Thursday, July 24, 2008

Happenings at Asaram Bapu's Ashram

Godmen and Mortal World
Happenings at Asaram Bapu’s Ashram
Ram Puniyani
Death of two students of Gurukul (traditional schools run by Hindu Gurus) of Asaram Bapu's Ashram (July 2008) has raised multiple questions. The children staying in the Ashram were missing for some time before being found dead near the river. The post mortem showed that some of their organs are missing. The parents of the children accused the Ashram residents for practicing black magic and removing children's organs. Asaram in reply said that the residents of his ashram hear Bhagvat and other holy books, how they can be involved in such an act and that they won't even kill a dog. Later two related events took place. One, when Asaram had to travel by air and as a part of security drill he was frisked second time, a random check applied some times, his followers created ruckus. The listeners of Bhagvat etc. rampaged and expressed their anger for the Holy man being subjected to the mundane rules. Also the same ashramites attacked the journalists, severely beating up a woman journalist, who had to be hospitalized. So much for the Bhagvat induced tolerant attitude!
This holy man has lot of other incidents to his account. In Jhabua area his female Sadhvis beat up the nuns in the Christian mission school when a 13year old girl was raped and killed by an outsider, who had nothing to do with the school. The same Holy seer sat on protest dharana when Shankaracharya was arrested on the charges, which were far from divine. An act of solidarity indeed! An FIR has also been filed against him for grabbing one and a half acre of land in Patna. He has a vast network of devotees and followers, even his disciples are giving pravachans (holy discourse), keeping his photo in the backdrop. He is in the race for the most popular Goodman, along with Sri Sri Ravishaker, Baba Ramdeo amongst others.
His is not an isolated case. While these three top Godmen are very visible, they are not the only ones. This phenomenon is sprawling and one can see them mushrooming every where with ever increasing following. Recently in Kerala one Godman created scene when arrested by police. Shakarachraya's Ashram also showed lot of muck in its cupboard. Surely this is the most proliferating phenomenon in recent times marching parallel with increase in the religiosity and might of RSS at social and political level.
There are types and types of godmen but still one can say that majority of them are politically close to the RSS/VHP/BJP combine. Asaram Bapu sat on dharana along with Vajpayee et al and recently. Sri Sri Ravishanker and Baba Ramdeo were all praises for Advani while releasing his autobiography, which justifies the politics of Hate and his own role in that. They subtly spread the message that minorities are violent as they consume meat etc. forgetting that the most violent person of all the time Hitler was a vegetarian. And the followers of these Godmen are mercurial in their temper and aggressive in their stance. Another such 'Holy man, Narendra Mahraj's followers also created trouble when he was not permitted to carry his holy staff in the aeroplane. They were also involved in the attack on nuns in Alibaug, these nuns were doing the AIDS awareness work and that was presented as 'conversion' a pretext enough to beat them up.
When these Godmen are giving such peaceful sermons and eating satvik food, (food creating peaceful tendencies as per them), how are they so violent? According to traditional system of medicine type of food determines the nature of man. So Muslims the meat eaters are violent the vegetarian Hindu are tolerant, that’s how the social common sense says here. This has been the part of demonization of Muslims. Violence is due to the ideas and underlying premises of the teachings they imbibe. They listen to the exclusionary discourse, Hindus are under threat is part of the preaching of many of these and some of them are deliberately planted in Adivasi areas to scare the Christian missionaries away. Lakkhanand in Orissa and Aseemanand in Dangs, Gujarat are two examples of that. They have been attacking the missionary work in the area of education and health. Incidentally in these areas around Christmas time, attacks are organized against churches and priests.
Along with the adverse effects of globalization the rise of these Holy men can clearly be seen. One was surprised to note that some of these Babas, (holy men) claiming to renounce the worldly goods are extremely prosperous themselves and have such a rich clientele that they can undertake an expensive month long luxury cruise along with these holy people and listen to the divine discourse in the midst of sea waves. Also there is a very impressive self designed dress code for the men of God. While one need understand this phenomenon at deeper level what can be said off hand is that their ashrams and activities should be within the parameters of law, subject to the usual checks and balances of a civic society. In case of Brinda Karat raising questions about the composition of medicines being produced by his factory, Baba’ followers were aghast as to how can ordinary mortal raise such question about the Baba. To assert that the laws of the land should not be applied to them cannot be acceptable in society and polity. To reduce the fraud which is seeping in many of these Ashrams, it will be worth its while to inculcate voluntary social audit, based on ethical values and laws of Indian society. All those involved in the death of these children and beating up of journalists must be subjected to the punishment due to them.
One has seen many a types of saints. During medieval period the Bhakti and Sufi saints stood for reform of society, emphasized on moral values of religion and included all in the fold of their community. They talked against blind faith and emphasized on the unity of all human beings. That's why we see that people cutting across religions flocked them. Today it seems that a large genre of those wearing holy robes are revivalists, pushing back the social values and exclusionary in their approach to the society. Their main focus is on giving calm and tranquility to the affluent, to be close to those with money and power. They are mute against the evil practices of untouchability, bride burning and manifest caste system.
Their association with politics of RSS combine clearly gives an indication as to how they prepare the ground for their societal agenda. We do need to emphasize on reform of the society, to look at dogmas and blind faith critically and to ensure that society develops in a humane direction. Some of them dish out the RSS ideology in a more sophisticated way, with the halo of divine sermon. While one appreciates their social welfare work, one will like that transparency is brought into their operations and medicines they produce should be regulated by the laws of the land. Can one expect that the tragic incidents of Asaram’s Ashram will open our eyes to be more vigilant about their deeds?

