In my experience as a premie, almost all of the rumors I heard about Maharaji or the organization, etc., turned out to be true.  I actually think that's kind of unusual if you think about other organizations or groups.  I frankly can't think of a single one that wasn't pretty much correct.

Anyhow, I agree that Rawat has always used the grapevine because it allows himself deniability and his image as somebody who doesn't tell people how to live.  And I agree regarding his motivation too.

But I wonder how successful it is.  Clearly, it would work with some people, but I think I would have been one of those premies who would have had my curiosity peaked by just being told by somebody that Rawat didn't want us to see it.  I would want to know what all the fuss was about.

Also, I think there are a lot of premies who think EV and the honchos don't serve Rawat well, have their own agendas, and miscommunicate things.  You couldn't help feeling that way, when Rawat is saying that all the 70s and 80s "god" stuff was due to projection, concepts and that the organizations didn't serve him (all of that is in Passages).  So, that makes people less likely to believe what they hear, unless they hear Rawat say it himself.

Regarding looking at forbidden information, I remember when Sophia Collier's book "Soul Rush" came out in the late 70s, I heard about it, and that it had been written by this former premie.  Somebody gave me a copy of it, and I remember I only read it outside the ashram.  I remember the premies and mahatmas saying that it was confused and that we shouldn't read it because it would be dangerous, in that it might activate our minds.  I had no problem with it myself.  I remember thinking it was funny how she disssed some premies I knew, and also didn't like.