This is something I've been thinking about for awhile. Let's put aside any discussion of abuse for a second. Beyond mere lack of intellectual depth is the question of Rawat's general competence and charisma. In this sense I really mean the dubious "competence" at actually being a charismatic cult leader.To start a cult from scratch, like SSB, Rajneesh, Hubbard and Rawat's father, it must take a special dose of charisma and "talent" at manipulation. As the inheritor of a cult, one really has to wonder how much innate ability Rawat has. I can't imagine him ever doing something like that on his own, and really since he has come of age he has been a miserable failure at promoting his shtick if one compares him to any of the others. Rawat simply started out with a lot of resources and momentum which he mostly has squandered. I think it is the typical story of the incompetent and weak heir. I also would speculate that alot of Rawat's problems, like his drinking, comes from a deep-seated sense of failure at his inability to meet his father's expectations.
We ex-premies sometimes don't like to think about it in these terms, because it makes us all the more fools, but there is alot to support the notion that we had a stupid guru. Of course Rawat has some charisma and some cult leader talents, but I think his abilities pale in comparison to the others. For that we can only be thankful.
