Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Friday, August 25, repented the death of over 30 people after a special CBI court in Panchkula in Haryana convicted controversial godman Ram Rahim Singh, head of the Dera Sacha Sauda social welfare and spiritual outfit, in connection to a 2002 rape case. "What a shame!" the parliamentarian from Thiruvananthapuram said in a Facebook post.
Indeed it's shameful. At a time when the Indian economy is being seen as one with a great potential; the country's software prowess and military might are treated with awe and it is being said that a young nation like it has the entire world to conquer, such outcomes over a court's verdict against a self-proclaimed godman constitute a perfect anti-thesis. Why do such instances still occur in India – often called a tiger which has been uncaged?
The country has covered a journey over quarter of a century since its liberalisation. It has made the cheapest attempt to reach the Mars; eradicated deadly ailments like polio; has produced a number of Nobel winners. But it has not forgotten its obsession with the godmen and babas that have are known for little authenticity.
Why are these babas becoming increasingly influential in Indian life? There are two aspects to this story – social and political.
Why Indians love godmen? The social aspect
To speak about the social aspect, post-liberalisation India has seen more money but less peace. A large section has become richer but they have found themselves mentally vulnerable, pushing them towards finding spiritual solace. Since Indians have always been religious, an 'embodiments of god' on earth in the form of the godmen who somehow succeeded in convincing them of selling peace in lieu of their gullibility and credulity appeared as an easy solution-giver to their myriad socio-psychological tension caused by a plethora of factors.
The economically moderate sections that are at social disadvantage, too, find the godmen reliable because the failure of the system to provide adequate education and employment readily turns them off. The urge for overnight success and fame also push these people into the trap of getting duped by the babas for the latter know they could continue to capitalise on human being's frustration without actually caring to resolve them ever. This complex socio-psychological aspect also gives the godmen the benefit of doubt till the time they turn into real monsters.
Why godmen thrive in India? The political aspect
The other factor which facilitates the fake spiritual leaders is the politics itself. In today's India where Hindutva – soft or hard -- has emerged as the dominant socio-political ideology (the unprecedented erosion of the Nehruvian legacy), the prominence of the babas have become all the more greater for those close to the seat of power.
It is not surprising if the political leadership doesn't condemn people like Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh because it knows how important are people like him and their outfits to organise their majoritarian vote banks during elections.
The slightest slip of tongue could jeopardise their own electoral prospects in states where these godmen have flourished by winning people's confidence over the years. They are essential soldiers in the bigger scheme of pocketing votes and one can't really hope to see a drastic change in the way the political class responds to their ill deeds.
For elitist minds like Tharoor, the Ram Rahim Singh incident is shameful but for India's largely mass-oriented democracy (both social and political) today, it is the new normal and we can't just wish away this reality without electing to overhaul our society on lines of true enlightenment and development.
