New Delhi: As Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh’s 40-day parole draws to an end, social media is flooded with posts celebrating the organisation’s widow remarriage initiative. The posts celebrate it as a ‘light of hope’, helping women live a life of dignity.
The coordinated social media campaign emerged on X Tuesday as ‘#RayOfHope’ began trending on the platform. Many of the posts featured similar language, photo editing style, and templates. They present the initiative as a means of providing “security and stability” to women, and to “help them restart life confidently with support, respect”.
Singh, first jailed in 2017 on rape charges, was released on 5 January under the Haryana Good Conduct Prisoners Act. On 16 January, he released a new song, Mera Peer Ario.
Singh’s recent parole is his 15th since his arrest, and he has spent over 400 days outside jail.
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‘A ray of hope’
On X, supporters shared photos of newly married couples and testimonials of women who have recently married through the organisation’s efforts. The posts use both Hindi and English.
“Widow’s remarriage is not supported by some people in today’s era.Saint Gurmeet Ram Rahim Ji has started a welfare work “New Light Of Hope” for widows. Guru ji encourages their families for marriage of widow women n bring a new #RayOfHope in their lives,” wrote Monica Mittal on X.
Sakshi Soni added: “Widow remarriage is not charity, it’s empowerment. Saint Gurmeet Ram Rahim Ji’s New Light Of Hope is changing lives by giving women a second chance at happiness. #RayOfHope”
The campaign portrays Singh as a saviour of women.
“Since ancient times, the lives of widows have been difficult. They have faced discrimination and hardships. Saint Gurmeet Ram Rahim Ji, through the New Light of Hope initiative, changed perceptions and encouraged remarriage with the consent of widows, thus igniting a #RayOfHope,” wrote one X user.
A majority of these accounts feature women’s profile photos and function akin to bot accounts, only sharing content related to Singh.
The posts cover mental health, health tips, and ‘Monday motivation quotes’. They feature links to Dera Sacha Sauda’s initiatives, claiming Singh is “braveheart devout warrior”.
While the Haryana government maintains that the parole is a statutory right under the state law, the frequency of Singh’s release from prison has drawn criticism from legal experts, politicians, and activists, arguing that repeated paroles undermine the judicial process.
On 4 January, Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini said he did not know much about the matter. “It was a matter of the court. I do not have any information about it,“ he added.
(Edited by Prasanna Bachchhav)