The death of 63 people in UP has nothing to do with the politics. It is the worst kind of Human Rights violation on the name of religion, spiritualism and poverty. Kirpalu Maharaj must be arrested and put on trial.
NEWSPAPERS AND electronic media are full of scandals and sleaze of the self proclaimed godmen these days. These fake- holy- beings have taken the public for a cool ride. Spirituality has become an instant solution for these fraudsters to make money by way of donations. Look at these godmen, irrespective of their creed and religion, and you don’t have to look for any embodiment of evil. They are exploiting rich, richest, middle classes, poor and the poorest with impunity. Look at the life style of these monsters and look at insecurities of life of a common man !
Half of the world, nearly three billion people, live on less than two dollars a day. According to UNICEF, 30,000 children die each day due to poverty. And they “die quietly in some of the poorest villages on earth, far removed from the scrutiny and the conscience of the world. Being meek and weak in life makes these dying multitudes even more invisible in death.”
For the suffering millions religion comes with consolation opium. “It’s a will of God. Pray, pray and pray….and the godman will also pray for you. Just offer money for the religious hierarchy and place of worship. Your problem is resolved.” A perpetual fraud which is played in the name of religion. Poverty is not, and cannot be written off as God’s will. Poverty can, and must be eliminated. Man must charter his course, away from the cruel crutches of poverty. Only then can we truly deem ourselves worthy of our intellectual and scientific pursuits.
Whenever I pass through the lines of starving humanity outside the hotels at Bhindi Bazar in Mumbai or Jama Masjid at Delhi, where the rich advance some money to feed the poor, I curse myself for my helplessness. I know these hapless souls are reassured of the estuaries of milk and honey after death and there is no need to work hard in this life. They are fed by these Mullahs the heavy doses of ignorance; they feast upon sloth and vermin in the name of religion. They are content with what they get and Mullah is enjoying the best that life has to offer.
Most of Mullahs have the biggest of bellies and most of them have the voracious appetites. They own and misappropriate huge Waqf properties and exploit and squander other religious endowments. They are too powerful and quite capable to crush to smithereens any minutest challenge to their authority with an iron hand of religion.
They are as corrupt and moral reprobate as any SwamI or Father whose black deed are exposed because of the liberal fabric of their society. It is a fact that a Mullah, by virtue of tight constraints of faith, is more powerful and not a easy fish. I’m not a Hindu but I love and respect Hinduism. This ascetically beautiful religion has offered and still to offer a lot to the suffering humanity. I’m distressed to see these so-called sanyasis, swamis and saints caught in situations that brings opprobrium not to Hinduism but to whole of India.
Again I digressed from the subject of poverty. Twenty rupees, a steel plate and one-time-food is what can bring catastrophes for sixty plus starving human beings at the gate of the godman in Pratapgarh. Where are we heading as an Indian ?
If Uttar Pradesh when Chief Minister Mayawati claims that the state is facing an “acute financial crisis” and is not in a position to give any monetary compensation to the families of those killed or injured in Thursday’s Pratapgarh stampede, she is telling the fact.
Obviously the state coffers have been emptied to erect the statues of herself and other favorite icons. After all the stone images have more life than the living human beings. Mayawati justified her stand by saying the Centre’s National Calamities Relief Fund is meant for natural disasters and not of the kind of Pratapgarh incident. She belongs to the segment of society that had been victimized for centuries. For her these statues are a correction of history. I know it’s a wastage of national resources but at least it serves a purpose.
However, Maya’s reluctance to rush for help raised a billion dollar question. Why should state pay to families of people who had gone to Ashram for their own spiritual gain and died in stampede there ?
The real answer if as tough and excruciating as the tragedy itself. Masses should be discreet and they have to learn to distinguish between the poseurs and real saints. Vanity, wealth, pomp and show are not the symptoms of Godliness.
Like most of the religious priests this so called godman Kirpalu Maharaj was minting money and playing with the lives and sentiments of the gullible public. The death of 63 people in UP has nothing to do with the politics. It is the worst kind of Human Rights violation on the name of religion, spiritualism and poverty. Kirpalu Maharaj must be arrested and put on trial. His properties should be confiscated to compensate the victims.
Did his graduation in Science discipline from AMU in 1972-73. He was Secretary of University Ali Society in 1970 and M.M. Hall Literary Society in early 70 's and member of Tayyabji Literary Society. Did his Diploma in Bakery Administration from HTT College Oxford Street London in 1987. Worked with National Herald - Delhi, Blitz - Bombay as Trainee Journalist and in Production Department with 'Naya Sansar Pictures' of Khwaja Ahmed Abbas at Bombay in early 70's. Traveled for study and training purposes to Germany, U.K., Switzerland, France, Dubai, Oman, AbuDhabi, Bahrain and Philepines.
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