The Sangh Parivar and the Swaminarayan movement: affinities and complementarity

Abstract

This presentation will focus on the development of the Sangh Parivar in UK and the US, and more especially on its use of religion and religious practice to penetrate the Hindu diaspora and influence host societies, on the one hand, and on the development, at the same time, of the Swaminarayan movement, in the same countries, via the creation of a network of temples. For the Sangh Parivar, the conduit of religious practices is very pertinent not only because many Hindu migrants want their children to learn about their creed – and the VHP is offering classes for that very purpose -, but also because Westerners often see in Hinduism a religion of peace, the religion of Yoga. As a result, the governments of the US and the UK find themselves patronizing Hindutva activities without realizing that they fit into a divisive ideological agenda. The Swaminarayan movement has benefited from the same factors and has developed its network of temples by relying on a modus operandi resembling the Sangh Parivar’s. This paper will focus on these affinities and the complementarity between both institutions.