The Anuvrat Movement: Theory and Practice: Objective of the Study

My goal was to analyze how a mission of character development led by a leader-monk follows the trajectory of a mass movement. As a member of the Jain tradition myself, I had observed how a relatively small proportion of Indians acknowledge the movement, and those who know of it are either unsure of the methods of practice, do not practice it consistently, or chose not to practice it at all. Therefore, I sought to examine the relevance of Tulsi's ideas, once very popular in the post-Gandhian environment, for Indians in the present day. I examined whether the concept of vows, a main component of the movement, could still be an effective tool to bring about social change. My research also attempted to find out whether modern Jains living in diaspora view the Anuvrat Movement as a tradition-based reform movement or as a secular movement that could be a part of a larger global initiative.