You have systematically demystified so-called godmen in your cover story (The Hold, Sept 16), which shows how a combination of religious feeling and mystical allure works as the opium of the masses. But it seems you cannot survive without ad money from your subjects: the same issue features an advertorial extolling Sant Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh. You could have avoided this.
Nitin Suresh, Kottayam
The writer of the cover story quotes Swami Nityananda as describing the mind as a monkey. But Nityananda also says you must use your mind in such a way that you can keep it completely in control and not be in its control.
Priya, Mumbai
If the writer had any idea of true psychology, he would not have written what he has. The mind truly is a monkey and several gurus across the ages have described it so. The likes of the writer, being neither distressed nor seekers, blabber whatever comes to mind, gather like-minded crowds to applaud their writings and amuse themselves. You have no idea what damage you are causing to your culture.
Srinithya Sripriyan, Bangalore
There’s a difference between a real guru and the commercial sort. If a shishya is looking for instant remedies, the false guru will dole out promises of all the things the seeker wants. In such cases, both guru and shishya are happy and others needn’t bother.
P.N. Razdan, Gurgaon
We Indians create heroes who we believe can cure all our ills, physical, psychological or sociological. Instead of rationally arriving at solutions, we expect miracle workers to do the job. The media does its bit to project them and hype them.
Dr Nilanshu Kumar Agarwal, Rae Bareli
The techniques of guruhood, or the art of maintaining a hold on disciples, has evolved and been perfected over the ages. The hold is such that followers often resort to violence when sceptics raise questions about gurus who stand exposed in wrongdoing. As your commentator says, “The violent outbreaks by stern believers in support of their guru, as we have seen in Asaram’s case, are linked to this: accepting that the idealised self-object has failed means also accepting one’s own failure, which might lead to disintegration of the self, which needs to be fought off by denying any (countering) facts and better knowledge.”
Kishore Dasmunshi, Calcutta
Here are some examples of the sort of advice godmen give their followers, as seen on so-called spiritual TV channels. A disciple says he has backache. The guru asks if he goes to the temple. The disciple says yes, he does. Which day? Tuesday. Okay, says the guru, make sure you go on Friday too and you’ll be cured. Another tells the guru of some other ailment, and the guru asks if he performs puja. Yes. Do you offer flowers? Yes, yellow ones. Well, says the guru, start offering red flowers and all will be well. The disciples go away feeling happy and satisfied. Don’t you think such unthinking sorts deserve to be cheated?
R.V. Subramanian, Gurgaon
How gullible can we get when religion and gurus come into the picture! We need to teach science more, a tough task in a country of full rituals and an unthinking submission to anything remotely religious.
V.N.K. Murti, Pattambi
Godmen are cheats and their disciples are gullible. It’s a combination that’s truly made for each other. Think of poor D.G. Vanzara, the ‘encounter cop’ from Gujarat: Asaram Bapu was one of his gods and Narendra Modi was another; both have failed him.
Anwaar, Dallas, US
Anything can happen when hapless believers surrender their brains and conscience to their gurus. Believers will even marry off their young daughters to an ageing godman if he so demands.
Jaleel, Lucknow
We must work on ridding our nation of superstition and blind faith and instead build a scientific temper. If that happens, politicians won’t be able to stop using godmen’s influence to gather votes. There’s a god in each one of us and it’s easy to serve him: love your family, do your work sincerely, be kind.
R.D. Singh, Ambala Cantt
In distress, people often turn to godmen. Their minds are a blank and anything a godman says is received without question. Consider Asaram’s latest victim: her father was distressed by her apparent mental problems and instead of going to a good doctor, chose to let her be treated by a godman who molested her.
Sudarsana Jyothi, on e-mail
The shortage of hospitals to treat the mentally ill and the lack of awareness about mental disease (even among the educated) gives scope for godmen and exorcists to offer cures. Quite a few people end up believing these godmen, with no medical or scientific background whatever, can in fact cure such patients miraculously.
Venkatesh Iyer, Chennai
Once the rape case was filed against Asaram, administrations have woken up to act against the illegal encroachments that are his ashrams. (One is on the Delhi Ridge!) What were they doing till now?
R.J. Khurana, Bhopal
