Dr. Jernail Singh Anand

After spending a life time in the company of Babas, who always preached against alcohol and bad habits, [don’t ask me whether they themselves acted on their own advice or not], and serving in the ‘deras’ [holy places] for a lifetime, I remember how I impressed some other people also, by telling them some inflated truths [truth if inflated is also an untruth], so that when they joined, and became followers of the Baba, the Baba then conferred on me the title of a Group Leader [Chhote Sahib]. There were thousands of Chhote Sahibs, who were working for the Baba.

There may have been many things going amiss, but I was lucky I did not see anything. And as a result, I had a peaceful death, and after serving the Baba and the people, I was sure God will house me in a special cell in Heaven.

On reaching the assembly waiting for the judgement, with Dharamraja listening to each one’s historic deeds on earth, I found they paid no attention to my titles. But I was sure to be admitted to Heaven on the basis of my hard work, and sincere followship of the Baba.

When my turn came, they handed over to me a charge sheet, and I was asked to reply in six months. During those six months, I was to stay in the Over Lap, a newly designed place where all good and bad people were made to stay. The charges shocked me.

I was quizzed for every good thing that I had done on the earth under the influence of the Baba, whom I revered as my Guru. Every person had a different charge sheet. I had a fast look at the end of the list where they had mentioned that I was 90 percent eligible to enter Hell.

You were expected to do good, and believe in simply joys, and live in innocence. Why you joined this band of idlers?

Remembering God is no job in itself. On the earth, you were expected to do some good work for your family and the society. You wasted your time in the service of the Baba who is already on our hit-list.

All the work you did in the name of ‘Sewa’ [service] was miscarried. You told lies to unsuspecting people and forced them into the servility of your master. You told deliberate lies. It is unpardonable.

You say you have done ‘simran’ of God every day in the morning and evening. Chanting God’s name, without following holy edicts, is a waste of time. God does not believe in such practices which are hollow.

You have been running round and round your self-styled demigod. There are millions like you wasting their time around these gods. The sewa [service] that you are doing is useless if you do not understand the fundamental issues.

The fundamental issue is your innocence. You work for yourself, but at the same time, make sure, your work helps the society, and it does not harm others in any way. If you are aware of it, and act accordingly, you do not need such godmen. You also do not need to read any holy books or even to recite the name of God, if you remember one thing: to be innocent.

Regarding lots of deprivations imposed arbitrarily by these Babas, you are better advised to follow your wishes. If you want to eat non-vegetarian food, or drink alcohol, if you take tobacco and enjoy smoking, if you enjoy bar dances, we have no problem so long as you do not cause any harm to society, your family and even to yourself. There is no sin, no crime if you can feel happy the way you want to live. We have given you this beautiful body. A beautiful mind. A beautiful family. And a wonderful society of men, women, and a life in which there are huge reserves of vegetation, animals, beasts and birds. It is meant for your enjoyment.

Only beware of Knowledge. It is the gift of Satan to Adam and Eve. Knowledge alone is not enough. It is wisdom which tells you to act when, how, why and when not. What should not be done, is as much your duty, as what should be done.

We give you six months to learn, realize and accept what we want from you.

Dharamraja then said, give him the next date after six months.

Read: From Fake Fantasies To Hollow Heroism

______________

Based in Chandigarh, India, Dr. Jernail Singh Anand, with an opus of 180 plus books, is Laureate of the Seneca, Charter of Morava, Franz Kafka and Maxim Gorky awards.  His name adorns the Poets’ Rock in Serbia. Anand is a towering literary figure whose work embodies a rare fusion of creativity, intellect, and moral vision.

The post The Next Date – A Short Story first appeared on Sindh Courier.

Dr. Jernail S. Anand

The Baba’s men are responsible for the stampede in which more than a hundred persons including women and children died, leaving as many injured. The Baba is at fault no doubt, but it is not easy to condone the illiterate masses of India who rush to these Babas for paltry gains. Most of them want a job for their son, marriage of their daughter, or improvement in business, or his wife begetting a son. What makes me wonder is how a Baba can help in these things, which need man’s constant efforts?

Indian people are god-fearing, and, mercifully, credulous also, who can be taken for a ride. Baba upon Baba in India, is rolling in millions. People go, dance their way to joy and come back, after parting with huge sums of money. Babas keep telling them to give to their gurus rich gifts so that if they are happy, they will bless you the more.

Babas are shrewd businessmen. They know how to spread word about their miracular presence in a particular city. And, then, it is an organized scam. My take on this is: that the Indian people, who are religious minded, must understand that they should not fall in the trap of these make-belief Babas. Remembering gods is enough. Going to a temple and praying is enough. Being good is what is most needed from a god-fearing person. But it is here that we falter.  We are not good at all. We are crooked in our behaviour. We are thieves. We are fraudsters. And we go to Babas for peace of mind. If we do not correct our actions, there is no possibility of peace. It is we people who give the Babas undue importance and they reap the harvest of our blind faith.

Read: What caused the deadly stampede in Hathras, India?

The people who are running after these godmen are actually trying to prove to their fellow men that they are very religious. They are very good. But it has to be remembered that being good is action oriented. You have to prove that you are good, not by going to Babas, but by your actions.

In fact, these Babas are the products of the neo-rich. Middle class and upper middle class people who have no dearth of money, nor any dearth of mental, physical and sexual problems. They can reach anywhere with their rich resources which they lavish on the Babas. Just see the living style of these godmen who teach others that life and its joys are illusory.  And people place their gold in their feet.

Look at the word ‘follow’ closely. If you examine it, it means going after somebody. You go after somebody, only when your own intelligence does not work. If a Baba has one million followers, it simply means that he has 1 million people who do not think, who have no faith in their own intelligence. One person says, ‘follow me’ and they herd after him like sheep. He gives them a ‘mantra’. And they start chanting it. If you want a mantra, go to Bhagvad Gita.  Chant the Gayatri Mantra. Or, if you are from northern India, the Guru gave such a wonderful Mool Mantra.

If you think the ‘mantra’ given by these Babas is more powerful, then, please compare these Babas with Guru Nanak Dev ji, or Bhagat Kabir ji. If you find the Babas better than the Gurus, then go and follow them. But, if you find it otherwise, keep away from these self-styled super-specialty godmen. Go to traditional shrines, and pray. In fact, it is more important to realize that, there are actually no miracles, nor any miracle-men. Even, Gurus never liked the idea of miracles. Those who say they can perform miracles, are jugglers who can defraud you, and waylay your faith.

The Gurus who taught austerity, love and compassion are now part of the religious history of mankind. This is a world in its rotten times and everything is rotten now. Its philosophy, its philosophers, its logicians, – all have become magicians. Religion has become a science, and people who graduate in religioneering, are trained in the art of fighting and rioting.

I would like the people to step out of this train which is moving towards self-destruction. You have your god inside you. You have your gods in your temples.

One wishes we turn back to the olden times when there was no social media. There were Gurus who lived lives of great principles. Now, the more the talk of religion, the lesser is it found in practice. The lynch mafia, the hate speeches of god-men, – politics is supreme.

As an author, I would like the people to step out of this train which is moving towards self-destruction. You have your god inside you. You have your gods in your temples. Please visit these shrines, and pray. And forget all about what Babas and their patrons say.

____________________

Dr. Jernail S. Anand is Laureate of Franz Kafka, Maxim Gorky and Charter of Morava [Serbian] Awards. Email: anandjs55@yahoo.com

The post HATHRAS STAMPEDE & SUPER-SPECIALTY BABAS first appeared on Sindh Courier.