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Journalism of Courage
IS Swami Ramdev a 21st century Swadeshi Jagran Manch groupie and Jane Fonda, all rolled into one nationalist-yogobic-cosmic package? Consider this8212;in the last 10 years, since the inception of Divya Yog Ashram in Haridwar, the Swami has been on a collision course with multi-national, pharmaceutical, even fertilizer companies with nationalist zeal, hitting out at the big cola companies, saying they should label the drink with the toilet-cleaning ingredient he claims is in it, to decrying urea, and the pizza-burger-chip western culture for poisoning and looting the people of their money.
Consumerism and materialism has given people three ailments, 8216;8216;hurry, worry and curry,8217;8217; he loves to tell his audience. His DIY Yoga, beamed on millions of television sets every morning through a religious channel, promotes the practice of pranayaam or breathing techniques for healthy and pure living, is perhaps the only next thing after the hysterically popular 1980s Jane Fonda aerobic workout regime. It has brought the masses every morning, from all corners of the country, to collectively breathe in and out on the Swami8217;s instructions.
The Swami understands the power of technology, selling his spiritual wares through CDs, net, cassettes, television. So, where did the telegenic, youthful, 40-something Swami Ramdev emerge from?
It is said Swami Ramdev was born in Mahendragrh, Haryana. He joined a gurukul to learn Sanskrit, and became a yogi under the guidance of Acharya Sri Baldevji of Kalwa, as his brochure informs. He was initiated in the ascetic order on the sacred banks of the Ganga, it continues, and he performed severe austerities in the caves of the Himalayas to attain self-realisation and spiritual truth.
SWAMI Ramdev would have continued on his astral-marketing journey uninterrupted, had it not been for Communist leader Brinda Karat, who had a bone to pick with him. Karat accused the Swami of using animal and human bones in his vastly popular ayurvedia medicines.
Naturally, his screaming followers hurled abuses at Karat and burned her effigies, and accused her of being an MNC stooge. It is perhaps not spiritual indignation but a keen corporate sense that has propelled Swami Ramdev to unleash the protests and agitations. After all, he was only protecting a vast cosmic empire that was now threatening to collapse under this incriminating heap.
First, there8217;s the cash rich yoga camps which are routinely organised by an army of volunteers in several towns all over the country, which collect lakhs from registration fees. Then the buzzing Rs 150 crore Divya Yog ashram in Hardwar, grows its own medicinal herbs in the Divya Medicinal Garden, used in the drugs manufactured by its fully-owned, multi-crore, hi-tech Divya Yog Pharmacy. It also has a research and marketing unit, a byre with 300 cows to provide milk, dung and urine for preparing medicines, dozens of doctors at hand for instant counseling and therapy, including a 8216;8216;call-centre8217;8217; as the operator helpfully announces, to receive the thousands of calls for cure and relief.
Acharya Balakrishna, one of the Divya troika of Acharya Karamveer and Swami Ramdev himself, adds, 8216;8216;We spend lakhs of rupees on postal-therapy replying to queries posted on the mail, and every telephone call, e-mail and letter is diligently replied to.8217;8217;
The Acharya explains his Guru8217;s philosophy, 8216;8216;Do you know Swami Ramdev discovered the medical wonders of oxygen through his pranayam breathing exercise which no rishi, yogi or scientist even dreamt of.8217;8217; 8216;8216;We have our own patents in medicines today, from Muktaati for hypertension, to madhunashinivati for diabetes, to meghavati to boost memory. All details of the drugs are displayed on the bottle, including bar codes, and they are a resounding success.8217;8217;
The Swami8217;s spiritual-pastoral agenda could warm the heart of every flower child to hardheaded nationalists. 8216;8216;Build a self-reliant India through the path of Patanjali Yog,8217;8217; he has intoned in his daily morning discourse on television, 8216;8216;The divine power of healing is in pranayam8217;8217; are his soothing words to the believer. The Swami has scorned travel abroad, told his followers to drink lassi or tulsi tea instead of the poisonous colas, and reject allopathy for ancient cures.
So, has the controversy pained the Swami, who is now in Nashik, at a yoga camp? No, says Acharya Balakrishna, a yogi does not deviate even in adverse conditions.
