TOI visited the Dera HQ and found that the management is trying its best to revive Gurmeet’s clout. The road leading to Shah Satnam Pura, the village where the Dera HQ is based, is dotted with life-size hoardings of the Dera chief, wishing him on his 51th “incarnation day (birthday)” that falls on August 15. These illegal hoardings were apparently placed on the behalf of his followers from Himachal, Punjab, Chandigarh, Canada and other parts of the world. One large billboard apparently had been placed on behalf of military veterans.
The Dera management claimed some 80 lakh followers were present at the HQ on August 15, but sources in intelligence agencies said there were less than 1 lakh visitors that day.
The sources confirmed that for past one year, the footfall in the Dera HQ had reduced to less than 10% of the previous figures.
The railway authorities at Sirsa are facing revenue loss of around Rs 60,000 every day since the last one year. The local railway station receives Rs 3 lakh revenue every day from the entire district, but Rs 60,000 was from the Dera visitors. Even hundreds of auto-rickshaws that used to ferry Dera followers on the 10-km stretch from Sirsa to the Shah Satnam Pura HQ have also been rendered jobless and have shifted their base to other areas. Even a special railway ticket counter, opened at the Dera headquarters, has been closed.
TOI entered the Dera HQ from the main entry point, Gate No 5, and found no change in the security arrangements. Nobody was allowed to enter the Dera with a mobile phone or any electronic gadget including chargers, remoteoriented car keys, headphones, dongles, and pen drives. These electronic items have to be deposited in the lockers outside the gate. Even after that every visitor is checked thoroughly with the handheld metal detectors by the specially-trained security personnel of the Dera before being allowed entry.
After having a meal at the Dera’s “Shahi” canteen, TOI took a round of the entire premises. Except employees and workers, the presence of followers was negligible. The “Satsang Pandal (place of discourse)” was almost empty, except few old-aged women followers.
“A large number of workers had left the Dera after the Dera chief was jailed because they were not getting any payment for the work. Even I had started living here with my family because we were paid decent wages. Now, the management says you can work, but there is no money to pay. How long can anyone work here just for langar,” says a 31-year-old follower from Khanak village in Bhiwani. He confirmed that many like him had shifted their families from the Dera to their native places.
Another follower, belonging to Dablan village in Hisar district said only a few followers from the adjoining villages and city attended the satsang that is held daily between 4 pm and 5 pm in new Dera and 5.30 pm to 6.30 pm at the old Dera. A large congregation is organized every Sunday for the weekly satsang. The recorded lectures of the jailed godman are shown on a large screen during these daily and weekly satsangs.
“Now, not even one-tenth of followers who used to attend the Dera one year ago, are coming for satsang. The business of all shops running inside as well as outside the Dera are running into losses. Initially, they remained closed for around three months after the violence, but thereafter, they are not running into any profit,” said a follower from nearby Arniwali village of Sirsa district.
TOI also noticed multi-tier security arrangement around some buildings inside the Dera which are still out of bounds for the visitors.
Sirsa resident, Anshul Chattarpati whose father and local journalist Ram Chander Chhatarpati was allegedly killed on the Dera chief’s directions, said that the Dera chief had always used his followers as a shield and to mount pressure on the judiciary and administration. “Once again, they have started approaching the followers in villages so that lost glory can be regained,” Anshul added.
Dera management focusing on villages
Sources confirmed to TOI that the Dera management is making all efforts to re-group and bring back the followers who had maintained a distance after August 25, 2017 violence. The sources in the intelligence agencies confirmed that the local Dera leaders are visiting villages and urging people to start attending “satsang (religious discourse)” organized every Sunday. Urging the followers to return to the Dera, they claim that the Dera chief had been backstabbed, but would soon be back in the Dera.
Showcasing ‘strength’ virtually
On its website, the Dera management claimed a massive turnout of 80 lakh followers on the birthday of the jailed godman. Dera chief’s mother Nasib Kaur and son, Jasmeet Singh along with other family members also visited the Dera that day. The family is living in Rajasthan’s Gurusar Modia, which is the native place of the Dera chief. The Dera website also claimed 30 lakh trees had been planted by volunteers on that day. However, intelligence agencies have put the number of visitors to the Dera HQ on August 15 at less than 1 lakh.
Last film ‘Jatu Engineer ’
Mahi cinema located within the Dera premises has been shut down since Gurmeet’s arrest. It still displays the posters of the Dera chief starrer “Jatu Engineer” that was screened before his conviction. A woman sitting inside the cinema hall confirmed that the theater has been closed for the past one year. However, people living in the adjoining villages still attend the hospital run by the Dera.
from Times of India https://ift.tt/2NfufQR
