OTHER VOICES

The deadly riots that claimed at least 36 lives in northern India following the rape conviction of self-styled religious leader Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh are yet another reminder of the fatal consequences when a susceptible population is deluded into violence and arson in the name of faith.

Tens of thousands of supporters of the controversial guru went on a rampage over the weekend, attacking television vans and setting fire to dozens of vehicles, minutes after he was found guilty of raping two of his followers at his hermitage...

Across the world, history is replete with instances of self-styled defenders of faith misleading their followers and abusing their trust for personal and financial gains or immoral activities: there is neither an iota of mysticism nor any lessons in spirituality in the tales of horror and greed that usually come to the forefront once such gurus are brought to justice. People must therefore also attempt to distinguish between the true emissaries and scholars of faith and those who masquerade as spiritual liberators only to make a mockery of the responsibility placed on them. The law has finally taken its course in the case of Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh and everyone — including the state and federal governments, his followers, the political fraternity and the public — must now play their parts and respect the justice that has been delivered. — Gulf News

Violence in the name of faith must stop in India