About Gurmeet Ram Rahim singh Life
Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh Insan (born 15 August 1967) is an Indian guru, music producer, singer-songwriter, actor, and filmmaker.[1] He has been the head of the social group Dera Sacha Sauda (DSS) since 23 September 1990.
Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh
Saint Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh Ji Insan (cropped).jpg
Born 15 August 1967 (age 50)
Sri Gurusar Modia, Rajasthan, India
Nationality Indian
Occupation
Social group leader actor filmmaker singer songwriter
Years active 1990–present
Organisation Dera Sacha Sauda
Home town Sri Gurusar Modia, Ganganagar district, Rajasthan
Criminal charge Rape (2 counts)
Criminal penalty 20 years
Criminal status Convicted
Children 4
Parent(s)
Maghar Singh
Nasib Kaur
Website saintdrmsginsan.me
The Indian Express placed Singh 96th in their list of the 100 most powerful Indians of 2015.[2] He has released several music albums and films, which typically revolve around himself and his teachings. He is usually credited in his films as actor, director, writer, songwriter, as well as various other roles; he notably received credits in thirty separate film departments for his 2016 film MSG: The Warrior Lion Heart.[3] His films were negatively received by critics, with many considering them propaganda and criticising their poor quality.[4]
Singh has been accused of rape, murder and ordering forced castrations.[5][6][7] On 25 August 2017, he was convicted of rape by a special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court.[8][9][10][11] His conviction led to widespread rioting, which left 31[12][13]–38[14] DSS members dead from clashes with police and 120[12]–300[13] injured. On 28 August 2017, Singh was sentenced to 20 years in jail for rape.[15]
Early life and family
Singh was born on 15 August 1967 at Sri Gurusar Modia village in Ganganagar district of Rajasthan.[16][17] His father Maghar Singh was a landlord, and his mother Naseeb Kaur was a housewife. Maghar was a devoted follower of the DSS leader Shah Satnam Singh, and Gurmeet accompanied his father to the dera.[18] At the age of 7, Singh was initiated into the Dera Sacha Sauda sect by Shah Satnam Singh.[16]
As an adult, Singh did odd jobs, including driving a tractor, and assisted his father in volunteer work (seva) at the dera. When Shah Satnam Singh announced his retirement in 1990, Singh was not one among the three contenders expected to succeed him. However, in surprise public announcement, Satnam Shah appointed him as his successor, giving him the name "Huzoor Maharaj Gurmeet Ram Rahim".[18] Singh became the leader of Dera at the age of 23, on 23 September 1990.[19]
Singh and his wife Harjeet Kaur have two daughters named Amarpreet and Charanpreet. They also have a son Jasmeet, who is married to Husanmeet, a daughter of the Indian National Congress leader Harminder Singh Jassi. Singh also adopted his confidante Priyanka Taneja as his daughter, giving her name Honeypreet in 2009.[20] Singh's followers have adopted "Insan" ("human") as a surname.[18]
Political influence
Singh had been known for political clout, as his Dera has a large number of followers among Dalits and Other Backward Classes, estimated to be about 70%[21]. His Dera Sacha Sauda is the only one among the various Deras that openly asks its supporters to vote for particular political parties.[22]
Singh originally supported the Indian National Congress.[16] Singh's son is married to the daughter of the Congress leader Harminder Singh Jassi. The Dera Sacha Sauda supported Congress in the 2007 Punjab state elections, and helped the party take control of the Malwa region.[23] Before the 2012 Punjab state elections, the Congress leader Amarinder Singh, his wife Preneet Kaur and his son Raninder Singh visited Singh, asking him to extend his support to Congress.[24][25] However, Dera's support to Congress alienated the party's Sikh vote bank. In the 2012 elections, Congress performed poorly, and Jassi himself lost the election. The poor performance of Congress was seen as a signal of the downfall of Dera's political power.[23]
Before the 2014 Haryana state elections, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Narendra Modi praised Singh in order to attract the Dera Sacha Sauda followers.[26] Singh supported the BJP in the state elections.[16] In February 2015, his organisation again supported the BJP in the Delhi assembly elections. He reportedly stated of having over 2 million followers in Delhi.[27][28][29] His organisation supported BJP in the Bihar assembly election in 2015, and nearly 3,000 Dera followers campaigned for BJP in the state.[30] In 2016, the Haryana sports minister Anil Vij announced a ₹ 5 million grant to the Dera for promoting sports, in Singh's presence, which led to a controversy.[31]
