Freedom's Flexible Friend: The Yoga Guru On A Crusade To End Corruption

[dalsingh101]

Freedom's flexible friend: The Yoga Guru on a crusade to end corruption

India's most famous holy man is to fast until his country's 'black money' economy is tamed. Andrew Buncombe reports from Delhi

Saturday, 4 June 2011

Baba Swami Ramdev doing yoga on Little Cumbrae off the west coast of Scotland

In the language of north India it would have been called a tamasha, and it was certainly quite a performance.

In a third-floor suite of a Delhi hotel, a pair of cabinet ministers pleaded with a holy man dressed in saffron robes, urging him not to launch the hunger strike he had threatened. A few miles away, under awnings set up to ward off the worst of the summer sun, supporters of the holy man were wondering where their guru was, firm in their commitment to join him on the supposed fast-to-death.

Swami Ramdev is probably the most famous holy guru in India. From his base next to the Ganges in Haridwar, in the foothills of the Himalayas, he controls a yoga and meditation network worth £150m. Every day, his early morning television show attracts up to 20 million viewers in India alone. Two years ago, he paid £2m to buy the Scottish island of Little Cumbrae to establish a spiritual centre.

So when the guru vowed to hop into a private jet, fly down to Delhi and lead a hunger strike in protest at widespread corruption in India and the amount of undeclared "black money" stashed in private bank accounts abroad, the government jumped into action. Some of its most senior figures, among them the finance minister, Pranab Mukherjee, were dispatched to the airport to greet the guru and whisk him off to the VIP lounge for talks. When they failed to make a breakthrough, more talks were arranged.

But it seems that the guru is not for turning. After five additional hours of negotiations yesterday afternoon at the Claridges Hotel, talks that were supposed to be secret, Mr Ramdev swept away in an entourage of vehicles, his destination the Ram Lila field on the edge of the old city, where hundreds of his supporters awaited him. The government confirmed that it had been unable to reach agreement with him on a list of demands he had handed over.

"If black money is brought back to this country, no one will go hungry, no one will be without a livelihood. Our currency will be stronger than the dollar or pound," Mr Ramdev declared as his supporters waved orange banners. "Our country's pride will rise. A country that was known for its good values is now the leading country when it comes to corruption and poverty, lack of education, population density, hunger and poverty. This is of deep anguish to me."

He added: "The same country that was the pinnacle of discipline and knowledge of science and maths, geography, the country that taught others to live, has now become a country of vice. We will restore its lost glory."

One of Mr Ramdev's supporters, Kalu Ram, said he had cycled all the way from the state of Gujarat, some 600 miles away, to join the protest. It took him eight days. "I am very worried about the level of corruption. I have to deal with it every day," said the 67-year-old Mr Ram, who works as a cook. "Sometimes I feel I could be like Nathuram Godse [the Hindu nationalist who assassinated Gandhi] to get rid of corruption in India."

The panic of the Indian government underlines a striking vulnerability within the administration. Earlier this year, when a social activist called Anna Hazare began a similar fast in the centre of Delhi, an act that triggered protests across the country, the authorities were quick on their feet, agreeing to his demands for an anti-corruption body but then tying up the matter in bureaucratic wrangling.

Mr Ramdev, though, is seen to be a potent threat. While some of his demands, such as the promotion of education in Hindi rather than English and the scrapping of 500 and 1,000 rupee notes, may seem eccentric, other demands strike a nerve with India's growing middle-classes who are increasingly fed up with the rot of corruption that exists in India. He has called for all illegal money held overseas – some estimates have put the total at £280bn – to be nationalised and has asked that information about income tax be part of a right-to-information act.

Over the years Mr Ramdev has often held controversial positions. Several years ago he sparked trouble by suggesting that yoga could cure cancer and counter the effect of Aids. He has spoken out against gay people and believes corrupt officials should receive the death penalty.

Despite that, Mr Ramdev is dangerous politically. His position as a religious leader has enabled him to attract support from the Hindu right, including movements linked to the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party. Last year, Mr Ramdev announced that he was setting up his own political party, the Bharat Swabhiman, and that he intended to field candidates in every constituency in the 2014 parliamentary elections.

There are even members of the coalition government who have not missed the irony of ministers scrambling to halt a self-imposed fast in a country where millions go without enough to eat every day. For all the stories of 8 per cent growth and a new, aspirational middle class, 48 per cent of children under the age of five are malnourished.

"We have got one in four hungry in India. We are not bothered about these hungry people, but we are bothered about someone who is going to go hungry for three days," said Dinesh Trivedi, a minister and member of the Trinamool Congress party.

