Khurda: With the passage of time, more skeletons in the closet of Manas Das, the chief of the ‘Manabavad Sangathan,’ have begun to emerge.
Not able to stand up against the torture of the Sangathan, as many as six families from Dalatola village under Khurda Sadar police limits had to leave their village and have been staying in a cashew orchard for seven years now.
While they are forced to live a wretched life in unhealthy surroundings, their children have long stopped going to school.
According to a source, unable to bear the inhuman torture the Sangathan inflicted on them, families of Ganesh Nayak, Sadhu Nayak, Dambarudhar Nayak, Jogi Pradhan, Ganesh Pradhan, Ganesh Pradhan and Bhima Dalai of Dalatola village left their village seven years ago.
“In 2014, some of our family members were sent to jail after they were implicated in a false case. Then the activists of the Sangathan not only attacked us but also threw us out from our houses and damaged our properties. Unable to cope up with their torture, we had to leave our houses. We spent several days without food. If anyone went against the Sangathan, they made it a point to settle scores. All these things were carried out at the behest of Manas Das,” an elderly man from one of the seven families alleged.
“Those having affiliation with the organisation would have to follow some strict rules. Women wouldn’t put vermillion, wear bangles. There would be no shradh rituals for parents. There would be neither basil altar nor worship of gods and goddesses at houses,” they added.
“After Satyabrata Nayak murder case coming to the fore, journalists are visiting us, asking more about the self-proclaimed godman. For some days now, followers of Manas Das have also been visiting us, intimidating us to refrain from telling anything about the Guruji before anyone,” they stated.
On the other hand, a follower said there is not an iota of truth in whatever the media is showing about the self-proclaimed spiritual leader. “The media is disseminating false information about our Guruji,” he alleged.
PNN