Social work
The Dera runs 3 hospitals and 13 educational institutes. Singh has organised drives for blood pressure, diabetes and cholesterol screening that have been recognised by Guinness World Records.[32][33][34] In association with the American Society of Echocardiography, he also organised the world record for "Most Cardiac Echo Tests".[35] On 21 September 2011 in New Delhi, Singh initiated a series of sanitation drives and also pledged his support to the Central Government's campaign.[36] As of 2016, about 30 Mega Cleanliness Campaigns have been conducted in several states of India.[37][38][39] On 22 May 2012 Singh laid the foundation of the Shah Satnam ji Super Speciality Hospital at Sirsa. He established a specialised disaster relief and welfare agency called Shah Satnam Ji Green-S Welfare Force Wing in 2001, especially in the aftermath of the Odisha cyclone and Gujarat earthquake.[40][41][42][43][44] A CBI report investigating criminal allegations against him mentioned that Singh's "crusades against drugs, alcohol, and prostitution" have gained him a "larger-than-life" image.[45] He has also spoken out against cattle slaughter in India.[46]
Discography
Albums
Year Title Lyrics Composition Label Notes
2012 Thank You For That Yes Yes Universal Debut[47]
Network Tere Love Ka Yes Yes Universal
Chashma Yaar Ka[48] Yes Yes Universal
Insan Yes Yes Universal
2013 Lov Rab Se Yes Yes Universal
2014 Highway Love Charger Yes Yes Universal[49] Album sold 3 millions copies in the first three days.[50] Music video became an instant hit on YouTube[51]
Film soundtracks
Year Title Songs Lyrics Composition Label Notes
2015 MSG: The Messenger "Desh", "Daru" "Ko Goli Maro", "Papa The Great", "Never Ever", "Never Ever remix", "Rataan Bataan", "Ram Ram" Yes Yes Sony Music India Singh was awarded 4 Platinum Plaques from IFPI for music of this movie[52]
MSG-2 The Messenger "Party Dhoom Dhaam Se", "MSG The Messenger", "Rooh Nashiyaani", "Hasin Wadiyon Mein", "Sapnon Mein Aana Tera", "Hule Maale Gile Chila", "Party Dhoom Dhaam Se (remix)" Yes Yes T Series
2016 MSG: The Warrior Lion Heart "Dhol Baaje", "Sohna Mera Mishri Di Daliye" Yes Yes Zee Music[53] Second song unveiled in live concert admist 3.6 million fans[54]
2017 Hind Ka Napak ko Jawab - MSG Lion Heart - 2 "Jung Hai Humri Aatankwad Se", "System Hil Gaya", "Thank U For That", "Tujhe Paa Ke" Yes Yes Zee Music
2017 Jattu Engineer "Holi Ki Pichkari" Yes Yes
Filmography
Films
Year Film Director Writer Role Notes
2015 MSG: The Messenger Yes Yes Guru Ji Film debut
Co-directed with Jeetu Arora
MSG-2 The Messenger Yes Yes Guru Ji Sequel to MSG: The Messenger
Co-directed with Jeetu Arora
2016 MSG: The Warrior Lion Heart Yes Yes Lion Heart Spiritual successor to previous MSG films
Co-directed with daughter Honeypreet Insan
2017 Hind Ka Napak ko Jawab - MSG Lion Heart - 2 Yes Yes Sher-E-Hind Sequel to The Warrior Lion Heart
Co-directed with Honeypreet Insan
Based on 2016 Uri attack and 2016 India–Pakistan military confrontation[55]
2017 Jattu Engineer Yes Yes Sghaint Singh Sidhu, Shakti Singh Sisodia Co-directed with Honeypreet Insan
Online Gurukul was scheduled to be a future project involving Singh speaking out against terrorism, along with playing in six different roles.[56] On 2 September 2017, the Indian Film and Television Directors’ Association (IFTDA) and the Cine and TV Artists Association (CINTAA) banned Singh from future work in Indian film and television for "criminality and moral turpitude".[57]
Awards and recognitions
Singh received the Giants International Award for his social work in 2016.[58]
According to the Guinness World Records, he has organised several events that established world records. These include the largest display of oil lamps consists of 150,009 lamps [59], the largest finger painting is 3,900 m² (41,979 ft²) [60], the largest vegetable mosaic measures 1,858.07 m² (20,000 ft²), [61], the most people sanitising their hands simultaneously (7,675) [62]
Controversies
Rape conviction
See also: 2017 Northern India riots
In 2002, a woman wrote a letter narrating her ordeal and addressed it to the respective Chief Ministers of the states of Punjab and Haryana, and to the Union Home Minister, CBI, NHRC and the Punjab and Haryana High Court. The Punjab and Haryana High Court took cognisance of the letter and sought a report from the District and Sessions Judge of Sirsa, post which, judge MS Sular conducted an inquiry and submitted a report recommending a probe by a central agency.