Quite where the stand-off will end is unclear. The government insists it has not given up trying to dissuade Mr Ramdev from fulfilling his threat. "We do not think these issues can be resolved today ... but we are happy with the progress," said Kapil Sibal, the telecommunications minister.

Mr Ramdev, on the other hand, is equally insistent he is going ahead with his fast, starting this morning. He predicted last night that many more would join him. "Many asked me, 'Baba, how many will join this protest in this heat?' I said, 'Those will come who love their motherland. No one can stop them. Not the sun and not the heat'," he said.

"Those who will not be able to come can, in their hearts, support this movement. If you get lemon with water, I will get only water. This time we will write history."

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/freedoms-flexible-friend-the-yoga-guru-on-a-crusade-to-end-corruption-2292832.html

[kdsingh80]

Swami Ramdev has served humanity by asking people to take yoga and opening ayurvedic centres where doctors are available who do your check up free of cost.He sells Honey,chyavanprash and other Ayurvedic medicines at half or less price,but on other hand some of his political views are quite dangerous

[kdsingh80]

Midnight police swoop on Baba Ramdev ends protest

TNN & Agencies | Jun 5, 2011, 02.39am IST

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RAMDEV FAST|Manmohan Singh|Kapil Sibal|Baba Ramdev

Followers react to Baba Ramdev's eviction

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NEW DELHI: With talks breaking down, police swooped down on Baba Ramdev a little past midnight and detained him after firing tear gas shells and resorting to lathicharge on his supporters to end his day-old indefinite hunger strike on black money issue. The dramatic police action came after government and the 46-year-old Yoga Guru had accused each other the previous night of betrayal on mutual assurances.

The drama that broke the midnight calm in the Ramlila Maidan a little after 1am unfolded when a large number of police personnel descended at the protest venue where Ramdev was demanding immediate action to bring back black money stashed in foreign tax havens.

After day break, police cleared all the remnants of Baba's support by evicting his followers from the protest site amidst stiff resistance.

Delhi Police spokesman Rajan Bhagat said that Baba Ramdev was detained as he was leaving the site.

Later sources said he was allowed to go out of Delhi and probably he was headed to Haridwar.

Earlier, home secretary GK Pillai had maintained that he was not arrested or detained, a point echoed by Delhi Police Commissioner BK Gupta, who also rushed to the spot.

Gupta said that there were some security concerns and that the permission for the yoga camp has been cancelled. He said Ramdev's supporters indulged in stone throwing. Police did not use force except to use some tear gas, he added.

Ramdev's key aide, Tijarawala alleged that he has been "kidnapped" by police and he feared for his life. The spokesman appealed to the chief justice of India to intervene and ensure Ramdev's safety and release.

The police withdrew the permission for his yoga camp and imposed prohibitory orders after what a senior police official said a political decision was taken to end the protest.

The previous night the government and Ramdev indulged in a blame game.

Union minister Kapil Sibal, who had negotiated with Ramdev, made public a letter written by his aide that the fast would be called off on Saturday evening if government gave written assurances on a legislation to bring back the black money from abroad and stringent punishment to offenders.

Ramdev hit back saying government has indulged in "betrayal and cheating" and vowed not to talk to Sibal ever in his life. He said he would go by the word of the Prime Minister.

After mutual accusations, the government on late Saturday night sent a fresh letter of assurance on his demands and appealed to him to withdraw his fast.

In the midnight drama, that was enacted live in front of television cameras, Ramdev's supporters, who were woken up from their sleep, rose in protest against the police action.

Some elderly people swooned due to the impact of tear gas shelling resorted to by police. 30 of his supporters have been admitted to a nearby government hospital for treatment of injuries allegedly suffered during the police action.

Chaos and commotion prevailed when the police, including a contingent of the Rapid Action Force (RAF), arrived at the venue and approached Ramdev, who was sleeping on the specially-erected rostrum from where he was addressing his supporters throughout the day.

As news spread that Ramdev may be arrested, a posse of supporters, including women, formed a human cordon around him making the job of police difficult to approach him.

Some supporters carried Baba Ramdev, who jumped from the dias, on their shoulders and that was the last that he was seen on television screens before he was removed from the place and detained.

Earlier, Ramdev was seen appealing to the supporters to remain calm and sought to pacify them while urging them not to resort to violence.

There was a minor fire when one of the tear gas shells emitted spark while falling near the stage. The blaze was put out immediately.

In his address to the supporters, Ramdev appealed to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to allow him to be arrested during daytime.

"Why am I being arrested without any information, at night? I appeal to people to maintain calm...," Ramdev told the gathering.

He also appealed the people of Delhi to come in large numbers to the protest venue.

