Mix of religion, welfare and politics that is Ram Rahim Singh's Dera

There are up to 3,000 deras in north India, each with a different spiritual message

Now that Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh has been sentenced to 20 years imprisonment for raping two minors, who were also his followers, there is renewed curiosity about not just the social standing of the deras but the political patronage that they thrive on. The frenzied violence that Singh’s followers displayed after his conviction in Panchkula on August 28 underscores the significance of the phenomenon. As did the way that senior Bharatiya Janata Party members – from Sakshi Maharaj to state-level leaders – lined up in his defence,