Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh Ji Insan
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The man
THE MAN BEHIND INSAN
Ajay Sura The Times of India Jan 18 2015
He sings, wears bling and is spiritual king for lakhs. Meet the controversial star guru Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh Insan
'WONDER' KID
The 48-year-old was born in Gurusar Modia, a small village in Rajasthan. Claiming to have supernatural abilities since childhood Ram Rahim, popularly known as Meeta, became the third head of Sirsa-based Dera Sacha Sauda in September 1990. He has not renounced his family and has two daughters and a son. His son, Jasmeet Singh Insan, has been anointed as his successor.
DRIVING PASSIONS
When it comes to cars, the Dera head is up to speed. He is fond of bikes, swanky cars and customizes them to his taste. He has a fleet that includes a Lexus, Audi, Mercedes, Toyota and BMW. He always travels with decoy cars, which are bulletproof, jammer-fitted imported SUVs with the same colour and registration number for safety reasons.He has several modified bikes, which he uses while performing Ruhani Nights (his stage shows). The modified vehicles seen in his upcoming movie are said to have been designed by him.He also charters flights frequently and has a small airstrip on the Dera premises.
STAR-BUCKS
Though there are no official figures for his assets, it is estimated Ram Rahim has around 700 acres of agricultural land in Sirsa, hospitals, “nam charcha ghars“ (religious discourse places) and market complexes across almost all towns and cities of Punjab, Haryana, Himachal and Rajasthan.Besides a world-class cricket stadium, petrol pumps, a multi-speciality hospital, the Dera Sacha Sauda also has a five-star SMG Resorts in Sirsa. As part of its expansion plans, the resort will offer 16 Wonder villas with private pools, 10 Water villas with rooms under water, an international spa, 7-D theatre and a convention centre. The Dera has an international footprint with over 250 ashrams.
GURU IS BIG ON GAANA
According to Dera sources, his six popular albums -“Thank U for That“, “Network Tere Love Ka“, “Chashma Yaar Ka“, “Insan“, “Lov Rabb Se“ and “Highway Love Charger“ -have collectively sold over 10 million copies. Songs from his new film MSG (The Messenger of God) -which he has written, composed and produced -span electronic dance music to rap (a track titled Daaru Ko Goli Maaro) and hip-hop.
CHEF & FEMINIST
He's a man of many talents.Thirty-four to be precise, according to his official website that lists “Excellent Chef, Cost Effective Technology Developer, Feminist, Global Warming Mitigator“ among Ram Rahim's special gifts.A “Sportsman par Excellence“, he reportedly plays over 32 games including volleyball, kabaddi, tennis, cricket, football and water polo, loves adventure (He once sang a song called `Chocolate' in a live concert, suspended 30 feet above the ground from a moving crane) and has “amazing photography skills“.
KITSCH KING
He has abandoned his white kurta-pyjama avatar and reinvented himself as `Guru of Bling'. He strikes quite a kitschy pose with his garish costumes, turbans and tiaras and arm bling. His website calls his look “morally uplifting fashion“ and he claims that he only wears outfits that he has designed. He had over 100 costumes made for the film.A Guru Gobind Singh outfit got him mired in a controversy in 2007. He has had Z-plus security since then.
ONE & ONLY
He is reported to have over 5 crore followers across India and abroad. They all use the surname Insan. Imitating their guru, they wear blue lockets shaped like the numerical 1, suggesting one identity and one God. In the last Haryana elections, he supported the BJP after Amit Shah visited the Dera last year. After forming government, various MLAs, ministers and party top brass are reported to have visited the Dera to seek his blessings.
A backgrounder
The Times of India <>The Times of India
According to his official website, he is referred to as His Excellency, Hazoor Maharaj Saint Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh Ji Insan. He was born in Rajasthan to Sardar Maghar Singh Ji and Naseeb Kaur Ji Insan. Though he was born in a Sikh family, he does not adhere to any particular religion. He is the head of the India-based socio-spiritual organisation Dera Sacha Sauda since September 23, 1990 and has 50 million supporters from the Dera Sacha Sauda sect (as reported on Business2community.com). He has adopted the glorious method of meditation from Param Pita Shah Satnam Ji Maharaj.
Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh Insan has a long list of talents to his credit that range from from music to engineering, from sports to agriculture, from spiritualism to science. He is also said to play a wide range of sports that include volleyball, netball, throwball, kabaddi, lawn tennis, cricket, football, billiards, table tennis, snooker, shooting ball, yoga, basketball, water polo among others. (As reported on his official website)
This Rockstar Baba, who wanted to make his Filmistan debut in Jan 2015, has many other talents apart from acting? His official website states that he is a fashion designer, a magazine designer, automobile designer, interior and exterior decorator and landscape designer and a cook who has created a wide range of recipes.
As a head of the Dera sect, he enjoys immense popularity and is known for his many initiatives including his drive to eradicate forced prostitution from society and rescue them from high risk groups. Reportedly, he also treats them as his spiritual foster daughters and arranges for their treatment from HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted infections. His official website states that on Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh's call, 1500 young men volunteered to marry these women and many of these marriages have actually taken place.