A section of supporters threw pots, tripods and mike stands on cops to prevent them from coming close to the stage. The crowd dispersed from the stage after police fired tear gas shells. People were seen vacating the dais and the surrounding area after tear gas enveloped the whole area.

The supporters also claimed that Baba alongwith Acharya Bala Krishnan and Jaydeep Arya, head of Bharat Swabhiman Manch, were arrested.

They also said Swami Sampoornanand, who is second in command, has taken charge of the agitation and has asked people to gather at Jantar Mantar. Banners were torn and mattresses and furniture lay all over the Ramlila Maidan that resembled a war zone after the police action.

The Ramlila ground was booked for 20 days by Baba Ramdev for yoga camp but was turned as the venue for his "Satyagraha" movement.

Organisers were asking people not to leave the pandal and continue the protest. Some of them, associated with Baba's movement, contacted their associates in respective states to protest against police action in the morning.

Large number of people were leaving the spot, some were seen arguing with the policemen that why they have taken such an action when their protest was peaceful.

Some of the supporters refused to leave the venue saying they will not move till they get a direction to do so from Baba.

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http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Police-crackdown-at-Ramlila-Maidan-Baba-Ramdev-detained/articleshow/8730121.cms

[kdsingh80]

Midnight crackdown: From Ramlila Ground to gurudwara

New Delhi: Hundreds of Baba Ramdev's supporters, evicted from the protest site by police, found shelter in a house of god -- a gurudwara close by.As the protests site was sealed and entry barred after the midnight swoop, nearly 1,000 Ramdev supporters took shelter at Gurudwara Bangla Sahib to freshen up and evade further police action.

"We are here to freshen up ourselves as we could not even get drinking water at the Ramlila Ground. But we will continue our agitation," Mahendra Joshi from Ludhiana told IANS.

"Around 23 of my friends are still missing," he added.

"The police have parked buses outside the gurudwara to take us away but we won't budge till Babaji's demands are met. We will protest and fight till we die," said Kamlesh Morey from Bihar.

Hundreds of policemen just after Saturday midnight swooped down on the protest site forcibly removing Ramdev and dispersing his supporters with tear gas and batons bringing the indefinite mass hunger strike to an abrupt end.

"We were sleeping at the venue when at around 12.30 a.m., five people woke us up and told us that several police personnel had entered the premises and were going to arrest Baba Ramdev," said Anubhav Yadav.

http://news.in.msn.com/national/article.aspx?cp-documentid=5192621

[SURYADEV]

Is this the Indian version of the Arab Uprising??

I'd say he is a modern day Chanakya. Exactly the type of person to save India.

Thats only if he doesn't get topped off by the Govt.

I still cant believe that the Indian authorities are naive enough to think they can use the same brutal tactics in front of the whole media and think they can get away with it. Just shows that they must be wetting their dhotis now by Baba Ramdev Ji's actions.

[kdsingh80]

I'd say he is a modern day Chanakya. Exactly the type of person to save India.

Thats only if he doesn't get topped off by the Govt.

Very sorry to say that most of his political views sucks.

He says that there should be death penalty for cow slaughter,haha what will India is going to do with millions of unproductive cows and oxen.He also say that killing Tiger is banned then why not cow ,any person who has little IQ can tell that tiger killing is banned because they are on verge of extinction and not because of religious reason.

He also say that Death penalty should be given to corrupt,again this is stupid logic you cannot give death penalty to anyone

One of his demand is promotion of Hindi at the expense of English,again he forgot that it is because of English India is attracting lots of jobs

By no way he is chanakya ,though his Fight against corruption is good

[unbreakable]

I will stand by my negative comments, until he proves them wrong

he is nothing but a show man, a hindu extremist who supports the construction of the ram mandir in ayodya. the hindus, rss, shiv sena, etc are worried that their muslim brothers and sisters are GROWING in numbers,, they make up 30% of the population and some predictions are that by 2050 they will be around 50% or more, out numbering their Hindu brothers and sisters....remember there are mor muslims in India than in Pakistan....

all this hunger strike and the police coming to get him, is nothing but pure 100% Publicity for his run for the election. Oh look a poor righteous man trying to SAVE INDIA.....

Rubbish, the way India is run, corruption is in their blood so to speak.

this is a country where people become religious to make money, where sadhus have billion pound empires....(abit like in america)...

when was religion never a business?

remember those families that were mysteriously killed by, allegedly by mayawati to make way for a highway, well the upcoming "prince" rahul ghandi the "peoples politcian", the next Prime Minister of India is supporting an investigation and will "make sure" that the familes affected will get "justice".

Some people say those familes were sacrificed to promote him as a modern day Ram Chander, the peoples friend...

this is all a scam a fraud...

he will side with the BJP to form a coalition government if he runs that is...

