Amritsar Sahib (KP) – As if the mounting legal problems were not enough, the Sauda Dera cult leader has now seen the wrath of the Sikh Sangat up-close and found out the hard way that he no longer has the option to roam about freely in his home state of Haryana.
The cult leader, who is being investigated on charges of rape and murder, was returning from Rajasthan when he stopped over in the village of Gokanwale for a controversial ‘Naam-Charcha’ program. Security has been beefed up in the area due to local Sikh Sangat from nearby villages also gathering there to protest the cult leader’s presence.
Convey of Cult Leader Attacked by Sikh Sangat
According to eyewitnesses, the cult followers who organized the Gokanwale program initially harassed the Sikhs, but the Sikhs Sangat quickly regrouped and neutralized the culprits soon afterwards. When the Sikh villagers found out the cult baba had arrived, they surrounded his oncoming motorcade and pelted it with rocks and stones. Parlimentary and riot police was brought to the spot to ease tensions between the Sikh Sangat and the cultists. Only after the security forces had arrived, the visibly shaken baba was escorted back to safety in his Sirsa dera compound.
A spokesman for the Haryana government who was perturbed by the news that the baba had attempted to hold programs in public commented: “Despite our clear instructions directing the Dera head to avoid holding religious discourses at public places and the use of loudspeakers, he halted at Gokanwale village and it resulted in a clash. We perceive a threat to his life, that is why the 'Z' type security has been given. But, if the Dera head does not want to be protected by the government, he should [tell] us in writing so that it can be withdrawn," he said.
Dozens of Sikhs have been rounded up and over 200 warrants have been issued by the Haryana police in connection with the incident. Police were identifying the Sikhs using video images captured by their staff and the media and from complaints made by dera followers.
Legal and Social Pressure Mounting
Many other problems are arising for the cult and it appears that the dera leader and his cohorts have an up hill battle to fight to tackle these problems. Not only does the dera have several criminal cases pending upon its chief leadership, it also faces other major trouble. Disaffection by followers, rejection of apologies, mockery in the media and anguish of the Haryana Government are some of the major issues the dera has to cope with.
Hundreds of dera followers break relations with the cult
Hundreds of dera followers have publicly affirmed their disassociation with the dera and have taken a vow to only believe in the teachings of Guru Granth Sahib Ji. Recently, over one hundred dera followers converted back to Sikhi. Disturbed by this incident, several complaints were lodged by the dera asking the State Governments to probe into these conversations. These complaints of the dera were however debunked by a delegation of former Sacha Sauda followers who assured the press that their conversions were not influenced by force of any kind.
Akal Takhat Sahib refuses apologies
While talking to the ‘Shanti Samiti’, a newly formed organization from Sirsa which claims to be neutral, Jathedar Giani Joginder Singh Vedanti held that the Akal Takhat Sahib does not hold any animosity with any individual or organization, but however, Gurmeet Ram Rahim could not be pardoned until he sought a ‘sincere and noble’ apology. Jathedar Vedanti told the Sirsa organization and the press that so far the Akal Takhat Sahib has only received ‘press notes’ and no apologetic terms were found in either of the four notes it has received so far.
Major setbacks because of the media and State Government
In light of the recent clashes between the Sikh Sangat and dera followers, several media agencies have finally come out to blame the cult followers for the violence. Zee News, subsidiary of the Zee TV network, reported that the Haryana Government has put the blame on the Sirsa Cult leader for the violent clashes that took place after the dera held a religious discourse in Rajasthan. According to Zee News' sources, the Sirsa based Sacha Sauda cult leader was given orders not to hold any type of discourses outside his dera, but despite the State Government orders, Gurmeet Ram Rahim visited a ‘Sat Sang’ to hold discourses.
In addition to these major obstacles, close sources have also suggested that some disputes have arisen within the chief leadership of the Sirsa based cult. The behavior and attitude of Gurmeet Ram Rahim is believed to be the major cause of the internal dispute. Some senior leaders of Dera Sacha Sauda have expressed enmity with their leader for causing a delay in apologizing to the Sikh institutes and have agreed that the tensions in Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan could have been halted by now if Gurmeet Ram Rahim had apologized sincerely.