He is an avid peace lover and volunteer and is said to encourage his followers to free birds and release snakes into the jungle that are found in his ashram. According to his official website, Guruji (as he is also lovingly called), is said to be an anti-discrimination leader, educationist, anti-population crusader, de-addiction specialist, low cost housing expert, among other key titles. He has also made it to the Guinness Book of world records and holds a total of 16 titles. These include, Guinness World Record for Largest Vegetable Mosaic, Guinness World Record in the Largest Finger Painting, Guinness World Record in Most People Sanitizing Their Hands, and Guinness World Record for Largest Human Droplet.
For his film MSG: The Messenger of God, he has written, composed and performed his own music, that is often described as religious rock. His song 'Love charger' from the album Highway Love Charger has had 1 million views online and is said to have sold almost thirty lakh copies in three days. As per a report on IMDB, Singh's debut film took only 67 days to complete shooting and the trailer has received over 2.2 million views till date.
According to a report on Dailymail.co.uk, in 2002, Singh and his Dera allegedly came under investigation in connection with the charges of sexual exploitation of women followers of the sect, and the murder of a journalist Ram Chander Chatrapati. The allegations started in May 2002 after an anonymous letter, alleging sexual exploitation, was addressed to the Prime Minister and its copies had been marked to several other bodies.
According to a report on Indiaopines.com, Singh has been in the news for several reasons and was accused of allegedly forcing around 400 men followers to castrate themselves in order to make them his slaves. He was also accused of allegedly murdering his driver Faqir Chand, where a CBI special court apparently cleared him of all charges.
According to a report on Indiaopines.com, he is said to be close to militant Gurjant Singh Rajasthani of the much feared Khalistan Liberation Force. Further to reports, it is said that he enjoys VVIP Status and a Z – level security cover. Singh reportedly drives a Range Rover SUV. In fact, hundreds of vehicles are allegedly said to follow him wherever he goes. In these 100, there are 16 black Ford Endeavours. His entourage is also said to include a number of female followers.
In January 2015, taking cognizance of an application seeking CBI probe into alleged suicides (wh Sirsa-resident Ram Kumar Bishnoi alleged were murders) inside Dera Sacha Sauda, Sirsa, the Punjab and Haryana high court issued a notice to the sect head and Haryana government. (The Times of India)
MSG censorship controversy
The Messenger of God or MSG is a Hindi-Urdu feature film starring and co-directed by His Excellency Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh Ji Insan. It was due to hit Indian screens on January 16, 2015 amidst reports that its screening may evoke protests from some quarters. Its release was postponed amidst controversy and low level violence.
MSG: The Messenger of God has been co-directed by Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh Insan and Jeetu Arora Insaan, wherein Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh plays the lead role. (Insan means 'human' and many members of the cult use it as surnames, to distance themsleves from caste- and religion-based surnames.
(The theatrical trailer of the film begins with His Excellency Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh Ji Insan saying: 'Some say [that I am a] sant [saint], some say [that I am an] angel. Some [call me] guru and others God. But we are [royal we] only an [long pause] Insan [human].')
Law and order concerns
There were three clashes between members of Sikh outfits and dera followers in Moga district in the week before the film’s scheduled release
In Baghapurana town of Moga district there was Tension after four flex boards and posters of movie 'Messenger of God (MSG)' were torn. Dera followers protested outside Baghapurana police station, demanding action against persons responsible for the mischief.
Five persons sustained injuries in Moga, when dera followers and members of Sikh organizations indulged in stone-pelting.
Dera followers exchanged fire at Thathi Bhai village where tension escalated after a poster of the movie was burnt. Devotees of the dera accused members of Sikh organizations of burning the movie poster.
As a result security was beefed up at the dera branches.
The Home Ministry had been watching the situation as there were inputs related to possible tense situations arising as certain Sikh organisations have been opposing the movie. The Home Ministry had sent an advisory to states that ‘Messenger of God’ a few days before the film was to be released.
“Various Sikh organisations and individuals are opposing the movie on the ground that its release would disturb the communal harmony and law and order. They also opine that glorification of DSS chief, facing serious criminal cases, should not be allowed,” the advisory said.
Certification by the censors
Five days before the film’s scheduled release, a review committee of the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) unanimously decided to refer the decision related to the clearance of the film to the Film Certification Apellate Tribunal (FCAT). CBFC chairperson Leela Samson told PTI as much.
According to reports, the CBFC's revising committee refused a certificate to the film saying it promotes blind faith and superstition.
Amidst reports that the film had been cleared by Film Certification Appellate Tribunal (FCAT), Censor Board chief Leela Samson submitted her resignation. She was reported to have said, ‘It is a mockery of Central Board of Film Certification.’
See also
Godmen and cult leaders: India <> Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh Ji Insan <> Rampal Singh Jatin @ Rampal, cult leader <>
