Skip to main content

Incredible India: When rape accused isn't arrested we burn candles, march; when rape accused is arrested we burn the city

By Anand Mazgaonkar*
We should all be extremely grateful to Baba Ram Rahim and Dera Sachcha Sauda for not formally announcing a coup and official takeover of the State of Haryana yesterday. That would indeed have been the first coup within a country and without military, or “outside” support. Actually, they did not need outside support because, in line with swadeshi philosophy, they had enough “inside” support.
For a start, Mr Manohar Lal Khattar and his Government were either asleep or on holiday. In any case, Mr Rajnath Singh was away in Kyrgystan and was forced to rush back. One would almost get the impression that the Home Minister matters in this Government. But rest assured, the situation will return to normal because not a single arsonist is reported to have been detained.
May be, Mr. Khattar did not receive any clear instructions from Delhi or Nagpur or wherever else he draws inspiration from. May be he was awake but either Delhi, or Nagpur, or both were asleep or on holiday. This is not to say the Nagpur folks, the Government or the ruling party were proactively supporting Ram Rahim. They did issue lame, vague, ambiguous, forked-tongued “ninda” as well as “kadi ninda” statements wherever they were pushed by Media. After all, elections are not immediately due in Haryana and they will be able to pull off a deal in time before the 2019 elections.
Ram Rahim’s going to jail, in reality, might be lovely opportunity for the ruling party to do a Tamil Nadu in Haryana. After getting the AIADMK in their pocket on Ms. Jayalalitha’s exit they can dream of doing the same with Dera Sachcha Sauda. Like Jayalalitha blessing them from heaven Baba Ram might well bless them from his cell in Rohtak.
It might be interesting to speculate on Asaram Bapu and Ms. Sasikala’s feelings on the recent turn of events. Could Gurmeet Ram Rahim’s joining them give them hope that ranks are swelling? Would they want to have each other’s company and request to be housed in the same jail? Could Ms. Sasikala be fancying the idea of going out on shopping trips with him? 
They could exchange notes on how they shop for MPs, MLAs and political leaders. Together they could form a Prisoners’ Union demanding equality before law and ask to be treated at par with the Gujarat’s encounter-accused policemen, riot accused, Gua Rakshaks, the Aseemanands, Sadhvi Pragyas and Col. Purohits.
Babas 50 million followers is a compelling argument. No one knows if there’s a formal membership or – like BJP membership – you become a follower just by giving a ‘missed call’ to the Ashram.
But, someone with so many followers having to go jail is an unadulterated tragedy. Following BJP MP Sakshi Maharaj’s advice the Court should have taken the size of his following into consideration. Just as economic liberalisation gives a free run to the Adanis and Ambanis now is the time for Religious Liberalisation. Perhaps, instead of a Uniform Civil Code we could have a Differential Civil Code, or even a Deferential Civil Code listing citizens into separate categories such as:
  1. Vote-Bank Gurus, Corporate Babas, Donor Swamis, Black-magic Mahatmas (exempted from murder, rape, fraud, land-grab crimes)
  2. Politicians, deal-fixers, power brokers (exemption from financial embezzlement, corporate funding laws)
  3. Gau Rakshaks, lynch-mobs (exemption from mob-violence crimes)
  4. Ordinary Citizens (the only category subject to IPC, Cr. PC and all other laws)
If the Government fears any backlash against carte blanche exemption from crime laws they could consider issuing crime coupons to Gurus, Babas and Swamis (much like discount coupons). Swamis and Babas could encash those crime coupons any time they want. Some would, of course, need to buy them in wholesale quantities. 
Obviously, crime coupons would have a GST component, boosting State coffers. The only matter of detail and fine tuning would whether to tax crimes of the Ram Rahims of India at the 5% ‘basic necessity’ rate or 28% luxury rate. But, Mr Arun Jaitley -being the legal luminary he is- would sort that out in a matter of seconds.
The Sakshi Maharajs of the world believe that rape happens because women wear jeans and use mobile phones. Since the Sadhvis were raped and abused in spite of their white clothes, covered heads, and total embargo on any communication with even their own relatives there must indeed be some other failing they had that provoked the Baba to commit his rape. Sakshi Baba can update, upgrade his theory.
Clearly, Baba Gurmeet Ram Rahim is the victim deserving the sympathy of politicians of all hues. His only fault may be the his photo trail with powerful politicians who’re now haunted.
Wish raped women had more faith in rapist Babas and their Godliness.

Comments

TRENDING

New RTI draft rules inspired by citizen-unfriendly, overtly bureaucratic approach

By Venkatesh Nayak* The Department of Personnel and Training , Government of India has invited comments on a new set of Draft Rules (available in English only) to implement The Right to Information Act, 2005 . The RTI Rules were last amended in 2012 after a long period of consultation with various stakeholders. The Government’s move to put the draft RTI Rules out for people’s comments and suggestions for change is a welcome continuation of the tradition of public consultation. Positive aspects of the Draft RTI Rules While 60-65% of the Draft RTI Rules repeat the content of the 2012 RTI Rules, some new aspects deserve appreciation as they clarify the manner of implementation of key provisions of the RTI Act. These are: Provisions for dealing with non-compliance of the orders and directives of the Central Information Commission (CIC) by public authorities- this was missing in the 2012 RTI Rules. Non-compliance is increasingly becoming a major problem- two of my non-compliance cases are...

