Some articles and my thoughts about Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh being judged guilty of sexual assault, and violence that followed
Given below is a suitably modified version of mails I sent out on this matter over the past few days.
Very sad to see this; Violence against the govt. is not the answer for spiritual movements when confronted with such challenges
[Ravi: Initially the two reports below had lower casualty figures. It seems to have been updated later to have more current casualty figures.]
Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh held guilty in rape case; 30 killed in violence in Panchkula, 1000 detained,
http://indianexpress.com/article/india/gurmeet-ram-rahim-convicted-rape-case-verdict-dera-chief-cbi-court-panchkula-haryana-punjab-4812973/
As it happened: 30 dead, 250 injured as Dera chief conviction sets Haryana on fire,
http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/live-updates-dera-sacha-sauda-chief-convicted-in-rape-case/article19558757.ece
Ravi: My view is that the Dera followers should pursue legal avenues to challenge the verdict, rather than indulge in this violence.
----
An informative article on the rather freaky spiritual leader who was convicted today, Gurmeet Ram Rahim of Dera Sacha Sauda, from the Economic Times (India): http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/farm-dera-and-now-prison-the-story-of-rise-and-fall-of-the-baba-of-bling/articleshow/60222154.cms
----
An interesting article: Why Dera Sacha Sauda attracts such huge following, http://www.tribuneindia.com/news/punjab/why-dera-sacha-sauda-attracts-such-huge-following/456843.html.
The reasons the article lists for the large following of Dera Sacha Sauda (mainly in Punjab and Haryana, but also in other states like Delhi) running into millions or tens of millions:
* Caste equality [Ravi: I read somewhere that a large part of the following is Sikh Dalits, which I guess means former Hindu Dalits (depressed class in Hindu history) who converted to classless Sikhism but were not fully integrated due to their former Dalit status.]
* Humble management ranking - The head of a unit of the following is called Bhangi Dass - which means sweeper servant! These titles are meant to bring humility in office bearers of the following/orgn.
* Subsidised food and free medicine - This is said to be far superior to what the government provides for the poor in these states. [Ravi: I can very well imagine how big an attraction this will be for the marginalized in society.]
----
The wiki page Welfare activities section of the Dera, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dera_Sacha_Sauda#Welfare_activities, talks about the following:
Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh formed a welfare and disaster relief organisation called Shah Satnam Ji Green-S Welfare Force, which now has more than 70,000 doctors, engineers, rescuers, paramedics, and tradesmen participating.
...
During the 2013 flash floods in Uttarakhand, a team of volunteers and doctors provided medical care to people, distributed food packets and conducted rescue missions. The area of Deoli-Brahmgram village was called a 'village of widows' as many men belonging to the area died in the floods. In an attempt to rehabilitate the women, Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh announced that 1,500 followers of the sect were willing to tie the knot with the Uttarakhand widows.
Anti-prostitution initiatives began in November 2009, when Singh called on his followers to counter prostitution, and to help sex-workers escape a "life of perpetual slavery". In December 2009, Dera and its volunteers took a step towards reducing sex trafficking in the country and also preventing the spread of HIV/AIDS virus, by giving a consent for marriage with adult sex workers and to "help them escape their dreary existence". In January 2010, a mass marriage ceremony for former sex workers took place in Sirsa. Dera Sacha Sauda's 400-bed multi-specialty hospital was inaugurated by Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh in Sirsa in March 2014 and has been named Shah Satnam ji Speciality Hospital.
Dera Sacha Sauda had launched a social welfare campaign and had filed a petition in the Supreme Court to grant legal status to transgender people. On 15 April 2014 the Apex Court gave a judgement in favour of the Eunuchs and ordered that the hijras and transgender people will now be given the legal status of the third gender. This will make them eligible for quota in various government jobs, education institutions and also ensure medical treatment.[unreliable source?]
DSS also initiated a series of sanitation drives and as of 2016, about 30 Mega Cleanliness Campaigns have been conducted in several states of India and also in other countries.
--- end extracts ---
Ravi: He also claims to have rescued many from narcotic drug addiction (in Punjab & Haryana, I guess) and so claims that the drug mafia is foisting false cases (including this sexual assault case) on him.
Well, the social work stuff is good BUT the Dera has to follow the law of the land. And sexual exploitation is a big NO-NO! I read that Gurmeet Ram Rahim denies the charges, but then he has been held guilty by a CBI court! So unless he appeals to a higher court and gets it overturned, he is a convict now of rape/sexual assault! That's a devastating blow to his image as a spiritual leader, even though he has been quite a freaky one.
