India is a land of spirituality and has been famed for it since the Vedic age. The case against Asaram Bapu is not against spirituality. He has been arrested on a charge of molestation of a minor. If he is found guilty, he should be sentenced to condign punishment. Whether or not he is a self – proclaimed Godman makes no difference. Furthermore it has been said that he sometimes consorted with women. The question also arises as to whether or not a man, however spiritual can be a Godman. Jesus is the son of God. But he was born to the world of men. A Godman is of course not inherently evil or even an illegitimate category. On the other hand, it should not be a category recognized by the state or given more rights than ordinary citizens.
There is a wide gap between promiscuity and sexual crime. An enlightened society should recognize the distinction between consent and force. Pseudo-spiritual influence sometimes turns force into consent. The notion of Godmen can be subject to strong criticism in many cases. It is not the same as Guru or spiritual mentor. The Indian jurisprudence lays down that one is innocent until proved guilty. If Asaram is guilty, he should be punished. If he is innocent, his being locked up will cause a great commotion. It is to be presumed that the police arrested him after collecting sufficient evidence. He also defied a court summons. One does not see a political plot behind it. The BJP steered clear of the case against him. Finally, Asaram had previously betrayed his belief in the subjugation of women in his strange comment on the Nirbhaya rape case.
