How 'Baba'nomics Works

The space in which self-proclaimed godmen/women function is crowded and competitive, compelling them to adopt creative means to stand out and build their brands

- Tanul Thakur

'GODMEN' talk even when they're quiet. Sometimes, they don't even need to talk-they sing, they dance, they perform. Sometimes, they just sit and gold dust falls. Babas are not just the new gods; they're the new heroes, directors, choreographers: dancing themselves and making others dance.

A few decades ago, such figures usually wore saffron robes, but now they're more specific, as if fulfilling both a Job Designation (JD) and creating their own brands. Compare this group to the superheroes in The Avengers universe whose 'JDs'-and costumes-make them unique. Or, like cartel members' tattoos, godmen's clothes-sometimes names-signify their essence and sharpen their identities.

Consider Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh Insan, whose Dera Sacha Sauda (DSS) attracted many Dalits to the organisation. They joined it believing a non-Hindu organisation would liberate them from the tyranny of the caste system. And if they still harboured any doubt, then the word "Insan" resolved it all: a place for anyone and everyone. So, when it comes to babas, if the question is 'what's in a name?', then the answer is another question: How about everything?

Colour psychology, too, plays a crucial role. If filmmakers deploy it to elicit emotional responses-most notably evident in Krzysztof Kieślowski's Three Colours trilogy-then marketing professionals use it to distinguish brands and influence consumers. The spiritual screenwriters, babas, rely on it for similar ends: establishing personas, conveying messages, selling products. They also sell faith, or hope, in a country devoid of a sustained welfare state. When the government receded, creating a void, the babas stepped in, functioning as a protector, therapist, father, doctor, rehab, God. This space is as competitive as ever, compelling godmen to adopt creative means to stand out and build their brands.