Irate ascetic groups mull action against shady godmen

HARIDWAR: The Akhil Bharatiya Akhara Parishad, the apex body of sadhus in the country, along with other organisations such as the Bharat Sadhu Samaj and Sant Samiti is mulling action against those godmen and ascetics who have either a dubious reputation or a criminal record. Asaram, Radhe Maa and Swami Nithyananda are believed to be among those under the scanner.
As a first step, the organisations are compiling a list of such ascetics who are “forever in the news for the wrong reasons”. According to sources privy to discussions within the groups, sadhus across the country have increasingly felt a need to clamp down on dubious members of their community.
“A proposal to this effect was discussed at the Nashik Kumbh in 2015 and Ujjain Kumbh in 2016,” said sources.
“While in Haridwar recently, I had talked about shankaracharyas and said there were just too many of them these days. At the Prayag (Allahabad) Kumbh scheduled next year, only genuine shankaracharyas will be allowed entry, not fake ones,” said Akhara Parishad president Narendra Giri, talking to TOI about the steps the organisations were taking to weed out those ascetics and seers they felt were undesirable.
While Giri refused to confirm the drafting of a list, sources said the list being prepared has almost 40 names, including Asaram, Radhe Maa and Nithyananda. While Asaram is in jail on rape and other charges, Radhe Maa was wanted in a dowry harassment and other cases.
It may be recalled that during the past couple of years, attempts were made to confer the title of 'mahamandaleshwar' on some sadhus including Radhe Maa, Nithyananda and Rampal. They were not considered fit for the award and the move was vehemently opposed by sadhus as well as many other people. Bowing to the opposition, the idea was dropped. The akharas intending to confer the title decided not to go ahead with their plan.
Preparation of the list of controversial ascetics is being kept a secret for the time being. The organisations engaged in the exercise are apprehensive that if things are revealed prematurely, a storm over the matter might be triggered, sources said, pointing out that some of the ascetics and godmen under the lens are extremely powerful.
“Any action against them, which might include boycott and refusal to confer such awards and honours on them, will be taken on the basis of consensus so that it does not adversely affect the unity of the religious community,” sources added.