Someone sent me a link to an Indian Express story, "Mystery deepens over Pune land deal as Chandrakant Patil defends his actions."
It mentions Radha Soami Satsang Beas (RSSB), a religious organization in India that quite a few visitors to this blog are interested in for various reasons.
Just as Patil claimed that the temple trust had obtained the charity commissioner’s permission to convey the land to the Radha Saomi Satsang Beas (RSSB), a non-profit organisation, in 1998, Jayant submitted official papers in the House to show that in 1963, a local tribunal had ruled that this land wasn’t a private land. Incidentally, records show that the Pune collector had disallowed the transaction, objecting to the charity commissioner’s permission as well.
On February 19, 1998, the temple trust, through its power of attorney holder N S Chhabria, has assigned the land to RSSB, which later approached the collector and the divisional commissioner for regularisation after officials objected to it.
Patil admitted that on August 22, 2008, then divisional commissioner Nitin Kareer, who is now the principal secretary (Urban Development), had argued that the trust had violated terms of allotment, and had ordered the regularisation on the condition that the Nazrana (fee) levied by the government is paid. His order stated that RSSB had then submitted an indemnity bond declaring willingness to pay the fee.
But Patil claimed that this had been submitted “under protest”. On December 15, 2018, when the RSSB approached the collector’s office for permitting non-agricultural activity and issuing the NA (non agriculture) certificate for the land, this was turned down, with the collector’s office pointing that the Nazrana for the regularisation of the original breaches was yet to paid.
l find all this difficult to comprehend. Maybe someone who is more familiar than I am with land use law in India (in other words, just about anyone) can figure out what's going on here, and why such a fuss is being made of it.
RSSB was given 23 acres of government land in charity(?) in 1998 and they sold it off in 2018 when land use could not be changed! The revenue minister is on the hook for it!
Posted by: Q8i | June 30, 2019 at 08:05 PM
Ya know... if RSSB were more of a spiritual organization and less of a corporation then this sort of complex legal/financial entanglement wouldn’t be occurring so regularly. Why such ambition to forcibly “grow” RSSB? Why not just focus on the original purpose of RSSB? A SPIRITUAL colony... not a business.
Posted by: Sonya | June 30, 2019 at 09:57 PM
Speaking of controversial land deal wanted to share this https://thewest.com.au/news/swan-valley/radha-soami-satsang-beas-australia-gets-green-light-for-swan-valley-presence-ng-b881195393z.amp I live in Perth Western Australia and this was a WTF moment. Apparently RSSB needs places of worship. If I ever go back to satsang got to ask Michael Cooke whom is behind this, why need places of worship
Posted by: Retrogradeful | July 01, 2019 at 12:55 AM
Um, RSSB's in bed with a corrupt revenue minister, received public land, sold it on the cheap to a private developer and gypped the government out of fees? I just got done rationalizing the Malvinder/Shivinder business. Now this.
Posted by: anami | July 01, 2019 at 03:56 AM
Buy cheap. Get sheeple (read sevadars) to work on it (Seva). Sell for profit. Pay off debt. Case solved.
Posted by: Neon | July 01, 2019 at 10:26 AM
This kind of thing goes on every day in India. Super old land titles from the late 1800's being sold off with property rights being disputed.
The kicker in this is that Patil overrode previous decisions to not allow non agricultural development on these 24 acres, as well as not paying the correct taxes on the sale of said property. Goes to show what influence RSSB has in government and the perception of vote banks in the Punjab.
Posted by: Amar | July 01, 2019 at 02:32 PM
What to believe in,where to go ,if not RSSB,what other way to connect to God...I also get doubts.. although initiated,but not able to focus...Life is a mess
Posted by: Dr Harshi Dhingra | July 04, 2019 at 02:27 AM
I'm still having trouble putting the land deal into context, but I have an idea about Malvinder, Shivinder and the money siphoning.
Ranbaxy drugs were low quality and harmful; therefore, the Singh brothers' billions was dirty money. Basically, Baba Ji flushed it down the toilet in bad real estate deals for the sake of their karma. Baba Ji's family members and associates benefitted but only temporarily. They're in trouble now that the High Court garnished assets, and they too will feel the sting of loss. In short, Baba Ji played a cruel joke on everyone. even friends and family, to teach them the lesson that he's not a golden goose. Satguru is for the wealth of Nam, not for material gain!
Am I oversimplifying and being too generous? Thoughts anyone?
Posted by: anami | July 04, 2019 at 08:14 AM
Dr Harshi Dhingra, everyone has doubts. Anyone who says they don't is lying to themselves. Stop relying on anyone but yourself. You hold the power to get up in the morning ready to tackle life's obstacles, or become a defeatist. If you still believe in the path, keep following it and understand that no guru or someone enlightened is going to magically take your soul to a happier place. Stop putting faith in someone you don't know, but in yourself.
Believe in what you want to believe, but take ownership of your own ability and sense of right and wrong.
Just my 2 cents...
Posted by: Amar | July 04, 2019 at 11:29 AM
Dr. Dhingra
The path, like gravity or water, exists. And you are already part of it. And it is a part of you.
RSSB is a man - made organization based upon teachings, which are man - made expressions of a real experience, codified into a set of instructions.
Please do not confuse the two.
Because the path is natural, some people experience it who have nothing to do with RSSB. When RSSB is long gone, the path will continue asserting itself as people experience those things.
And you will find these natural teachers in various cultures and times. They have nothing to do with any organization, they do not assume any authority at all. They are not on a mission to save the world.