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Friday, July 18, 2008

Land Allotment and Amarnath Shrine

Land Allotment and Amarnath Shrine

Ram Puniyani

Jammu and Kashmir has been one of the regions of the country mired in different types of troubles all through. To add to the painful situation, the issue of land allotment to Amarnath shrine and later reversal of this decision has worsened the harmony, which is eluding the region.

J&K Government in contravention to the Supreme Court ruling decided to divert 39.88 (June 2008) hectares of land to Shri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB). This was preceded by lot of miscalculations and misrepresentations. In the volatile situation of the state this land diversion was presented as if the land has been sold to the Shrine board. This also had the implication of changing the tourism related services in the state. Currently the economic activity generated due to yatra (pilgrimage to the shrine) is one of the major sources of income for Muslims en-route. With SASB taking over many/all these services, a perception was created that those regularly associated with yatra services will be sidetracked and it will now become an exclusively Hindu affair. Further, this was wrongly perceived in the valley as if this is an attempt to change the demographic profile of J&K by settling more Hindus in the region. This baseless perception had some roots in the common knowledge that Shimon Peres, the Israeli Foreign minister had advised Lal Krishna Advani about changing the demographic composition in the valley. These twin factors were in the minds of people when this land diversion was presented as the sale of land and spontaneously there were huge protests in the valley. Separatist Extremists sections of Kashmir politics further enhanced the fury. These protests were immediately projected as anti-National by the BJP etc., and huge demonstrations, equally fierce were orchestrated by BJP etc. in the Jammu region.

The Amaranth yatra by Hindus is rooted in one of the most syncretic-mixed support structures. The cave where shrine is located was discovery of a Muslim Shepherd in 1850s, since when the pilgrim has started. The descendents of the Muslim shepherd and sahdus managed the yatra till 2001 when the SASB took over and is trying to increase its hold on the arrangements. Remarkably the yatra went on smoothly even at the peak of militancy in Kashmir, barring of course few aberrations here and there. In 2006 the Governor ordered to place dry ice on the Lingam (phallus, the holy deity) which showed signs of melting due to the increase temperature caused by increase in the yatra traffic and unseasonal heat. This was also a matter of protests. The pilgrimage is the major annual tourist event for the whole state, a means of bread butter for many of them. Also the syncretism in people's attitude is explicit all through as one sees the deep interconnection of the religious communities in the organization and carrying out of the yatra logistics. This again came to the fore when the pilgrims who got trapped due to breaking out of the demonstrations were well served by the Muslims en-route, who organized the food supplies and other help to them.

The spontaneous breaking out of protest in valley was used by elements, like Syed Ali Shah Gilani, belonging to the extremist faction of Hurriat Conference, in the valley politics, who went on to fan the fire of separatism during the agitations and further aggravated the situation by calling for boycott of polls to be held in October,.

The ruling coalition of Congress and regional PDP has been far from objective. Both the coalition partners calculated more in terms of vote bank rather than going by the ethos of democratic and secular values. Congress forced the diversion of the land under pressure from the Governor Sinha, and PDP sensing the mood in the valley backed out leading the Government to revert the order, PDP walked out of the Government leading to the fall of the government.

In Jammu region the BJP etc. has inflamed the situation by organizing massive bandhs. Its call for All India Bandh led to many highhanded actions, more so in BJP ruled states, the worst of which was death of several people in Indore, Madhya Pradesh due to the accompanying violence. In J&K BJP on parallel grounds has been communalizing the whole situation. Contrary to the local feelings it has also been talking of trifurcating of J&K, along religious line, Kashmir valley, Jammu and Laddhak. Demanding of separate statehood for Jammu has been one of the causes of rout of BJP in the last elections. Now it is at its old game again and is making an election issue out of the Amaranth shrine land transfer mismanagement.

J&K has been suffering both the communalisms in a painful way. The issues related to autonomy of Kashmir not being respected, the highhanded approach of central government, the violation of democratic process by constant rigging of elections has resulted in the atmosphere of fear and mistrust amongst Kashmir people leading to alienation and giving support to separatist elements. This process has been duly supported earlier by the Pakistan Government, in turn supported by the US designs of having its presence in such a vital area. The militancy in the decade of 1980s, the exodus of Kashmiri Pundits due to the militancy and hasty actions of Jagmohan has left severe marks on the psyche of Kashmir. The best thing happening in the area has been the strengthening of democracy during last few years, as manifested by the relative fairness of last elections and the reduction in the militancy due to better representation of people and change in the attitude of Pakistan. Still the fear of highhandedness of the Central government and the heavy presence of military is a big obstacle for the restoration of faith in Indian democracy in full. There is a need to curb communalism of both types, to create an atmosphere where Pundits can go back, there is a need to win over the heart and mind of the people of the region and to ensure that communalization of Kashmir related issues by extremist Kashmiri factions and RSS-BJP is opposed to the fullest extent.