THEY HAVE MILLIONS OF FOLLOWERS, BUT SOME HINDU ‘GODMEN’ ARE FAR FROM HOLY
The apex body of Hindu sadhus recently named 14 fake babas and will reveal another 28 ‘cult leaders’ after Diwali
Public life in India teems with self-styled Hindu gurus – some dubious, some downright disreputable.
In this era of a Hindu nationalist prime minister, Narendra Modi, they dominate newspaper headlines and fill the airwaves of 24-hour channels.
Some gain fame for breaking the law, others for conducting vast campaigns, ostensibly for the country’s benefit. One even runs a multibillion-rupee company that makes groceries, cosmetics and other products.
Hinduism has no central church and no officials presiding over the religion, so it is not difficult for men and women to set themselves up as gurus or, in common parlance, “godmen” and “godwomen”.
But never before in the history of independent India have they accrued power, influence and money as rapidly as over the past decade.
While some are deemed righteous, so many other gurus have been revealed to be frauds. On Sunday, Akhil Bharatiya Akhara Parishad (Abap – All India Akhara Council), the apex body of Hindu sadhus, released the names of 14 people it said were “fake babas” and “rootless cult leaders”.
Jaggi Vasudev, who is on a month-long drive across India to promote saving the country’s rivers, runs a foundation that claims to have seven million volunteers in 300 centres around the world.
Mr Vasudev, while not one of the 14 identified by Abap, has been criticised for his “questionable” solutions to India’s polluted and mismanaged waterways, implicating himself and his backers in breaches of environmental regulations.
Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, who was convicted of rape last month, was one of the 14 names. He leads the Dera Sacha Saudi sect based in Haryana, which claims to have at least 50 million followers.
Politicians would try to woo Singh with government grants and personal donations, because his followers represented a large base of voters.
Also charged with rape and on Abap’s list is Asaram Bapu, who was arrested in 2013. His trial has moved so slowly that the Supreme Court of India has told the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government of Gujarat state to proceed with prosecution “as expeditiously as may be practically possible”.
Meanwhile, Radhe Maa, one of the 14 deemed as fake, will go to court on October 13 accused of trying to seduce a man and insulting him.
Also on the list is Swami Aseemanand, who was accused of involvement in attacks on Muslim places of worship but later acquitted.
Mr Aseemanand, a member of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh Hindu nationalist group, which is the ideological parent of the BJP, confessed during trial of having a hand in the attacks but claimed later that his statement was made after torture.
Most gurus run non-profit organisations, making it difficult to know what they are actually worth.
But with Baba Ramdev, who runs Patanjali Ayurved that sells food, beauty and medicinal products, it is not very difficult.
Mr Ramdev, who started his career as a yoga teacher, set up the company in 2006.
In the financial year ending in March, his earnings were about US$1.6 billion (Dh5.88bn). His name was not included in Abap’s list.
Abap said it would release another 28 names after Diwali, next month.
“We appeal to the common people to beware of such charlatans who belong to no tradition and, by their questionable acts, bring disrepute to genuine Hindu leaders,” said Narendra Giri, Abap’s president.
Mr Giri said that the body would “demand that strong legislations be brought to check the activities of these self-styled cult leaders”.
Navalpakkam Narasimhan, who tutors students in the ancient Hindu texts in Chennai, said some of the forces that swept Mr Modi to power three years ago had much in common with the forces that swelled the ranks of these gurus.
“People feel confused by the modern world, I think,” Mr Narasimhan said.
“There are so many unfamiliar trends from overseas, there’s so much uncertainty about livelihood. And people feel fearful about the future of their religion, which isn’t really necessary.”
Mr Narasimhan said the BJP promised the same kind of protection for Hinduism as these gurus did.
“This is why so many people end up giving so much of their faith to both the party and these so-called gurus,” he said.
Some of the forces that swept Narendra Modi to power three years ago had much in common with forces that swelled the ranks of these gurus