and media (both social and traditional). I have learned that not being afraid to speak your values, and more crucially finding others who share those values, is a critical first step in living out this principle. For me, it’s a joy to provide others a platform in the political process, and I see this as a form of direct service to others.

The final motivation for me, and perhaps the most important, is Anekantvad, the multiplicity of views, or inclusion. It is what motivates me to understand and “engage with the other side” of the political aisle with patience and empathy. For a major political campaign I worked on in the 2020 general election cycle, I was the liaison to the local AAPI (Asian American & Pacific Islander) community, and I took a special approach to interfaith and intercultural engagement in my outreach to these communities. I learned that other minority communities, even if often grouped together under a generic umbrella, have remarkable nuances in how they approach the same issues (COVID, the economy, taxes, for example). It is important to understand these various, sometimes differing motivations, to act on them with empathy, and thus expand the coalition. Of course, through this work I’ve also had to confront challenging conversations with people very different from me and those who disagree with me politically — especially on issues like abortion, immigration, and taxation — but I have endeavored to find common ground.

Overall, I have found immense meaning in this work, and I like to keep these underlying faith-based motivations in mind when approaching outreach, communication, and execution related to my work. The next time someone reaches out to you to register to vote, consider a certain candidate, or cast your vote itself, I hope you’ll give it some thought as well. After all, I think our faith demands it.