Exposing Asaram

Sir — This refers to the editorial, “Justice is done” (April 26). The conviction of Asaram Bapu is a triumph of justice. The self-styled godman has been sentenced to life imprisonment for rape despite his wealth, political clout and mass following. This establishes one fact that the status of being a godman offers no inoculation against punishment for a capital crime as rape.

It is one of our country’s tragedies that fake godmen command huge mass following. This happens because the illiterate turn to them in the hope of getting solace. The crux of the matter is that self-styled god men project themselves as flamboyant personalities and exploit social and economic vulnerabilities of their followers to the hilt. The convergence of the politician’s lust for power and the fake godman’s lust for sex explains the kind of sexual crimes committed by the likes of Asaram and Gurmeet Ram Rahim. It is baffling that bhakti or devotion remains intact among the followers even after a godman’s conviction as a rapist.