The Week India [January 14, 2018] | Inside Ram Rahim’s Dera

120 Pages·2018·37.18 MB·English

by  The Week India

PAKISTAN RAJINIKANTH
TRUMP’S SUCKER PUNCH DECODING SPIRITUAL POLITICS
JANUARY 14, 2018 $50
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44-PAGE
SUPPLEMENT
THE
NEED TO
REGULATE
PRIVATE
HOSPITALS
E X C L U S I V E
INSIDE
RAM RAHIM’S
DERA
Families living in fear; closed resorts, factories and shops;
allegations of shocking crimes. THE WEEK takes a close look
at the jailed godman’s fortress-like ashram
INTERVIEW
Vipassana Insan, Dera Sacha Sauda chairperson
The Week RNI No. 36122/1982, Registered No. KL/KTM/57/2015-17, Licence No. KL/CR /KTM/ WPP-05/2015-17.
Licensed to post without pre-payment Published on Friday 5th January 2018
4 VOL 36 Š NO 2 Š THE WEEK Š JANUARY 14, 2018
CONTENTS FOR THE WEEK JANUARY 8-JANUARY 14
18 COVER STORY
COLUMNS
14 Power Point 74 Last Word
Sachidananda Murthy Shashi Tharoor
55 Forthwrite
Meenakshi Lekhi
32 Maharashtra: of the state's
After rebel MP Nana controversial National
Patole quits the Register of Citizens
BJP, there is buzz
that several other 52 Banking: We will
leaders in the state open 400 branches in
are also peeved with a year: SBI chairman
the party Rajnish Kumar
36 Diplomacy: 56 Sports: In South
Trump throws the Africa, Kohli and his
gauntlet at Pakistan. men look to prove that
Is it for real, asks they are lions away
On a downward spiral: The main gate of the Dera complex in Sirsa former ambassador from home, too
M.K. Bhadrakumar
60 Chess: The calls for
INSIDE RAM RAHIM'S DERA 48 Assam: People retirement should end,
anxiously wait for says Viswanathan
Following Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh's arrest last year, the final version Anand
life at the Dera Sacha Sauda headquarters in Haryana is in
limbo. The Dera's fortunes are on the decline, and its future
uncertain. THE WEEK reports from the Dera complex NEXT WEEK
India won't miss the 5G bus, says Aruna
PLUS
Sundararajan, telecom secretary
■ People have immense faith in guruji, says Vipassana Insan,
chairperson, Dera Sacha Sauda
■ The police claim to have proof of forced castration in COVER IMAGING: BINESH SREEDHARAN
the Dera and of Honeypreet's hand behind the riots
34 MUMBAI 40 TAMIL NADU 63 @LEISURE
The fi re at a rooftop pub exposed the Rajinikanth will have to clearly defi ne Mumbai's slums get a colourful
rampant violation of fi re safety norms by his brand of spiritual politics to script makeover, thanks to an art
restaurants and the civic body's negligence success in the state initiave called 'Chal Rang De'
K
Printed at Malayala Manorama Press, Kottayam, Print House India Pvt Ltd, Mumbai, M P Printers, Noida and Rajhans Enterprises, Bangalore and published from Manorama Buildings, Panampilly Nagar,
Kochi-682 036, by Jacob Mathew, on behalf of the Malayala Manorama Co.Ltd., Kottayam - 686 001. Editor Philip Mathew ● Focus/Infocus features are marketing/PR initiatives
AP
AFP
VISHNU V. NAIR
6 THE WEEK Š JANUARY 14, 2018
LETTERS
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jarat is a good indication rehearsal for the bigger eat, dress and conduct
of things to come and the battle in 2019. The BJP themselves the way they
BJP, from now on, will not must address all the issues want to. There should be
WINNER’S impose its decisions on pertaining to farmers not no compulsion from any
LOSS the public without caring only in Gujarat but across source, private or govern-
LOSER’S
for their repercussions. the country. It should ment, that impinges upon
MWOTDHIE SRTEA INSD ASN TI OAPLPL,NO BSUITI ONNOW M. Shanti Kumar, reduce its dependence on freedom of choice of an
K
AMNRBANEDARPDT ACAOTHTHLJRAYEHPATAKGLSAS ARPU TO,ORSTH NTUIARS NDNGIDEPE,AXS SURT:HR H A, On email. BMJoPd is. Mtoy n audrvtuicre tmo othree ibned tihveid suuablj. eDcits osef ndte bshaoteu. ld
DESPITE NOT meeting regional leaders. We need to accept the vast
Amit Shah’s target of 150 Bal Govind, cultural differences in our
MAKE BJP seats, the BJP’s victory, On email. country.
after a particularly acerbic D.B.N. Murthy,
SWEAT campaign, is a relief to Why force her? On email.
