what could be reason behind sacha sauda controversy

The Indian express has a very interesting article.
it says that since the CBI case was coming near, the dera tried to create a controversy deliberately. However people did not react to it. Hence it tried another trick. Even that did not succeed. Finally, it tried issued advertisements and it was successful


http://cities.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=236969

Flurry of activity after High Court reprimand in dera case
Navjeevan Gopal

Bathinda, May 18: Sirsa-based Dera Sacha Sauda has remained increasingly in the news ever since April 16 when the High Court pulled up CBI asking investigative agency to submit by May 28 the final report on Dera Chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim's involvement in the murder of two persons, including journalist Ram Chander Chattarpati, and sexual molestation of some women in the well-guarded dera area.

It started when thousands of dera followers gathered in Mansa and staged a dharna on April 24 raising anti-government slogans, threatening to go berserk and blocking traffic after a glass pillar housing dera's religious tag line "Dhan Dhan Satguru Tera Hi Aasra" at Mansa crossing was allegedly vandalised on the intervening night of April 22 and 23. The dera followers were blaming SAD (Badal) for the incident and were demanding immediate arrest of the persons responsible for the act. Police arrested six persons in that connection, but categorically denied, SAD had any role in the incident. "We had told dera people that SAD was in no way involved in damaging the dera symbol," said Mansa SSP Ram Singh.

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The speedy action of police where the "miscreants" were arrested appeared to snatch the issue from dera followers, even as everything was done to blow the issue to maximum proportions. Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) president Shamsher Singh Dullo, former state CM Capt Amarinder Singh's wife and MP Preneet Kaur and many other Congress leaders had dashed to Mansa and had aired inflammatory speeches, with an assurance to back dera and its followers.

Then, according to a dera spokesman, the Jaam-e-Insaan ceremony was started by dera chief on April 29 from Sirsa. Evidently it failed to catch attention of society, Sikhs in particular. Siginificantly, the dera neither issued an advertisement nor issued any press release to announce the start of its campaign.

However, it made sure that a press kit was delivered to all correspondents at Bathinda and ads were published prominently in at least three major newspapers when a similar ceremony was performed on the evening of May 11 at Salabatpura, around 50 kilometers from Bathinda. The dera chief Gurmit Ram Rahim Singh in a ceremony akin to Khalsa creation ceremony by Guru Gobind Singh, gave dera's followers a liquid to drink, which dera chief termed as Jaam-e-Insaan (Roohani Sharbat).

The dera press kit included pictures in which the dera chief was shown like Guru Gobind Singh in different postures - like stirring the liquid adopting Bir Aasan, exactly like Guru Gobind Singh did while creating Khalsa and wearing outfit with Kalgi, Kamarkassa, Pajami, Poshak and Jutti, just like Guru Gobind Singh.

Simultaneous release of ad and press note, even as there was no event or anniversary to justify the same, also points towards a well calculated strategy, where dera wanted to hit the nail on the head to shift focus from CBI final inquiry.

Another catch is the 47 tenets given in the advertisement, one of which reads "Do not hear the criticism of your Guru". This could well explain why dera followers are enraged after dera chief's effigies are being burnt in many parts and every possible derogatory language, expressions and poster are being used against him, in protest against his sacrilegious act.

However, this development forced by radicals would have been least anticipated by dera, who might have been thinking that state CM Parkash Singh Badal, who never locked horns with dera, even after dera opposed SAD in elections, would not let anything happen that could cause trouble to dera chief.

From mobilising its followers to vote for Congress to making Sikhs notice the mischievous ads, the dera media managers, on the face of it, appear succeeding in sending the desired message in an effective manner. Whether they achieve the desired results is a thing to be seen as May 28 approaches nearer.