Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh: The 'Godman' who thrived on controversy

The Sirsa-based Dera Sacha Sauda head Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, found guilty of rape by a Special CBI court today, is revered and reviled in equal measure in several parts of Punjab and Haryana. While his followers, referred to as “premis”, refuse to accept that the self-styled godman can do anything wrong, there are many, including at least two young women – who have accused him of raping them at his dera, and the son of a journalist allegedly killed for “exposing” him through writings in his vernacular newspaper — who accuse him of all kinds of wrongdoings.

A survivor, at least till today when the law finally caught up with him, despite serious cases including of murder, rape and forced castrations against him, Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh has been a sharply polarising figure in the predominantly cotton-growing belt of Sirsa-Dabwali-Bathinda-Sriganganagar of Haryana, Punjab and Rajasthan.

Inexplicably, his clout grew with every controversy involving him or the Dera.

The show of strength by his supporters, culminating in the violence today, isn’t the first time the “premis” held the Chandigarh-Panchkula-Mohali tricity to ransom. In 2002, when the Punjab and Haryana High Court ordered the CBI to investigate allegations of rape – brought to light through an anonymous letter purportedly sent by a rape victim — over one lakh followers from Haryana and Punjab assembled on Chandigarh roads in support of the Dera chief.   

His supporters often claim that he has over 5.5 crore followers, though the veracity of the claim has never been put to any test.

But, his sway over his followers can be gauged from the fact that during elections to the Punjab and Haryana Assemblies as well as Parliament, politicians of all hues virtually line up outside a small meeting room to seek his blessings and support. These politicians include those from the BJP, the Congress and the Shiromani Akali Dal (Badal).

And, the smooth operator that he is, ‘Pitaji’, as he is called by his followers, somehow manages to support the eventual winner, often, it is alleged, for a price extracted in the shape of help with his legal woes.

In between delivering sermons, the baba, whose twitter bio reads, “Spiritual Saint/Philanthropist/Versatile Singer/Allrounder Sportsperson/Film Director/Actor/Art Director/Music Director/Writer/Lyricist/Autobiographer/DOP” (SIC), has managed to write, direct and act in five movies apart from bringing out music albums.

In January 2012, while covering Punjab Assembly elections, this reporter was witness to powerful politicians queuing up to seek his support. Before meeting him, they had to mandatory seek an appointment, go through a pre-meeting interview with an 11-member political wing.

Many say one of the main reasons for the BJP’s victory in the 2014 Haryana Assembly elections was the open support extended by the Dera to it. Ditto for the Congress in this year’s Punjab Assembly elections.

The Dera chief also attracted controversy after he faced a violent backlash from the Sikh panthic organisations, including the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), in 2007 for allegedly dressing up like 10th Sikh Guru Gobind Singh at a public function in Salabatpura, Bathinda.

The incident resulted in clashes and the five Sikh high priests declared him an offender of the Sikh community. However, in a dramatic turn of events, in late 2015, the Akal Takht – the highest temporal seat of the Sikhs – pardoned him even though the Dera chief had refused to appear before them to tender an apology.

Many saw the hand of Shiromani Akali Dal (Badal) chief Sukhbir Badal behind the move. However, following mounting criticism from within the community, the pardon was rescinded.

Upset with the u-turn, the Dera then decided to support the Congress in the 2017 Punjab elections, one reason why the Congress won dethroning the SAD-BJP combine.

While there are many reasons for the controversial Dera chief’s popularity, one main draw is his anti-drug movement, as well as the hospital that the Dera runs inside the sprawling campus.