Current Affairs

News
A swami savvy bizman and man of convictions

NEW DELHI: Hes a yoga guru who fashions himself after a yoddha sannyasi or warrior monk. Born as Ramkrishna Yadav in Ali Saiyadpur village in Mahendragarh district of Haryana in 1965 Ramdevs earliest influences apart from yoga were revolutionary writings on the lives of Ram Prasad Bismil and Subhas Chandra Bose. He learnt the value of pranayam when it cured him of the disabling effects of a paralytic stroke he got as a child. His faith in curative nature of yoga enhanced Ramdev defined swasthya swavalamban — self-reliance in health — as the centrepiece of his worldview. He says only a healthy body with a healthy mind can lead to a healthy society and nation. But what is Ramdevs politics? Does he have an economic vision? He is a swadeshi zealot — calling him a votary would be gross understatement. An uber social conservative he harangues foreign medicine and culture froths at liberal views on homosexuality. At one of his congregations in Haridwar some time back he invited a scrum of journalists to speak to a largely rural audience of around a couple of thousands in Hindi. He insists on spelling yoga as yog because thats how it is pronounced. The baba eats fruit and vegetables drinks a lot of juice and is lean without a sliver of fat on his body. An engaging conversationalist he sizes up his interlocutor with something approximating intuition. And he has a good memory. Ramdev unlike politicians appears to the folk as someone strongly attached to what he feels and thinks: A man of convictions a contrast with politicians. His ochre robe — saffron is worshipped in the heartland — make it difficult for politicians to spit at him and run usually a safe political tactic.

                                                                                                               
Back
Created by SaasVaap Techies pvt ltd