Sant Asaram in jail, Baba Ram Rahim has been sentenced to a jail term of twenty years and Narendra Dabholkar, Pansare, Kalburgi murdered. These developments have started a new debate in the country. Rationalists across the country are become more vocal and emboldened even in face of all kinds of threats and attacks. Everywhere, people can be seen, using different logics, to expose god men and black magic practitioners. St.Asaram and Baba Ram Rahim have been sharply criticized by the masses.
But here one thing is clear; all the rationalists have been attacking babas and other persons who are somehow associated with Hinduism. They are not touching Muslims, Christian or Sikh babas or black magicians of these faiths. Most of these good men are most of the time in news for wrong reason. Moreover, it is also a secular- intellectual- fashion to criticize the Hindu godmen and Hindu rituals.
A contradiction can be seen here. The voices those are very critical of St.Asaram and Baba Ram Rahim is either silent or supportive to another rapist Tarun Tejpal. Similarly, the elements who are very vocal on the murder of Narendra Dabholkar, Pansare and Kalburgi are also supporting triple Talaq, polygamy, halala, Sharia and Quranic Laws, Burqa, Nun system in churches etc.
In this nation, Hindu tilak and Choti (Knowledge Shikha), are branded as communal or superstitions but Muslim skull cap and burqa (Veil) are treated as secular and religious. Devadasis in the temple are the oppression of women but nuns in the churches are religion or service to God.
So here rationalists are irrational and communal. This should not surprise us instead it is the eagerness of millions and billions of people, even very highly educated ones, ready to surrender to the irrational practices. Bihar Chief Minister very proudly retorted some time. One has to wear skull cap for happy survival. Shri Nitish Kumar, Lalu Yadav, Mulayam Singh Yadav, Akhilesh Yadav, Mamta Banerjee, Digvijay Singh etc. are few such example of this kind.
Conmen and godmen thrive under the garb of religion where people adore them as the representative of God on the earth. This confusion is not atheism or unbelief or no-faith but false faith or naughty faith. Here the living example is empires of baba-dom and Mazar/dargah/grave worship. In India one can see President, PM, Governors, CMs, Ministers, Jurists even Chief Justices, IAS, IPS, Scientists, Businessmen, etc., etc., going to babas and dargahs. It is almost a constitutional and secular ritual to offer chaders and offerings at dargahs, by constitutional functionaries every year.
In the name of trusting God people surrender to these god men or these bogus powers. Now, cultic power centres in the forms of Mazars and graves and bogus godmen mushrooming with millions and millions of followers in this age. When Mother Teresa was to grant Sainthood due to her so called magical powers entire nation went into joy. Even so called progressive and secular non-believer CPM leaders also became hysterical with joy on this achievement. It proves the sickness of the mind.
Unwittingly, we invite irrationality, exhibit insecurity, and life in grip of falsehood, fear and hypocrisy. As far as Hinduism is concerned there is every possibility that in coming to future God will be replaced by god men as it has become a secular, intellectual fashion to mock Hinduism in general and Hindu priest or Brahmans in particular and there is no strong power or practice which can stop this onslaught.
God, spirituality, faith etc, are for individual growth and baba or god men provide the easy, cheap and attractive way to grow which lures the people. One can see politicians and film stars wearing a skull cap, offering on head chader on the shoulder, rushing to Mazars and dargahs for success in politics. This gimmick camouflaged all their sins. This is highly ridiculous. A man buried hundreds of years back but still, his perishable body has magical powers.
Christians have a large number of saints declared as living God. Similarly, Muslims have Sufi saints and Mazars of these babas which are representative of Divine powers. Same is true about Hinduism. God men claim to felicitate and perpetuate empowerment but in reality enslave an individual. A sick society is always muddled with troubles and anxieties. It pines a strong, irresistible desire for a larger than life character that has solutions to all the problems.
Historically, the godman syndrome flourishes when religious institutions fail. Today Hinduism, Christianity and Islam, all have lost credibility and facing a crisis of faith. God alone should be the centre of all faith. The infinite God is manifested in finite existence throughout time. The Supreme is God, the universal Lord who contains conscious souls and unconscious nature. God includes universe within Himself. God is all while an individual is nothing.
We should give way to His presence, surrender to His will and lost in His love. When we turn to Him and allows Him to fill our own existence, individual responsibility ceases. He takes care of us and leads and guides us beyond all sorrows and sufferings. He deals with individuals directly and not through agents in form of Babas, Imams, Mazars, Dargahas, saints, etc... Even ignorant slaughter fellow beings to please or invoke Him. He does not need any bribe or gift. He is all benevolent.