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India is a country where ‘godmen’ are
glorified. Their authority and verdict is held
in absolute assent by a large size of the
population. What was initially revered as
a direction of life for those willing to embrace
sacrifice, work for betterment, or to achieve
nirvana, has increasingly become a commercial
circus today.
I do not mean to offend anyone, but I am
speaking out of a recent personal experience
in this matter. I had attended one of these
very such events – popularly known as satsang
in the north of the country. Amidst all the
teachings of true values, what left me most
baffled was the manner in which attendees
were ready to shell out amounts ranging from
Rs 20,000 to many lakhs at a moment’s prompt
from the godman. Not just individuals, entire
communities were ready to put up money
upfront, and it would be safe to presume
that there are never any audits done on such
donations or at such events.
When an entire country grappled by
inflation is struggling with poverty, and when
you have a myriad number of NGOs that
are in urgent need of assistance, why would
individuals or communities make a choice of
donating to religious figures instead? And if
you are in sync with news and television, there is no need for me to mention here that these
self-declared godmen are leading extremely
comfortable lives surrounded by imported
cars, all sorts of technologies, and mammoth
bank accounts, while millions have to fight for
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two decent meals a day. Not just the willing
donations, what I witnessed was a form of
coercion – when your name is announced
amongst a gathering of 500, you cannot help
but shell out the amount to save face.
What is it that drives the nation to believe
in this self-initiated supremacy? What sort
of grip do these babas, pujaris and acharyas
have on the nation, so as to be able to even
influence politics both regional and national
as per their convenience? How does one even
begin to comprehend the largesse depleted
on these men who are regularly enveloped in
controversies ranging from sexual abuse to
money laundering?
The problem I think is deep-rooted. It lies
in blind faith, superstition and unfortunately
poverty, which leads to desperation for
quick-fix cures. But as long as we allow these
godmen to take advantage, we as a nation
are only further entrenching ourselves in
the vicious cycle of debilitating belief and
disempowerment. We need to keep our minds
open before we close our eyes in prayer.
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