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By:

Quaid Najmi

4 January 2025 at 3:26:24 pm

Crack down on fake godmen scourge

Mumbai: As outrage continues across the state over the revival ‘babas’ and ‘buwas’ – self-styled fake godmen on the rampage targeting people, especially women, a social activist has called for a crackdown on this scourge by the government, coupled with awareness and grassroots support at the village-levels. Towards this end, Mahatma Phule Samaj Seva Mandal (MPSSM) chief Pramod Zinjade submitted a memorandum to the Rural Development Ministry seeking a state-supported initiative to curb such...

Crack down on fake godmen scourge

Mumbai: As outrage continues across the state over the revival ‘babas’ and ‘buwas’ – self-styled fake godmen on the rampage targeting people, especially women, a social activist has called for a crackdown on this scourge by the government, coupled with awareness and grassroots support at the village-levels. Towards this end, Mahatma Phule Samaj Seva Mandal (MPSSM) chief Pramod Zinjade submitted a memorandum to the Rural Development Ministry seeking a state-supported initiative to curb such evil social malpractices rampant in the mofussil areas. Zinjade urged the government to move swiftly as superstition-loaded exploitation is not only spreading but cutting across caste-religious lines with such fake babas preying on the vulnerable village folks – and must be curbed with an iron hand. “The recent case of Nashik, involving Ashokkumar Eknath Kharat, as well as others in the recent past in the state and other parts of the country, has highlighted how these unscrupulous persons trap people in the name of miracles, healing powers, divine engagement and occult practices,” Zinjade told  ‘ The Perfect Voice’ . There are other similar instances in some parts of the state where ‘tantriks’ forced gullible women into physically exploitative rituals - ostensibly to ward off curses, effects of dark spells or evil spirits, saving the lives of their husbands or kin - and other such superstitions. Black Magic Act Referring to the Maharashtra Prevention & Eradication of Human Sacrifice and other Inhuman, Evil and Aghori Practices and Black Magic Act, 2013, Zinjade said in his memorandum that existing legal provisions are underutilised or not fully enforced, and need to get a boost from the state. “The law has already criminalised such acts and also mandated stringent punishment, besides encouraging the citizens to develop a ‘scientific temper’ to prevent abuse by so-called bhondu babas. The government should issue a state-level circular directing all district and local authorities to mandate the Village Panchayats to take up ‘Superstition Free Village’ as a formal agenda to be implemented within a time-frame,” explained Zinjade. All the villages can pass suitable resolutions, form Superstition Eradication Committees, launch awareness campaigns involving the youth and school or college students, vigil by women’s groups to keep an eye on any resident or roving godmen and enforce the law at the grassroots with the help of the local police along with the district administration, he added. He expressed optimism that if the state government intervenes in the matter, there could be a drastic reduction in incidents of superstitious, fraudulent, spiritual and aghori rituals-practices, preventing the exploitation of womenfolk plus ensuring the rural societies are rendered safe and secure.

The Growth Deadlock

There comes a stage in every business where growth no longer responds to effort alone. The founder is working harder than ever, the systems are in place, the numbers are healthy, yet expansion feels stubbornly out of reach. Sales plateau, conversations repeat themselves, and despite competence and credibility, momentum slows. It is not failure, but it is not progress either. This is the Catch-22 many business owners quietly find themselves in — wanting to grow, knowing they should grow, but uncertain about what exactly is holding them back.


I recently met a founder who described this dilemma with striking honesty. He was articulate, attentive, respected in his circle, and financially successful. He listened more than he spoke, showed up consistently at networking events, and ran a stable organisation. Yet he felt invisible in rooms where decisions were being made. His website, visiting card, and online presence told three different stories. His personal identity as a leader had not kept pace with the scale of his business. He wasn’t struggling — but he wasn’t expanding either.


This is where many business owners misdiagnose the problem as a sales issue, a market issue, or a talent issue. In reality, it is often a brand issue — not of the company, but of the individual leading it.


At higher levels of business, growth is no longer driven only by products, pricing, or performance. It is driven by perception, positioning, and presence. People do business with those they trust, remember, and relate to. When a founder’s personal brand is fragmented or understated, opportunities quietly pass by. Conversations don’t convert. Introductions don’t compound. Visibility doesn’t translate into influence.


The problem is not always obvious because it does not feel urgent. Revenue is coming in. Teams are functioning. But the size of the problem reveals itself over time. Expansion stalls. Strategic partnerships don’t materialise. The founder remains respected but not sought after. Known, but not preferred.


This is where personal branding plays a decisive role — not as self-promotion, but as strategic alignment. A strong personal brand ensures that what a founder believes about themselves is consistent with what the world experiences. It bridges the gap between competence and command. Between being present and being powerful.


When a founder’s brand is unclear, the promise they unconsciously make to the market is diluted. When it is clear, the promise becomes unmistakable. People understand what you stand for, how you think, and why engaging with you is valuable. Your voice carries weight. Your presence creates recall. Your business benefits without you having to sell harder.


Timing matters here. The moment to address personal branding is not when growth has completely stalled, but when it begins to feel effortful. When conversations stop leading to outcomes. When you realise that despite doing everything “right,” expansion feels heavier than it should.


For founders managing businesses of scale, personal branding is not about visibility alone. It is about coherence. About ensuring that your online presence, offline behaviour, communication style, and leadership identity speak the same language. When they do, growth becomes more organic. Opportunities come through people, not pitches. Trust accelerates decisions. And scale begins to feel natural again.


Many business owners are not lacking ambition or capability. They are caught in a deadlock between where their business is and where their personal brand still operates. Resolving that gap often unlocks growth in ways no new strategy can.


If this reflection feels familiar — if you sense that something intangible is holding your expansion back — it may be worth examining not your business model, but your personal one. How you are perceived. What your presence promises. And whether your brand is speaking the growth you seek.


If you would like to explore this quietly and strategically, you may book a free discovery conversation here: https://sprect.com/pro/divyaaadvaani


Not as a pitch, but as a conversation — to understand what your personal brand is currently communicating, and what it may need to say next.


(The writer is a personal branding expert. She has clients from 14+ countries. Views personal.)

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