God saved India from another possible disaster like in the case of Babri Masjid or Godhra. If the script had gone right the Government and the police would possibly have had to tackle widespread riots. In all probability the Baba would have done the disappearing act and within seconds thae air would have been polluted with rumours about his kidnapping and life being in danger. This was the platform that the Baba was possibly constructing by repeatedly claiming that his life is in grave danger. The jumping into the crowds and wearing a women's Salwar Kameez to escape does not appear as an accident but looks more like a well scripted drama. All sorts of rumours would have been floating around on mobile phones and internet to agitate the people into violent acts ultimately forcing the UPA government to resign or forceng it into declaring a state of emergency to drive another nail into its coffin. The people of this nation just cannot afford to take this politics from the religious fundamentalists very lightly. Considering the growing recklessness in the response of India's young middle class and the thinkers, this nation has all the potential to move the Afghanistan and Pakistan way. This 'Fantasy Bharat' creation of the religious fundamentalists on how Swiss bank money returning to India will abolish poverty and how Lok Pal Bill will curb corruption in politics may capture the imagination of the people, but in the end just like the 'Ram temple' this notion of a 'Corruption Free India' will remain a tool for political parties to exploit for the next 10 years till something more glamorous gets marketed. Even religous heads like the Archbishop of Delhi seem to be falling into this trap. If such carelessness and rashness will be the response adopted by citizens in social and political action, then it looks like India may lose its way to religous fundamentalism.
Soter D.