-----
Ravi: About how Gurmeet Ram Rahim should NOT be taken to be the norm for Indian spiritual leaders:
One cannot take an outlier and apply that to an entire spectrum of spiritual leaders. Note that there are a few contemporary Indian spiritual leaders who have been accused of sexual exploitation in Indian courts of law, with some of them being convicted. The leaders who have been convicted claim that they were falsely framed but they have not been able to made a good enough case of that either in the Indian media or in court. So I will go with the view that those Indian spiritual leaders who have been convicted of rape, and who have failed to overturn that verdict, would in all probability, have committed that heinous and inhuman crime.
But there have also been cases of contemporary Indian spiritual leaders who were accused of sexual assault/rape in Indian courts but which cases did NOT result in conviction. I would view such Indian spiritual leaders as NOT GUILTY of those accusations and NOT accept sensationalist media trying to paint them as evil people even when Indian courts have ruled otherwise!
-----
The casualty count of the violence outbreak on conviction of Dera Sacha Sauda leader, Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, is reported as 30 dead (seems to be mostly Dera followers) and 250 injured, http://indianexpress.com/article/india/dera-sacha-sauda-guru-ram-rahim-rape-case-verdict-live-updates-panchkula-sirsa-haryana-punjab-4812524/.
An interesting set of articles on the Dera Sacha Sauda matter:
1) Dera Sacha Sauda: Here's what gave Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh so much political power,
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/60233977.cms
A small extract from it:
In Punjab and Haryana—dominated by upper-caste, land-owning jat community—a large number of people from the lower-castes prefer such Deras to mainstream Sikh and Hindu religions. While many Deras prefer to remain non-partisan, a large number of them are seen as ready vote banks by politicians of different parties.
------
2) Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh stunned after court verdict: Prosecutor,
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/60229623.cms
3) AK-47, pistols recovered; sedition cases against Dera followers, http://www.india.com/news/agencies/ak-47-pistols-recovered-sedition-cases-against-dera-followers-2428847/
A small extract from it:
Haryana Police have recovered an AK 47, five pistols and other weapons from two vehicles of Dera followers and registered two sedition cases against followers, including private security guards, of controversial godman and Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, the government said on Saturday.
4) 9 Dera Centres Sealed In Kurukshetra, 2,500 Lathis Found, Say Cops, http://www.ndtv.com/india-news/9-dera-centres-sealed-in-kurukshetra-2-500-lathis-found-1742318
A small extract from it:
The Kurukshetra Police today sealed nine congregation centres of Dera Sacha Sauda in the district, evicted the followers of sect leader Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh and seized over 2,500 lathis and other sharp-edged weapons during a search operation.
Ravi: This seems to be the very disturbing reality about some spiritual groups in North India. They are armed and ready to commit violence against the state police forces if the state police acts against them. I think such violence from these spiritual group followers against the police has to be condemned in the strongest possible terms. They essentially become a threat to the state. No wonder that the charges made against them include sedition!
5) The Parallel, Performative Governance of Groups Like Dera Sacha Sauda, https://thewire.in/171130/dera-sacha-sauda-violence-following/. [Ravi: This article is by Shiv Visvanathan, who is a professor at the Jindal Global Law School and director, Centre for the Study of Knowledge Systems, O.P Jindal Global University. I think it is worth reading though I do not agree with all of its views.]
A small extract from it:
As violence spreads across Punjab and Haryana, as casualties rise and petrol pumps are destroyed, a spectator has to ask broader questions beyond Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh’s conviction for rape. Where are these movements? How do they grow so exponentially? Why is the state so illiterate or complicit about them? One has to place this event within a broader history.
--- end extract ---
Ravi: I take objection to the generalization made by Vishwanthan in the article above where he says, "It is clear today that the ashram is an alternative model of power and governance, capable of threat and violence, challenging the state which has no sense of the ruthless rise and proliferation of these groups." The Sathya Sai following in India with its ashrams and spritual centres as well as a few other followings including Sadhguru, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar and Mata Amritandamayi followings do not have any such capability of threat and violence, as far as I know. I think it is irresponsible and reckless of Prof. Shiv Vishwanathan to make such generalizations which lead to him losing credibility in the eyes of people like me.
I think Indian spiritual ashrams should go out of their way to show that they are NOT a violent threat to the state (police, paramilitary, army etc.) Those ashrams that fail to demonstrate that they are not a violent threat to the state, could be investigated by govt. authorities and, if found to be a violent threat to the state, should be closed down. I think North India, particularly Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, seems to be having quite a few spiritual ashrams that are capable of violence against the state. Perhaps the rest of India does not have that problem in significant numbers, as of now at least.
[I thank wikipedia, indiatimes.com, ndtv.com and thewire.in, have presumed that they will not have any objections to me sharing the above extracts (very small extracts from indiatimes.com, ndtv.com and thewire.in) from their website on this post which is freely viewable by all, and does not have any financial profit motive whatsoever. Note that this post deals with public safety and well being.]