History, culture and literature of Fatehpur, UP, from where Maulana Hasrat Mohani hailed

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat*  Maulana Hasrat Mohani was a member of the Constituent Assembly and an extremely important leader of our freedom movement. Born in Unnao district of Uttar Pradesh, Hasrat Mohani's relationship with nearby district of Fatehpur is interesting and not explored much by biographers and historians. Dr Mohammad Ismail Azad Fatehpuri has written a book on Maulana Hasrat Mohani and Fatehpur. The book is in Urdu.  He has just come out with another important book, 'Hindi kee Pratham Rachna: Chandayan' authored by Mulla Daud Dalmai.' During my recent visit to Fatehpur town, I had an opportunity to meet Dr Mohammad Ismail Azad Fatehpuri and recorded a conversation with him on issues of history, culture and literature of Fatehpur. Sharing this conversation here with you. Kindly click this link. --- *Human rights defender. Facebook https://www.facebook.com/vbrawat , X @freetohumanity, Skype @vbrawat

Urgent need to study cause of large number of natural deaths in Gulf countries

By Venkatesh Nayak* According to data tabled in Parliament in April 2018, there are 87.76 lakh (8.77 million) Indians in six Gulf countries, namely Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). While replying to an Unstarred Question (#6091) raised in the Lok Sabha, the Union Minister of State for External Affairs said, during the first half of this financial year alone (between April-September 2018), blue-collared Indian workers in these countries had remitted USD 33.47 Billion back home. Not much is known about the human cost of such earnings which swell up the country’s forex reserves quietly. My recent RTI intervention and research of proceedings in Parliament has revealed that between 2012 and mid-2018 more than 24,570 Indian Workers died in these Gulf countries. This works out to an average of more than 10 deaths per day. For every US$ 1 Billion they remitted to India during the same period there were at least 117 deaths of Indian Workers in Gulf ...

N-power plant at Mithi Virdi: CRZ nod is arbitrary, without jurisdiction

By Krishnakant* A case-appeal has been filed against the order of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) and others granting CRZ clearance for establishment of intake and outfall facility for proposed 6000 MWe Nuclear Power Plant at Mithi Virdi, District Bhavnagar, Gujarat by Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) vide order in F 11-23 /2014-IA- III dated March 3, 2015. The case-appeal in the National Green Tribunal at Western Bench at Pune is filed by Shaktisinh Gohil, Sarpanch of Jasapara; Hajabhai Dihora of Mithi Virdi; Jagrutiben Gohil of Jasapara; Krishnakant and Rohit Prajapati activist of the Paryavaran Suraksha Samiti. The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has issued a notice to the MoEF&CC, Gujarat Pollution Control Board, Gujarat Coastal Zone Management Authority, Atomic Energy Regulatory Board and Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) and case is kept for hearing on August 20, 2015. Appeal No. 23 of 2015 (WZ) is filed, a...

Gujarat agate worker, who fought against bondage, died of silicosis, won compensation

Raju Parmar By Jagdish Patel* This is about an agate worker of Khambhat in Central Gujarat. Born in a Vankar family, Raju Parmar first visited our weekly OPD clinic in Shakarpur on March 4, 2009. Aged 45 then, he was assigned OPD No 199/03/2009. He was referred to the Cardiac Care Centre, Khambhat, to get chest X-ray free of charge. Accordingly, he got it done and submitted his report. At that time he was working in an agate crushing unit of one Kishan Bhil.

Budget for 2018-19: Ahmedabad authorities "regularly" under-spend allocation

By Mahender Jethmalani* The Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation’s (AMC's) General Body (Municipal Board) recently passed the AMC’s annual budget estimates of Rs 6,990 crore for 2018-19. AMC’s revenue expenditure for the next financial year is Rs 3,500 crore and development budget (capital budget) is Rs 3,490 crore.

Licy Bharucha’s pilgrimage into the lives of India’s freedom fighters

By Moin Qazi* Book Review: “Oral History of Indian Freedom Movement”, by Dr Licy Bharucha; Pp240; Rs 300; Published by National Museum of Indian Freedom Movement The Congress has won political freedom, but it has yet to win economic freedom, social and moral freedom. These freedoms are harder than the political, if only because they are constructive, less exciting and not spectacular. — Mahatma Gandhi The opening quote of the book by Mahatma Gandhi sums up the true objective of India’s freedom struggle. It also in essence speaks for the multitudes of brave and courageous individuals who aspired to get themselves jailed for the cause of the country’s freedom. A jail term was a strong testimony and credential of patriotism for them. The book has been written by Dr Licy Bharucha, an academically trained political scientist and a scholar of peace studies and Gandhian studies, who was closely associated throughout her life with those who made the struggle for India’s independence the primar...

Warning bells for India: Tribal exploitation by powerful corporate interests may turn into international issue

By Ashok Shrimali* Warning bells are ringing for India. Even as news drops in from Odisha that Adivasi villages, one after another, are rejecting the top UK-based MNC Vedanta's plea for mining, a recent move by two senior scholars Felix Padel and Samarendra Das suggests the way tribals are being exploited in India by powerful international and national business interests may become an international issue. In fact, one has only to count days when things may be taken up at the United Nations level, with India being pushed to the corner. Padel, it may be recalled, is a major British authority on indigenous peoples across the world, with several scholarly books to his credit. 

Justice for Zubeen Garg: Fans persist as investigations continue in India and Singapore

By Nava Thakuria*  Even a month after the death of Assam’s cultural icon Zubeen Garg in Singapore under mysterious circumstances, thousands of his fans and admirers across eastern India continue their campaign for “ JusticeForZubeenGarg .” A large digital campaign has gained momentum, with over two million social media users from around the world demanding legal action against those allegedly responsible. Although the Assam government has set up a Special Investigation Team (SIT), which has arrested seven people, and a judicial commission headed by Justice Soumitra Saikia of the Gauhati High Court to oversee the probe, public pressure for justice remains strong.