I KNEW the BJP will win the saffron party. Losing WHY IS Shobhaa De forc-
the elections in Gujarat, Gujarat, the political cita- ing Bollywood actors to Anger no state
but the Congress’s per- del, was not an option for speak against the sexual policy
formance surprised me the BJP as long as Modi harassment and criminal PEOPLE LIKE Hafiz
(‘Two to tango’, December and Shah were at the acts they faced at their Saeed are utterly poison-
31). The result is a morale helm. The results of the workplace? It is for ous and should be shown
booster for the grand old 2019 general elections Priyanka Chopra to decide their place in society
party. Now I am sure it is are no longer a foregone whether or not she wants (‘In love with anger’,
confident enough to take conclusion. The BJP and to name the people who December 24). It is unfor-
on the mighty BJP in the the Congress will have to have sexually harassed her tunate that Saeed is now
upcoming assembly elec- innovate their election (‘DeTour’, December 31). foraying into politics.
tions. strategies in the days to Will De like it if somebody We should not sow hate
A displeasure with the come. forces her the same way? in young people. Motive-
Narendra Modi govern- J.S. Acharya, Devender Tokas, less hatred is not good
ment, it seems, has begun On email On email. and, if not controlled, it
to set in. It was good to see will slowly consume us. In
the opposition party put YOUR COVERAGE of the Live and laugh the case of Donald Trump,
up a good fi ght. No elec- elections in Gujarat seems YOUR COVER story on I feel he will mellow down
tion should be a cakewalk to suggest that the BJP standup comedians made in the years to come, while
for the BJP. It should be lost to the Congress. This me laugh, literally (‘Jokes accepting the ground
made to sweat in every is another glaring example apart’, December 24). realities around the world.
election. of the anti-BJP bias of The trademark punches Anger cannot be peren-
P.K. Das, THE WEEK. of these people refresh nially used as an instru-
On email. The BJP’s vote share our mind and soul. A good ment of state policy by any
has actually increased laugh is very much essen- leader.
THE RESULT in Gujarat from what it was in 2012. tial for a hale and hearty P.M. Tyagi,
was a win-win situa- There is an 8 per cent life. On email.
tion for the BJP and the difference in the vote Arathi Raghuveer,
Congress, as the BJP, shares of the BJP and the On email. Greedy men
with great difficulty, man- Congress and, mind you, IT IS environmentally bet-
aged to grab power and it is a substantial one in a WE, THE Indians, take ter to travel by train than
the Congress has made bipolar contest. everything so seriously by plane (‘A question of
strides. It is clear that K.N. Murali, and that causes unneces- survival’, December 24).
the BJP’s popularity in On email. sary tension. We should We should stop messing
Gujarat is on the wane and improve our tolerance with nature. We should
Rahul Gandhi’s reputation THE BJP has to face level. Being tolerant and plant more trees and cre-
is on the rise. tough elections in forgiving has immediate ate more green spaces to
What we saw in Gujarat Karnataka, Rajasthan, benefits. effectively address global
10 THE WEEK Š JANUARY 14, 2018
LETTERS
warming and related Licence to kil EDITOR
PHILIP MATHEW
issues. Man, for greed THE HORRIFIC video of
SENIOR ASSISTANT EDITOR & DIRECTOR
and comfort, has always a Hindu from Rajasthan RIYAD MATHEW
played havoc with nature burning a Muslim alive on EDITOR-IN-CHARGE EDITOR-IN-CHARGE (ONLINE) SENIOR NEWS EDITOR
by cutting trees down and camera was shocking (‘An V.S. JAYASCHANDRAN T R GOPAALAKRISHNAN STANLEY THOMAS
NEWS EDITOR DEPUTY NEWS EDITORS
encroaching upon forests. agent of hate’, December LUKOSE MATHEW P. SRIDEVI, MATHEW T. GEORGE, MAIJO ABRAHAM
Mahesh Kumar, 24). I feel such things are RESIDENT EDITOR, DELHI CHIEF OF BUREAU, DELHI
K.S. SACHIDANANDA MURTHY R. PRASANNAN
On email. being done to send out a
CONTRIBUTING EDITORS
message, one of hindutva’s BARKHA DUTT, ANITA PRATAP, ANUJA CHAUHAN
Foreign fixation unlimited majoritarian CHIEF OF BUREAU, MUMBAI DEPUTY CHIEFS OF BUREAU, DELHI
INDIA LACKS adequate impunity and imagined DNYANESH V. JATHAR VIJAYA PUSHKARNA, NEERU BHATIA
resources in critical areas licence to kill members of C
HSI.E NFE SEURABJE KDRITISOHRNSA ASNEIRNUIODRH AS UKABREIDNIDTAOLRASM DSIUYBAE MDAITOHERWS
such as medicine, engi- the minority community. AJISH P. JOY ANIRUDH MADHAVAN NEERAJ KRISHNAN
SUSAMMA KURIAN KARTHIK RAVINDRANATH
neering, research and sci- Padmini Raghavendra, NAVIN J. ANTONY REUBEN JOE JOSEPH
ence (‘The Indian scien- On email.
