Bachke Rehna Re Baba

Some days ago, I came across this news flash that some Nityanand and Bhimanand Babas were caught in some sex scandals. The news channel were also showing “Exclusive” footage of the Baba doing some vulgar snake dance and numerous of his followers clapping hands around him. I kept wondering that this Baba has to be some engineering student in the past because this snake dance was so prominent in every engineering college. Each year the songs on the annual day would change, but the dance would remain constant. I suddenly realized that I too have a good knowledge of this dance and so am qualified enough to be a Baba myself some day.

A thought came in my mind that these Babas (I would be referring the term Baba to both male and female self-proclaimed pseudo-Gods. No gender bias intended) would be earning fairly well in their Babagiri business. So what made them involve in such anti-social activities (It is my innocent assumption that sex trade is an anti-social activity!). Does being a Baba act as a cover for performing anti-social activities or these activities are necessary for Babas to popularize and strengthen their Babagiri business?

You might be wondering why I am referring to the activities of these saintly Babas as a business. This is because most of the Babas have turned spirituality into a business. This business requires some initial capital investment by arranging some satsangs and putting large hoarding appealing that I am the I-know-it-all Gurudev or Gurumaa. And then there is a great return on initial investment with almost nil working capital requirements.

So who are their target customers in this business? Well, each Baba has his well-defined target customers. We will be having some Baba Bangali for the poor as well as some Chamatkari Maharaj for the affluent. Each Baba “gives” what his target customer “wants”.

This brings in another question - what are the “wants” of people that helps the wide-spread of this business? Why do “normal” common people begin worshipping some “saffron-clad long-bearded” common people? Well, there are various wants that Babas satisfy. Some people visit Baba’s Ashram just to feel spiritual. Some go because others go. Some go thinking that a Baba’s “super-power” might solve the problems of their life. Some think that some donation to a Baba might reduce the sin in their crime. Some go to protect their on-going sins. Don’t we come across people wearing Baba-lockets and contributing money to dance bars or people kissing their Baba-rings before taking bribes?

I heard some Baba saying on a TV show that ‘All Babas are not bad’. I agree, but how can a common man distinguish between a good Baba and a bad Baba. Isn’t it the responsibility of the good Babas to blacklist the bad Babas? But who will do that and how can we believe the people doing that. As it is said, who will guard the guards?

I believe that it is important to enhance the spiritual health of individuals and society, but at what cost? India had been a land of saints who flourished spirituality in this nation and brought about a positive change in the society. But can we give this responsibility to today’s genre of Babas? There is a thin line between belief and blind-belief. But, it is this line that decides on whose shoulders do we burden the accountability of our life – ours or God’s. Do today’s Babas have the ability to draw this line? Or they do not want to draw this line and let the blind-belief thrive to benefit their businesses?

Coming back to the Nityanand-Bhimanand episode, people started blackening and tearing the hoardings of these Babas once their live “chamatkar” was seen on the television. A two-minute video and suddenly a God becomes a Demon. You never know that these Babas might give some clarification and proofs and their reverence might continue again. The game of belief and disbelief is sometimes really strange. What makes public-opinion swing from one end of spectrum to the other so rapidly – my paagal stupid mann often wonders!