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THE DEVELOPMENT OF JAINISM
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Students, connected with the anuvrata movement are forbidden to participate in political struggle.
The anuvrata movement is evaluated by its participants and leaders as a movement, revolutionary in its final analysis, as it pursues as its aim a cardinal reconstruction of the society by means of a change in the cognition of its members. Anuvratis say that they accept the ideal of equality from the communist teaching but do not accept the appeal to violence. So far as capitalism is concerned, they approve of the idea of capital as an instrument of organised commerce and business but they object to its excessive accumulation and exploitation.' Thus they wish to hold back the proletariat from violence by re-educating the capitalists.
According to the teachings of anuvratis, humanity degrades itself because people try to acquire food and clothes by any means (non-violent as also violent). According to them, it is so because of the materialists who teach that food is the main thing. Anuvratis consider that it is necessary to suppress one's desires and aspirations to save humanity from hatred, mutual struggle (and in the final analysis from atom bomb).
They want the capitalists to 'realise their shortcomings and cease to aspire for profit. The anuvratis persistently urge that the rich should cease defying wealth and then wealth will surely lose all its power before the people.
They consider class war as an 'unwise business' and building of a classless society, a 'fantasy' and even an 'absurdity'?
In the sphere of relations with other religious communities, anuvratis appeal for tolerance and manifestation of friendly feclings.
They include in their programme also other burning problems of social life of modern India, right up to such of them as family planning, but the measures suggested by them for this reduce themselves to restrict conjugal relations or even totally abstain from them. They suggest for the struggle against prostitution 'to create such an atmosphere in the society, which would make the evil impossible and also suggest banning of films which show 'tempting dancing women'. Anuvratis asso
6. Muni Shri Nagaraji, The Anuvrat Ideology, p. 14. 7. Ibid., p. 129.
