The case of Indira: another BK Suicide

How a parent's obsession with the Brahma Kumaris lead to a daughter's mental breakdown and suicide.

A terrible tragedy which could have been so easily avoided which leaves one wondering just how great a cost it had on the individual's family ... and whether the BKs carried on using their home for one of their centers afterwards.

Indira is not the individual's real name but the facts are genuine and we know that her cases is not unique. For every case we hear of, you can sure there are many more we do.

In this case, it is argued that the confusion surround issues of sexuality and the Brahma Kumaris demands which brought on mental breakdown and, ultimately, death. However, from a classical BK point of view (as per the Murlis), such individuals are referred to as "weak bricks" which explode in the "kiln" of the BKWSU or have been literally treated as cases of possession by an evil spirit by the BK leadership. Not a metaphorical evil spirit such as "lust" but an actual evil spirit and led to victims who were probably having some kind of epileptic attack being stood on and cursed or bully by senior BKs.

I think it is also fair to draw parallels between Indira's case in India and those of BK Ranjana Patel in England and the young woman who burnt herself alive in Panipat.

This is the case of "Indira" from Kalyani in Nadia, West Bengal. It is another case where an individual's sexuality was controled and repressed by the Brahma Kumari sect against an individual's will leading to the worst tragedy. Sarbini Chaudhary, an English teacher in the Kalyani University was a witness to the full episode which stretched for five years.

Indira belonged to a low middle class family. Her Father was a clerk in the railways and her mother was a nurse in the government hospital. A sensitive and hard working girl, she was always eager to study further after passing her 'madhyamik' (class ten). At this stage however she disclosed her distinct unease and even resentment about her Father's desire to place her in the Brahma Kumari sectas, what she termed, a 'devdasi'. Yet her feelings about the sect were ambivalent.

Once attached to it, she came to take pride in her ability to abide by its rules and regulations including its early morning prayers and congregational activities. Simultaneously she remained interested in the opposite sex, television, films, etc like any other young girl of her age.

She entered the Kalyani University to graduate. By this time, she was fully into the sect. She followed its strict regimented life with all its social taboos. She even took pride in pointing out that she was different from others; and how this fact evoked the respect of her peers. In Sarbani's words "This seemed to be an inverted kind of reaction to her repressed desires to be normal", as at the same time "she showed herself acutely uncomfortable with her sexual, emotional and psychological desires". By now, however, her earlier confidence to handle her university courses had been eroded and she shifted from one course to the other.

Two years later, she had started to show severe psychological disorder.

During such several stress periods she would throw off her clothes. She even took to assaulting her younger Brother who she had always resented as being given more importance and attention in the family. Her mother wanted her to be under psychiatric care but was prevented by her Father, who had full faith in the sect to cure her.

In fact, the mother held her Father responsible for her daughter's nervous breakdown.

By this time a Brahma Kumari centre had been established in the house itself. There was also a visible accretion to the family fortune made by the sect. The earlier single storey structure without even the cement work was turned into a double storey cemented whitewashed building by the Brahma Kumari sect. The new structure has Brahma Kumari symbols all over the place. The family moved to the first floor to two small room accommodation. With several women hosued in the lower portion, the sect members became more visible than the family itself (except the Father).

By now Indira had started to wear the white costume of the Brahma Kumaris. At this time she showed a deep hatred of her mother and an inordinate idealisation of her Father. The mother also seemed resigned to the fact that she would not be allowed to do anything for her daughter. Yet, unexpectedly, two years later Indira was married off; perhaps to effect a popularly believed cure to her continued mental state of ill health. In this respect, it was also a belated recognition that control of sexuality was actually a repression causing grievous harm to the victim.

This decision, however, culminated in tragedy. Three months later, she had committed suicide.

It is without doubt that similar causes of unwilling following can be traced to the Brahma Kumari sect. What emerges significant is the motivation of the patriarchal family operating behind taking such decisions with regard to placing their females in the Brahma Kumari sect.

These may range from personal benefit to escaping the responsibilities of providing for their daughter in a situation of economic scarcity. What emerges even more important is the impact of such a decision on females, especially minor, who are unable to even know the full import of such a decision made on their behalf.