After fake babas, will ABAP go after fake shankaracharyas?

LUCKNOW: The three-day ‘dharma sansad’ of Vishva Hindu Parishad will take up the issue of ‘fake babas’ besmirching the reputation of saints and ascetics in Karnataka this November.

The issue was flagged by the Akhil Bharatiya Akhara Parishad (ABAP), apex body of Hindu saints, on Sunday when it released a list of 14 fake godmen.

The ‘fake babas’ issue could also figure in the meeting of Kendriya Margdarshak Mandal, the highest decision-making body of the VHP, scheduled for early 2018 as well as at the meeting of the Bharat Sadhu Samaj, a body of ascetics and saints set up in 1956.

A delegation of saints, led by ABAP chief Narendra Giri, is likely to meet the chief minister Yogi Adityanath over the issue on Tuesday.But while the issue of ‘fake babas’ is making headlines, mainly after the recent conviction of Dera Saccha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim in a rape case, many feel that the enthusiasm won’t last long.

“Wait and see. For any meaningful activity, all of us, including the akhara parishad would need to reflect and look within. For instance, despite the parishad raising the issue of ‘fake’ shankaracharyas at its meetings, why hasn’t any action been possible against them,” a seer told HT on condition of anonymity.

Interestingly, some of the seers HT spoke to wondered whether the akhara parishad would also put up a list of ‘fake shankaracharyas’. “Only last year the akhara parishad had for the umpteenth time discussed the issue of ‘fake shankaracharyas’ and the need to stop their entry at the Ardh Kumbh scheduled in Allahabad in 2019. But due to differences among the different akharas, the issue never gets resolved. Imagine over a dozen people moving around calling themselves as shankaracharyas,” a saint from Ayodhya said.

“It’s for the saints to decide,” said an evasive Sharad Sharma, the Ayodhya-based spokesman of VHP.

Kamal Nayan Das, Ayodhya priest and heir apparent to Ram Janmbhoomi Nyas chief Nritya Gopal Das, confirmed that as a member of the VHP’s margdarshak mandal he would, along with other saints, flag the issue of ‘fake babas’ for discussion in the ‘dharma sansad’.

Ram Vilas Vedanti, a former BJP MP and member of the margdarshak mandal, said he would also like to move a resolution barring indiscriminate use of the term ‘baba’.

“I guess media, too, is to be blamed for this as everyone from Gurmeet Ram Rahim to Asaram are described as ‘babas’. Nobody ever asked if they belonged to any monastic order and when they are exposed they bring a bad name to all of us,” Vedanti told HT on phone.

The VHP was guarded on the issue of ‘fake shankaracharyas’ as well on other issues, like several saffron clad men from Ayodhya involved in various criminal cases, including murder.

“We are against ‘fake babas’ but it would be unfair to view the entire saint community in the same light,” Sharma said.

Kamal Nayan Das, who received life threat sometime back, says people tend to get attracted to glamour and the wellmeaning saint is often ignored.

“That is the reason for most of the problems we face today. We will discuss the issue in our meetings. Let’s see what comes out of it,” Das said.