After the report from Sirsa, the Punjab and Haryana High Court ordered the CBI to probe into the allegations leveled in the letter. The Chandigarh Branch, CBI registered a case of rape under the IPC Section 376, criminal intimidation under Section 506 and insult to the modesty of a woman under 509. This letter was published in Ram Chander Chhatrapati’s four-page Hindi eveninger, Poora Sach in 2002.[87] A CBI probe was ordered into the incident on 24 September 2002. The investigations involved contacting 18 of sadhvis who had left the dera by 2002.[88] In the same year, Singh had charges levied against him for the murder of journalist Ram Chander Chhatrapati, who was writing articles at the time about Dera Sacha Sauda, and for the murder of Dera Sacha Sauda manager Ranjit Singh.[89]
On 25 August 2017, a special CBI court in Panchkula, Haryana, delivered its verdict in a sexual assault case regarding a former Dera sadhvi, finding Singh guilty of two counts of rape.[8][9][10] Singh was taken into custody.[90] More than 200,000 people had gathered near the court premises ahead of the verdict in Panchkula, Haryana.[91] Following the conviction, there were violent protests in parts of India with reports of widespread vandalism. 31[12][13]–38[14] DSS members were killed in clashes with police and another 120[12]–300[13] people were injured as a result.
On 26 August 2017, the Punjab and Haryana High Court ordered the police to seize the properties of the group to compensate for the vandalism caused in protests by his supporters.[92]
On 28 August 2017, the CBI court sentenced him to a total of 20 years in jail, 10 years for each of the two rape convictions to be served consecutively. The trial for the alleged murder of reporter Ram Chander Chhatrapati will be held separately.[15]
Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh Insan (born 15 August 1967) is an Indian guru, music producer, singer-songwriter, actor, and filmmaker.[1] He has been the head of the social group Dera Sacha Sauda (DSS) since 23 September 1990.
Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh
Saint Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh Ji Insan (cropped).jpg
Born 15 August 1967 (age 50)
Sri Gurusar Modia, Rajasthan, India
Nationality Indian
Occupation
Social group leader actor filmmaker singer songwriter
Years active 1990–present
Organisation Dera Sacha Sauda
Home town Sri Gurusar Modia, Ganganagar district, Rajasthan
Criminal charge Rape (2 counts)
Criminal penalty 20 years
Criminal status Convicted
Children 4
Parent(s)
Maghar Singh
Nasib Kaur
Website saintdrmsginsan.me
The Indian Express placed Singh 96th in their list of the 100 most powerful Indians of 2015.[2] He has released several music albums and films, which typically revolve around himself and his teachings. He is usually credited in his films as actor, director, writer, songwriter, as well as various other roles; he notably received credits in thirty separate film departments for his 2016 film MSG: The Warrior Lion Heart.[3] His films were negatively received by critics, with many considering them propaganda and criticising their poor quality.[4]
Singh has been accused of rape, murder and ordering forced castrations.[5][6][7] On 25 August 2017, he was convicted of rape by a special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court.[8][9][10][11] His conviction led to widespread rioting, which left 31[12][13]–38[14] DSS members dead from clashes with police and 120[12]–300[13] injured. On 28 August 2017, Singh was sentenced to 20 years in jail for rape.[15]
Early life and family
Singh was born on 15 August 1967 at Sri Gurusar Modia village in Ganganagar district of Rajasthan.[16][17] His father Maghar Singh was a landlord, and his mother Naseeb Kaur was a housewife. Maghar was a devoted follower of the DSS leader Shah Satnam Singh, and Gurmeet accompanied his father to the dera.[18] At the age of 7, Singh was initiated into the Dera Sacha Sauda sect by Shah Satnam Singh.[16]
As an adult, Singh did odd jobs, including driving a tractor, and assisted his father in volunteer work (seva) at the dera. When Shah Satnam Singh announced his retirement in 1990, Singh was not one among the three contenders expected to succeed him. However, in surprise public announcement, Satnam Shah appointed him as his successor, giving him the name "Huzoor Maharaj Gurmeet Ram Rahim".[18] Singh became the leader of Dera at the age of 23, on 23 September 1990.[19]
