Ram Rahim's Jail Term: Has A Global Impact
Even as Dera Sacha Sauda Chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh was sentenced to 20 years in prison for two separate rape cases, the Dera's overseas centres are presumed to have swung into action to mobilise anti-India forces to ensure his safe passage out of jail. Dera supporters active in foreign countries have reportedly been drafted to seek support from anti-India forces in their respective countries for the purpose.
If well-placed sources in intelligence agencies are to be believed, the Dera has the close link with countries that are accused of promoting anti-national activities in India by proxy. While it has branches in US, UK, Canada, Middle East, United Arab Emirates and Australia, the Dera enjoys patronage from Pakistan too, in the garb of its founder and origin associated with Balochistan in Pakistan. Its founder was from Balochistan and was a Muslim by religion. His name was Amukurejuddin Khan and he was popularly known as Mastana Balochistani or Beparawah Mastanaji Maharaj.
As per intelligence inputs, while Dera supporters in USA, UK and Canada are in touch with government agencies in their respective countries to negotiate with their counterparts in India to provide a safe passage to Ram Rahim in order to ensure his early release, they are negotiating with militant outfits in Pakistan too, to exercise subversive measures to thwart the government's attempts to keep him behind bars. Intelligence reports, however, refused to rule out the possibilities of a dubious role to be played by foreign powers to ensure his escape from jail.
Although the Rohtak Jail where Ram Rahim is languishing in after being convicted by the CBI court in rape cases, has been cordoned off by the police, intelligence agencies have cautioned against a possible jail break through militant attacks. Pakistan-based militant outfits are reportedly being funded by the Dera's branches in the Middle East countries, in particular, to undertake terror attacks at the Rohtak Jail.
Contrary to the Dera's claim about its non-profit entity, it has huge business operations across the globe. It owns large chunks of land in Haryana and other states and runs supermarkets, petrol pumps, biscuit factories, restaurants and boating lakes in different parts of the world. These businesses are managed by its "sadhus". The Dera is, however, alleged to lend monetary support to political parties and it gets political patronage in return. During the erstwhile Congress Government in the State, Ram Rahim enjoyed Z-plus security cover and got his son married to the daughter of high-profile Congress leader, Harminder Singh Jassi.
Ram Rahim Singh does not have ideological compatibility with any particular political party and is, however, believed to have had affiliations with political parties ostensibly to meet his financial needs instead. He has controversial antecedents for shifting his loyalty to political parties as per the situation. For instance, the Dera supported the Congress till the Shiromani Akali Dal came to power in 2007 in Punjab and in the subsequent Parliamentary elections in 2009, it resolved to support particular candidates from both Akali Dal and Congress presumably to enjoy equal clout in the corridors of power at the Centre and in the State as well. However, the Dera's support to the Congress dealt a major blow to the party in 2012 elections to the Punjab Assembly in the backdrop of the mutual-distrust between the Dera and the Sikh community in general. It is learnt that in May 2007, violent clashes broke out between Khalsa Sikhs and the followers of the Dera Sacha Sauda over the Dera leader Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh's appearance in a newspaper advertisement. Ram Rahim was alleged to have impersonated Guru Gobind Singh in the advertisement and insulted their faith.
The Akal Takht of the Sikhs demanded the closure of all the Deras in Punjab and asked its followers to organise protest marches and bandhs. Some extremist Sikh organisations called for suicide attacks against the Dera Sacha Sauda. Consequently, Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh had to tender an apology, but the Akal Takht, however, refused to oblige him and the protests against the Dera continued.
Interestingly, Ram Rahim's adversaries often take a dig at his political role bearing testimony to the fact that he was meant to destroy the prospects of political parties. They claim that it was evident from the recent election results that political parties enjoying the support of the Dera had to eat humble pie in the elections. In the 2007 elections to the Punjab Assembly, the DSS had supported the Congress, but the party lost the elections to the Shiromani Akali Dal. Again on the eve of 2012 Assembly elections in Punjab, Congress leader Amarinder Singh, his wife Preneet Kaur and his son Raninder Singh are learnt to have called on Ram Rahim and sought support for the Congress, but the effort boomeranged and the Congress lost the Sikh vote bank in the garb of its association with the anti-Sikh Dera sect. Likewise, in the 2015 Delhi elections, the Dera is supposed to have openly supported the BJP but the party suffered a humiliating defeat and in subsequent elections to the Bihar Assembly in 2015, about 3000 Dera followers are believed to have campaigned for BJP, but the party was virtually routed.
To top it all, controversial godmen such as Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh and Asharam Bapu who stand today condemned in the eyes of people - barring their staunch supporters-- have reasons to claim immunity from the charges of fraud and mischief; they are not supposed to have brought out people of their home to surrender valuables and dignity and it was the people who reached out to them by choice instead presumably in quest for their spiritual faith. These Babas, in fact, cashed in on the situation to develop their virtual empire, lead lavish lifestyles and enjoy political patronage.
