Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh Insan (born 15 August 1967), known also as MSG, is the head of the Indian social group Dera Sacha Sauda (DSS) since 1990.
He is a religious leader, social worker, actor, singer, writer, songwriter, director, and composer.
Singh was born on 15 August 1967 at Sri Gurusar Modia village in Ganganagar district of Rajasthan.
Born into a Jatt Sikh family, his father Maghar Singh was a landlord, and his mother Naseeb Kaur was a housewife.
Maghar was a devoted follower of the DSS leader Shah Satnam Singh, and Gurmeet accompanied his father to the dera.
At the age of 7, Singh was initiated into the Dera Sacha Sauda sect by Shah Satnam Singh.
As an adult, Singh did many jobs, including driving a tractor, and assisted his father in volunteer work at the dera.
In a surprise public announcement, while announcing his retirement, Shah Satnam Singh appointed him as his successor, giving him the name "Huzoor Maharaj Gurmeet Ram Rahim".
1990
Ram Rahim became the leader of Dera at the age of 23, on 23 September 1990.
Ram Rahim and his wife Harjeet Kaur have two daughters, named Amarpreet and Charanpreet.
They also have a son, Jasmeet, who is married to Husanmeet, a daughter of the Indian National Congress leader Harminder Singh Jassi.
2009
Ram Rahim also adopted his confidante Priyanka Taneja as his daughter, giving her the name Honeypreet in 2009.
Ram Rahim's followers have adopted "Insan" ("human") as a surname.
His Dera runs 3 hospitals and 10 educational institutes.
A CBI report investigating criminal allegations against him mentioned that Ram Rahim's "crusades against drugs, alcohol, and prostitution" have gained him a "larger-than-life" image.
He has also spoken out against cattle slaughter in India.
Ram Rahim has organised drives for blood pressure, diabetes and cholesterol screening that have been recognised by Guinness World Records.
Ram Rahim also holds six Guinness World Records for organising three largest blood donation camps and three largest tree plantation drives.
He also holds the world record for most people sanitising their hands simultaneously also recognised by Guinness World Records.
In association with the American Society of Echocardiography, he also organised the world record for "Most Cardiac Echo Tests".
In 2009, Ram Rahim had initiated a drive to eradicate forced prostitution from society and rescue them from high risk groups, the women who were pushed into flesh trade were to be brought back into the mainstream of the society and get married them in a good family.
He also made arrangement for their treatment from HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted infections.
Ram Rahim motivated his followers to marry sex workers and out of which 1500 men, agreed to marry women who had left the life of prostitution and wished to get assimilated in the mainstream of society.
2011
On 21 September 2011 in New Delhi, Ram Rahim initiated a series of mega cleanliness campaigns and sanitation drives and also pledged his support to the Central Government's campaign.
, about 32 Mega Cleanliness Campaigns have been conducted in several states of India.
In early 2023, out on parole, Singh and his sect's volunteers organised two mega cleanliness campaigns across multiple locations in Haryana and Rajasthan.
2015
The Indian Express had placed Ram Rahim 96th in their list of the 100 most powerful Indians of 2015.
He has released several music albums and films, which typically revolve around himself and his teachings.
Many of these are based on social issues and promotion of God's worship.
Singh has also held about a hundred concerts called ‘Ruhani Ru-ba-Ru Nights’.
In his films, he is usually credited for various other roles, in one instance being credited in more than forty departments.
His films were negatively received by critics, with many considering them propaganda and criticising their poor quality, MSG: The Warrior Lion Heart reviews:
2017
In addition to a 2017 rape conviction, he was also convicted of being involved in the murder of journalist Ram Chander Chhatrapati.
On 25 August 2017, Ram Rahim was convicted of rape by a special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court.
His conviction led to widespread violence from members of the DSS and simultaneous clashes with the police, which left several dead and injured.
On 28 August 2017, Ram Rahim was sentenced to 20 years in prison.
2019
In January 2019, he and three others were convicted of the murder of journalist Ram Chander Chhatrapati and sentenced to life imprisonment.
In October 2021, a special CBI court in Panchkula held Singh and four others guilty of the murder of Ranjit Singh, a former Dera manager.
He is also facing prosecution for ordering forced castrations.
The name MSG is thought to be derived either from the initials of the three DSS heads, Shah Mastana, Shah Satnam, and Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, or as an abbreviation for "Messenger of God".
