Om Mandli

“ A whole city, like one man, has concentrated upon the activities of a single individual. None has time or inclination to think of anything else. Om Mandli has got on their nerves. It sounds a ghost story from Arabian-Night but never-the-less it is true. One feels it is only when the city is free from the "infernal" spell of this Om Mandli (some called it Om Mandi (Market) . Prof. Jethmal called it Om Khandli) that Hyderabad will be able to divert its energy and attention to some other useful and constructive pursuit. ”

“ The Om Mandli may cease to exist and Bhai Lekhraj may run away to some place to hide his diminished head but the future of those girls recklessly and irresponsibly trained in the Om Mandli is a problem left for the Bhaibund Community--the bitter legacy of a man with a swollen head that he is the incarnation of Sri Krishna. ”

“ If he stares at the eyes of any girls he over-powers her. He had similarly over powered me once by an intense glance into my eyes. He loved passionately Om Radhe..........I mean by passionately loving that Lekhraj used to........with them. Some of the male members were openly mis-behaving and some were mis-behaving on the sly........Lekhraj used to say that he was himself Lord Krishna and that he may be worshipped. Accordingly he used to be worshipped by Krishna by the inmates of Om Mandli. He used to play "Ras Lila" with Mandli girls called gopies. ”

“ Do girls fall in trance in Om Mandli? A: Yes they do fall in trance and see visions of God in that trance as Arjun had seen visions of God. Q: Do girls of tender age fall into such a trance? A: Yes Q: Do adults also fall in such a trance? A: Yes all males and females do fall in such a trance? Q: Who gives Gian in the Mandli? A: Every male and female member of Om Mandli takes and gives Gian which I mean "Atam Gian". Q: Is screaming done in trance? A: No screaming is done in trance by any but all falling in trance talk of what they see like Arjan before Krishna. ”

“ Only the family has grown so large and so noisy that is has become a public nuisance and the public has stood up in anger. Moreover the vaunted programme of the Om Mandli of saving the world and of inaugurating a New Age, i.e. social work, makes the purpose of the Mandli a public one, Om Radhe is too much under the hypnotic influence of Bhai Lekhraj to have a correct view about him would be obvious. ”

“ He messes with us and his utensils are the same as those of ours. He does not work and hence no remuneration is paid to him. He imparts Braham Vidya in English. He freely mixes with the inmates of the Om Mandli. I do not know whether he is a previous convict I have got my faith in all scriptures including Granth Sahib. In our Mandli no scripture of any religion is kept nor is any scripture read. ”

“ And how many husbands were there in comparison to the wives?
Sadhu Vaswani has world wide fame for his piety and the fact that he joined the movement against the Om Mandli proves without the least doubt the righteousness of the Public cause. His call to his countrymen which is reproduced in his own words here below admits of no such compromise as mentioned above.
"My appeal" said Saddhu Vaswani "is to all my countrymen. The Om Mandli is a den of darkness. Close it down without delay. Your children, my dear Sindhi countrymen are your richest treasure. ”

“ It is well known that it is in the interests of the unmarried adult girls of the Om Mandli and many young women living there that the evidence was asked to be taken in camera so that their future may not be entirely blasted. After sometime things will pass into merciful oblivion, and those unmarried girls will have a chance of getting settled in life removed from the obnoxious influence of the super-hypnotists of the Om Mandli. ”

“ He was also convinced that Dada Lekhraj has some power which was not drawn from yoga or any religion. It was animal power over powering innocence. So many ensauries were heaped in the Om Mandli, he said, that it could only be a house of sin.
He further said that in order to get the true evidence in the case against Dada Lekhraj the girls in the Om Mandli must be free from his influence. ”

“ The discontentment at home following the unnatural and sudden rebellion of hitherto peaceful and loving daughters and daughters-in-law, the general wonder at the abnormality found inside the Mandli, the whispers of the baffled and disgusted neighbours-all these took time to make noise. But not four years as Om Radhe says. Barely six months. Truth is stranger than fiction. Nobody would believe it at first, the modern educated people refused to believe it. ”

