The miracle industry: How godmen are a byproduct of our failed system

In one of the umpteen laugh-out-loud moments in Indian cinema, after checking on a coughing patient, a doctor informs the family, "Ab inhe dawa nahin dua ki zaroorat hai" (Now medicines can’t heal him, only prayers can). Cut to the mother or the wife praying in a puja room, temple, dargah or any other place of faith, after which, almost in all cases, the ‘dua’ works. The blind can suddenly see, a cripple starts running, lost brothers unite. The cliché has been used in film after film, even by progressive writers like Salim-Javed. In mythology and movies, it's a given that miracles happen.

But the enormous human appetite for miracles is unrelenting. We want miracles to happen to us. Especially, when we are surrounded with insurmountable odds resulting in hopelessness and despair. A persisting problem, lack of awareness, financial, physical or social constraints, a failed support system and an environment fed on blind faith leads us to an address which offers hope, instant gratification and a promise to a miracle. 

I recall an instance when I was shooting in Kashmir and my Executive Producer came to me and announced that he had to leave for a week. I learnt from him that every year during monsoon, tens of thousands of people with asthma and respiratory infections, stand in very long queues in the city of Hyderabad, to meet members of the Bathini Goud family who distribute a fish-prasad. The Bathini brothers first insert their prasad into the mouth of a live 2/3 inch long sardine fish and then the live fish is slipped into the throat of the patient. My EP explained that he was suffering from asthma and that if he missed this chance, he would have to wait for another year. When I asked him if he knew anyone who has ever been cured by this method, he looked at the sky for a long time and finally answered ‘no’. Nevertheless, it’s been a year since he took that ‘prasad’ and his asthama has only got worse. Still, the number of devotees that line up to receive this 'miracle prasad' is so large that it has also resulted in deaths due to stampedes. This, despite a large police force and special trains arranged by the government for the patients to reach the venue on time. This is the magnitude of Indian cults. In an otherwise struggling economy, The Miracle Inc. is the most profitable industry. 

While the West was exploring the physical world, India has been busy exploring the mystical world. The inner world. The difference is that the physical world can be mapped, navigated and quantified, whereas the inner, mystical world can’t be mapped. Ask anyone what’s beyond that building and you will get the same answer from Google Maps or a passerby. Ask what’s beyond this life and you will get infinite answers, entangling you in a web of utter confusion. So spiritual and religious gurus work like Google Maps to solve this confusion about the universe of the unknown. The problem is that unlike Google, here everyone has a different map. While the western approach stands on scientific proof and documentation, the Indian approach begins and ends with unanswered questions and mystics. If you are lost in a dark tunnel, you don’t mind being guided by anyone who promises to show you the end of the tunnel.  

This is where religious and spiritual gurus play a role in an attempt to show people the light. Nothing wrong with it. Though I am a rationalist, I have very high regards for religious thinkers and reformers and feel that their role in keeping our society intact is immense. Indian philosophy and Hinduism today is neither the wisdom of the Vedas nor the teachings of the Bhagvad Geeta. It's an amalgamation of philosophies and religions that have taken birth or refuge here. The religious beliefs as they exist today are functions of our socio-political realties. In fact, in a multi-religious, multi-ethnic, sociologically diverse, pluralistic society like India, religion, religious thinkers and gurus give a constructive purpose for survival and act as a moral binder.

However in current times, we have seen fraudsters, scamsters and rapists masquerade as religious gurus. They have palaces, a fleet of cars, all kinds of luxuries, gold, diamonds and a mass of land. Some of them have their own militia, like we saw in a recent case where this ‘murderer’ godman resorted to human-fortification. Most of these godmen are charged with human trafficking, rape, drug dealing, sex trade, murders, money laundering, political lobbying etc. 

So, what has changed so dramatically that even the highly-revered and responsible job of a religious guru has become such a sham today?

1. A society in transition

If one has to find a pattern, it can be deduced that the rise of dubious godmen has increased manifold since liberalisation and the penetration of TV. A sudden shift from a localised mindset to a global mindset, from joint family to nuclear family, from a secured, lazy government job to demanding, competitive private jobs, unplanned urbanisation and the sudden advent of consumerism and materialism has given birth to a new social disorder. It has resulted in new kinds of pressures, stress and insecurities. This is where religion plays a role in reinforcing faith, patience and hope. But the authentic religious route demands a lot of patience, hardship and ritualistic practices, that are in contrast to a fleeting, impatient society, which needs materialistic solutions and instant gratification. Unlike genuine religious gurus, these godmen manifest ‘materialistic indulgence’, justifying the aspirations of a new emerging middle-class. These godmen act as the McDonald's of religious need. We go to the fast-food joint fully aware that its offerings have no nutritional value, but the speed at which it gratifies us is unmatched. Similarly, these godmen provide you solace and solutions in good speed. At least it seems so. A failed businessman-turned-godman on TV has even claimed that one can get ‘kripa’ by eating green chutney instead of red! 

