From Rockstar, Robinhood, Messenger of God to Prisoner Number 1997

Dera Sacha SaudaChief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh was convicted to 20 years imprisonment in the case of rape with Sadhvis. In a 15-year-old case, the CBI court of Panchkula ruled. On Friday moments after Ram Rahim was pronounced guilty minutes later, the Dera followers became violent in six states including Punjab and Haryana. The highest damage caused in Panchkula. One and a half lakh Dera supporters gathered in the city created havoc for three hours on the streets of Panchkula. So far, 36 people have been killed and more than 250 injured in the raging violence. Why all this happened? Who is this Ram Rahim? Let's discuss these. Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh in north-western India is a big force. Ram Rahim extended the legacy of Shah Satnam Singh Mastana, founder of Dera Sacha Sauda in 1948. Gurmit Ram Rahim Singh, who assumed the title of Dera in 1990, is now a film star, fond of cars, successful entrepreneur and property owner in India and abroad. Dera Sacha Sauda is getting both name and slander. Apart from Sadhvi's sexual exploitation and two murders, Gurmeet Ram Rahim has been accused of making 400 sadhus impotent.On the social service front, Dera has done a lot of work. Satnamji Green and Welfare Force is an army of Derawhich helps in the emergence of disaster and accidents. Dera supporters are said to be in millions. Punjab is estimated to be 70 lakh, Haryana 80 lakh, Rajasthan 50 lakh, Uttar Pradesh 35 lakh and in Delhi 20 lakh followers are reported. After all, what is the reason that despite his conviction in a serious crime like rape, his supporters are not ready to accept that their master has done something wrong? Firstly, the when expectations of the people are not fulfilled in the society, they take shelter in these Dera’s. Secondly, they consider the DeraOperator or Head to be Superman or Super Human Being. They think they cannot make mistakes. People think that the allegations made against their father are not just against Baba, but on our society. They think they have to save their society, their camps from these allegations. The belief of the people's in camp is changed into ideology. They think that what we are doing is for the truth. When people's problems are not resolved properly they adopt a religious or spiritual path. They think that the chief of the camp is the Messiah. Because of a large following Dera Sacha Saudahas direct interference in  Haryana and Punjab politics. Dera Sacha Sauda has also kept its political wing in its place. Dera followers on three dozen assembly seats in nine districts of Haryana have a great potential to play a decisive role in the defeat and victory of any party. In the last assembly elections, the BJP won over only two dozen seats with the help of Dera. Following the elections, the grant given to by Haryana's Sports Minister Anil Vij and Education Minister Ram Vilas Sharma for Dera Sacha Sauda has also been in the discussion. During the assembly elections held in Punjab, the Dera Sacha Sauda openly supported the BJP-Akali alliance. Having said that today due to the struggle of three people, Ram Rahim was renamed as prisoner number 1997, to whomthe government and the political parties used to bow down. For the first time in 2002, a woman wrote a letter of three pages to PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee, accusing Ram Rahim of raping her in 1999. Annoyed with the misbehavior with his sister, DeraManagement Committee member Ranjit Singh raised the acts of Ram Rahim. Ranjit Singh, living in KhanpurKoliya village of Kurukshetra, got a letter written from his sister. He sent it to the prime minister and the High Court. Journalist Ram Chandra Chattrapati, who published the Entire Truth newspaper, published the letter. He was shot dead hitting him with five bullets within a few days. After this, discovering that the letter was written by Bhai Ranjit, the Dera supporters killed him on July 10, 2002. Supreme Court handed over investigation to CBI in 2005. Many investigation officers changed in CBI from 2005 to 2006. Satish Dagar got the case. Dagar was the officer who searched for the victim women and prepared them for testimony. He didn't bow down to any pressure. During the hearing, supporters of Ram Rahim were intimidating these people. On the day Ram Rahim was to be heard, a temporary court was set up in the SP office. Supporters were outside the camp. In the CBI court in Panchkula, Haryana, JudgeJagdeep Singh ruled Ram Rahim guilty of the rapes. When he was reading the decision Ram Rahim stood with folded hands pleading for mecry. As soon as proved guilty, he started crying. Given the sensitivity of the judgment, the court directed to close the phones in the premises. No channel of the official press release will break the news so that no rumour and false news spreads. Singh came to headlines in September 2016, when he saved the lives of four people injured in the accident. We cannot ignore those sadhwi’swho have testified and stalled despite all kinds of pressures. On easing the control of the pitchers, the fingers are being raised on the Manohar Khattar government of Haryana today. Panchkula violence has raised many questions. It is important to analyze this entire matter closely. It had no effect on implementation of Section 144 in many districts including Panchkula. The prime question is raised if the government was aware of the seriousness of the issue why did it allow Dera followers in such large numbers in Panchkula? Why did the government take it seriously despite the aggressive statements given to the reporters by the Derasupporters? Jat reservation movement in Rohtak during 2016 had also taken the similar form. Just within four hours this violence spread not only in Rohtak but the entire Haryana state was ablaze. There was neither the police nor any law and order. Despite several reminders the Haryana Government didn't learn a lesson and gave time and opportunity to Dera followers to increase their numbers in Panchkula. Intelligence totally failed. Coming of supporters in such a large numbers, carrying weapons, sticks and petrol bombs, if it is notan  intelligence failure then what? Why the army was not deployed before and after the riots? Why did the people stay in parks and roads despite the section 144 being imposed? Punjab and Haryana High Court rebuked the Haryana government blaming for the violence after convicting Ram Rahim. Annoyed with the arson and sabotage, the Court said that the government left the state to be burnt surrendering before the Dera followers for the sake of political gain and vote bank. The High Court said that instead of taking the responsibility the Commissioner of Panchkula was made a scapegoat and suspended. The decision of imposing section 144 in Panchkula was drafted in a wrong manner; this is seemed to be done intentionally and not by mistake. It doesn't happen without any political pressure.  We know if we go deep in the matter, many faces will be exposed. We know that the political decision paralyzed the administrative decision, for which not only the city but the entire state paid.

-          Anil Narendra