I don't know where to begin. So many lacunae of our nation have been summoned with the aftermath of the conviction of Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh. Firstly, we should all stop calling him Baba, because that has connotations of asceticism. This man is a criminal who has raped many women and suspected of having many men murdered, since he became popular in the cult of the Sacha Sauda Dera, which began as a spiritual organization in 1948 and which is far from spiritual now.
Secondly, I wonder at the depravity of this nation that so many can follow a man who makes movies about himself in which he comes across as a superman, rockstar and saviour all in one. The fact that he has so many followers, points to a sad reality that we are an unhappy lot waiting for a saviour to deliver us from our problems and change the world for us, because we do not strive to change it ourselves.
Thirdly, for many years now, the truth about this man was coming to the forefront and yet he was nurtured and protected by both, Congress as well as BJP governments. Since 2007 it was customary for politicians to visit him and take his blessings before the elections.
One of the rape victims had written a letter citing all the incidents of rape committed in the Ashram addressed to the PM which was published in ‘Desh Sewak' back in 2002. He is known to have a hand in the murder of Ram Chander Chhatrapati, editor of ‘Poora Sach', an evening daily from Sirsa, Haryana in October 2002 when the journalist tried to expose the sexual harassment which the women in the Dera ashram had to face.
In the last few days too, the police and state machinery were aware that this man's followers were hoarding weapons, petrol etc. Despite this, the government did not take any steps to protect the citizens who were killed in the violence that followed.
According to a Jansatta report, the annual income of the Dera was Rs 290,818,760 in 2012-13. The erstwhile ‘Baba' was ranked 96th in the Indian Express list of most powerful Indian men in 2015. He is one of the 36 people in India who get VVIP status and Z level security cover.
Fourthly, one wonders why a Kashmiri Muslim (suspected of being a stone pelter) being made a human shield is applauded by the government, army, etc while this man who has been convicted for rape is sent in a chopper while mad rioting and killing is perpetrated by his followers.
Even after his conviction, BJP MP, Sakshi Maharaj said, "Crores of people follow him. Why are we not listening to them? Why are we listening to one person (the victim)? While Subramanian Swamy, who earlier supported Asaram tweets, "A new threat to Sadhus: Politicians and Ashramites wanting to grab Ashram wealth by sending the Swamijis to jail. Sadhus must groom successors."
In this discourse, there is no attention or value given to the women. Along with wanting to suppress, curb and snatch secularism and freedom of expression, dress, food, etc, misogyny is one of the biggest facets of right wing ethos. Patriarchy and right wing go hand in hand in a paradigm of control and containment.
But who are these people who can believe in someone as bizarre? Educated people, doctors, postgraduates, etc are among his followers. It is us, the people of India, none of whom took to the streets in protest against innocent children dying in the Gorakhpur incident. But more than 50,000 came in support of a man convicted for rape! How then can we criticize our politicians?
There seems to be something fundamentally wrong with us as a nation when we can support citizens being used as human shields, celebrate janmashtmi after the deaths of small children, justify lynching, victimize victims of rape, demolish a mosque because 500 years back Babur had demolished a temple there and keep the issue festering for 25 years, and re-elect the very same
politicians who were guilty for those riots, harangue about our ancient culture but continuously perpetrate atrocities on dalits, women and children.
One third of the world's malnourished and poorest children live in India, every day we add to the numbers of dead in Kashmir and the tribal belt where anyone can be killed in the name of being a terrorist or a Naxal. About 24% of our population lives below poverty line and yet we boast about development and GDP.
Development for whom? For a miniscule middle class which forms less than 12% of our population and includes the lower middle class as well?
My heart goes out to all the mothers who lost their children and all the people whose loved ones did not return home. But there will be no protest against any of this, no state mourning, no apology from the government; no cognizance paid to the death of so many and the raped women will be forgotten. Instead there will be loud unparliamentary debates, ineffectual war of words, name calling, and a whole lot of accusations starting with and revengeful statements like, "You want us to control the mob with strong tactics? We will do the same in JNU then!"
It is as if the country belongs to Congress or BJP and they can divide it their strongholds and war with each other. But this our country. When people die in Panchkula, Gorakhpur, Kashmir, JNU or the Naxal belt, they are all our people.
Whatever pride India takes in its heritage of an ancient culture and civilization seems hogwash in the wake of these repeated incidents of riots, bigotry, ignorance and blind beliefs. After 70 years of independence most of India still lives in layers and paradigms which are medieval, feudal, archaic, utterly regressive and inhumanly poor.
