Delhi has a lot of godmen. The place called Bhatti Mines alone has three of them who among them share hundreds of acres of land. They vie with one another to woo customers by organising various events which are supposed to be religious but appear more like melas. Neither the simple human morality nor the more noble spirituality of the people has improved any bit with all these godmen and their varied entertainments if we go by the crime rates in the city. The only thing that is changing visibly is the wealth possessed by these holy men.
Now the Art of Living (AoL) guru, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, is invading the Yamuna. 1000 acres of the riverbed and banks have been converted into a gigantic structure meant to hold some 3,000,000 devotees from about 150 countries. The President has already withdrawn himself from the event having realised the threat it poses not only to the Yamuna and its environment but also to his own reputation. The Prime Minister is also likely to withdraw citing security reasons.
The AoL will come up with statistics about its contributions towards the causes of the environment. They have a lot of money which can perform miracles, the kind which even their gods won't be able to perform! They got our soldiers to do a lot of construction work free of charge. Getting the country's army men to do your private work is nothing short of a miracle. In the end, the taxpayer pays for AoL's jobs too though AoL is richer than any taxpayer in India! These are a few of the miracles being performed by India's godmen.
I'm left wondering why these godmen, whose tribe is constantly increasing in population, are not able to bring in more peace and harmony, more joy and love, to the people who flock to them like the children who followed the Pied Piper. Why is there increasing discontent in proportion to the rising number of holy men and holier organisations?
Now the Art of Living (AoL) guru, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, is invading the Yamuna. 1000 acres of the riverbed and banks have been converted into a gigantic structure meant to hold some 3,000,000 devotees from about 150 countries. The President has already withdrawn himself from the event having realised the threat it poses not only to the Yamuna and its environment but also to his own reputation. The Prime Minister is also likely to withdraw citing security reasons.
The AoL will come up with statistics about its contributions towards the causes of the environment. They have a lot of money which can perform miracles, the kind which even their gods won't be able to perform! They got our soldiers to do a lot of construction work free of charge. Getting the country's army men to do your private work is nothing short of a miracle. In the end, the taxpayer pays for AoL's jobs too though AoL is richer than any taxpayer in India! These are a few of the miracles being performed by India's godmen.
I'm left wondering why these godmen, whose tribe is constantly increasing in population, are not able to bring in more peace and harmony, more joy and love, to the people who flock to them like the children who followed the Pied Piper. Why is there increasing discontent in proportion to the rising number of holy men and holier organisations?
Unholy state of affairs indeed!
ReplyDeleteAnd it will follow Murphy's Law.
DeleteThe rich get richer, and the poor get poorer, the holy get holier. ;)
ReplyDeleteBut, I have no answer to your question. Maybe, He also doesn't have one. Spectators of it, that is all.
It's a rhetorical question. I know the answer. Certain environments are conducive to the growth of certain creatures and species. This is the breeding season for godmen, sadhvis and others of the kind.
DeleteYou echoed my sentiments. Let me also state that I object to any mere human being elevated to the status of a God
ReplyDeleteHasn't god been converted into yet another commodity in the free market?
DeleteIf you say, I'm fed up of these godmen! I believe, even God would have been fed up of them, like parents get irritated by errant kids! The pity is, people still don't wake up, even though they are exposed! You will still find followers of those jailed godmen around. Be it Chandraswami or Asaram.
ReplyDeleteSad and deplorable!
People make material benefits by following these goddam godmen. I know people, especially women - divorcees, particularly - who have gained much by being godmen's devotees.
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