| Font Size |
Asaram's remarks on the gangrape of the 23-year-old girl sparked condemnation across the political spectrum and from women's bodies today with the BJP saying it was "regrettable, deeply disturbing and painful".
SpeakAssault: Enemies of women?
Addressing his followers recently, Asaram said that when the girl encountered six drunk men "she should have taken God's name and could have held the hand of one of the men and said I consider you as my brother and should have said to the other two 'Brother I am helpless, you are my brother, my religious brother.'
Watch Video: Gangrape: Asaram Bapu holds girl responsible
She should have taken God's name and held their hands and feet...then the misconduct wouldn't have happened."
He also went on to say, "Galti ek taraf se nahi hoti hai (mistake is not committed from one side)." The girl was gangraped on the night of December 16 in a moving bus and died nearly a fortnight later at a Singapore hospital.
"The accused were drunk. If the girl had chanted hymns to Goddess Saraswati and to Guru Diksha then she wouldn't have entered the bus...," he added.
BJP spokesperson Ravishankar Prasad said Asaram is a religious guru and that the country looks upto him. "His statement is regrettable, deeply disturbing and painful," he said.
"For him to make the statement in relation to a crime which has shocked the conscience of the country is not only unfortunate but deeply regrettable," he added.
An aide to Asaram sought to downplay the controversy over the remarks. Neelam Dubey said the remarks were made at a religious discourse in Delhi in the context of how one should invoke God's name to avoid incidents like crimes against women. Some reports said the event was held in Rajasthan.
Dubey said Asaram was trying ta drive home the point that incidents like the gangrape of the girl could have been avoided by reciting mantras, by reciting names of Gods. "If she(victim) would have taken God's name or recited a mantra God inside her might have suggested her to how to avoid such crimes," she said, seeking to explain Asaram's remarks.
"He was giving that idea to his devotees. He was citing the gangrape incident to say one should use commonsense to avoid such incidents," she added.
Congress spokesperson Rashid Alvi said religious leaders should give serious thought before they speak out.
Survey: Delhi gangrape: Then & Now
New anti-rape law may be misused: Asaram
Faridabad: Claiming that an "anti-men" campaign is being driven following the Delhi gangrape incident, spiritual guru Asaram Bapu today cautioned that any new law on crime against women may be misused by vested interests.
"After the Delhi gangrape incident, an anti-men campaign appears to be on. Women should be respected but no new law should be framed which can be misused by vested interests....," he said addressing his followers in Bhankari village here on outskirts of Delhi.
He cited the anti-dowry Act and the SC/ST Act and claimed that they have also been misused.
On the controversy over his remark on the Delhi gangrape victim, the guru said, "I only meant that had even one of the six accused taken 'diksha' (initiated into his teachings), the crime would not have occurred."
He blamed the television channels "who get funding from abroad" for creating controversy over his remarks.
"I am amused and I also pity them," Asaram said.
Protests held against Asaram Bapu's comments on Delhi gangrape
Ahmedabad: Nearly 100 activists of Bharatiya Samajik Sena, an organisation claiming to fight social evils, today protested here against self-styled godman Asaram Bapu's alleged remarks that the Delhi gangrape victim should have addressed the rapists as her "brother".
Condemning Asaram's comments, Bharatiya Samajik Sena president Sanjay Gadhvi told PTI that "we demand that Asaram apologise to the women of the country and urge him to take back his words".
Holding banners and placards reading "Shame on Asaram, Shame on Asaram", protestors burnt his effigies in Jashodanagar area of the city and said they would continue to organise protests across the city and the state if he does not apologise for his comments.
Gadhvi also said they plan to throw black ink on the spiritual guru's posters and also protest at the venue of his programmes.
Another member of the organisation, Harshad Patel, said "when the entire country is with the victim, why is Asaram not speaking for her?"
Addressing his followers recently, Asaram had said that when the girl encountered six drunk men, "she should have taken god's name and could have held the hand of one of the men and said 'I consider you as my brother and should have said to the other brother I am helpless, you are my brother, my religious brother'. She should have taken god's name and held their hands and feet. Then, the misconduct wouldn't have happened".