Very sad to see this; Violence against the govt. is not the answer for spiritual movements when confronted with such challenges
[Ravi: Initially the two reports below had lower casualty figures. It seems to have been updated later to have more current casualty figures.]
Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh held guilty in rape case; 30 killed in violence in Panchkula, 1000 detained,
http://indianexpress.com/article/india/gurmeet-ram-rahim-convicted-rape-case-verdict-dera-chief-cbi-court-panchkula-haryana-punjab-4812973/
As it happened: 30 dead, 250 injured as Dera chief conviction sets Haryana on fire,
http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/live-updates-dera-sacha-sauda-chief-convicted-in-rape-case/article19558757.ece
Ravi: My view is that the Dera followers should pursue legal avenues to challenge the verdict, rather than indulge in this violence.
----
An informative article on the rather freaky spiritual leader who was convicted today, Gurmeet Ram Rahim of Dera Sacha Sauda, from the Economic Times (India): http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/farm-dera-and-now-prison-the-story-of-rise-and-fall-of-the-baba-of-bling/articleshow/60222154.cms
----
An interesting article: Why Dera Sacha Sauda attracts such huge following, http://www.tribuneindia.com/news/punjab/why-dera-sacha-sauda-attracts-such-huge-following/456843.html.
The reasons the article lists for the large following of Dera Sacha Sauda (mainly in Punjab and Haryana, but also in other states like Delhi) running into millions or tens of millions:
* Caste equality [Ravi: I read somewhere that a large part of the following is Sikh Dalits, which I guess means former Hindu Dalits (depressed class in Hindu history) who converted to classless Sikhism but were not fully integrated due to their former Dalit status.]
* Humble management ranking - The head of a unit of the following is called Bhangi Dass - which means sweeper servant! These titles are meant to bring humility in office bearers of the following/orgn.
* Subsidised food and free medicine - This is said to be far superior to what the government provides for the poor in these states. [Ravi: I can very well imagine how big an attraction this will be for the marginalized in society.]
----
The wiki page Welfare activities section of the Dera, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dera_Sacha_Sauda#Welfare_activities, talks about the following:
Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh formed a welfare and disaster relief organisation called Shah Satnam Ji Green-S Welfare Force, which now has more than 70,000 doctors, engineers, rescuers, paramedics, and tradesmen participating.
...
During the 2013 flash floods in Uttarakhand, a team of volunteers and doctors provided medical care to people, distributed food packets and conducted rescue missions. The area of Deoli-Brahmgram village was called a 'village of widows' as many men belonging to the area died in the floods. In an attempt to rehabilitate the women, Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh announced that 1,500 followers of the sect were willing to tie the knot with the Uttarakhand widows.
Anti-prostitution initiatives began in November 2009, when Singh called on his followers to counter prostitution, and to help sex-workers escape a "life of perpetual slavery". In December 2009, Dera and its volunteers took a step towards reducing sex trafficking in the country and also preventing the spread of HIV/AIDS virus, by giving a consent for marriage with adult sex workers and to "help them escape their dreary existence". In January 2010, a mass marriage ceremony for former sex workers took place in Sirsa. Dera Sacha Sauda's 400-bed multi-specialty hospital was inaugurated by Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh in Sirsa in March 2014 and has been named Shah Satnam ji Speciality Hospital.
Dera Sacha Sauda had launched a social welfare campaign and had filed a petition in the Supreme Court to grant legal status to transgender people. On 15 April 2014 the Apex Court gave a judgement in favour of the Eunuchs and ordered that the hijras and transgender people will now be given the legal status of the third gender. This will make them eligible for quota in various government jobs, education institutions and also ensure medical treatment.[unreliable source?]
DSS also initiated a series of sanitation drives and as of 2016, about 30 Mega Cleanliness Campaigns have been conducted in several states of India and also in other countries.
--- end extracts ---
Ravi: He also claims to have rescued many from narcotic drug addiction (in Punjab & Haryana, I guess) and so claims that the drug mafia is foisting false cases (including this sexual assault case) on him.
Well, the social work stuff is good BUT the Dera has to follow the law of the land. And sexual exploitation is a big NO-NO! I read that Gurmeet Ram Rahim denies the charges, but then he has been held guilty by a CBI court! So unless he appeals to a higher court and gets it overturned, he is a convict now of rape/sexual assault! That's a devastating blow to his image as a spiritual leader, even though he has been quite a freaky one.