“ The investigation of the Bhaibund committee and the depositions of some inamtes of the Om Mandli as well as the very truths divulged by Om Radhe in the course of her cross examination in Court (Marked A) have completely opened the eyes of the Public of Sind as to the nature of this so called Gian.
Perhaps one would forgive Lekhraj if he kept his Gyan to himself. He has in his fold tender minds, impressionable and growing. Om Radhe who is the President is herself inside twenty five years; she is young, unsophisticated and yet only a girl budding out to life. ”

“ The girls who gave depositions belong to very respectable families and have narrated their own personal observations and experiences. They bear no enmity to either Bhai Lekhraj or his Om Mandli. Far from giving wholly improbably and absurd stories, their depositions give a consistent and logical account of Bhai Lekhraj and his Om Mandli from the time of their first connection upto the time when these girls were rescued by their parents. ”

“ No Gyan Father ever indulges in kisses and embraces extended to grown-up girls of 20 or more. No wonder that even Om Radhe's Advocate found fault with her for having made that admission and told her that it was fatal to her and her Dada. By the substance and spirit of the admissions in the open Court, Om Radhe put the seal of confirmation on what the girls had previous deposed and the Public of Sind realised vividly more than they had done before what a veritable den of darkness the Om Mandli was! ”

“ The innocent children in charge of this man will become victims of mental perversion and sexuality, which is a danger to Society. He can not be the Krishna all the time, for young and middle aged women Gopis for long. He has to die one da and these women, who are being brought up on such an erotic diet, will seek fresh Krishnas to lead the life of rakes. We therefore think that the rake's progress of the Om Mandli has to be immediately stopped by constituted authority. ”

“ Om Radhe who had an Advisor wrongly chose to boycott the Tribunal and one wondershow she can at all say that the Report of the Tribunal is exparte. It is worth-while perusing the remarks made in connection with the above by the Sind Observer in its issue dated 19th May 1939.
"It does not lie in the mouth of any person connected with the Om Mandli to declare the findings of the Tribunal to be exparte, themselves being responsible for the boycott of the Tribunal. Why did they fight shy of presenting their case before the Tribunal? ”

“ The garb of religion is used to cover Dada Lekhraj's activities. He knows nothing of religion and has never practised any. His cult furthers the object he has in view. He is God, the members of the Om Mandli to whom he imparts Gian become Gods; a God can commit no sin...... ”

“ Government in Sind still believe in force; the Satyagrahi relies on the Higher Power which no force can conquer.
"The Premier's pleading in favour of the Om Mandli as reported by the A. P. is an insult to the ideals and intelligence of the Hindu Community. The Premier takes his stand on the plausible plea of democratic freedom of an association and argues as though politics and social morality have nothing to do with each other. Surely a true democracy respects the voice of public opinion. The Mandli is anti social for it breaks down homes and human values and human rights. ”

“ From the facts concerning the Om Mandli which have now seen the light of the day, through sources external as well as internal, this public meeting of the citizens of Karachi has been convinced that the activities which are being carried on within its precincts are absolutely harmful to public morals, have destroyed many homes and are undermining the very foundation of the Society. ”

“ The "Om Mandli" is an institution about the activities of which very disquieting disclosures have been made in the Courts of Law and also in the Press and on the Platform. These disclosure have greatly agitated the public all over Sind. Apart from this, you are well aware that the "Om Mandli" is seemingly an educational institution where education imparted is of such a perverted nature that under its influence pupils, both major and minor refuse to recognize their parents and relatives and absolutely decline to go to them. ”

“ She stated that all the males and females residing in the Mandli fell in a trance and that Bhai Lekhraj kisses and embraces the girls as their spiritual father. The disclosures made during the trial of this case further inflamed the public mind and an application was made to Government requesting that action should be taken under Section 16 of the Criminal Law Amendment Act, 1908.
Government have appointed a Tribunal to enquire into certain matters touching the Om Mandli and Om Nivas. The Hindu Community is very much exercised over the situation and feeling is running very high. ”

