Disturbing Radha Soami Satsang Beas land grab in New Delhi

Here's some news items from 2013 and 2014 I've learned about for those who like to keep up on what's happening with an Indian guru-led spiritual organization, Radha Soami Satsang Beas (RSSB).

RSSB has been appropriating land from a wildlife sanctuary outside of New Delhi. The Hindustan Times reported on this in an April 2014 story,"Forest dept accuses spiritual body of land grab."
Download Forest dept accuses spiritual body of land grab | india | Hindustan Times

The Delhi centre of Radha Soami Satsang Beas (RSSB) has occupied 123 acres of forest land, the forest department has alleged.

The department has alleged the philosophical and charitable organisation, with several national and international centres, has occupied 72 acres of land in the Asola-Bhatti wildlife sanctuary in south Delhi and 51 acres of the adjoining Ridge or reserve forest.

Destruction of the Delhi ridge, of which the sanctuary is a part, means desertification of Delhi, fall of its water table and more pollution.

Deputy range officer of Delhi’s lone wildlife sanctuary, Dharam Singh, on Monday filed two complaints - HT has copies - with the police and made these allegations.

“It seems the head of RSSB, with help from his supporters, has occupied land and is trying to occupy more land. It seems on his directive, one Chandan Sharma is obstructing the survey work being done by us.”

Also, in an apparently related issue RSSB has been involved in the takeover of a school that is in the vicinity of the wildlife sanctuary property. Here's a June 2013 story from The Times of India, "New management trying to close school, alleges staff."
Download New management trying to close school, alleges staff - Times of India

NEW DELHI: Insecurity has gripped the teachers and other permanent employees of Sawan Public School, Bhatti Mines Road, after Sitaram Jindal Trust (SJT) took over the management. They have alleged service of contract employees has been terminated and many permanent employees have also been asked to leave. The employees also allege that the operations of the school are being carried out by Radha Soami Satsang and it is planning to close the school.

On Thursday, the teachers said, the management asked a permanent non-teaching employee, who had been working for over 25 years, to resign and vacate the campus within 48 hours. On Saturday, the school placed six employees - five teachers and another from the accounts department - under suspension. According to teachers, they are being harassed because they witnessed the "forced resignation". The authority wants to close the school and "transfer the land to the Satsang", alleges the staff.

..."On June 23, 2012, we were told by the principal in-charge that the management was transferred to SJT. However, no one from SJT cared to address us. The school is currently run by people who speak to us on behalf of Radha Soami Satsang," said a senior teacher.

These sorts of sleazy goings-on are quite common in the money-making world of commercial real estate deals. I guess this just goes to show that so-called "spiritual" organizations also are prone to cut ethical corners in order to get what they want. 

In a way, though, it is even more disturbing when a religious group like Radha Soami Satsang Beas engages in coercion and intimidation.

I find "honest crooks" more appealing than "dishonest crooks."

Meaning, if you're going to rip somebody off, be upfront about your motivation -- money and power. Rationalizing your actions in the name of a guru or God makes a morally dubious situation even more so.

Comments

[gossip]

A critic is a man who knows the way but can't drive the car !

[matheikal]

I would like to invite "gossip" (the one who made the only comment so far to this post) to meet some of the people who were affected adversely by the RSSB's takeover of Sawan Public School. I can show him people who were thrown in prison falsely accused of molestation of women. I can show him people who were beaten up on the road by the RSSB goons. I can show him people who were mercilessly thrown out of jobs.

What kind of a man is this Gurinder Singh who claims to be a religious leader and preaches big morality to millions all over the world but has no qualms about destroying the lives of many individuals merely for the sake of a few acres of land? Why does he need so much land anyway? He has a whole township in Beas which he rules over like a king! He has hundreds of acres of land in Delhi, the capital city of Delhi, where ordinary people struggle to make their lives in overcrowded slums? What is Gurinder's contribution to society except hollow sermons?

[Gold]

Our critics make us strong!
Our fears make us bold!
Our haters make us wise!
Our foes make us active!
Our obstacles make us passionate!
Our losses make us wealthy!
Our disappointments make us appointed!
Our unseen treasures give us a
known peace!

Whatever is designed against us will work for us!
Asking a working writer what he thinks about critics is like asking a lamp-post what it feels about dogs."

I've been all over the world and I've never seen a statue of a critic.

[Brian Hines]

Gold, actually there are lots of statues of critics around the world, because critics are truth-tellers who improve the world.

Nelson Mandela was a critic of apartheid.
Martin Luther King was a critic of racial discrimination.
Abraham Lincoln was a critic of slavery.
Mahatma Ghandi was a critic of British rule of India.
Galileo was a critic of an untrue view of the universe.
Winston Churchill was a critic of the Nazis.
Etc. Etc.

So I don't understand your criticism of critics. What is important is standing up for what is true and good. Often that requires fighting against what is false and bad.

[Appreciative Reader]

"actually there are lots of statues of critics around the world, because critics are truth-tellers who improve the world.

Nelson Mandela was a critic of apartheid..."

Nice come-back! Wise-sounding words like these ("critics never have statues made of them"), whether cliches or made up on the spur, often do not stand up to close examination.

Religion is one thing that's simply CRYING OUT for intelligent and effective criticism and critics. Difficult to overstate the importance of what you're doing here, Brian!

[Neon]

See what I don't get is how RSSB claim to be non-political, yet every election, politicians rush for 2 hour long meetings with the head. They aren't even vegetarian! Love how the old satsangs said to not even sit by a non-vegger during lunch...

[Maria De La Torre]

This is horrendous news regarding the ruthless tactics of RSSB. Have only just found this and am shocked.