GULLIBLE,IGNORANT ,CREDULOUS FOLLOWERS AND 'GOD MEN' !
Quite true to their class interests,ulterior motives and nefarious designs,the 'god men' industry has always preferred to target wealthy segment of the society.Their ancestors had close class collaboration with then kings and feudal lords.Today they are enjoying the clout and patronage of both politicians and business community. Meera Nanda has quite rightly defined and described it as "the state-temple-corporate complex".
The consciously ignorant [otherwise highly educated and successful] class of Doctors,Scientists,Professors,businessmen,Lawyers,Politicians,Movie stars etc etc, has become solid defenders and protectors of these social parasites.The photographs of said 'god men' find a place of honor in their prayer rooms [mini temples],next to old traditional 'gods'.However,these self proclaimed gods tend to get their photographs tailored to blend into the way the traditional gods look like.This is the god market and meaningful and purposeful prsentation plays an important part to enhance and establish their divine image.
It will be pertinent to quote here Rahul Singh,former editor of the Readers digest and the Indian Express. "Somehow,god men occupy an exalted place in the minds of the Indian public life,though many of them have been exposed as charlatans.Perhaps no other major society in the world,has such a variety of outlandish and thriving -swamis.gurus,yogis,babas,acharayas,bhaghwans,astrologers,palmists,numerologists,faith healers- as India does.Frauds or not,while India moves ahead technologically and economically at a rapid pace,the Indian public somehow also remains transfixed by the sight of bearded and saffron-robed man who belongs to middle ages.The rest of the world can only look on this paradox in wonder and smile."[Atheist].