As I am writing this, One lakh followers of Dera Sacha Sauda is holed up in the residence of Ram Rahim Singh. Since their violence against society has failed, the next logical step is violence against themselves - through mass suicide or other means of self harm. I can’t see why the state is so callous in dealing this.

I left religion long ago and I see no reason to go back to it again. But it doesn’t mean that I am insensitive to the idea of religion and what it means to me and the world around me.

The recent instance of violence by the Dera Sacha Sauda members after the conviction of their chief and God-in-charge Mr. Ram Rahim Singh is a telling tale.

What is in the news is the failure of the state to act against them. What bothers me more is the failure of our culture to contain such movements which tap the irrational side of Homo Religiosus.

State is just an extension of our own people. Similarly, since the members of Dera Sacha Sauda or Hizbul Mujahidheen is recruited from our own people, I see no reason to claim that this isn’t our failure.

My mind aches for the 30 or so people who lost their lives to violence. But looking beyond them, I see an imminent threat that isn’t addressed effectively.

As I am writing this, One lakh followers of Dera Sacha Sauda is holed up in the residence of Ram Rahim Singh. Since their violence against society has failed, the next logical step is violence against themselves - through mass suicide or other means of self harm. I can’t see why the state is so callous in dealing this.

We might want to take a leaf out of what happened in Jonestown (USA, 1978) or even our recent Anti-Mandal commission agitations were people immolated themselves for superficial reasons.

And coming from a cultural background that eulogise self sacrifice, I am afraid, a arousal from him (or any of his spirited followers) could lead to loss of thousands of lives. We have absolutely no excuse in failing to diffuse the crowd.

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Mr. Ram Rahim Singh is immensely popular among his followers. Many believe that his blessings helped them quit addictions and gave their family life back to them. The entire world isn’t black and white. The scam he was able to run was sugar coated with the morals that are cherished by each one of us irrespective of our religions.

I don’t want to take advantage of this situation and launch a scathing critique on religion, but it would help to read some history and learn along the lines how cults developed and how they proliferated into full blown religions when the heads were removed from the scene either by death, execution or other reasons.

I am no one to propose amendments to religions. Anyone with a basic understanding of history would acknowledge the fact that religious movements of the past were aimed to amend the social standing of the times, just like we amend our esteemed constitution to make it conforming to the need of the times.

In line with that spirit, I strongly feel that we are left wanting of a cultural awakening. A need to understand that religions are subordinate to culture. I have no doubts when I claim that Hindus and Muslims of Kerala have much more in common (in all aspects of their lives) than between Muslims (or Hindus) of Kerala and Bengal.

This isn’t supposed to be a parochial interpretation of cultural nationalism, but is an effort to reconcile the idea of our (Indian) nationalism with the current socio-political atmosphere.

India of 2017 is at the cusp of a social change. We need to come forward and take the helm of it. To correct our mistakes and prevent the future generations from falling to the same trap, we can’t be sleeping or pretending to sleep any more.

The Haryana and Punjab episode is just a symptom. If we don’t wake up to it now, we would be later left with a Malignant Metastatis and no options to deal with it.

Jai Hind!