Caitanya Vaiṣṇavas and Communal Politics

Abstract

"Caitanya Vaiṣṇavas and Communal Politics" by Joseph T. O'Connell explores the nuanced relationship between the Caitanya Vaiṣṇava tradition and the dynamics of Hindu communal politics in modern India. The article outlines the movement’s theological emphasis on prema-bhakti (loving devotion) to a personal deity, Krishna, and its aesthetic-spiritual ideals like mādhurya (sweetness), which traditionally distance its adherents from worldly, especially political, concerns. Rooted in principles such as lokasaṅgraha (the welfare of the world), Caitanya Vaiṣṇavas have historically prioritized devotional life over political activism.

O’Connell contrasts this deeply personal and transcendent religiosity with the collectivist and political agenda of Hindu communalism, particularly Hindutva, which seeks to consolidate a homogenized Hindu identity within a religio-nationalist framework. Despite these divergences, the article considers whether certain factors—such as cultural memory, social pressures, or material incentives—might occasionally create overlaps or open the tradition to communal appropriation. However, based on anecdotal evidence, most Caitanya Vaiṣṇavas appear to resist politicization, maintaining a spiritual focus that does not easily translate into Hindutva narratives. The article concludes that the movement's rich symbolic and emotional world presents both a challenge and a limit to communal co-option.