Recently, there is a controversy hovering over the god man Manas Das in Odisha. He has been accused of many serious crimes including murder, caste hatred and attempt to murder.
In another incident a self-styled god man Swami Bijayanandaji Maharaj was arrested by the EoW in a fraud case. After a gap of some time, god men are back in focus in the country. We are aware of the fact that Indian society is more religious than political. There is no scarcity of temples, churches, mosques or guru dwars for gods and goddess. Still people follow and worship the god men. Generally, yogis and saints are considered as ‘Baba’ in India.
As per a statistical report, there are more than four million Sadhus or saints in India. They have their own life styles, own self-created rules and own way to achieve salvation. That’s why Indian society respects saints. Modernisation and globalisation have provided alternatives.
The alternatives are also found in religion. These alternatives make a way to New Religion Movement (NRM) or alternative spirituality. It has modern origin with two separate religious phenomena.
First, this is a modern origin because of the result of interaction and exchange between local, indigenous and native religion with the major religion like Christianity. Second, there are many new religions in the modern industrial society. These modern forms of new religions are created through a process of assimilation of philosophy of other established and conventional religion.
The aim of the new religion is to answer and to support the socio-psychological needs which cannot be answered by mainstreams religions. This paves way to god men. And god men create cults.
A cult can be defined as a close knit group which is organised around some common themes and interest. Cult is often used as an authoritarian group that induces beliefs or actions through mind control and brain washing.
The terminology of brainwashing was associated with unification of Church or The Monnies Cults. It was founded by South Korean Rev. Sun Myung Moon. The Moonies cult was identified by its huge religious conversion. James Bjornstad in “The Moon is not the Son” explains “The Moonies” cult was so popular because it had spirituality, numerology and anti-communism.
The recruitment rate was high in Monnies cult irrespective of class, culture and gender. Sociologist Elien Barkeron says god men are very inefficient at keeping members. Followers are not brainwashed. Most come from happy and secure backgrounds usually from middle class. Many have joined
because the god men offered solutions to their needs just like family. The processes like brain washing or mind control are not so impressive to hold the followers for a long time. In another example, Peoples Temple cult which was founded by a so called god man Jim Jones in 1955 was also subjected to the allegation of brainwashing and harassment towards followers. It forced him to escape with several hundred followers to establish a new town named Jonestown in Guyana. Jonestown was actually a prison camp. When delegations were advised to investigate the truth about Jonestown and its human living conditions, Jim Jones executed his inhuman final plan. On November 18, 1978, as many as 909 men, women and children were killed after being forced to drink a poised flavour aid.
In a similar incident, 75 people including children lost their lives while police tried to arrest a cult leader or self-styled god man named David Korech. In both examples what we find is the society is correct about its analysis and consequences of brain washing and mind control.
But British sociologist James Aurthor Beckford has a different opinion about the god men and their cults. According to him, cult is not negative or unhealthy because cult which is seen as healthy in one’s eye may be seen as unhealthy in another’s. The answer to why people fall in the trap of god men in India is caste system. Firstly, different castes carry different opinions for leading a good life.
Lower or marginalised castes always desire for a good life with social equality, social dignity and social justice. God men provide this idealistic state of feeling to followers which may be a myth but followers have accepted it as a solution.
Secondly, the relationship between Hindu god men and followers is like a relationship between a magician and its clients or miracle seeker. The followers go to god men to get some miracles in their lives. When there is a cause based relationship on religious or spiritual background, the trust will be strong enough to challenge anything. The more miracles we need the more followers’ god men have. Thirdly, politicians who are the pioneers of secular democracy do not promote secularism. They consider these god men as vote banks. It is also a fact that not all politicians support these cults. Finally, The Indian god men are very good in marketing. It is a spiritual journey of god men with a management strategy.
Gradually, they become powerful and popular. This trend has emerged in post independent India. Some religious preachers have become god men and some of the god men have declared themselves as god.
Unless and until these god men become a god figure, there is less possibility of creation of market around them. Allegations against these god men, their so- called purity and their spiritual business empire are not counted as just their personal affair. All these Baba behaviours have become a matter of public discussion and a culture. It needs wide discussion. Therefore sociologists consider it now as a social issue. A renowned journalist and Pulitzer awardee Simon Denyer in The Washington Post writes that Indian Gurus, miracle workers and spiritual leaders often collectively
known as god men have become powerful figures who control vast philanthropic and business empires, dabble in politics and manipulate media.
Analysing god men and their culture doesn't demean the contribution of other spiritual Gurus like Adishanakachrya, Guru Nanak, Kabir, Surdas and Tulidas. They have achieved the zenith of spirituality.
Their philosophies contain social equality, social justice, and respect for humanity. Also, there are many contemporary spiritual leaders and god men who have revived and popularised yoga and meditation into ordinary people lives.
(Dr Parida is an Assistant Professor in Sociology, email id- abash.parida@gmail.com)