It’s Time to Shut Shops of Criminals Like Ram Rahim & Asaram

Asaram and Gurmeet Ram Rahim’s conviction shows crime and corruption is being propagated in the name of faith.

Citizens need to raise their voices against propagators of crime like Asaram & Gurmeet Ram Rahim.

(Photo: The Quint)

Video Editor: Mohd Ibrahim

First it was Gurmeet Ram Rahim and now it’s Asaram. This is a big warning which says that in the name of faith, a racket of crime and corruption is being propagated, which needs to be shut down immediately.

Gurmeet Ram Rahim and Asaram both have huge political connections with ministers at their beck and call. It is almost as if worldly and spiritual powers have come together and these people are ruling over the earth and the heaven.

But who are the ones affected by such things? None other than the God-fearing people who are devoted to the Almighty.

Don’t have a job? Go to Baba. Don’t have the money for treatment? Baba will help you. Issues in your love-life or a property dispute? Baba has the cure for every ailment.

People are tired of the system

For most people, there is no hope of getting help from elsewhere. Forget about getting help from government organisations, and even if you get justice, your entire life will be spent fighting for it. Mind you, you will have to spend a lot as well.

In such a scenario, a quick solution is all that people need, and Babas provide just that - a quick solution to all your problems. Let’s refer to these ashrams and deras as shops. So many shops have opened up in the country due to this.

If you take a survey of these shops, you will realise how they are running a parallel economy. The ones who run these shops have an amazing understanding with the ones who run the nation.

But every evil deed comes to an end inevitably. These shopkeepers will also face the same fate for running these shops without licenses, and playing with the emotions of innocent people.

Asaram’s Empire was built in the last four decades

Here are two examples of the size of these shops. Gurmeet Ram Rahim has a 700 acre kingdom along with influence in film industry and claims of performing miracles.

Asaram is ahead in terms of his net worth, which is more than Rs 10,000 crores with more than 400 ashrams in India and overseas.

And this entire empire was built in the last four decades. My biggest question is - should we wait for their evil deeds to be exposed in their own time, or actually be proactive and come forward to raise our voices against them.

When will we raise our voices?

We can talk about regulating online hate on Facebook, Twitter and WhatsApp. We can even talk about going against these platforms and fake news. But why can’t we raise our voices against these shopkeepers of spirituality?

There might be people who will oppose the punishment given to Asaram. They may go jam roads and create ruckus or even raise slogans, but what is certain is that these people won’t be common people like you and me.

These people will either be organised groups hired for this very reason.

It’s time to raise our voice against Asaram, Gurmeet Ram Rahim, Nityanand and Rampal and hundreds of such dishonest men. If a politician or political party supports them, then we must oppose them as well.

(This story was first published by Quint Hindi and has been translated by Anmol Saini.)