2. Political patronage

Often, these godmen who act as magicians, miracle-workers, healers, priests, mystics and masters of all spiritual energies, enjoy the company of powerful business tycoons and politicians. 

Democracy is competitive politics. Politicians see religious gurus with a huge following as vote banks. To exploit this religious capital, politicians not just favour these gurus, but also give them land at free or throw-away prices. It is also seen that politicians and the rich use these godmen for money-laundering purposes as they know that law enforcers never raid ashrams. Religious issues are extremely sensitive, so the local police and administration also turn their back on them. A few years back, when a sadhu was caught with illegal money, the local DIG came to his defence!

Social and religious engineering has never been far on the political agenda. From 'maata ki chowkis' to iftaars, babas to peers, ojhas to evangelists, religion has become political currency. Religious appeasement and abuse of secularism has given undue advantage to the religious industry. It’s a shame that the state has been unable to curb the nuisance of azaans, Ganesh festivities and many other uncivil religious activities. The general impression is that if you attach religious sentiments to any issue, you can break the law. Godmen are perceived to be above law and order and that’s the primary reason for the mushrooming of these religious power centres. 

I have seen a judge rising when an accused godman was presented in a local court. For the educated and affluent, this industry works like a spiritual spa.  

3. Healthcare

The real reason behind the growth of this industry is the total failure of our healthcare system. It’s a shame that despite undisputed control of power for 60 years, Congress could provide only six doctors and nine hospital beds for every 10,000 people. What Congress created is a ‘disease-oriented cure system’, whereas what we need is a ‘health-oriented care system’. 

Many studies have revealed that medical treatment is the most important cause of indebtedness, next only to dowry in India. It's mostly in financial crisis and lack of guidance from medical agencies that people turn to quacks.Today, the cost of treatment is so high that the doctor who used to be a 'bhagwan' has now become a 'daanav'. A friend of mine, whose father was treated at Apollo hospital, told me that every single day, three or four families would run away leaving the patient behind, as they just could not afford the hospital bills. This is when godmen with miraculous powers are discovered, who work as the alternative ‘health-care’ for the ailing masses.

4. Media

With liberalisation, TV channels mushroomed. Barring a few entertainment channels, most of these news and other channels are struggling for survival. They need revenues and the godmen need propaganda. It’s a mutually beneficial deal. Earlier their influence used to be limited to their geographic location. But TV has given them pan-India reach, creating a bigger market and higher revenues. It does not matter even if the evidence of healing offered by these godmen does not stand up to scientific scrutiny. But then, our media also does not stand up to any ethical scrutiny. 

5. Social Disparity

The disparity between rich and poor is so huge in India that the rich can’t believe their good luck and the poor, their bad luck. 

A lot of rich people have accumulated their wealth through political favours, corruption, tax evasion, black-marketing and other illegal means. When you earn money, which is not directly proportional to your talent or merit, you tend to believe in luck and therefore, these godmen. 

When the poor see the undeserving rich bowing to these godman, they also tend to believe in luck and queue up at ashrams, believing their luck might also change. 

Corruption and favouritism in India have shattered a common man’s belief in talent and merit, pushing him to surrender to the concept of luck and believing in miracles. It has nothing to do with Hinduism. Since India is a Hindu majority society, Hindu godmen are more visible. The miracle industry of these godmen is a byproduct of our failed system. 

6. Lack of scientific bent

It is often argued that the advent of this industry is due to illiteracy. This is a myth. Why would a Harvard professor like Subramanian Swamy come to the defence of Asaram bapu? Why should Prahlad Kakkar and Subhash Gahi come to Radhe Maa’s defence? Late PM, PV Narsimha Rao, one of the most educated PMs we have had, was a staunch follower of controversial tantrik Chandraswami. A lot of these godmen have NRIs, doctors, IAS officers and professors as their devout followers. 

What we need is education with a scientific bent of mind. We believe in illogical stuff and our education system has done nothing to address this. 

If only we could educate masses with a scientific bent, give our law-enforcers support to be fearless and non-partisan, ensure healthcare for all, regulate media to stop airing unscientific advertisements, these miracle babas and godmen will disappear from our religious horizon. And that would be the real miracle. 

Vivek Agnihotri is a film-maker, writer and travel junkie. He tweets at @vivekagnihotri