[kdsingh80]

he is nothing but a show man, a hindu extremist who supports the construction of the ram mandir in ayodya. the hindus, rss, shiv sena, etc

He has already done good work by teaching people Yoga ,selling cheap ayurvedic medicines,Yes he has links with RSS but that does not mean he is communal person

they make up 30% of the population and some predictions are that by 2050 they will be around 50% or more, out numbering their Hindu brothers and sisters....remember there are mor muslims in India than in Pakistan....

Exageration ,Officially muslims are 13.4% unofficially they could be around 18-20% .Anyway the entire world is worries about increasing number of muslims not just Hindu's.

all this hunger strike and the police coming to get him, is nothing but pure 100% Publicity for his run for the election. Oh look a poor righteous man trying to SAVE INDIA.....

Police in Delhi is controlled by Center why will they support Ramdev,he is raising issue of black money again and again I don't think corporates ,filmstars ,mafia will like it.Also elections are 3 years away no reason to raise this issue now ,people have short memory they will even forget baba after 3 years

[jaikaara]

this baba has links with every body , somewhere some congress MPs have supported , some bjp , some muslim, christians and even apne...the protest had apne support too, if u look at the videos there is a kirpan wearing lady covering him from the police, the Bangla Sahib GURDWARA had given them support and shelter.

he has time and again said that yoga doesnt belong to one religion.

Check out the police brutality on you tube videos, i would want to see this man turn into another Sant ji to answer back the indian govt.

[unbreakable]

He has already done good work by teaching people Yoga ,selling cheap ayurvedic medicines,Yes he has links with RSS but that does not mean he is communal person

Exageration ,Officially muslims are 13.4% unofficially they could be around 18-20% .Anyway the entire world is worries about increasing number of muslims not just Hindu's.

Police in Delhi is controlled by Center why will they support Ramdev,he is raising issue of black money again and again I don't think corporates ,filmstars ,mafia will like it.Also elections are 3 years away no reason to raise this issue now ,people have short memory they will even forget baba after 3 years

Exageration, could have been, I was reading the tribune in India last year. I wouldn't know what the official figures are.

Obviously police in Delhi is controlled by the Center, its a given. What is interesting is that when there was a Sikh peaceful protest in the same ramlila ground in delhi, 3 sikhs were shot dead by the police. I guess being a hindu has its perks eh.

from what I saw on the news, he is talk about 300 billion dollars worth of black money being in swiss accounts.

what baba doesn't know is that you cannot ever stamp out black money or curruption, for that alot of people have to wiped out, economic systems need to be changed, etc social values of people have to readdressed...

don't forget the IMF, World Bank, etc UN, NATO, one of the most corrupt agenies in the world today.

this is a good publicity stunt.

yes he is a good yoga teacher and he does it well.

Like i said before, I will wait for the final verdict on this...

[unbreakable]

this baba has links with every body , somewhere some congress MPs have supported , some bjp , some muslim, christians and even apne...the protest had apne support too, if u look at the videos there is a kirpan wearing lady covering him from the police, the Bangla Sahib GURDWARA had given them support and shelter.

he has time and again said that yoga doesnt belong to one religion.

Check out the police brutality on you tube videos, i would want to see this man turn into another Sant ji to answer back the indian govt.

you are comparing ramdev to Shaheed Sant Jarnail Singh? (thats what I am guessing otherwise who is this Sant ji).

I doubt ramdev and his followers will be declared terrorist by the hindustani government and have the army called in to remove him.

and when did I say Yoga belonged to Hinduism? come on stop twisting my words...

[kdsingh80]

Exageration, could have been, I was reading the tribune in India last year. I wouldn't know what the official figures are.

Obviously police in Delhi is controlled by the Center, its a given. What is interesting is that when there was a Sikh peaceful protest in the same ramlila ground in delhi, 3 sikhs were shot dead by the police. I guess being a hindu has its perks eh.

What I am saying is that 30% muslims in India are inflated figures

[kdsingh80]

what baba doesn't know is that you cannot ever stamp out black money or curruption, for that alot of people have to wiped out, economic systems need to be changed, etc social values of people have to readdressed...

Baba may be wrong here but atleast he is doing something,even Julian Assange has said that Indians have highest amount of black money in Swiss banks and Indian Govt response was worse when they contacted.

As far publicity stunt is concerned give me one good reason why Ramdev need more publicity.? Many rich followers of different Baba's have bank account in Swiss bank and they will never like this issue to be raised ,by Raising this issue He is killing his own income.

Also if he is trying his hand in politics then he may be stupid because people in India hardly vote for baba's