Why Bhole Babas flourish
- Devdutt Pattanaik
- Jul 4, 2024, 20:37 IST IST
Hathras puts godmen back in focus. You can dismiss them as charlatans. But recognise that they connect with those who feel most vulnerable in society. You can’t regulate this
Bhole Baba is absconding, after over a hundred people died in a stampede at his Hathras congregation. One response to this tragedy is to ask if this baba is ‘real’ or ‘fake’. But this is a false binary. All gurus or babas work on our emotions, not logic. Only, some abuse their power and collapse, some get institutionalised over generations as gods and prophets.
And they do not flourish in India alone. In America, they are called the Charismatics who tell you how the Holy Spirit works miracles in human lives. Blind will see. Lame will walk. Poor will be prosperous. They are so powerful that they now fund politicians, who ensure their voice shapes legislation, and they receive tax benefits and protection from law. They have convinced Americans that Jesus wants them to carry guns, hate homosexuals, and deny women reproductive rights.
And they do not flourish in India alone. In America, they are called the Charismatics who tell you how the Holy Spirit works miracles in human lives. Blind will see. Lame will walk. Poor will be prosperous. They are so powerful that they now fund politicians, who ensure their voice shapes legislation, and they receive tax benefits and protection from law. They have convinced Americans that Jesus wants them to carry guns, hate homosexuals, and deny women reproductive rights.