He also went on to say "Galti ek taraf se nahi hoti hai (mistake is not committed merely by one side)."
The girl was gangraped on the night of December 16 in a moving bus and died nearly a fortnight later at a hospital in Singapore.
Asaram Bapu's ashram in Motera here has been in the news for over the last five years following the mysterious death of two children Dipesh and Abhishek, who used to study in the ashram's gurukul, after allegations that black magic was being practiced inside the ashram premises.
The state government had also set up the Justice D K Trivedi Commission to probe the death of the two children on the Sabarmati river bed on July 5, 2008, after going missing on July 3.
Asaramji Bapuji himself has given a motto:- "NAARI SHAKTI JAGRAT HO SADA"---and one more thing it's very easy to blame Saints like Asaramji Bapuji but it more than easy to understand his believes and satsang towards God. So it depends upon a person what to choose, his satsang's or identifying how to blame him.... Regards Media Times & Communications
As i saw that video but i did not saw any such thing told by Spiritual Leader as i know media like to without any proof given Judgement .May be its media business if they will not always show true news they will not get TRP.
He is blind and thoughtless. He is misleading the people. He is actually downgrading the moral values. He understands the language of money and clapping.
If Someone working for Hindus i love him so much no matter who that person its from RSS or VHP or any Indian Guru and from my opinion we generally believe media while they are showing any false news as well and 75% news we know they broadcast for TRP. Did u saw any news against any other Religious ..monk or Father i am sure no why So? Why always our Hindu Religious Guru targeted ?
As long as India deprives its female population of dignity, respect, and equality, it will forever remain a third world country, with half of its population continuing to perpetuate heinous sexual crimes against women and children with impunity. SHAME ON YOU, INDIA and shame on all of you who preach this misogynistic, patriarchal attitude towards women!!
How does he know that she didn't do this?
How does he know that she didn't do this?
How does he know that she didn't do this?
How does he know that she didn't do this?
if this happen with his mother and sister then the statement of his is totally changed
Shocking is a mild word for the feeling one gets on hearing such bullshit from these so called babas who have the courage to make such comments in front of the national media. Is he presuming that the rapists waited for her plead with them and call them her brothers, and when she failed to do so proceeded to the act of rape? Are these brutes worthy of being anyone's brothers? And why on earth should an innocent girl who lives in a free country have to beg for her modesty and life to a few drunk hooligans? What she needed was a sound training in Karate and a more effective administration in her country. It is a shame that this country, its police, its law, its people failed to save her.
How does he know that she didn't do this?
dear asaram bapu, ever heard of kamaturanam na bhayam na lajjaam? ever tried negotiating with drunk men filled with lust and rage in a area where they are in control? do you realise how it is for a person to reach home at night in a huge place like delhi when it is very cold and isolated and lonely. the only thought is to reach home safely. does the mistake lie in that poor girl who could not afford a safe transport? you travel under a personal escort with heavily armed entourage. does this incidence say something about our abysmal governance where after sixty years of independence we don't have a safe public transport? perhaps you should be reminded of mahatma gandhi who said a country is safe only when a women can walk the streets at midnight alone. jai hind
I would give anything to talk face to face with this bapu or whatever he calls himself. Its hard to believe that such people and such thoughts even exist in this beautiful world!Mr asaram needs a crash course on humanity and reality!!!
Sometimes, the best thing old men can do for society, is to lay down. Just shut your mouth, and lay down, old man. Women have the same rights as men, and deserve the same feelings of freedom and security.
firstly i am ashamed to even be a part of a society where such depravity exists, then to top it with this kind of stupidity in the name of god and religion . how ever to continue to with his line of thinking,i was brought up with there is god in everything, which means there was god in the girl who was raped, so is this 'guru' preacher of a religion asking for the girl 'maa samaan' form of god as to why she didnt beg the devil to let her go in the name of brother hood and some of you agree with him saying that she boarded the wrong bus.are you people INSANE or really that STUPID and stuped in the masoginistic indian society that you cant see the fault of 6 disgusting animals.