Singh and his wife Harjeet Kaur have two daughters named Amarpreet and Charanpreet. They also have a son Jasmeet, who is married to Husanmeet, a daughter of the Indian National Congress leader Harminder Singh Jassi. Singh also adopted his confidante Priyanka Taneja as his daughter, giving her name Honeypreet in 2009.[20] Singh's followers have adopted "Insan" ("human") as a surname.[18]
Political influence
Singh had been known for political clout, as his Dera has a large number of followers among Dalits and Other Backward Classes, estimated to be about 70%[21]. His Dera Sacha Sauda is the only one among the various Deras that openly asks its supporters to vote for particular political parties.[22]
Singh originally supported the Indian National Congress.[16] Singh's son is married to the daughter of the Congress leader Harminder Singh Jassi. The Dera Sacha Sauda supported Congress in the 2007 Punjab state elections, and helped the party take control of the Malwa region.[23] Before the 2012 Punjab state elections, the Congress leader Amarinder Singh, his wife Preneet Kaur and his son Raninder Singh visited Singh, asking him to extend his support to Congress.[24][25] However, Dera's support to Congress alienated the party's Sikh vote bank. In the 2012 elections, Congress performed poorly, and Jassi himself lost the election. The poor performance of Congress was seen as a signal of the downfall of Dera's political power.[23]
Before the 2014 Haryana state elections, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Narendra Modi praised Singh in order to attract the Dera Sacha Sauda followers.[26] Singh supported the BJP in the state elections.[16] In February 2015, his organisation again supported the BJP in the Delhi assembly elections. He reportedly stated of having over 2 million followers in Delhi.[27][28][29] His organisation supported BJP in the Bihar assembly election in 2015, and nearly 3,000 Dera followers campaigned for BJP in the state.[30] In 2016, the Haryana sports minister Anil Vij announced a ₹ 5 million grant to the Dera for promoting sports, in Singh's presence, which led to a controversy.[31]
Social work
The Dera runs 3 hospitals and 13 educational institutes. Singh has organised drives for blood pressure, diabetes and cholesterol screening that have been recognised by Guinness World Records.[32][33][34] In association with the American Society of Echocardiography, he also organised the world record for "Most Cardiac Echo Tests".[35] On 21 September 2011 in New Delhi, Singh initiated a series of sanitation drives and also pledged his support to the Central Government's campaign.[36] As of 2016, about 30 Mega Cleanliness Campaigns have been conducted in several states of India.[37][38][39] On 22 May 2012 Singh laid the foundation of the Shah Satnam ji Super Speciality Hospital at Sirsa. He established a specialised disaster relief and welfare agency called Shah Satnam Ji Green-S Welfare Force Wing in 2001, especially in the aftermath of the Odisha cyclone and Gujarat earthquake.[40][41][42][43][44] A CBI report investigating criminal allegations against him mentioned that Singh's "crusades against drugs, alcohol, and prostitution" have gained him a "larger-than-life" image.[45] He has also spoken out against cattle slaughter in India.[46]
Discography
Albums
Year Title Lyrics Composition Label Notes
2012 Thank You For That Yes Yes Universal Debut[47]
Network Tere Love Ka Yes Yes Universal
Chashma Yaar Ka[48] Yes Yes Universal
Insan Yes Yes Universal
2013 Lov Rab Se Yes Yes Universal
2014 Highway Love Charger Yes Yes Universal[49] Album sold 3 millions copies in the first three days.[50] Music video became an instant hit on YouTube[51]
Film soundtracks
Year Title Songs Lyrics Composition Label Notes
2015 MSG: The Messenger "Desh", "Daru" "Ko Goli Maro", "Papa The Great", "Never Ever", "Never Ever remix", "Rataan Bataan", "Ram Ram" Yes Yes Sony Music India Singh was awarded 4 Platinum Plaques from IFPI for music of this movie[52]
MSG-2 The Messenger "Party Dhoom Dhaam Se", "MSG The Messenger", "Rooh Nashiyaani", "Hasin Wadiyon Mein", "Sapnon Mein Aana Tera", "Hule Maale Gile Chila", "Party Dhoom Dhaam Se (remix)" Yes Yes T Series