-----
Ravi: About how Gurmeet Ram Rahim should NOT be taken to be the norm for Indian spiritual leaders:
One cannot take an outlier and apply that to an entire spectrum of spiritual leaders. Note that there are a few contemporary Indian spiritual leaders who have been accused of sexual exploitation in Indian courts of law, with some of them being convicted. The leaders who have been convicted claim that they were falsely framed but they have not been able to made a good enough case of that either in the Indian media or in court. So I will go with the view that those Indian spiritual leaders who have been convicted of rape, and who have failed to overturn that verdict, would in all probability, have committed that heinous and inhuman crime.
But there have also been cases of contemporary Indian spiritual leaders who were accused of sexual assault/rape in Indian courts but which cases did NOT result in conviction. I would view such Indian spiritual leaders as NOT GUILTY of those accusations and NOT accept sensationalist media trying to paint them as evil people even when Indian courts have ruled otherwise!
-----
The casualty count of the violence outbreak on conviction of Dera Sacha Sauda leader, Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, is reported as 30 dead (seems to be mostly Dera followers) and 250 injured, http://indianexpress.com/article/india/dera-sacha-sauda-guru-ram-rahim-rape-case-verdict-live-updates-panchkula-sirsa-haryana-punjab-4812524/.
An interesting set of articles on the Dera Sacha Sauda matter:
1) Dera Sacha Sauda: Here's what gave Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh so much political power,
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/60233977.cms
A small extract from it:
In Punjab and Haryana—dominated by upper-caste, land-owning jat community—a large number of people from the lower-castes prefer such Deras to mainstream Sikh and Hindu religions. While many Deras prefer to remain non-partisan, a large number of them are seen as ready vote banks by politicians of different parties.
------
2) Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh stunned after court verdict: Prosecutor,
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/60229623.cms
3) AK-47, pistols recovered; sedition cases against Dera followers, http://www.india.com/news/agencies/ak-47-pistols-recovered-sedition-cases-against-dera-followers-2428847/
A small extract from it:
Haryana Police have recovered an AK 47, five pistols and other weapons from two vehicles of Dera followers and registered two sedition cases against followers, including private security guards, of controversial godman and Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, the government said on Saturday.
4) 9 Dera Centres Sealed In Kurukshetra, 2,500 Lathis Found, Say Cops, http://www.ndtv.com/india-news/9-dera-centres-sealed-in-kurukshetra-2-500-lathis-found-1742318
A small extract from it:
The Kurukshetra Police today sealed nine congregation centres of Dera Sacha Sauda in the district, evicted the followers of sect leader Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh and seized over 2,500 lathis and other sharp-edged weapons during a search operation.
Ravi: This seems to be the very disturbing reality about some spiritual groups in North India. They are armed and ready to commit violence against the state police forces if the state police acts against them. I think such violence from these spiritual group followers against the police has to be condemned in the strongest possible terms. They essentially become a threat to the state. No wonder that the charges made against them include sedition!
5) The Parallel, Performative Governance of Groups Like Dera Sacha Sauda, https://thewire.in/171130/dera-sacha-sauda-violence-following/. [Ravi: This article is by Shiv Visvanathan, who is a professor at the Jindal Global Law School and director, Centre for the Study of Knowledge Systems, O.P Jindal Global University. I think it is worth reading though I do not agree with all of its views.]
A small extract from it:
As violence spreads across Punjab and Haryana, as casualties rise and petrol pumps are destroyed, a spectator has to ask broader questions beyond Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh’s conviction for rape. Where are these movements? How do they grow so exponentially? Why is the state so illiterate or complicit about them? One has to place this event within a broader history.
--- end extract ---
Ravi: I take objection to the generalization made by Vishwanthan in the article above where he says, "It is clear today that the ashram is an alternative model of power and governance, capable of threat and violence, challenging the state which has no sense of the ruthless rise and proliferation of these groups." The Sathya Sai following in India with its ashrams and spritual centres as well as a few other followings including Sadhguru, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar and Mata Amritandamayi followings do not have any such capability of threat and violence, as far as I know. I think it is irresponsible and reckless of Prof. Shiv Vishwanathan to make such generalizations which lead to him losing credibility in the eyes of people like me.
I think Indian spiritual ashrams should go out of their way to show that they are NOT a violent threat to the state (police, paramilitary, army etc.) Those ashrams that fail to demonstrate that they are not a violent threat to the state, could be investigated by govt. authorities and, if found to be a violent threat to the state, should be closed down. I think North India, particularly Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, seems to be having quite a few spiritual ashrams that are capable of violence against the state. Perhaps the rest of India does not have that problem in significant numbers, as of now at least.
[I thank wikipedia, indiatimes.com, ndtv.com and thewire.in, have presumed that they will not have any objections to me sharing the above extracts (very small extracts from indiatimes.com, ndtv.com and thewire.in) from their website on this post which is freely viewable by all, and does not have any financial profit motive whatsoever. Note that this post deals with public safety and well being.]
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