Sant Rampal: From Preaching to Behind Bars
“For 25 years, you continuously worshipped Hanuman Ji. Everyday recited Hanuman Chalisa seven times, and consecutively for eighteen years went to a famous temple of Hanuman Ji in a village Salahsar in district Churu in Rajasthan to do worship.”
Once a junior engineer 19 years ago within the Harayana Department, Sant Rampal is now one of India’s most controversial religious leaders with over 20,000 followers, some who would eagerly give up their lives for him. This was made apparent on the morning of November 18th when his followers defended him either willingly or forcibly after Rampal was accused of waging war against the state and had 6000 security personnel surround his ashram.
Secularism in India allows religious freedom and the equal treatment of all religions by the state. In contrast to Western secularism, India does not have a clearly defined separation between the religion and the state as some religious laws are recognized by the state. A nation known for its religious diversity, religion plays a powerful role in India.
Sant Rampal’s Rise to Fame
Born to a farmer in the Dhanana, a village bordering Rohtak district of Haryana, Rampal left his job and devoted all his time to delivering sermons. He began his religious sermons in the Kabir Panth by driving around towns and villages in his motorcycle, preaching through a small microphone. Rampal gained popularity in the region and now participates in various religious activities including organizing pilgrimage tours to Kashi and Triveni for about 5000 people. When one of his devotees attributed Rampal for his successful business ventures, he bought the first three acres of land where Rampal had set up his ashram, following Kabir. A large proportion of Rampal’s followers are those who do not have jobs and were attracted to the prospect of free food and shelter that Rampal’s ashram provided.
The Controversies
Rampal’s rise to fame was fueled by several controversies. The religious leader did not hesitate in using violence and participating in other illegal activities as means to achieving ends. Rampal currently has 6 existing cases against him including: murder, forgery, assault, and criminal intimidation. His main conflicts center on those who opposes him and those with different religious sects. The first police case registered was in 2006 after a violent conflict between Rampal’s supporters and the members of a different ashram also following Kabir. Rampal took over the guru’s seat after his death and also tampered with an ancient text, written by the previous gurus and revered by the villagers of the other ashram. Rampal also got his men to attack one of his disciples who wrote a book where the former was unfavorably portrayed. Rampal is also notorious for several other direct and indirect physical and verbal assaults against those who oppose him.
Prosecution
On Thursday, the Punjab and the Haryana High Court sent Rampal to jail until November 28 for ignoring the previous 43 court summons. Over 15,000 followers including women, children, and the aged, most forcibly and some willingly shielded Rampal. 270 people were detained, 20 of them for participating in the violence. Five women and a child died during the violence that erupted in the siege. 15,000 followers were successfully evacuated before the siege.
A search operation performed after Rampal was sent to judicial custody by the High Court resulted in the discovery of “condoms, porn literatures and evidence of sexual assaults with women followers.” Cameras installed inside the women toilets were also discovered. A woman follower testified and accused Rampal’s “goons of raping her and keeping her naked for several days after resisting sexual favor".
The police have also found weaponry including a bullet-proof vehicle, an oil-tanker, two tractors, petrol bombs, acid syringes, and a huge cache of arms and ammunitions. Rampal is categorized as a threat to security and accused of waging war against the state. Police also discovered several CCTV cameras installed, keeping tabs on the movements of followers. The police are still continuing with the search in the 12-acre ashram.
Rampal has denied all charges against him, but the strong evidence suggests otherwise.