SENIOR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENTS PRINCIPAL CORRESPONDENTS
tific invasion’, December REKHA DIXIT, MANDIRA NAYAR, NEHA NANDINI GUNAVANTRAI OZA (AHMEDABAD);
24). Young people, even Useless onlookers SHARMA BAJPAI, NAMRATA BIJI AHUJA, SOUMIK DEY (DELHI); RAHUL DEVULAPALLI
SONI MISHRA, (DELHI); TARIQ AHMAD (HYDERABAD)
today, are enthusiastic to I ENJOYED the artistic BHAT (SRINAGAR)
SENIOR CORRESPONDENTS
go overseas, particularly interpretation project SPECIAL CORRESPONDENTS MINI P. THOMAS, ABHINAV SINGH
to Europe and the US, undertaken by THE K. SUNIL THOMAS, PRATUL SHARMA, (BENGALURU); VANDANA (DELHI);
NAMITA KOHLI (DELHI); RACHNA TYAGI ANJULY MATHAI (KOCHI); PRIYANKA
for further studies and WEEK to spread aware- (MUMBAI); AJAY UPRETY (LUCKNOW); BHADANI (MUMBAI)
employment. Such an ness about sexual harass-
NDEAENPDAAKK TUIMWAR I( B(BEHNOGPAALUL)R; UPR);ATHIMA CORRESPONDENTS
inspiration starts from a ment against women CITHARA PAUL (THIRUVANANTHAPURAM); DHRITI GANDHI RANJAN (DELHI);
very young age and it is (‘Devi and the devils’,
LNAAKCSHHIMKEI TS UKBELRKAAMRA (NMIAUNM (BCAHI)E;NNAI); ACHNUIERFA RDEHPAO VRATREARNASI (MUMBAI)
often parents who encour- December 24). But it was RABI BANERJEE (KOLKATA); UAE: JAIMON GEORGE, DUBAI
PRADIP R. SAGAR (DELHI)
age children in this direc- really sad to see onlook-
tion.The Indian diaspora ers not intervening to save
NEW MEDIA
is contributing heavily the victims. These people
SENIOR SUBEDITORS SUBEDITORS RESEARCHER
to the Indian economy, should sit and contem- SARATH RAMESH KUNIYL ANNIFRED SOLOMON SAJU C. DANIEL
yet the recognition that plate whether it was the SNEHA PILLAI ANCY K. SUNNY
HAZEEDA VIJAYAKUMAR VINOD V.K. MULTIMEDIA
they deserve is not fully right thing to do SUMITRA NAIR JOSE K. GEORGE RAHUL J. MOHAN
acknowledged. Crimes against women VAISAKH E. HARI VIPIN DAS P.
ANITA BABU
Ramachandran Nair, are occurring with alarm- ELVIS KURIAN JOHN
On email. ing regularity, and the JUSTIN PAUL GEORGE
government and its agen-
Controversial man cies are doing absolutely PHOTO EDITOR: SANJOY GHOSH ART EDITOR: JAYAKRISHNAN M.T.
KANCHA ILAIAH nothing. DEPUTY PHOTO EDITORS ASST. ART EDITOR: BINESH SREEDHARAN
BHANU PRAKASH CHANDRA, SALIL BERA CHIEF GRAPHIC ARTIST: N.V. JOSE
Shepherd is one of the Saumya Ramachandran,
CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHERS ILLUSTRATOR: B. BHASKARAN
most controversial writ- On email. ARVIND JAIN, SANJAY
LAYOUT ARTIST: B. MANOJKUMAR
ers we have in the country AHLAWAT (DELHI); JANAK BHAT DESIGNERS: DENI LAL, JOB P.K.
and he has always spewed Error (MUMBAI); GRAPHIC DESIGNER: SYAM KRISHNAN
SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER
venom on certain sections IN THE COVER page of ARTISTS: RAJESH A.S., SUMESH C.N.,
AMEY SUHAS MANSABDAR (MUMBAI)
of people, which is not the issue dated December PHOTOGRAPHER SUJESH K., AJEESH KUMAR M.
right (‘Hating the pen, 31, you missed the preposi- AAYUSH GOEL (DELHI) JUNIOR ARTIST: JAIRAJ T.G.
RESEARCH HEAD: K. MANOHARAN
loving the gun’, December tion ‘of ’ while mentioning SENIOR PICTURE COORDINATOR
RESEARCH ASSISTANT: RANI G.S.
24). He cannot simply your story on the shehnai. BIMAL NATH C.
criticise the Indian cul- It is admittedly a minor
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
ture and traditions in the mistake, but is very jarring GEORGE JACOB
manner that he has over because it is on the cover VICE PRESIDENT, MARKETING, ADVERTISING SALES
VARGHESE CHANDY
the years. It is the duty of page. VICE PRESIDENT, CIRCULATION
every Indian to keep alive Thomas M. Vallikappen, M. RAJAGOPALAN NAIR
the ancient culture of this On email. C HIEF RESIDENT GM, MUMBAI REGIONAL CHIEF GM, CHENNAI
SHREE KUMAR MENON K.C. SURESH
great country. C HIEF RESIDENT GM, BENGALURU CHIEF MARKETING OFFICER-NORTH
J.P. Reddy, We regret the error. RANJIT KURIEN AND HEAD, SPECIAL PROJECTS, NEW DELHI
R. RAJMOHAN
On email Editor