Screenshot of the article posted on the Dera Sacha Sauda portal.

chief’s article focuses on importance of hand sanitisation

CHANDIGARH: As the world battles against the spread of Covid-19 by taking extraordinary measures and doctors and scientists research drugs for its treatment and and vaccines to prevent it, Sirsa-based Dera Sacha Sauda 's controversial preacher Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh claims to "have heard the knock of this deadly disease eight years back in 2012."This claim has been made by the dera in an article, titled "How to Safeguard Yourself against the Virus that Shook the World - Corona," which has been uploaded on the dera's official web portal.The Dera chief is presently lodged in Sunaria jail in Haryana's Rohtak district after his conviction in rape and murder cases. The special CBI court in Panchkula had on August 25, 2017 convicted him for rape of two sadhvis (female disciples) and sentenced him to 20-year imprisonment.On January 17, 2019, the CBI court had sentenced him to life imprisonment for the 2002 murder of Sirsa-based journalist Ram Chander Chhatarpati. He is also facing trial in two more cases - one involving castration of almost 400 Dera followers in Sirsa and second involving murder case of former Dera manager Ranjit Singh.The dera, which used to be one of the most influential groups in Haryana, is now run by a committee. The dera’s web portal also has facility of live satsang and is maintained by the committee, which has also been updating dera’s activities on it from time to time.The dera article also claims that its chief has been warning of these fatalities for decades.The article, uploaded by the dera management on March 14, emphasises on the importance of hand sanitization and regular washing of hands, terming it the basic and the most effective way to staying clear of the virus. “Incidentally, Guru Ji (the dera chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim) has even established a world record for most people sanitizing their hands in the year 2012... All we can see is Guru Ji may have heard the knock of this disease right then, to instil this habit in his disciples.”To prove their point, the dera has also shared a link of an article in which it has been stated that a record of the most people sanitising their hands simultaneously is 7,675 at an event organised by Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh Ji Insan and Shah Satnam Ji Green S Welfare Force Wing (both India) at SMG Sports Complex in Dera Sacha Sauda Sirsa, Haryana, India, in September 2012.Suggesting that people should follow some time-tested tips from ‘Dr MSG (messenger of God as the dera chief is referred to by his disciples)’ to stay away from the killer coronavirus, the article says, “Guru Ji Saint Dr Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh Ji Insan has been warning of these fatalities for decades… Apparently the cause of this havoc is the practice of eating wild animals like bats and snakes. As this virus emerged in China, and the Chinese are known to eating all sorts of insects and animals, this was a much-predicted scenario. This also means that the world really needs to choose what it takes on its plate with a lot of caution.”The article also advocates following traditional way of greeting: “Our wise rishis could sense the dangers in the womb of earth thousands of years ago and therefore they have created this timeless lifestyle called Hinduism. Guru Ji is often seen quoting this above sentence in his satsangs too, but it’s only in times like these, can one really connect all the dots”.The dera also suggests people should drink cow milk to tackle Covid-19 and also reminded them “how Guru Ji has also promoted cow milk to be used as a party drink and even established a world record for the biggest cow milk party.”