There is a strong perception that the Uttar Pradesh government deliberately allowed self-styled godman Ram Briksh Yadav to stay on in Mathura, but things went out of its hands leading violence and loss of lives.
When the Centrally-appointed N N Vohra committee submitted its report in 1993 on the purported nexus among politicians, bureaucrats and criminals in which he made several observations on the criminal network which was virtually running a parallel government, he had no idea that this report will never see the floor of Parliament. The report also discussed criminal gangs who enjoyed the patronage of politicians of all parties and the protection by government functionaries. It revealed that political leaders had become the leaders of gangs. Over the years, criminals had been elected to local bodies, Assemblies and Parliament.
Vohra was actually referring to gangs of criminals which were becoming important to politicians of all shades and colours–some openly and others covertly. Over the last two decades, criminals have jumped into the fray and started getting into law-making bodies. They have started taking all routes to organise and create gangs and also “senas” in the name of protecting the gang leader.
One of the latest routes, and the safest now, was to organise in the name of religion. The emergence of electronic media gave them even more strength than it would have been otherwise. Several gangsters own channels today to propagate their ideas and increase following and of course money. The emergence of Asaram Bapu is one such example. But the emergence of a boy from a Haryana village who played dholaks at weddings to being Baba Rampal was the turning point. Rampal’s rise was not because of his religious or spiritual greatness, but because of his ability to impress and affect local politics. All politicians were making a beeline before his ashram for support. This emboldened him to become a law unto himself.
Ram Briksh Yadav joined Baba Jai Gurudev, the founder-leader of a cult, in 1972 and had even gone to jail with him during Emergency. Yadav was involved in an internecine conflict with two other groups of Baba’s followers over the control of the cult’s property valued more than Rs 10,000 crore. The Samajwadi Party (SP) saw an opportunity in him and started giving him socio-political support. It’s startling that Ram Briksh was drawing “Loktantra Senani Pension” of Rs 15,000 from the state government. This is an SP government scheme for those who were jailed during the Emergency.
Details regarding the strange beliefs and demands of the encroachers involved in the violent confrontation with the police in Mathura emerged even as the bodies were being counted. Their demands included the cancellation of elections of the President and prime minister. They also wanted the Indian currency to be replaced by the Azad Hind Fauj Currency, and that 60 litres of petrol and 40 litres of diesel be priced at Rs 1 each. One of their demands said that all documents related to law and order and the documents of citizenship must be made public as it would reveal who we really are.
Powerful supporters
According to reports, Ram Briksh’s book Vidhik Satyagrah describes a “financial freedom struggle” and details the same strange demands such as banning the Indian currency. The “township” that emerged in Jawahar Bagh was shielded from action by local authorities by a powerful state minister, reports said. For over two years, Ram Briksh’s followers camped at Jawahar Bagh and were provided three meals a day. This, along with subsidised sugar (Rs 25 per kg) and grapes (Rs 20 per kg as opposed to the market price of Rs 60 per kg), could not have been possible without a “strong financier”.
It is obvious that like many other “senas” operating in India, there is a mixture of religion, politics and criminality. This ensures their weightage in the political system and opportunity to bargain, influence and blackmail. This dangerous cocktail is now becoming a phenomenon.
The Akhilesh Yadav government is in a precarious situation. It is in full election mode and wishes to come back to power making history. The government has failed to control criminal elements, for this is their main constituency. This has led to their downfall every time they came to power. While the famed MY (Muslim-Yadav) combination is its main support base, the SP enjoys or seeks the support of even dreaded mafia gangs like those of D P Yadav, Atiq Ahmad and others.
Akhilesh’s inability to take any action against them is a fact. They will not act, as the main cadre will be disappointed. They did the same in the Muzaffarnagar incident, blaming lower-level policemen and saving politicians. In the bargain, the top bureaucrats also saved themselves. The dye is being cast for elections 2017 and many such incidents are likely to recur.
There are too many bosses in the state government and Akhilesh is probably the last. Akhilesh’s father Mulayam Singh Yadav, uncles Shivpal and Ramgopal, besides minister Azam Khan, all act independently. Mulayam has a difference of opinion with regard to winning the elections. Akhilesh wishes development to be the main agenda whereas Mulayam wants caste and Muslims as the mainstay. This gives bureaucrats a free hand in confusing all and sundry, and Akhilesh will not be able to control this phenomenon and will eventually surrender.
(The writer is Professor and Head, Department of Public Administration, Lucknow University)
Published 11 June 2016, 18:49 IST