But if you wish to understand true love, beyond human limitations, and our connection to this creation, and further, to transcend daily influences by bathing in a much higher, purer natural and living inner reality, there is for you any path of devotion and inner contemplation. They are all part of that path. At some point you will become aware of the Shabd, and in time you will be so entranced with its beauty and uplift you will automatically mold your life around Shabd contemplation.
And you will find others... At some point we are drawn to the teachers or heart desires...
When you don't need official certificates, legal documents, authorized authorities, but simply resonate with similar experience, then you have found your next step.
Worry is a lack of faith. But faith, if it is anything, is practice. So practice inner contemplation. Make that your Sanctuary. Go there, and be patient.
Posted by: Spence Tepper | July 04, 2019 at 12:49 PM
Found an article written by David C Lane. Here's an excerpt:
"If transcendence is the case, then it is a bit mind boggling to see how much concern there is in "trademarks," "property rights," "money seva," and "litigation over willed estates." To be sure, I understand why organizations indulge in such actions, but I don't think it exemplifies the "universal" teachings by trying to mimic XEROX or IBM or MICROSOFT. If my metaphorical friend Kabir was to reincarnate again (literalists beware, I am indulging in a parable) and he saw what has happened, I get a sneaky suspicion that he would be the first to throw rocks at the ashram's wall, perhaps shouting cryptically: "What does real estate got to do with going within? What do trademarks got to do with perennial truths? Why are Perfect Masters suing each other and their disciples in courts?" He may just say, "Hey, shut up and meditate.""
I would be interested in what David has to say about the current predicament of the current guru of RSSB and what his take is on it, based on what he wrote above. Link to the article is below:
http://www.integralworld.net/lane11.html
Posted by: Amar | July 04, 2019 at 02:35 PM
Amani very interesting theory. Again it’s just a theory but interesting nevertheless.
Posted by: Vijay | July 04, 2019 at 06:49 PM
Anami, I think you're being naive. Sometimes, it just is what it is. Up to you to believe it, dismiss it, or consider it a conspiracy.
They got caught with their pants down in a real estate bubble with fraudulently obtained funds that were used to purchase these real estate portfolios.
Posted by: Amar | July 04, 2019 at 07:45 PM
Yes, only speculating. The other day Spence suggested that Baba Ji engaged in financial crimes for the benefit of the Sangat to "wipe out the cancer of arrogance." I began to fantacize on how that could be.
Posted by: anami | July 05, 2019 at 06:05 AM
The whole history of RSSB is like this. This organization has built their Satsang Ghars on lands on false land registry papers and encroached land either from the local or Provincial Governments all over India. In addition the water of the Beas river was diverted to flood the adjoining villages next to Dera and the farmers were forced to sell their land at very cheap rate to RSSB. These lands were filled with the free sand from the Beas River and a huge development has come up as a result of free Sewa from the Sewadars.
The foundation of this organization is built on stealing others properties but whatever means and show casing it as the work of Baba Gurinder Singh.
Posted by: Rajinder Sharma | July 06, 2019 at 06:43 AM
The best test would be for some of you sitting bloody thousand miles away from India to come visit people living right outside Dera and check the deals Babaji offers the locals in lieu of their lands (for Dera's expansion)
The river Beas changing its course (naturally) is an age old story I have been hearing since my childhood, so even during Hazur's time.
Posted by: an_arrogant_dera_sevadar | August 26, 2019 at 05:00 AM
Zamindar (landlord) abolition Act 1951 (operational in all states by 1968).
Honourable East India Company( British Crown agent) ruled india by consent of 588 princely states till 1947.Princely States owned all Agriculture land and rented it out to tenants.Circa 1951 Indian Government abolished princely states and made it illegal for anyone to accumlate more than 10 acres of first grade agriculture land.25 acres of second grade land. Only a farmer by occupation can acquire/buy agriculture land in india and no one can accumlate more than 10 acres . Do not know how RSSB acquired agriculture land of 22 Villages near Dera Beas. There is lot to come out about the dodgy dealings of this Dera.Whether registry officials were bribed to certify the agriculture land of 22 villages as non-agricultural .Lot of people and officials are being prosecuted by Modi Government for breach of Zamindar abolition Act.
Posted by: K.Singh | October 31, 2019 at 05:54 AM
Amir writes,....” I would be interested in what David has to say about the current predicament of the current guru of RSSB and what his take is on it, based on what he wrote above. Link to the article is below:”
Me: I DOUBT Professor Lane is gonna give up his “opinions” or Research, for a free Trailer before his Radhasoami History Book In process will be published by Oxford. unless he uses a short Pre-Publication Trailer here, on CoC and RSS with Links to buy the Book on Amazon and Barnes & Noble, and others.. But until Gurinder and his Family appears in Court, and at least, states why Gurinder believes he doesn’t owe any one money, then, what ever Professor Lane writes, will be pure subjectional speculation, adding to the Media Articles. So, better for Lane to wait, to see evidence of any wrong doing, or illegal fraud admitted by Gurinder. If Lane writes any thing detrimental about RSSB and Gurinder in his Book, RSSB won’t include it in their a Library for sale. No doubt, Charan Singh must be pulling his Bulldozer around Lane’s neck, to go easy on his Nephew Gurinder, because Lane is not in the Family Blood Line, but is only in the spirit Shabd line. So, we all might find out if Blood is thicker than spirit? Stay tuned.
Posted by: Jim Sutherland | October 31, 2019 at 07:31 AM