How does he know that she didn't do this?
Asharam's advice to girls is very similar to Mahatma Gandhi's advice to German Jews and Bengali Hindus. In summary, Both,Asharam and Mahatma Gandhi, said that If victim non-violently submits then it would result in moral reformation of attacker (*). This advises are the result of extreme ideological belief in non-violence, nobility, and pacifism. Personally, I would reject this dangerous advises lock stock and barrel. (*) Based on Mahatma Gandhi's letters, and several other public sources like his Biography by B R Nanda, Oxford University Press.
every word u said & the comparison u made is 100% true. I cant even comment on the comment of that Asaram as it is mindless
How does he know that she didn't do this?
I totally agree! What's the proof that she hadn't recited the mantras and not begged d assailants to stop?
I just want to add one thing.... The reason that all such so called 'RELIGIOUS GURUS' are given so importance only because people are GOD-FEARING and not GOD-LOVING. I really wonder when the mindset of our people will change. He should be shot dead in public.
There is some substance in what Asaram (Ji) is speaking. It is true that - laws made to protect women are being used against men by vested interests - media is funded by overseas people - a person who has taken diksha would not be a rapist - calling out a man as a brother would increase he chances of being saved from such incident - chanting the name of Mother Saraswati, Hanuman Chalisa, etc, saves us from difficulties. Plus, why is media not giving providing details on what exactly transpired before the incident. Surely, the male friend can provide all details. Your comment re 'shot dead in public' is most unfortunate.
I support Asaram Ji. The media house' reaction against Asaram Bapu is a sign of hostility pursued by self proclaimed progressive media gainst Hindu religous figures. He said there was fault from both sides. What was wrong in this? The girl boarded a wrong bus at 9.45 pm at night. It was definitely a mistake. He never defended the rapists behaviour. He did not support harsh and mindless laws against a specific gender in the plea of Dehli gang rape, as these can be misused. We all know how the Dowry related laws are being misused in this country by bad character women to break houses and blackmail the husbands. Some people termed his Purush vadi because of this remark. Are males not human beings? Talking to save them from the misuse of mindless laws is a crime? What is the power of his Diksha, that can only be understood by those who have taken this, and for others his remarks can only be best termed as unpractical, but not anti-woman.
The 'mistake' manifested in the mind of the rapist. The girl was absolutely helpless. Hypothetically stating that 'God' could have saved her does not provide any guarantee and does not reduce the probability of such abominable acts. It has nothing to do with God, but rather Educating the perpetrators is the only solution. Religion was created by men who realized how easy it is to fool the masses and thus create mob mentalities. If you're saying that these perpetrators were religious men then following the dogmas of religion, they would have never even thought of committing such a horrific crime. You say remembering God 'saves us from difficulties', that itself is simply a self-fulfilling prophecy. Your comment explicitly exhibits ignorance.
'Radical feminist' While I do not know what that means and will not attempt to find out. The term smells very strongly of insult. As an Indian woman, I am extremely used to insult and sexual innunendos. I am still grateful that atleast I am not casually killed by the men of my family for having looked at a man, like in Pakistan. I am also grateful that my parents were not one of those who would have killed their daughter or kept them illiterate. But let me tell you this, it is not an easy life being a woman in India, especially in North India. If there is anything even in the nature of a man looking at you, you have to anticipate and deflect allegations from all round. The society blames you 'she must have given him false hopes or something'. The man of course will go on to claim that it is you who are interested in him and you have to keep struggling with your own conscience whenever you dress up. It bothers you in your teenage, but then you get used to it. Not to say that all our chosen swear words are those that demean women in our family the most. I am still loved, I am still cared for. My family even now goes out of the way for me, they do not let me go out alone, they make sure that a car accompanies me wherever I go. My husband protects me all the time and lets me hide behind him whenever he sees aggressive men around. But even after all that, I could very easily have been that girl. When a drunk animal assaults you not so late in the evening in one of the most crowded parts of the city, you have to feel astonished. The only crime committed by that woman was that she was did not expect drunk animals out in the city at 9.45 in the evening. You can be expecting animals in the jungle, but have we come to that place in our civilization that the crime of being a woman is punished by letting loose animals at them in the daytime? If protesting against this is called radical feminism, then I think our country is going to the dogs. What is more, I will develop a new found respect for Raj Thackeray when he says northerners are animal, because we are turning into animals when we start believing that human lives should be taken and families broken up only because someone can make the mistake of boarding the wrong bus at the wrong time.