2016 MSG: The Warrior Lion Heart "Dhol Baaje", "Sohna Mera Mishri Di Daliye" Yes Yes Zee Music[53] Second song unveiled in live concert admist 3.6 million fans[54]
2017 Hind Ka Napak ko Jawab - MSG Lion Heart - 2 "Jung Hai Humri Aatankwad Se", "System Hil Gaya", "Thank U For That", "Tujhe Paa Ke" Yes Yes Zee Music
2017 Jattu Engineer "Holi Ki Pichkari" Yes Yes
Filmography
Films
Year Film Director Writer Role Notes
2015 MSG: The Messenger Yes Yes Guru Ji Film debut
Co-directed with Jeetu Arora
MSG-2 The Messenger Yes Yes Guru Ji Sequel to MSG: The Messenger
Co-directed with Jeetu Arora
2016 MSG: The Warrior Lion Heart Yes Yes Lion Heart Spiritual successor to previous MSG films
Co-directed with daughter Honeypreet Insan
2017 Hind Ka Napak ko Jawab - MSG Lion Heart - 2 Yes Yes Sher-E-Hind Sequel to The Warrior Lion Heart
Co-directed with Honeypreet Insan
Based on 2016 Uri attack and 2016 India–Pakistan military confrontation[55]
2017 Jattu Engineer Yes Yes Sghaint Singh Sidhu, Shakti Singh Sisodia Co-directed with Honeypreet Insan
Online Gurukul was scheduled to be a future project involving Singh speaking out against terrorism, along with playing in six different roles.[56] On 2 September 2017, the Indian Film and Television Directors’ Association (IFTDA) and the Cine and TV Artists Association (CINTAA) banned Singh from future work in Indian film and television for "criminality and moral turpitude".[57]
Awards and recognitions
Singh received the Giants International Award for his social work in 2016.[58]
According to the Guinness World Records, he has organised several events that established world records. These include the largest display of oil lamps consists of 150,009 lamps [59], the largest finger painting is 3,900 m² (41,979 ft²) [60], the largest vegetable mosaic measures 1,858.07 m² (20,000 ft²), [61], the most people sanitising their hands simultaneously (7,675) [62]
Controversies
Rape conviction
See also: 2017 Northern India riots
In 2002, a woman wrote a letter narrating her ordeal and addressed it to the respective Chief Ministers of the states of Punjab and Haryana, and to the Union Home Minister, CBI, NHRC and the Punjab and Haryana High Court. The Punjab and Haryana High Court took cognisance of the letter and sought a report from the District and Sessions Judge of Sirsa, post which, judge MS Sular conducted an inquiry and submitted a report recommending a probe by a central agency.
After the report from Sirsa, the Punjab and Haryana High Court ordered the CBI to probe into the allegations leveled in the letter. The Chandigarh Branch, CBI registered a case of rape under the IPC Section 376, criminal intimidation under Section 506 and insult to the modesty of a woman under 509. This letter was published in Ram Chander Chhatrapati’s four-page Hindi eveninger, Poora Sach in 2002.[87] A CBI probe was ordered into the incident on 24 September 2002. The investigations involved contacting 18 of sadhvis who had left the dera by 2002.[88] In the same year, Singh had charges levied against him for the murder of journalist Ram Chander Chhatrapati, who was writing articles at the time about Dera Sacha Sauda, and for the murder of Dera Sacha Sauda manager Ranjit Singh.[89]
On 25 August 2017, a special CBI court in Panchkula, Haryana, delivered its verdict in a sexual assault case regarding a former Dera sadhvi, finding Singh guilty of two counts of rape.[8][9][10] Singh was taken into custody.[90] More than 200,000 people had gathered near the court premises ahead of the verdict in Panchkula, Haryana.[91] Following the conviction, there were violent protests in parts of India with reports of widespread vandalism. 31[12][13]–38[14] DSS members were killed in clashes with police and another 120[12]–300[13] people were injured as a result.
On 26 August 2017, the Punjab and Haryana High Court ordered the police to seize the properties of the group to compensate for the vandalism caused in protests by his supporters.[92]
On 28 August 2017, the CBI court sentenced him to a total of 20 years in jail, 10 years for each of the two rape convictions to be served consecutively. The trial for the alleged murder of reporter Ram Chander Chhatrapati will be held separately.[15]
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