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Asaram balm: A case of too little, too late...

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Express News Service

Posted online: Saturday , July 19, 2008 at 02:06:58


Ahmedabad, July 18 The Vaghelas are incensed that barely a fortnight after they lost the two children, the Ashram organised a grand celebration on the occasion of Guru Purnima. The family sees this as a show of strength by the Ashram

Arson and heavy stone-pelting was witnessed in the Nirnayanagar neighbourhood in Ahmedabad on Friday after Asaram Bapu went to offer belated condolences to the grieving Vaghela family. Two minor boys went missing from the Ashram under mysterious circumstances early this month. The bodies were found a few days later on the Sabarmati riverbank in a mutilated condition. The internal organs were missing and in one of the bodies, the two ears had been sliced off. Mystery still surrounds the deaths of the two minors.

Today morning, people from the neighbourhood went on a rampage and set afire the very cushion which Asaram Bapu had used as a seat.

The police had to resort to a lathi charge and lob teargas shells to control the angry mob.

"Why did he come 15 days after we lost our children?" said Suresh Vaghela, uncle of Dipesh and Abhishek, the two deceased children.

The Vaghela family maintains that the two boys were sacrificed by the Ashram authorities as part of some 'black magic' ritual on Amavas Raat.

With tempers rising and lathi wielding devotees of the Ashram prowling in trucks and vans with the Ashram name painted across to take on the protesters, the police had put up a security cover for the Vaghelas.

But the family has refused to take police protection at their homes. "It's not us, but Asaram Bapu who might need police protection. We are not hooligans," said a Vaghela family member.

The Vaghelas are incensed that barely a fortnight after they lost the two children, the Ashram organised a grand celebration on the occasion of Guru Purnima. The family sees this as a show of strength by the Ashram authorities against the snowballing agitation by the people.

The Vaghelas are also waiting for the state government to take a stand on the issue. "We made a couple of representations to Chief Minister Narendra Modi through his telephone helpline number, but there has been no response," said a family member.

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self made gurus by yo on 24 Jul 2008

I hate these self made gurus

CREATING ANOTHER STATE IN A STATE??? INTOLERANT, SELF STYLED GODMEN?? by DESH PREMI on 20 Jul 2008

CREATING ANOTHER STATE IN A STATE??? INTOLERANT, SELF STYLED GODMEN?? HOW THESE INTOLERANT GODMEN ARE ABLE TO CREATE A STATE IN STATE??? SURPRISED TO SEE SO MANY GODMEN IN INDIA?? AND STILL HUNGER, POVERTY, CASTEISM, UNTOUCHABILITY??? WHAT ARE THEY DOING FOR HUMANITY??? OFF COURSE THOSE PEOPLE WHO GET A FREE MEAL AND PLACE TO STAY IN THEIR CAMPUS WILL DO ANYTHING FOR THEM. BUT WHERE DO THESE GODMEN GET ALL THIS MONEY??? FROM THEIR OWN HARD WORK??? OR DONATION FROM SAME POOR FOLLOWERS WHO COME THERE FOR SOLACE, BUT END UP GIVING AWAY WHAT EVER THEY ALREADY HAD, BEFORE COMING TO THESE GODMEN???

Cruel by satyanarayana on 19 Jul 2008

Patan, Palitana, Asaram, Naroda,Lot of negative instances happening in Gujarat and whenever I leave to another state and meet people, they ask me.. are Gujaratis like this?I do not understand why the police has not arrested a single person directly running the institutions. And pray what is the "Common Man" CM doing?

Ashram by sathya on 19 Jul 2008

Mr Modi, Please look at the Kerala Govt for guidance in dealing with the Fake Godmen. In keral almost all the Fake Godmen are behind the Bars.

ROBUST LAWS NEEDED FOR THE PROTECTION OF CHILDREN by SUBHASH SAMPAT on 19 Jul 2008

Robust laws to protect children need to be demanded by all parents and those working for the interests of children after this shocking report of deaths of two children under mysterious circumstances at the ashram of this unqualified self-proclaimed moral policeman called Asharam Bapu. India has no children’s rights or child care protection legislation or system in place anywhere in India hence there are failures all the time on all the fronts to follow any standard child protection procedures and protect children. All the many NGOs who work with and for the children must gather together, discuss and make themselves and the legislators aware of all the issues involved and expose all the flaws in our political, social and policing systems. They should also ask all the relevant authorities of the central and state governments by letters, petitions, phones, SMS messages, faxes and emails to prepare some basic rules, guidelines and procedures to follow for the protection of children.

THE LAWS SHOULD ENSURE THAT ACCESS TO CHILDREN IS FULLY VETTED BY THE POLICE by SUBHASH SAMPAT on 19 Jul 2008

The child protection guidelines can include details of reporting procedures similar to those outlined in the ‘Children First: National Guidelines’ issued in the United Kingdom in cases of suspected physical or emotional abuse. These should also make clear as to the circumstances in which these guidelines should apply and the communication between different inter-state agencies, like health, social services and the police. These should also ensure that access to children is fully vetted not only by the social services and health departments but by the police, too. The most worrying facts that these children may have been the victims of exorcism and that their organs are missing highlights the importance of having adequate and robust child protection legislation in India. There are many reasons, as many as the children in this country, why the State and the Central Governments need to demonstrate that they put child protection first and foremost by putting these guidelines on the statute books and thus give them the authority of the law.

Ashram by Indian on 19 Jul 2008

Wake up people!! This is what mad people of ashram do play with the politics of the country

gurukul issue by varun on 20 Jul 2008

jab tak ashram ke baare mein jaante naa ho tab tak wahaan ke baare mein mann se baatein banaa kar naa likhein...main 10 saal se ashram jaa raha hun maine aaj tak kuch galat hote hue nhi dekha tum logon ne to bina dekhe hi decision le liya...this is rubbish..pehle sach saamne aane do sab pata chal jaayega

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