Indian economy has mix of jaw and sorrow. Prices are increasing. Economists are fighting for the calculation of poverty- line. Sugar mill owners are demanding full fledge to them for the export of their products and increase in their prices. Kalmadi and Kanimojhi is trying to come out of scams. Anna and his supporters are fighting for a powerful “Lokpal”. But in recent time one another phenomenon has still been ignored by the media and public.
Each day when you sit before the television, a number of news channels broadcast shows of different person, so called “Baba Gee”, sitting on well maintained stage with a group of musicians and singers, who create spiritual environment for their followers. Some time they talk about the “Dharma and Mokshya”, stories related to God, some time about “Pranyam and Kapalbhati”, and medicines prepared by their companies under their guidance. They are developing a new ethics for the living style of the people. People are advised to do Yoga every day, laugh with loud without feeling the emotions of those surrounding them. They promote their products; sugar, tea leaf, pest, oil, beauty cream, Ganga water, more pure then Ganga river for their daily life. People listen to their stories and do Yoga and try their products and, in return, they donate money to the trusts run by these Babas. But after the death of “Shree Sai Baba” and fighting between persons for the trusteeship of his empire (still not exactly declared), tell the realty.
Most of Baba Jees support their product by saying that our teeth will be remain the same till 100 years if we use their product and use brush manufactured by their companies(in future they are planning to produce truth brush also that do not affect teeth negatively). They claim that people who are suffering from T.B., Kidney failure and any other incurable diseases can be cured by using their medicines. Here the most important question is that there is no any institution that can confirm the veracity of their claim. They are getting benefits of tax rebate and other such rebates. They are charging higher prices for their products. One can see that the incomes of Baba Gees are increasing very fast in India. There are so many rich persons, who donate to these Babas’ trust in lakhs and crores. I do not refer to any particular Baba, because there are a number of Babas and their companies running in India. I intend to present the realty of these so called Babas to the people.
Through this article I appeal to the government of India to take initiative against the wrong advertisement about the product produced by Babas. Government should not promote tax free donation to the Babas’trusts. Here one question is also arising about the government’s failure, because some Babas claim that a number of hospitals are running by their trusts for the poor and disable person. If the government is increasing expenditure on hospital and health care schemes, there are people who are not getting real benefits from these schemes. On the other hand “Swami jee” is fighting against corruption by taking help from the rich Indians without identifying the source of their income. Who are donating money to these Babas. If Indians want to solve the problem of corruption, they have to be honest themselves. The government also has to think about its failure in providing social security to the needy persons. A dishonest person cannot be freed from all his corrupted work by donate the money to these Babas.The government should think about the lokpal for the so called “Babas” in India.
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By
Aviral Pandey
Research Scholar, Institute of Economic Growth, Delhi, email: aviral-at-iegindia.org.