Jump to content

Satpal Maharaj: Difference between revisions

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Browse history interactively
← Previous editNext edit →
Content deleted Content added
VisualWikitext
Reference not pointing to anything related. Hence removed.
Line 17: Line 17:
| party =[[Indian National Congress|INC]]
| party =[[Indian National Congress|INC]]
| religion =
| religion =
| spouse = Amrita Rawat
| spouse = Amrita Rawat<ref>{{cite news|title=A veteran for 'Uttarakhand'|work=Frontline|volume=19|issue= 06|date= Mar. 16 - 29, 2002|first=Purnima S. |last=Tripathi|url=http://www.hinduonnet.com/fline/fl1906/19060420.htm|accessdate=2009-08-15}}</ref>
| children = Shradhey Ji ,Suyesh Ji
| children = Shradhey Ji ,Suyesh Ji
| website =
| website =

Revision as of 09:06, 21 February 2013

Satpal Maharaj
ConstituencyGarhwal
Personal details
Born (1951-09-21) 21 September 1951 (age 73)
Haridwar, Uttar Pradesh (now in Uttarakhand)
Political partyINC
SpouseAmrita Rawat
ChildrenShradhey Ji ,Suyesh Ji
Residence(s)Dehradun, 2/12 East Punjabi Bagh, Delhi

Satpal Singh Rawat (born 21 September 1951), also known as Satpal Maharaj and Maharaji and formerly as Bal Bhagwan Ji, is a member of the lower house of the Parliament of India (15th Lok Sabha) for the Indian National Congress party.[1]

He is also the guru of the Manav Utthan Seva Samiti, an off-shoot of the Divine Light Mission.

Early life

Satpal Maharaj was born in Kankhal,[2] in the Haridwar district, the eldest son of Hans Ji Maharaj, leader of the Divine Light Mission (DLM), and Hans Ji Maharaj's second wife, Rajeshwari Devi, also known as Mata Ji.[3] Satpal Maharaj was educated at St. George's College, Mussoorie.

On Hans Ji's death in 1966 Satpal's youngest brother, Prem Rawat (called "Balyogeshwar" at the time), became the spiritual leader of the DLM at age eight.[3] Satpal and Mata Ji acknowledged the young Prem Rawat as the "perfect master",[3] but acted as regents on account of his age.[4][5] The young Prem Rawat became known internationally as Guru Maharaj Ji, while Satpal was known as Bal Bhagwan Ji.

Family

Rawat is the eldest son of Late Hans Ji Maharaj, the original leader of the Divine Light Mission, and his second wife, Jagat Janani Mata Shri Rajeshwari Devi (Mata Ji). He has three younger brothers, Mahi, Dharam, and Prem. As of 2012, He married Amrita Rawat, who is also a member of the Indian Parliament, on 8 February 1981. [6] He has two sons, Vibhu Ji, and Suyesh Ji. As a part of their traditional history, the family often delivers discourses at gatherings (Sammelans) where people come to listen. People touch their feet and offer money in return at these gatherings.[citation needed]

In 2009 Satpal Maharaj also split from his other brother "Bhole Ji Maharaj", who started his own organization.[7]

In October 2012, Satpal though projecting himself as a saint , spend crores of rupees on his son's marriage.Around 400 gas cylinders and electricity worth crores was used during the lavish wedding.[8]

Divine Light Mission

At age 22, together with American antiwar activist Rennie Davis, Satpal was a key organizer of the DLM's Millennium '73 festival held in Houston, Texas, which was reported to be a dismal failure and precipitated changes in the mission.[9][10] Following Prem's marriage to a westerner, Mata Ji removed him as DLM leader and made Satpal its head and Satguru. Legal disputes between the brothers resulted in a settlement giving control over the movement in India to Satpal in 1975, later renaming the organization Manav Utthan Seva Samiti (MUSS), while the Western movement remained under Prem's control.[3]

The self-published history of the Manav Utthan Seva Samiti reports a smooth transition and succession from his father, and omits any mention of the scandal around the family feud that split the movement.[11]

Manav Utthan Seva Samiti

Today, Maharaj is the head of the Manav Utthan Seva Samiti.[4] He teaches the meditation techniques called "Knowledge".[4] The movement has students and ashrmas all across the globe with its head office in India. It claims millions of members and has events that regularly draw 100,000 people or more to its ashrams in Haridwar and New Delhi.[4] According to Lise McKean in the book Divine Enterprise: Gurus and the Hindu Nationalist Movement, in the Samiti cult of the holy family, Maharaj, his wife Amrita Rawat and their two sons are worshiped as divine beings, with individual members of the holy family held to represent diverse aspects of divinity.

