http://www.countercurrents.org/puniyani210310.htm
By Ram Puniyani
21 March, 2010
Many a sex scandal related to Holy men have come to surface during
last few weeks (March 2010). Its not that these are the first one's
to have been brought to social attention, such incidents have been
coming to social notice time and over again. The present ones about
Swami Nityanand and Ichhchadhari Baba (Bhimanand) have highlighted
the same in a very intense fashion as these scandals are very blatant.
One recalls in recent history many such cases have startled the media
and society, the allegation of a foreign writer about Satya Sai Baba,
then allegations against Gurmeet Ram Rahim, Santosh Madhavan,
happenings of the Kamkoti Peetham Shakarachrya are quite well known.
From other religious traditions, one recalls the recent book by
Sister Jesme (Story of a Nun) and the news that the Roman Catholic
Church has sacked a priest accused of pedophilia as large number of
complaints were coming forth in Germany from people who were abused
as children. At another level the RSS pracharak (RSS pracharaks are
to remain bachelors for political reasons) Sanjay Joshi had also to
give up his political responsibility when a CD related to his sexual
exploits came to surface.
In all these cases the underlying mechanisms are different. In
Catholic establishment, to remain unmarried is the norm and many
cases have come to light, which have shamed the establishment. The
Hindu God-men are all 'stand alone' systems, not an organized Church.
While comparing these may not be easy, what is common in these is
that the organizations where members remain celibate to discharge
their religiously or politically ordained duties, many of them do get
tainted by the fall out of such acts.
What is different about the case of these God-men in particular is a
deliberate misuse of their 'spiritual attainments' to indulge in
carnal pleasures, under the guise of spirituality, to the extent of
running sex rackets in association with those in power. Here is the
case of gross abuse of faith to the extent of deliberately setting up
a situation to exploit the women devotees. The methods used by the
swamis are diverse. This should come under a serious crime not only
at legal but also at social level to ensure that such gross abuse of
faith is brought under serious scanner.
As such the concept of celibacy in many a religious orders had a
spiritual base in the noble idea of renunciations and transcending of
the physical pleasures to attain the higher spiritual platform. The
religious Gurus have been of different types as for as celibacy is
concerned. In early India there were renouncers as well as those who
led a family life. Patanjali stated "swa-ang jugupsa, parai
asansargah', meaning that with increasing spiritual insights, with
mind achieving higher truth, apathy for physical body comes in. This
is what is supposed to have made celibacy the path to sanyas.
Celibacy, Brahmcharya has been highly respectable in sections of society.
After 8th century celibacy was taken to exalted levels into Hindu
tradition by Shankara, while he was leading the battle of Hinduism
against Buddhism. To attack Buddhism he adopted various concepts from
Buddhism itself, e.g. the concept of renunciation of material wants,
celibacy included. Today the idea of celibacy is prevalent mainly in
Buddhism, sects of Hinduism and amongst Catholic priests. These three
have base in religious traditions. For much different reasons, mainly
political one's, organization like RSS has also brought this in for
its propagators.
Patanjali's argument is repeated by modern God-man, Sri Sri
Ravishaker. According to him as you go to higher levels, body becomes
insignificant and interest in sex is reduced to nothing. There have
been dissenting note from within the stable of God-men itself. The
major such voice was that of Osho, Bhagwan Rajneesh. He argued that
sex could be transcended only through experience; this was what he
preached and penned down in his book, Sambhog se Samadhi (From Sex to
Superconciousness).
These semi philosophical outpourings apart, the biological
compulsions have always accompanied the celibates and the scandals
have kept popping out from such institutions and individuals, telling
us that these sexual escapades are a rule than an exception. It may
be in the form of child abuse, same sex relationships to downright
cunning methods indulged by God-men to trap the women on the pretext
of their 'spiritual' pursuits. Different philosophical sounding
arguments are dished out to the unsuspecting laity.
From last few decades these incidents are coming more to the surface
as the phenomenon of God-men has mushroomed all around. This
phenomenon is an accompaniment of the existential anxieties of the
globalized world, the razor edge competitive era, where cut throat
competition at work place, heightened consumerism and moving upward
in the scale of financial earning is the only index of one's success.
The need for emotional succor is leading to the rise of the industry
of God-men.
The God-men, belong to many categories, each having his-her own
entrepreneurial skills. God-men put out their brand of spirituality,
which apparently gives solace to the aggrieved middle and lower
middle classes in particular amongst others. God-men have set up
institutions which cater to vastly expanding market. Meera Nanda in
her book, the 'God Market' argues that there is an increased
religiosity, collusion with the corporate World and the state. In
India in particular, a subtle Hindusization is going on as such and
this has been aided by the private sector. There is an active
promotion of religious tourism. Higher education has been handed over
to private sector, some of whom use religious trusts to run these
institutions to impart 'value education'. State has been generous in
giving away land at highly subsidized rates to the Gurus and God-men.
One can also see the rise of religious Right here and in different
countries during this period. RSS is having a field day in culturally
Hinduizing the social space, and God-men are the major players in the
game. One can say that these swamis of the ilk of Nityanad and
Ichchhadhari are just the visible part of a larger phenomenon. These
two cases also show the range of activities, from the spiritual
façade to downright sex racket.
The broader picture of the phenomenon is much more disturbing. Last
three decades have been one of the most tragic periods of human
history for different reasons. It is this period when the global
political and social phenomenon has adopted the language of the
religion. This language has created multiple problems. On one hand,
one major religious community has been demonized, and on the other
there is a big set back to the rational thinking and progressive
values. When the language of religion is used with great aplomb, the
reason is forced on the back-foot and the suppression of human rights
takes the garb of religion. Since religion is accompanied by faith,
which in turn can create hysteria, the latter ensures that blind
religiosity and blind faith rule the roost. The beneficiaries of
these arrangements are the entrenched social, economic powers.
Globally, US took on Russian forces by promoting the conservative
versions of Islam, used the religious language to train Al Qaeda, and
laced its ambitions for oil in the language of religion. Here in
India those who were opposed to social transformation of caste and
gender, used Ram Temple type issues, created mass hysteria around
identity issues and have tried to push back the process of social
transformation. The increased social presence of God-men is an
accompaniment of this process. They have duel function. On one hand
they aid in creating conservative values, refurbished caste and
gender norms from Manusmiriti are propagated, and on the other they
exploit this situation for their material enhancement, sexual
exploitation included. Interestingly the God men who talk of
renunciation and going to higher levels themselves are the biggest
beneficiaries of material riches. Society has to learn the lessons
from the sprawling wealth and sexual exploitation done by section of
God-men and to understand as to what is really taking place in the
garb of holy clothes is a mere misuse of faith for crass purposes.
Nityanand and Icchadhari Baba is a sort of barometer of the
phenomenon which has gripped our society.
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