Friday, March 29, 2024
HomeEditorialBeware of fraud religious gurus

Beware of fraud religious gurus

- Advertisement -

I don’t know whether the godmen intentionally exploit their ‘bhakts’(followers) or the media make the hullabaloo and exploit the godmen’s position for publicity and mislead its viewers/readers and babas’ followers. However, one thing is for sure, faiths on Godmen have come to standstill for some. If not content with one Guru, one can always find another, more powerful. Enraged at the increasing number of religious gurus being caught in sex scandals, who will punish them and what should be the punishment for fraud ‘babas’ who indulged in wrongdoings in the name of religion. The law is supposed to be enforced uniformly, and without sorting the guilty on the basis of their economic and social background. Such an order is sure to spark a debate.

Buzz up! There is the need to keep a check on fraud religious gurus; there should be a minimum qualification to prevent everyone from becoming a ‘baba’. A sex video of Swami Nithyananda created uproar across the country. Youth between the age of 14 to 19 are visiting websites to see the Baba’s act; they are not even bothered about spiritual Guru’s moral or immoral conduct, they are visiting these sites to enjoy pornography. The media is randomly reporting about such incidents. In the same week, a religious guru, Icchadhari Baba was arrested by the Delhi police for running sex rackets in different parts of the country and even abroad. It indicates the flaw in governance.

Poverty, ban on bars, financial crunch, discrimination, unemployment are the reasons why women are falling prey to such places because this is done on spiritual couch. These women perhaps feel a little better knowing that the person exploiting her is a spiritual guru who perhaps could provide her monetary aid. It is no surprise then that our survey revealed that women, rather ironically, feel safer with either the criminal mafia or the spiritual one. Undoubtedly, the women implicated in these acts are no gold-clad Mainikas. For them, the man is just a means to an end. There is the need for launching a nation-wide campaign against black money that flows through swamis to these women. And also there must be provisions to rehabilitate a woman who is caught in such sex scams. Several TV channels have telecasted the sexual acts of ParamahamsaNithyananda with some Tamil actresses and the Swamiji has been missing ever since. Religion and spirituality are tenets by which people should live as opposed to war and crime. So the question is, are such acts immoral or are they just natural expressions of being? Should we measure the value of a Godman by the many good things that he has done for the society or by the one moment of weakness that he has perhaps indulged himself in. Should public figures be entitled to their privacy?

On the flip side, illicit affairs with devotees should be considered objectionable as it defies values of the institution. It is similar to a teacher in college having an affair with his student. The same is the case of the use of drugs and casual sex by college students or alcohol and promiscuity by call center employees. The purpose of an Institution stands defeated. Legal marriages should be allowed as a vent to such frustrations.

The judgement is that even though the Swamiji has served the public and has defamed his institution it must be saved from people who exploit it. Swamiji should be awarded a mild punishment and must be allowed to live his personal life by being legally and lawfully married and not by surrogacy. While India is proud of her divine sons like Swami Vivekananda and Aurobindo, certain self-proclaimed Godmen commit acts, enough to make our holy land, our mother, hang her head in shame. It is a fact that our people have an unusual attraction for ochre robes and flowing beards (no offence intended). Some foreigners also get attracted to our Indian Gurus. The reason for the foreigner’s attraction can be easily guessed. Westerners are adventurous and want to know new things, try new ways of living.

I do not say all Godmen are unholy. There are divine Gurus who have the power to melt down your troubles by their wisdom. But the search to find one such truly great spiritual leader is a herculean task and one may not be successful at all throughout life time. Several Godmen get rich, no one knows how. It may be that rich disciples who donate money for the ashrams. What do these Godmen do to convince rich disciples? How do they convince the Westerners? To become a Guru one needs an attractive personality and a glib tongue, that’s for sure. Once a foreigner is spotted as a disciple of the Guru, the others start believing that the Guru must be really great to have got a foreigner as a disciple. This increases his popularity. Swamiji was found in a compromising position with two different women. A scene shows him popping some pills offered by a woman. Immediately after these scenes were flashed on the news channels, his ashrams in several states were vandalised.

Sanathana Dharma is the mode and methodical way suggested by our ancestors to feel, perceive, realise and get closer to God. In fact, what we call Hinduism is not a separate religious faith that our forefathers contended or invented. It is a broad minded Universal Path the soul should follow to reach its ultimate goal (Moksha or Salvation). Initially, there was a complaint by a secular lot that Hinduism was preached through Sanskrit. The elite body of learners preserved it as their cherished property. Indeed a section of them misused and exploited the commoners. The Pre-Vedic period followed by Post-Vedic period witnessed oppositions and radical changes. Disappointed lot was lured by Buddhism and Jainism. People found solace in the simple codes of conduct followed by these two religions. Whatever was told by these preachers were comprehensible and these faiths flourished. Meanwhile, Islam entered the motherland through foreign invasion. Further, through Vasco da Gama, followed by other Europeans, Christianity too entered India.

Religion has become the order of the day. Then renaissance made an attempt to revive Hinduism.

Three great sages Sankaracharya, Ramanujacharya and Madhavacharya saw to that the age-old faith is resurrected and revived. Thus, our land has witnessed too many radical changes affecting the religious sentiments of the inmates. The commoner’s socio-economic problems are too many. It is surprising that people actually have the time to go and shower all they possess and surrender to these self-made Godmen? The country is burning with a number of logical and illogical issues. There is hardly anytime for anyone to spend on a content, happy and peaceful day. Then how is it that some find the time and wealth to offer to such devil-incarnates? The prophecy says that one day the whole earth would cease to exist. However, we are the cleverest. We will steal the show in that act too. We don’t offer or can afford to confer that rare chance to the foreigners. We don’t make one wait for that day. We have our indigenous ways and methods to advance the DOOMSDAY!!

(Any suggestions, comments or dispute with regards to this article send us on feedback@www.afternoonvoice.com)

- Advertisement -
- Advertisement -
Vaidehi Taman
Vaidehi Tamanhttps://authorvaidehi.com
Vaidehi Taman an Accredited Journalist from Maharashtra is bestowed with three Honourary Doctorate in Journalism. Vaidehi has been an active journalist for the past 21 years, and is also the founding editor of an English daily tabloid – Afternoon Voice, a Marathi web portal – Mumbai Manoos, and The Democracy digital video news portal is her brain child. Vaidehi has three books in her name, "Sikhism vs Sickism", "Life Beyond Complications" and "Vedanti". She is an EC Council Certified Ethical Hacker, OSCP offensive securities, Certified Security Analyst and Licensed Penetration Tester that caters to her freelance jobs.
- Advertisement -

Latest

Must Read

- Advertisement -

Related News