Naseebpura, Sep 02: Unshakeable faith in jailed rape convict Gurmeet Singh Ram Rahim and his ‘return’, even as he has been jailed for 20 years. This is what remains with you, as you return after a visit to Naseebpura village, 5 km off the Bathinda-Talwandi Sabo Road.
Most Dera Sacha Sauda supporters here — 500 of 700 families — though have taken to ‘hiding’ the symbol of their faith, the locket that depicts his picture. It lies close to their chest, but is concealed under the buttoned-up shirts. Most of the population that supports the Baba is poor and is from Scheduled Castes.
“All of us have donated our eyes (after death). Such wisdom has come from our guru (the dera chief only),” says panchayat member Nachhatar Singh (60).
“He (their guru) will return soon at the dera headquarters. We will sacrifice our lives if something happens to him,” he claimed. Balwinder Singh, another villager, rationalised, on the hidden lockets. “The atmosphere is tense. The media exaggerated the issue and provoked the ‘premis’. Now, we need to be careful.”
An angry Sukhminder Kaur — women had been largely silent — who stood behind the men, shouted back to a query, “Baba Wapis Aayuga (The godman will return)”. At this, youths remonstrated that TV channels had turned their guru into a villian.
As the elders pacified them, one of them claimed that he came out of dera headquarters on the night of Wednesday last (August 30) after a week. “There is no message from the dera as yet,” he replied, when asked whether a successor had been announced. “Nobody can dare to take his (the dera chief’s) position, he will return,” another elderly man shouted. Others murmured in unison.
News Source: http://www.hindustantimes.com/punjab/
