North India sees flurry of godmen for the same reason central India battles Maoists
The conviction in two rape cases of the Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh Insaan throws open the question why such Deras flourish in the first place. Why do people flock to such gurus and godmen, and repose in them a faith unprecedented, ready to die for the love of their “spiritual leader”?
The reasons are more complex that what merely meets the eye. It’s not just a bunch of superstitious folks flocking to a godman, who promises to show them the way. There’s a deeper socio-economic angle to the profusion of gurus in North India.
I firmly believe that whenever the social agenda fails the people in the country, two extreme possibilities develop. On the one hand, we get the rise of left-wing extremism, as is the case in the eastern and central parts of India, which battle the Maoists.
On the other extreme, we get the rise of gurus, as is the case in Haryana and Punjab.
There is also a third kind: a version which we have as yet not seen in India, but which is prevalent in the Middle East — a combination of Maoist militarism and Punjabi/Haryanvi Guruism or faith-based leadership.
In the Indian versions, both the protagonists — the gurus and the Maoists — fill the all-too-crucial social services and basic civic amenities vacuum, by providing these services almost free of cost to the dispossessed and disadvantaged populations. Whether it’s the dejected Sikh Dalits, or tribals facing assaults from the state and mining corporations, those neglected by organised religion or traditional state machinery take refuge in the Deras or find protection in the Maoist camps.
The only difference between the two is that in the Maoist version, the services are provided at the village level itself, whereas in the guru/godmen-led alternative, the services are provided inside the Deras.
Now why have Deras flourished in the north of India? Perhaps, the reason could be found in history’s dusty corridors. Historically, these regions have seen many invasions from across the western and northern mountains, and the usual protective response was to seek security in fortified conclaves, in gufas or caves, or Deras.
Moreover, the reason why we see a number of gurus in the north is also because the most recent religion, Sikhism, is also one of the most liberal, and is accepting of wide-ranging interpretations. Sikhism was born in the northwest of India, in Punjab to be precise, and it has a holy book, the Guru Granth Sahib, that imbibes very modern thinking, allowing for it to be accepted in many versions.
Whilst this is not completely acceptable to many Sikhs, it does provide considerable spiritual, if not religious, license to those who want to interpret it in different ways.
Hence, we have a string of sects in the Punjab, whose dominant spiritual and ideological teachings, nevertheless, are not only very similar to the teachings of the original Sikh faith, but are essentially taken from the Sikh Guru Granth Sahib itself. In a lighter vein, talk about intellectual theft!
On the other hand, as caste prejudices snuck into the very faith that was formed as a strong rejection of caste-based Hinduism, the Deras formed a formidable alternative. The comfort, support and respect provided to the dispossessed and downtrodden through the provision of shelter, health services, education, and above all, equal membership to a tribe to call their own, is the real appeal of the gurus and the Deras they lead.
In the absence of any real options for the future, large swathes of common folks see such gurus offering not only solace and support, but also the promise of giving the folks without hope a connect to the Almighty. Often, the promise of salvation and easy access to the afterlife, by following a path of spiritual righteousness in the garb of being a Dera loyalist, appeals to those who are left without alternatives. The community living and the basic social services have a tremendous impact and they are compelling from a practical as well as from a spiritual perspective.
Finally, such gurus have a real draw for politicians as they are able to provide them with consolidated and large chunks of votes, for really very little in return. Not surprisingly then, that they are wooed by political parties of all hues, even though the political parties themselves do very little to solve the structural gaps in either the socioeconomic ladders of the regions, or fill in the massive lacunae in community and inter-sect outreach.
Truth is politicians use the gurus, and being seen with them lends them mass appeal, and confers an aura of having a hold on the pulse of the region. The gurus, likewise, obtain legitimacy by being seen around hobnobbing with mainstream politicians.
And the wheels of this vicious cycle move on in well-oiled harmony, until something as drastic as a rape conviction or fraud charge shatters the well-kept illusion.