After donning many flashy garbs in his flamboyant Godman and God's messenger avatar, prisoner number 1997 now wears jail pajamas. In Rohtak jail, he will sleep on the floor and stand in line for his food. He will work for wages for the next 20 years. Besides the number, nothing much will change for Gurmeet Ram Rahim. The 'baba' will taste a sample of austerity he ought to have, as a spiritual head.
Head of the Dera Sacha Sauda sect, Gurmeet Ram Rahim alias Harpal Singh was found guilty of raping two of the women followers. The sentence was delivered in jail by the judge to avoid a repeat of mob violence that had left over a 30 dead after the Dera head was convicted of the crime.
The trail goes back to 2002 when one of the victims was raped. Finally, in 2017 comes the conviction after a trial that suggests many women disciples were subjected to rape as a blessing from the baba (infamously now known as 'pitaji ki maafi'). Some were threatened to silence, others believed it was a blessing!
Some of the male followers have also disclosed the practice of castration they were subjected to as a way to realise God. The baba believed sex was not a good idea for the inmates.
A contemporary of Ram Rahim is Sant Rampal of Haryana whose 11-year-old trial is still to end. Acquitted of two other charges, Rampal is still to be tried for murder in a clash between his followers and the Arya Samaj in 2006. His arrest also saw mob violence resulting in the death of five women and a baby.
Rampal too has been accused of sexual harassment of women followers.
Not to forget Asaram Bapu, the 76-year-old godman who was accused of sexually abusing a 16-year-old girl at his Jodhpur ashram. He has been in jail since 2013 and the trial is pending. Witnesses have been threatened or killed.
Down south of the vindhyas, things are done more 'legally' as evidenced in the case of Nithyananda, who was charged in 2010 for rape as also many other acts like dacoity, land grab, etc. Most of these have since been dropped except one allegation by a woman who claims to be duped by the godman into sex in the name of enlightenment. The case is still pending with sessions court while a hearing on the godman's plea in the apex court is coming up in September.
An expose from TNM meanwhile reveals the non-disclosure agreement signed by devotees attending courses at the ashram. It mentions the use of sexual energy for increased spiritual connection, audio and video content of erotic nature, etc. Signing the agreement binds the devotees to unconditional acceptance of the said content during the course.
Named as one of the 100 most spiritually influential living people in the world by Watkins' Mind Body Spirit magazine, Nithyananda continues to ride a high with followers who flock to the ashram.
The PR and social media machinery run by the organisation make sure that the godman is seen more as a victim than a perpetrator.
Whether it be Ram Rahim, or Rampal, Asaram or Nithyananda, the common denominator, other than the sexual exploits, is the unshaken faith of the followers in their fallen guru. They are vehemently wedded to the idea that the guru has been wronged by those opposed to him. No convictions can shake this absolute trust.
Which brings us to the big question: why do people, rich and poor, flock to godmen? Why are they willing to die for the godman/guru/baba? Who is a true guru?
Paramahansa Yogananda (of the 'Autobiography of a yogi' fame) said that a true, God-illumined guru is the one who, in his attainment of self-mastery, has realised his identity with the omnipresent spirit. He guides the disciple on the spiritual path.
The Hindu tradition advises one to accept a guru only after thoroughly testing him. The scriptures very clearly warn against charlatans and practitioners of miracles.
Yogananda writes in his book, almost a three-quarter century ago, that the 'peculiar genius of the Indian people is the reverence in the lowliest peasant for the worth of the spirit and for the monks and sadhus who have forsaken worldly ties to seek a diviner anchorage. Imposters and hypocrites, there are indeed; but India respects all for the sake of the few who illumine the land with supernal blessings.'
Have we lost the power to discern the imposter from the real one? Or are we generous in lavishing our benefit of doubts, as Yogananda said?
While some experts believe it is the rootless individuals who drift to godmen to make sense of the world, the truth is that the followers belong to no one category or class. There are the jobless ones and the high profile CEOs that knock at these doors. There are both happy and unhappy people making the beeline to the ashrams, for insurance and deliverance respectively.
It is easy to understand the 'poor, uneducated peasant' who suffers and hence seeks solace from one seen as nearest to God, but it is difficult to put the educated and wealthy lot in the same bracket. The best explanation seems to be what is termed as a spiritual void. That, and an abiding belief in things beyond heaven and earth, above rationale and explanation, handed down the centuries.
While godmen do exist in other religions, with their share of miracle cures and promises, the numbers are more among the majority religion in the country. The above-said void exists here more, given the lack of a binding regimen, be it prayers or retreats. A lack of moorings deprives one of spiritual succour which the guru offers. Somewhere along the journey, the line between God and Godman disappears.
However, there is a big difference between the godmen of today and gurus of yesteryears. The latter lived a simple, if austere life, with bare necessities. Ramana Maharishi is one name that comes to mind, as also Ramakrishna Paramahamsa. They imparted the highest truths to any earnest seeker, for free.
Today, the self-styled gurus come with grand titles and grander lifestyles, soaking in the luxurious moments. They have film celebrities, politicians, and businessmen who consult them regularly. Money now rules. Spirituality has become a roaring business. In business, there are often no scruples. The consumer is a hapless victim who does not even realise his victimhood.