The MUSS has an associated volunteer organisation, the Manav Sewa Dal, founded by Maharaj in 1976.[12][13]

in May 2011 , an employee working with Maharaj Ji for 25 years stole and ran away with valuables.[14]

Lok Sabha Results

1989 - Lost Pauri Garhwal against Chandra Mohan (Janata Dal)

1991 - Lost Pauri Garhwal against Bhuwan Chand (BJP)

1996 - Won Pauri Garhwal (1,63,528 votes) against Shri Bhuwan Chandra Khanduri(BJP) (1,48,508 votes).

1998 - Lost Pauri Garhwal (1,05,311 votes) against (Maj. Gen. (Retd.) Bhuwan Chandra Khanduri( 2,80,258 votes)

1999 - Lost Pauri Garhwal (2,10,063 votes) against (Maj. Gen. (Retd.) Bhuwan Chandra Khanduri( 2,39,745 votes)

2004 - Lost Pauri Garhwal

2008(By elections) : Lost Pauri Garhwal Lok Sabha to TPS Rawat(BJP) when Khanduri quit his Parliamentary seat to enter the state Assembly.

2009 - Won Pauri Garhwal Seat(236949 votes) against Tejpal Singh Rawat(219552 votes)

Political career

In 1989, Satpal Maharaj started his political career in as a member of the Indian National Congress (INC) party.

In 1995, he split from the Congress along with Narayan Dutt Tiwari and joined Congress (Tiwari).

He served as Union Minister for Railroads in 1996 and for Finance in 1997.

1n 1999, rejoined Congress when Sonia Gandhi took over the reins of the Congress Party.

In 2010, he was the head of the 20-member Parliamentary Standing Committee on Defence.[15]

in 2012, Satpal was nominated by his political party to pacify Narayan Dutt Tiwari, who had threatened to work against the party during the 2012 election. They believed that by nominating Satpal, as well as three other followers of Tiwari, that Tiwari would not follow through on his threats.[16]

Notes

  1. ^ "Shri Satpal Ji Maharaj: A brief introduction to his life and works". Retrieved 209-08-15. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  2. ^ "Detailed Profile: Shri Satpal Maharaj". Retrieved 2009-08-15.
  3. ^ a b c d Mangalwadi 1992, pp. 135-137
  4. ^ a b c d McKean 1996, pp. 53-57
  5. ^ Moritz 1974, p. 254
  6. ^ http://india.gov.in/govt/loksabhampbiodata.php?mpcode=3717
  7. ^ http://www.hanslok.org/index.php
  8. ^ http://www.jagran.com/news/national-satpal-spend-crores-in-decoration-of-his-son-marriage-9782839.html
  9. ^ Rawson, Jonathon (November 17, 1973). "God in Houston: The Cult of Guru Maharaji Ji". The New Republic. p. 17.
  10. ^ Downton 1979, p. 191
  11. ^ McKean 1996, p. 54
  12. ^ Faquiranand, Mahatma (2008-09-21). "Shri Satpal Ji Maharaj". Daily Excelsior. Retrieved 2009-08-18. [dead link‍]
  13. ^ Manav Sewa Dal. Retrieved 2009-08-18. [dead link‍]
  14. ^ http://www.mid-day.com/news/2011/may/230511-Employee-decamps-with-MP-valuables.htm
  15. ^ LATEEF, SAMAAN (15 JUNE 2010). "Parliamentary committee on assessment tour to Ladakh". GreaterKashmir.com. Retrieved 10 July 2010. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  16. ^ http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/congress-buys-peace-with-narayan-dutt-tiwari/1/168615.html

References

Template:Persondata

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Satpal_Maharaj&oldid=539386121"