The girl did not board a "wrong bus". There were bad people on a bus. Invoking religion in a rape situation "may" have helped, but to say that the incident "would not have happened" is irresponsible and insulting to the deceased victim. This guru is shooting himself in the back in that he himself has a vested interest in his controversial comment. There is nothing holy about that charlatan, evidently just as much good as the next mortal and just as fallible as anyone else. I see no reason why he should assume a moral or judgmental high-ground.
I support Asaram Ji. The media house' reaction against Asaram Bapu is a sign of hostility pursued by self proclaimed progressive media gainst Hindu religous figures. He said there was fault from both sides. What was wrong in this? The girl boarded a wrong bus at 9.45 pm at night. It was definitely a mistake. He never defended the rapists behaviour. He did not support harsh and mindless laws against a specific gender in the plea of Dehli gang rape, as these can be misused. We all know how the Dowry related laws are being misused in this country by bad character women to break houses and blackmail the husbands. Some people termed his Purush vadi because of this remark. Are males not human beings? Talking to save them from the misuse of mindless laws is a crime? What is the power of his Diksha, that can only be understood by those who have taken this, and for others his remarks can only be best termed as unpractical, but not anti-woman. This is nothing but overreaction
Bapu ko guru manne walon se request hai ke aise guru ka tyaag kro jo Beti ka dard nahi smajh sakta.
This is what people of India want to change - MINDSET. I do not understand why the leaders are so diplomatic and soft while criticizing him. As long as people like Asaram are looked upon as religious gurus, atrocities will continue to take place against the women of India
What an absolute joke. How would that random line saying "you are my brother" stop anything? You think the rapists gives a banana if she said that? This Asaram sounds like more of a crackhead than a religious leader. I think the politicians should be more harsh on religious leaders.
David, Forget about who is saying, focus on what is being said. It is true that laws made to protect women are being used against men by vested interests, it is happening not only in India, but in other countries as well. it si also true that media in India is funded by overseas people. Calling out a man as a brother would increase the chances of being saved from such incident, no doubt about it. Rest of the religious things that Asaram has said, there is nothign new in it, Hindus in general believe in them. By saying that Asaram is crackhead, you are saying that all HHindus are crackheads. That is absurd.
Politeness? Diplomacy? So what he is saying is that she should have quietly let those animals have their way with her. Before being gang raped, she and her friend were harassed and beaten with rods. According to your Bapuji, she should have called those men who were beating her and tearing her clothes "brothers". No mantras or jaap could have saved her. This so called Bapuji is a defunct relic of a chauvinistic era, whose only achievement in life is that he has managed to learn some books by rote and has managed to con people into believing that he is a holy man. And there are blind ignorant fools who follow such frauds and con men. A girl has every right to go where she wants with whomever she wants, in whatever dress she wants. Its upto us men to respect her dignity. The law need to be changed. Indian women have faced centuries of oppression and suffering, its time we men shared some of it. Its time we men stood up and said "I am a Man and I will not stand by silently".
Will his daughter or mother do the same when they are in this situation, India has lost its cultural value, the film makers , censor board, Westernized Beauty competitions, alcoholism, social networks perpetuating Open prostitution, Night clubs, Half dressed dances music Through Games, Cricket football .... have polluted the public on a whole every indian by some way or the other is responsible, because he supports any of the above, no one can say i did not....... let us pray god to keep us straight ! !!!!!!!!
