Rampal, an engineer-turned-godman, has finally been arrested after a deadlock of more than a fortnight. During the uneasy period, a few of his followers lost their lives while many others were injured because he was using them as his protective shield. Hissar, in Haryana, resembled a battleground during the blighter's stand off with the police.
He faces twin charges of murder and contempt of court. What gave him the confidence to evade the law? I'm sure that he has the patronage of very powerful people. Frankly, I'm curious as to how a fraud like him has so many followers or were innocent people positioned around him by some political lumpen, who owe their allegiance to him, for favours granted?
What makes me wonder about godmen, in general, are:-
(a) Why are their so called ashrams, invariably, impregnable fortresses if they're pious and on
the noble path of discovering god? What's the need of the secrecy?
(b) All ashrams are flush with enormous wealth - ostensibly received as donations from the
gullible followers. But, are the funds subject to regular governmental scrutiny and do they pay
taxes?
(c) Godmen, without exception, have a strong contingent of foreign followers - being gullible
to eastern mysticism - and a select(?) few among them form the 'inner circle' that ensures
that no-one reaches the godman, uncomfortably(?) close.
(d) Without exception, there's a continuous whisper among the people living in the vicinity of the ashrams about the sordid goings on within but they don't voice them loudly for the fear of the
safety of their lives!
(e) And the godmen make it a point to surround themselves with fawning film stars and obliging
politicians, even certain professionals, to improve their worth!
This can happen only in India!
Tailpiece.
People have to realise that they don't require an usher to converse with their god!
He faces twin charges of murder and contempt of court. What gave him the confidence to evade the law? I'm sure that he has the patronage of very powerful people. Frankly, I'm curious as to how a fraud like him has so many followers or were innocent people positioned around him by some political lumpen, who owe their allegiance to him, for favours granted?
What makes me wonder about godmen, in general, are:-
(a) Why are their so called ashrams, invariably, impregnable fortresses if they're pious and on
the noble path of discovering god? What's the need of the secrecy?
(b) All ashrams are flush with enormous wealth - ostensibly received as donations from the
gullible followers. But, are the funds subject to regular governmental scrutiny and do they pay
taxes?
(c) Godmen, without exception, have a strong contingent of foreign followers - being gullible
to eastern mysticism - and a select(?) few among them form the 'inner circle' that ensures
that no-one reaches the godman, uncomfortably(?) close.
(d) Without exception, there's a continuous whisper among the people living in the vicinity of the ashrams about the sordid goings on within but they don't voice them loudly for the fear of the
safety of their lives!
(e) And the godmen make it a point to surround themselves with fawning film stars and obliging
politicians, even certain professionals, to improve their worth!
This can happen only in India!
Tailpiece.
People have to realise that they don't require an usher to converse with their god!
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