LAST WORDS WITH A MODELTURNEDBABA

Bhaiyyu Maharaj (right),

formerly Uday Singh Deshmukh, died on June 12, from what is believed to have been a self-inflicted gunshot wound. A suicide note indicated that he was “depressed”, police said.

Born to a zamindar and a homemaker in Madhya Pradesh’s Shujalpur city, in 1968, he modelled for Siyaram’s Suitings in his youth. He said his switch to spirituality came about when he was 23.

He was known as the Baba with the Mercedes and Bentley, Rolex watches and sprawling bungalow in Indore. He was also known for social work and was close to politicians across party lines.

The 50-year-old was one of five spiritual leaders offered minister-of-state-level positions by the Madhya Pradesh government in April. When this correspondent met him on June 5 at his ashram in Indore, he chatted about his philosophy, his followers. Excerpts from the conversation...

On politics and religion meeting

Religion and politics are both tenets which emerged to serve humanity. In that way they have always mingled. But as far as the practice of the religious institutions and political systems are concerned, they should not join hands but move parallel.

On why he refused the MOS status

I don’t want to be part of the system and I strongly believe that people in religion should work for the system but not be part of it. Being out of it allows me scope to point out challenges and question. If I was meant to work in the government, Paramatma would not have chosen me to work in the field of spirituality.

On his role as a spiritual leader

I am not a godman. I have never led anyone to believe in superstitions. My aim in life is to serve society and the country. The way you cannot imagine Germany without discipline or Japan without time management, one cannot imagine India without religion. So it is natural that the path of spirituality is how I choose to serve people.

On his lifestyle, expensive cars and second marriage in 2017

I don’t believe that you need to wear a costume and sit in a cave or a temple to seek spirituality. I enjoy driving my cars but that does not mean I can’t plough the fields anymore. I often join hands with farmers to till their land. If you don’t know how to earn wealth, how you will guide others on that path?

As told to Dipanjan Sinha