Are sermons, preachings, and the larger-than-life image the only reasons that make Narayan Sakar Vishwa Hari aka Bhole Baba a favourite among political bigwigs? Perhaps not, the locals and senior journalists say. It is his sway over the Dalits and Other Backward Classes (OBC) that dominate western Uttar Pradesh’s 30 districts, 25 Lok Sabha constituencies, and more than 130 assembly seats that has stopped political parties from blaming him for this week’s Hathras stampede, which claimed more than 120 lives and left over 200 people injured.
About 48 hours have passed since the tragedy at an “illegal” religious event. The death toll has risen to 123 (including 113 women, seven children, and three men), with 31 people still battling for their lives. But Bhole Baba, who fled the scene, is still at large. And silence rules the roost.
Barring some mild attacks on the UP government, the opposition, which was vocal on the issues of paper leaks, constitutional amendments, reservation, etc, while campaigning for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, is not saying much. Most on the government side too avoid taking Bhole Baba’s name. Their social media handles also tell a similar story. This, senior journalists and locals say, is explained by Narayan Sakar Vishwa Hari’s political clout and strong influence, especially among the Dalits of western Uttar Pradesh.
“Nobody wants to speak against Bhole Baba. Over the decades, Baba’s popularity has increased drastically. Be it bureaucrats, influencers, business tycoons, or politicians, all used to pay a visit to Baba, who himself comes from a Dalit family. However, uttering a word against Baba may leave a dent in the Dalit vote bank, which is in abundance in west UP,” a senior journalist from Hathras, who did not wish to be named, told News 18.
Western UP is composed of diverse communities and tribes, including Gurjar, Jat, Meo, Rajput, Kayastha, Tyagi, Ahir, Brahmin, Kachhi, Kahar, Gadaria, Kumhar, Bania, Khatik, Lodha, Valmiki, Nai, Jatav, Kurmi, and Rohilla Pashtun. But, it’s the Dalit population, the senior journalist says, which dominates the region. “On a rough estimate, there are more than 50 lakh Dalits in the entire western UP, which largely includes Agra, referred to as the state’s Dalit capital, Hathras, and Mathura, having more than three lakh voters from the community each,” he added.
He said long queues of politicians from across political lines are often witnessed outside Bhole Baba’s ashram during elections. “Those parties that got Baba’s support are often seen bearing his flag along with theirs as a sign of Baba’s support. This also sends a clear message among the followers of Baba,” he added.
The journalist said that Bhole Baba initially began his spiritual career by holding small gatherings in his native village Bahadur Nagar Patiyali in UP’s Kasganj district. “Back in 2000, people, especially women, would line up at Baba’s meetings to hear his sermons and preachings. Over the years, his political clout has grown significantly, extending not only in west UP but also to other states and union territories. His influence, initially rooted in spiritual guidance, has expanded to wield considerable political power, making him a significant figure beyond his initial religious following,” he added.
Bhole Baba lives in an ashram built on 21 bighas at Bichhua in UP’s Mainpuri, where taking photographs, making videos, or even talking over the mobile phone is prohibited, said the journalist. Bhole Baba also owns ashrams in Haryana, Rajasthan and Uttarakhand. In UP, he owns more than 10 ashrams in districts including Etah, Mainpuri, Kannauj, Etawah, and others.
Local journalists, who also confirmed that Baba stayed in Mainpuri itself on Tuesday night, said it’s because of his influential image that he was not named in the FIR.
The FIR states that around 2pm, as Bhole Baba left the venue in his car, devotees began collecting dust from the path his vehicle took. The massive crowd of around two lakhs surged, causing those sitting and bowing down to be crushed.
On the other side of GT Road, the crowd, running wildly through waterlogged fields and a three-meter-deep ditch, was forcibly stopped by the organising committee and guards wielding sticks. This increased the pressure on the crowd, resulting in women, children, and some men being trampled. Many sustained severe injuries, and the situation turned fatal for some due to the chaos and stampede.
The FIR further mentions that the police and administrative officers present on the spot tried their best and, with great difficulty, managed to send the injured and unconscious people to the hospital with the available resources, but no cooperation was provided by the organisers and service providers. As a result, many people were injured, some fatally. The injured were sent for treatment to hospitals in Hathras district, Aligarh, and Etah. After informing higher authorities about the incident, additional police force and resources were requested for relief and rescue operations.
The FIR also accuses the organisers of inviting a large number of people while hiding the expected crowd size and failing to follow traffic control conditions.
Furthermore, it alleges that the organisers tampered with evidence by clearing the site and throwing items into nearby fields. Due to these actions, the FIR states, many innocent people were killed and seriously injured. The organisers and service providers are charged under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita, including culpable homicide not amounting to murder, attempt to commit culpable homicide, wrongful restraint, disobedience to public servant orders, and causing disappearance of evidence.
The FIR alleges a violation of the permission that was sought for the gathering of eighty thousand people, while the turnout was far more. It was filed on the complaint of Brijesh Pandey, sub-inspector and outpost in-charge at Pura Police Station, Sikandra Rao, Hathras. In the FIR, around 22 people including sevadars (volunteers) and organisers were named, but not Narayan Sakar Vishwa Hari aka Bhole Baba.
While Bhole Baba continues to be at large, UP police has carried out multiple raids but is yet to track him down.
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