Sirsa: It was around 9pm on September 13 when a ‘Rubaroo Nights’ show featuring Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim was held at a stadium in Sirsa, drawing a crowd of around one lakh people.
As Ram Rahim appeared on stage, the stadium erupted in applause and chants of ‘Pitaji’. Music began playing and thousands of people started dancing along. The large gathering came to see Ram Rahim, who is serving a 20-year sentence in two rape cases.
Ram Rahim was out of prison on furlough from August 25 to September 16. During his furlough, a team of national hindi newspaper spent September 12 and 13 at his dera to observe the activities there.
September 12: Thousands gather at the dera
The team travelled to the dera in the afternoon. Around half a kilometre before the ashram, decorations and crowds could be seen on both sides of the road. Most visitors had come from Bathinda, Fazilka, Mansa and Rajasthan.
Devotees bowed their heads at the main gate before entering. By night, the number of people arriving from areas around Sirsa had increased.
Arrangements for devotees to stay and eat at the ashram had been made. The team was informed that Ram Rahim’s satsang would be held the following day, September 13. Wanting to observe how many people would attend the event after his conviction, the team decided to participate.
Strict checking at the entrance
The team returned to the ashram gate the next morning and found a larger crowd than the previous night. People were discussing that ‘Pitaji’, referring to Ram Rahim, would give darshan at 9am. The timing was later changed to 11am, and the deployment of sevadars increased about an hour before the scheduled time.
While recording on a mobile phone, a person following the reporter asked him to delete the video, saying he had noticed him recording continuously. The reporter said the recording was being made to show his family and did not contain any footage from inside the dera. The person continued insisting that it be deleted, but the reporter did not do so.
A long queue had formed to enter the dera premises. During strict checking, visitors were required to deposit their mobile phones, watches, pens and belts at the entrance.
Inside, a large tent had been set up, with food and other stalls on both sides. Four locations had been designated for distributing tokens for purchases.
After about half an hour, a sevadar approached the reporter and asked why he had come without becoming a member of the dera. The reporter replied that he had come to visit, respected the guru and wanted to become associated with him.
The sevadar then explained that people at the dera address one another as ‘Premi Ji’.