“ That the Petitioners also are convinced that the inmates are terrorised and made to believe that if any inmate leaves the Om Mandli and goes to her husband or parents she will by any manner of means be compelled to re-seek or re-enter the Om Mandli and them her fate will be anything but bearable. ”

“ The Mandli is a cordon against Hindu homes and an insult to Sri Krishna and the Hindu Rishis' ideal and the sacred teaching of "OM". Would the Premier be allowed to tolerate for a day a Mandli which would insult the Prophet of Islam as the Om Mandli is insulting Sri Krishna every day? Here in the Mandli is an ordinary mortal impersonating as Sri Krishna and giving to young impressionable girls and credulous women a teaching which means disruption of homes and democracy, the three are one' and this agitation against the Om Mandli is also a movement for purified democracy and true freedom. ”

“ If Mandli permits any such person without the permission of the guardian, then the guardian will draw the attention of the Committee, and also write a letter to the Mandli then Mandli will see that such a person is not allowed to come in or enter. 6. The time for Om Mandli Satsang will be made so convenient that it will not interfere with the household work or duties of those who come. 7. Om Nivas will remain a school only for children (girls) and a written permission from guardians will be very essential for their admission. ”

“ There is thus every likelihood that unless some speedy rememdy is taken and Bhai Lekhraj and other males are prevented from visiting the Om Mandli and Om Nivas or meeting the inmates of the institutions, the public tranquility will be seriously threatened. ”

“ All grown up girls and women were seen taking bath with only short drawers, the remaining body being naked. Lekhraj too was wearing only drawers. The female bathers numbered six only among whom 4 were grown up girls and two women. Five of these females were the pick of the Members of the Om Mandli.........No girl who was not taking bath was permitted to enter the bath room but I had gone there suddenly having run away from my house......I had remained at Karachi in the bungalow where kidnapped girls were kept by Lekhraj. Lekhraj had hired another bungalow also in which he opened Om Nivas. ”

“ Lord Krishna knew that he was Braham after self-realization and hence was above sin. Similarly Dada Lekhraj also considers himself as Braham and above sin and can commit no sin, like Lord Krishna. Q: Does Dada Lekhraj pull the breast of girls? A: He does not do such things of evil. Q: Is pulling of breasts of a girl evil? A: I do not know this. Q:How many receptacles of antimony are kept in the Mandli? A: About 6 or 7 Q: Is there any Gian in the antimony which you have put in your eyes? A: No. Q: Do all inmates use this antimony? A: Yes. Q: At what age children are admitted into Om Mandli? ”

“ Some 2 1/2 to 3 years ago one Bhai Lekhraj Khubchand aged about 52 who had retired from his jeweller's business at Calcutta set up a satsang in his house which he called Om Mandli where it was said that divine knowledge would be imparted to girls mostly, which neither his occupation nor his education or his anticedents fitted him for. He train some young girl disciples. to give sermons to visitors and also initiate them in what was called "Gian" i.e. self realisation by putting himself of his girl disciples and the seeker alone into a closed room for hours together from day to day. ”

“ The Mandli Authorities then hired the adjoining bungalow at Rs. 275/- per mensem and transferred the Om Mandli there and the Ministry expressed satisfaction at this arrangement. But Mr. Vaswani again threatened his march on the Secretariat on the ground that he wanted complete segregation of husbands from wives, daughters from their parents, males from their female relations." Note, the sarcastic language-separation of husbands from wives. Why could not one hand live with his one legal wife instead of letting his wife mis with other men and he with their wives. ”

“ It is a potent fact that no true "Gian" can be bought in the market. What he has really bought is some hypnosis or some other mystic, sinister and perverted yogic power which easily affects weak and susceptible minds. His Satsang is a ruse to gather the company of young girls and women about him, making them believe the he is God Incarnate. c. Imparting of "Gian" (self realisation) by young girls to youthful visitors closeted alone for hours together. This is a temptation which is unhealthy and undesirable and many young men visit the Mandli purely on account of this sex attraction. ”