Cults of Exploitation: Where Faith Becomes a Weapon of Abuse

A Place where every new woman is raped and you pay to see them being raped! A Place where you send your own wife/daughter to have sexual intercourse with another man! A Place where people believe that women should have intercourse with another man before their marriage! A place where a person is worshipped more than God!

People used to live their happily!

"The Place is Bombay! The 'Maharaj libel 1862' case remains horrifying for today's generation. Jadunathjee Brajratanjee Maharaj, accused a Gujarati journalist and publisher of 'Satya Prakash,' Karsandas Mulji, of defaming his image. Maharaj blamed Mulji for falsely accusing him of having sexual relationships with his devotees in his article titled 'The Primitive Religion of Hindus.' The trial commenced on January 25, 1862, and concluded on March 4, 1862. It was held in the Supreme Court of Bombay."

At that time, several 'Havelies' were ruled by Maharajas who formed a sect called 'Pushti Marg,' which they themselves led. Reports indicate that people would not even begin their day without seeing him in the morning. They ate their food only after he had eaten his, and celebrated festivals only after he had celebrated. It was even believed that women should have intercourse with him before marrying their husbands. People paid the Haveli daily to witness him and the women having intercourse. If a woman became pregnant, he forced her to abort the child. Mulji, a rebel who witnessed this injustice, wrote an article against the Maharaj in his newspaper, 'The Satya Prakash.' As a result, he was sued for defamation. After the court hearing on March 4, 1862, Mulji was found innocent, and Maharaj was proven guilty based on the doctor's report and the statements of more than 60 women who had been raped.

 

Author Opinion: Religious cults have been forming for generations, exploiting innocent people to fulfil their desires. The Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh vs. the State of Punjab and others case perfectly exemplifies this phenomenon. Millions of people blindly follow the leaders of these cults, failing to recognize what is right or wrong. In this case, 60 women filed a rape case, but the actual number of victims likely far surpasses this figure. Thousands of people blindly adhered to the thoughts of one person, elevating him to the status of a god. While education was not widely prevalent at that time, it does not justify the occurrences in that town. Even today, we witness a significant number of uneducated people falling prey to these 'Babas' and 'Maharajas’

No 'baba' can single-handedly make someone successful; individual effort and karma play a crucial role in shaping one's destiny. The people of India must learn to differentiate between genuine religious practices and exploitative cults. True religion emphasizes compassion, humility, and service to humanity. It does not demand money or personal gratification. No individual, regardless of their spiritual claims, can surpass God. If these 'babas' are truly righteous, then practices like sati (widow immolation), caste discrimination, and rape should be considered acceptable, which is clearly absurd