Whether it is Gurmeet Ram Rahim or it is
Rampal ot Asaram or Nirmal or Shyam Giri or Tunnu our recent history is riddled
with fraud babas and fraudulent religious leaders. Claims of corruption, sexual
exploitation and inciting violence had dogged thes spiritual leaders—or
“god men,” and they have become a pain in the neck of our society. They have a
unique position in our social fabric where they enjoy popularity out of
proportion to their minuscule abilities. Politicians and babus who matter lie
prostate in their presence as they command large vote banks and are Hawala
currency exchanges for their illegitimate wealth. It is a nice symbiosis which
prospers till the baba looses his head
for some apsaras. Sex has somehow remained the most potent
baba-neutralizer over the ages and this time with GRR it was no exception.
They acquire some knowledge of basic
religion, have the gift of gab, start preaching and the gullible fall prey. These
less-than-holy members of India’s massive religious network act as scam artists
thriving alongside genuine spiritual leaders. Many babas begin as preachers from small towns in the country’s
rural hinterland where they hold ersatz satsangs—religious
discourses open to the mostly poor, uneducated locals. A well-run satsang can offer the sort opportunities
for enlightenment hard to come by in these outlying villages. In course of time
the gurus cultivate relationships, intervene in family disputes and even act as
match makers. And because some devotees have become so beholden by becoming
part of the faithful, it is blind faith that takes over after that. The faithful may find themselves doing
something as simple as cleaning up the ashram for free or cooking for the guru
and his live-in acolytes. Depending on the power and influence of the
particular godman, however, things can escalate, with followers donating huge
sums of money or even committing crimes for their leader. The potential
for sexual exploitation is never far away.
Every god man or
godmother has a USP which he/she exploits to the hilt. Some can produce ‘bhabhuti’,
ashe from thin air, some can forecast future and some can heal all ailments. A
current television sensation, and yes they all have their own TV programmes
with excellent TRPs, claims he has spiritual power and
he can do wonders with his sixth sense and mystic powers. He also claims that
he has healing powers and God’s gift to scan the person who is thousands of miles
away – believe it or not, over the telephone! It’s sound strange! But millions
of his supporters believe this and follow him as a God or real GURU. But there
are lots of other peoples who believe this is a real scam with innocent Indian
people.
So why do Indians
still flock to these powerful swamis—some of whom may wield as much power as
the leaders of small countries—even after charges of rape and massive military
raids carried out on live television? Despite the scandals, it does not stop
people from stooping to charlatans in robes and matted hair because they
themselves are left with very low self esteem and are emotionally paralyzed by
the guru! And that is the irony….a guru
is expected to make one emotionally strong and not turn his disciple into an
emotional cripple who always is in need for the guru’s crutches!!
What is both unfortunate and painful is
that such pseudo babas flourish, of all the places, in India. This has been a
land of the sages, seers, saints and sufis. From the great Rishis of yesteryear
like Vashishth and Valmiki, Sushruta and Charaka, Dadhichi and Dattatatreya
through the period of Ram Krishna Paramhans and Aurobindo to the recent Ma
Anandmaye our history is adorned by so many super human souls who have carved
our destiny over the years and made us feel proud of our heritage. Every gotra
is originating from a Rishi, whether it is Gautama and Bharadvāja, Viśvāmitra
and Jamadagni, Vashishtha and Kaśhyapa and Shandilya the seven sages (also
known as Saptarishi) and all of us are their progeny! And yet in India, there
is so much of falsehood, deceit, corruption and debauchery in the name of
Dharma being perpetrated by the likes of GRR, Asharam, Rampal and their types!
Their crime is not just what they are being tried for in the court; their most
heinous crime is that they have sullied the good name of the saints and sages
of the past. They have brought our Dharma to disrepute. They have become a
black blot on our civilization. It was our mistake; we did not identify the
asura in the garb of baba.
All those gullible creatures who talk about baba
miracles fail to understand basics of Hinduism which revolves around Karma and
its fruits – which affects life and after lives. Karma helps explain the
disparities that occur in the human population such as: prosperity or poverty,
happiness or misery, good health, illness, or disability. We are what we are
because of our deeds and actions. One cannot escape from the Karma, right or
wrong and no baba can help. Only good karma is what will lead to salvation.
What these babas are doing amounts to cultural terrorism.
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