Apex (North Indian) Hindu spiritual body of ascetics puts out 14 fake Hindu spiritual leaders (Babas) boycott list
Asaram, Ram Rahim, Rampal: The 14 fake babas put on boycott list,
http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/asaram-gurmeet-ram-rahim-on-fake-baba-list-meet-the-14-faces-hindu-sadhus-want-boycotted/story-JYEQQkSYOOBFFQzKfbD7UP.html, dated 11th Sept. 2017.
Ravi: Interesting! I think that such efforts by spiritual groups in the country to curb Asathya-Adharma (untruthful and unethical) activities done by a few spiritual leaders in India, seems to be a good move. A boycott list of fake sadhus/babas/spiritual leaders in India is a good start, IMHO.
The article states that the Akhil Bharatiya Akhara Parishad has published this list of 14 'fake babas'. This organization seems to be a top-level Hindu Sadhus (ascetics) body which is composed of various Hindu ascetic organizations. I have not heard much about this body in South India. I guess it may be more of a North India Hindu ascetic top-level body.
Here's another article on it: http://www.firstpost.com/india/akhil-bharatiya-akhara-parishad-releases-list-of-fake-babas-demands-legislation-against-these-cult-leaders-4029057.html.
The above article quotes the president of this body (Akhil Bharatiya Akhara Parishad), Swami Narendra Giri, as saying while releasing this list, "We appeal to even the common people to beware of such charlatans who belong to no tradition and by their questionable acts, bring disrepute to sadhus and sanyasis."
He also said, "We are going to send copies of this list to the Centre, the state governments as well as all the opposition parties with the demand that a strong legislation be brought to check the activities of these self-styled cult leaders".
Ravi: The shocking and well publicized bad deeds of a few Hindu spiritual leaders have brought disrepute not only to Hindu sadhus (saints) and sanyasis (ascetics), but also to the vast Hindu community in India. Something must be done to prevent few Hindu spiritual leaders from committing such heinous sins that tarnish the image of Hinduism as a whole and hurt the feelings of billion plus Hindus in India as well as other countries of the world.
I like this move of a list of Hindu spiritual leaders who are assessed to be fake or dangerous to society by apex body (or bodies) of Hindu spiritual ascetics like the Akhil Bharatiya Akhara Parishad. However, the criteria used to arrive at these lists must be shared with the public. Surely conviction of heinous crimes like rape would be one such criteria.
But it must be noted that motivated, vicious, well funded and well organized false allegations especially related to sexual abuse is commonly used to malign Hindu spiritual leaders. So allegations alone which have not been upheld by an Indian court of law, especially allegations by Western media which seems to get good viewership ratings from their Western audience by airing programs and publishing articles showing Hinduism and Hindu spiritual leaders in a poor light, should be ignored as a criteria for inclusion in such a list.
Another important issue is fraudulent funding and corruption allegations. Money in Hindu spiritual ashram systems draws a lot of controversy and sometimes horrific levels of infighting among ashram inmates/persons! Power struggles for control of rich Hindu ashrams can be very scary as power crazy ashram people can go to any extent to grab power.
But allegations about fraudulent funding and corruption as well as power grab (hijack) should be given value only if it is backed by strong evidence. Note that fraudulent funding and corruption would be criminal offences under the Indian Penal Code. So such matters should ideally be JUDGED by an Indian court of law.
Power grab/Hijack especially during succession struggle after the founder of a spiritual ashram/movement (bodily) passes away is another important area. Very unfortunately, the yearning of some followers to connect in some manner to a living physical form even after the founder has given up the body, leads to very strange situations like mediums and communicators who claim that the (bodily) passed away founder is communicating to his devotees through a chosen medium/communicator. Sometimes this goes further with the medium/communicator (or his key supporters) claiming that the spirit of the (bodily) passed away founder enters into the body of the medium/communicator, and that the medium/communicator then loses his individual identity and becomes the (bodily) passed away founder!
If readers think that I am imagining things and that people will never fall for such weird claims then I would like to inform them that this is what a Madhusudan Rao Naidu of Muddenahalli, Karnataka is doing with his claim of being a communicator of spiritual master Sri Sathya Sai Baba who gave up his physical body in April 2011. His key supporter, Shri B.N. Narasimhamurthy stated that, at times, Sathya Sai Baba's spirit enters into the body of Madhusudan Rao Naidu, at which time Madhusudan Rao Naidu BECOMES Sri Sathya Sai Baba!!! And, there are thousands of Sathya Sai devotees worldwide who believe in these claims!!!
