Following Cult Followings. Why the problem is omnipresent in India.

In April 1993, the town of Waco in Texas was in the news worldwide. David Koresh, the leader of the Branch Davidians cult, was holding on to a 51-day FBI siege of a ranch that he and his followers called their home. It ended in a bloody conflict with more than 70 dead. Nearly 25 years on, Panchkula, near Chandigarh, evoked the same memories when thousands of supporters of the Den Sacha Sauda cult leader, Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, went on a rampage after their leader was sent to prison on charges of rape. 

Psychologists have been studying the phenomenon of cults, their leaders and followers for a while. The accepted definition of a cult is a group of people who come together under a charismatic leader who joins them together on a common ideological platform. In this sense, from Bolsheviks to Dera Sacha Sauda supporters, are all members of cults. But why are some so destructive? 

Science believes that the destructiveness of a cult is a function — in the mathematical sense — of its leader's personality. Primarily male, these individuals identify their victims, or followers, and first use their charms to make the latter believe in his path of truth or glory. When the charisma starts fading, several coercive techniques, including mass rape of women in the ranks, violence and blackmailing are used to put pressure on the followers to remain inside the cult. Koresh has been known to rape minors in his commune. The unnamed letters written by 'sadhvis' that formed the basis of the case against Gurmeet Ram Rahim point to the same. 

The initiation process of getting into a cult may not seem a radical move to the families of the victims. Often the pattern of manipulation is subtle and nuanced. Psychologists have observed cases where former cult members did not even remember what special qualities attracted them to be a part of the 'gang'. The issue here is not camouflaging but creating a situation where the victim does not even realise what lies ahead if they became a member of the cult. 

Cult leaders often manipulate emotions to forge relationships, which they later dominate. And there is no shortage of buyers for anything, however ridiculous what is being peddled may sound to some. As showman PT Burnum once famously said, "There's a sucker born every minute." Religion is the commonly used manipulative measure to net cult members. 

The same is true for arcane, poverty alleviating economic theories, outlandish science as a savior of mankind, and free sex — all these have been used in the past to create destructive cults. If one looks closely at the lifestyle and the films of Ram Rahim, the self-fashioned 'guru of bling', they may appear to be ostentatious to say the least. However, that did not deter thousands to be a part of his dera. 

There is a huge sense of entitlement among cult leaders. Like sociopaths, these people crave attention and adoration. Most of the time they cover it well (remember Asaram Bapu, the other godman, accused of rape) while presenting themselves as the most enlightened among the sufferers who has it in himself to lead humankind out of this morass. This often works magic among followers resulting in mass hysteria. 

In most cults, there is an inner core group handpicked by the leader himself. Researchers say irrespective of the nature of the cult, the core group has all the power and looks after the emotional, financial, and even the sexual needs of the leader. These people manipulate members to serve the purposes of their power-crazy, know-it-all leader. 

According to psychologist Margaret Singer, cults are born and flourish during periods of social and political change and "during breakdowns in the structure and rules of the prevailing society". The fear of the unknown drives people to look for individuals who can give them 'support' and 'lead them to light'. Researchers have been able to link the rise in the number of cults with epochal changes in history, such as the fall of ancient Rome, the Industrial Revolution, the two World Wars and the turbulent 1960s. 

Reason always seems to take a back-seat when the crisis of the individual accelerates. These are the times when Ram Rahim and Koresh appear to 'save the world'. In India, with a large illiterate, superstitious and poor population, the crisis is omnipresent. It is little wonder that cults are born here every day. The unfortunate bit is the political patronage that lets babas and dera chiefs to become alternate centers of power. While it is difficult to change human behavior, the agencies of law can at least protect innocent people, including cult members, from exploitation and violence. 

Credits: Debkumar Mitra