So power grab/hijack of ashram institutions and ashram following (including wealthy donors) especially when the current head/founder of a Hindu ashram is seriously ailing or when he/she has bodily passed away, by mediums and communicators is another area that I think this Parishad should seriously look at while arriving at its (next) list of fake Babas or spiritual leaders who are a danger to society, and who bring a bad name to Hindu religion.
http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/asaram-gurmeet-ram-rahim-on-fake-baba-list-meet-the-14-faces-hindu-sadhus-want-boycotted/story-JYEQQkSYOOBFFQzKfbD7UP.html, dated 11th Sept. 2017.
Ravi: Interesting! I think that such efforts by spiritual groups in the country to curb Asathya-Adharma (untruthful and unethical) activities done by a few spiritual leaders in India, seems to be a good move. A boycott list of fake sadhus/babas/spiritual leaders in India is a good start, IMHO.
The article states that the Akhil Bharatiya Akhara Parishad has published this list of 14 'fake babas'. This organization seems to be a top-level Hindu Sadhus (ascetics) body which is composed of various Hindu ascetic organizations. I have not heard much about this body in South India. I guess it may be more of a North India Hindu ascetic top-level body.
Here's another article on it: http://www.firstpost.com/india/akhil-bharatiya-akhara-parishad-releases-list-of-fake-babas-demands-legislation-against-these-cult-leaders-4029057.html.
The above article quotes the president of this body (Akhil Bharatiya Akhara Parishad), Swami Narendra Giri, as saying while releasing this list, "We appeal to even the common people to beware of such charlatans who belong to no tradition and by their questionable acts, bring disrepute to sadhus and sanyasis."
He also said, "We are going to send copies of this list to the Centre, the state governments as well as all the opposition parties with the demand that a strong legislation be brought to check the activities of these self-styled cult leaders".
Ravi: The shocking and well publicized bad deeds of a few Hindu spiritual leaders have brought disrepute not only to Hindu sadhus (saints) and sanyasis (ascetics), but also to the vast Hindu community in India. Something must be done to prevent few Hindu spiritual leaders from committing such heinous sins that tarnish the image of Hinduism as a whole and hurt the feelings of billion plus Hindus in India as well as other countries of the world.
I like this move of a list of Hindu spiritual leaders who are assessed to be fake or dangerous to society by apex body (or bodies) of Hindu spiritual ascetics like the Akhil Bharatiya Akhara Parishad. However, the criteria used to arrive at these lists must be shared with the public. Surely conviction of heinous crimes like rape would be one such criteria.
But it must be noted that motivated, vicious, well funded and well organized false allegations especially related to sexual abuse is commonly used to malign Hindu spiritual leaders. So allegations alone which have not been upheld by an Indian court of law, especially allegations by Western media which seems to get good viewership ratings from their Western audience by airing programs and publishing articles showing Hinduism and Hindu spiritual leaders in a poor light, should be ignored as a criteria for inclusion in such a list.
Another important issue is fraudulent funding and corruption allegations. Money in Hindu spiritual ashram systems draws a lot of controversy and sometimes horrific levels of infighting among ashram inmates/persons! Power struggles for control of rich Hindu ashrams can be very scary as power crazy ashram people can go to any extent to grab power.
But allegations about fraudulent funding and corruption as well as power grab (hijack) should be given value only if it is backed by strong evidence. Note that fraudulent funding and corruption would be criminal offences under the Indian Penal Code. So such matters should ideally be JUDGED by an Indian court of law.
Power grab/Hijack especially during succession struggle after the founder of a spiritual ashram/movement (bodily) passes away is another important area. Very unfortunately, the yearning of some followers to connect in some manner to a living physical form even after the founder has given up the body, leads to very strange situations like mediums and communicators who claim that the (bodily) passed away founder is communicating to his devotees through a chosen medium/communicator. Sometimes this goes further with the medium/communicator (or his key supporters) claiming that the spirit of the (bodily) passed away founder enters into the body of the medium/communicator, and that the medium/communicator then loses his individual identity and becomes the (bodily) passed away founder!
If readers think that I am imagining things and that people will never fall for such weird claims then I would like to inform them that this is what a Madhusudan Rao Naidu of Muddenahalli, Karnataka is doing with his claim of being a communicator of spiritual master Sri Sathya Sai Baba who gave up his physical body in April 2011. His key supporter, Shri B.N. Narasimhamurthy stated that, at times, Sathya Sai Baba's spirit enters into the body of Madhusudan Rao Naidu, at which time Madhusudan Rao Naidu BECOMES Sri Sathya Sai Baba!!! And, there are thousands of Sathya Sai devotees worldwide who believe in these claims!!!
So power grab/hijack of ashram institutions and ashram following (including wealthy donors) especially when the current head/founder of a Hindu ashram is seriously ailing or when he/she has bodily passed away, by mediums and communicators is another area that I think this Parishad should seriously look at while arriving at its (next) list of fake Babas or spiritual leaders who are a danger to society, and who bring a bad name to Hindu religion.
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