Baba Ramdev‘s tragi-comic crusade for the return of black money has ended in a farce, with the idiot-box yogi calling off his fast-unto-death after nine short days. While the issue he raised, important as it is, may yet make a comeback, Ramdev’s PDA (public display of abilities) serious questions about his kapalbhati kriya brand of yoga which has attracted lakhs of gullible TV viewers furiously sucking in their tummies in parks and playgrounds.
Obviously, there are two facets to yoga: the physical and the mental. And obviously, the fast-unto-death was not intended to show the world how good a yogi or how good his form of yoga is (for that he has has TV channels). Still, on both counts, Baba Ramdev has come up woefully short and has plenty of explaining to do.
On the one hand, we have had the curious spectacle of a yogi fighting for cleaner politics flying around in private aircraft owned by shady businesshouses like Subroto Roy‘s Sahara group, and then meeting Union ministers in the five-star Claridges hotel, owned by one of India’s more controversial arms dealers, Suresh Nanda, whose son Sanjeev Nanda was involved in the BMW accident that mowed down pavement dwellers.
And, on the other hand, there is the fast itself. Delhi’s Ram Lila ground was booked for a full month for his fast-unto-death, but it ended in nine days. The fast itself was conveniently observed between 6 am and 9 pm, with the star conveniently slipping away from the stage now and then. Worse, Ramdev had to be shifted to an ICU (curiously not at the hospital run by him for lesser mortals). Was nine days all that a young wellness guru who preaches the good effects of his yoga, could muster, both in his body and in his mind?
As news reports have pointed out, Swami Nigamanand, fasting for the Ganga in relative anonymity, lasted 68 days before he was force-fed and died in the hospital where Ramdev broke his fast, on the 115th day. Potti Sriramulu, fasting for an Andhra State, lasted 82 days; Bhagat Singh, demanding better conditions for prisoners, lasted 63 days; why even Mamata Banerjee, fasting for Singur, lasted 25 days. And the old pro Mahatma Gandhi lasted 21 days.
So what does Baba Ramdev’s fast end to his fast say about his brand of TV yoga? Will it diminish in popularity now that the guru himself has been exposed? Or will this too pass?
Also read: Pardon us, is yoga becoming a bit of a scam?
CHURUMURI POLL: Is Yoga only for Hindus?
How a world-class yoga photograph got to be shot
Tags: Mahatma Gandhi, Sanjeev Nanda, Churumuri, Sans Serif, Mamata Banerjee, Baba Ramdev, Bhagat Singh, Potti Sriramulu, Subroto Roy, Sahara, Suresh Nanda, Kapalbhati Kriya
15 June 2011 at 11:05 am
One should never venture beyond one,s core competencies.
15 June 2011 at 11:26 am
Nothing wrong in what he did. But after being evicted from Delhi, he should have given up the fast on gone on an all-India tour to popularise his campaign.
Instead he made a big mistake by continuing his fast. Looks like Sri Sri was unofficially sent by Congress, but in the end Baba ended up becoming a laughing stock. If you fast, continue it till you reach your goal, else try some other technique!!!!
And BTW : what does this have do with his yoga? And on what basis do you use the word ‘gullible’ to describe those who watch his yoga? Pray, in what way are they being cheated? Does one have to pay money to watch yoga on TV? Is there anyone in the world who has been harmed by yoga?
I know that churumuri hates the saffron colour, but don’t let your hatred cloud your logical thinking!!!!
15 June 2011 at 11:31 am
Ok.. we know that you got the memo from madam. Take it easy now.
15 June 2011 at 12:00 pm
After all, Ramdev is a sage. why should he come on TV programs yaar…….publicity sake……..
Yoga, thousands of people know yoga….its peak of stupidity if someone is practicing yoga without proper guru…….getting ramdev’s guidance for yoga practice on TV ………………..
Who is not corrupt now a days??? name any one atleast……….its indian custom…after all
We are not at all bothered for ramdevs fasting…only politicians should ask him to stop it
There are millions of people in India, who are fasting , struggling for food……no one is asking them to stop fasting………becoz, they are not announcing the fasting program like ramdev
15 June 2011 at 12:03 pm
Baba Ramdev’s Yoga is as REAL as UPA2′s “aam admi” agenda.
Baba Ramdev’s Yoga is as REAL as BJP’s “Hindutva” agenda.
Baba Ramdev’s Yoga is as REAL as Civil Society’s “anti corruption” agenda.
Baba Ramdev’s Yoga is as REAL as the Indian Media’s “non-paid news” agenda.
Whoopee! India is the land of ultimate fakes….
(I still can’t understand why the baba could not eat secretly while he was on the fast, like every other hunger striker in the history of this glorious nation. perhaps he is yet to understand the nitty-gritty’s of hunger fasts..)
15 June 2011 at 12:45 pm
No.Ramdev is fighting for a great NATIONAL cause .As a matter of fact any one call his fast as BOGUS is himself/herself is bogus.
Digvijay Singh must be consulted by a mental doctor for his baseless & out of turn comments & statements.
Suneel Sardana
15 June 2011 at 4:03 pm
Fasting has a place in yoga as a cleansing technique. There are several yoga texts warning against excessive fasting. A yogi is one who can maintain moderation in everything – food, sleep, sex and speech. It is also enjoined that fasting should be accompanied by silence and rest. But this baba got everything mixed up and was making up shrill announcements about battle against corruption. Ramdev is no yogi, he is a gymnast and a megalomaniac. His whole empire is built on money laundering as is the empires of his criminal buddy ravishankar. These fellows have never paid a single paisa tax in their lives.
I observed one other thing in the drama of breaking the fast. Everyone of the jokers in the room feeding fruit juice to this baba were wearing masks. Why do you need to wear a mask when the patient himslef is not wearing one.
15 June 2011 at 5:53 pm
This post is a bit cruel. It raises questions that are, for the most part, ignorant.
15 June 2011 at 6:15 pm
Ramdev’s yoga may or may not be bogus. But the death of another sadhu in Uttarakhand confirms the premise that BJP surely stands for Bogus Janata Party.
15 June 2011 at 7:25 pm
Like Kitapati says, fasting in yoga is used only as a cleansing technique and it must be controlled to get maximum benefits. Prowess in yoga does not have to do with with one’s longetivity in fasting. Moreover, each person’s capacity to fast is different and may not necessarily depend on how fit he or she is under normal circumstances. Mostly fasting is also about willpower, which varies in each one of us.
That being said, Ramdev was under much more scrutiny and pressure to end his fast. Besides there was a constant monitoring of his health from a team of doctors. The other personalities mentioned might have fasted longer but most of them did so under relative obscurity and without their health being monitored regulaly. This might have allowed them to continue their fast unhindered before they were persuaded to break it. In all fairness at least in some of the cases mentioned, the issue might have taken a while to resonate with the public at large and the authorities too might have been apathetic to the plight of the fasters.
15 June 2011 at 7:54 pm
A small correction. It was not Bhagat Singh who died after fasting for 63 days. It was Jatin Das, a compatriot of Bhagat Singh, who died after fasting for 63 days, demanding better conditions for prisoners.
15 June 2011 at 9:12 pm
he is a bogus indeed. he is completely exposed. Baba should teach yoga to mentally corrupt indian middle class and make money.
15 June 2011 at 10:18 pm
ok if baba u say baba failed they Indians failed baba. all those who laught @ baba for his fast and call it farse should not complain about the black money and are responsible for the bleak future of their future generation.
15 June 2011 at 11:20 pm
irony of the entire fast episode of fraud Ramdev is, india’s main opposition political party joining him and behaved like another ramsena, shivsena or VHP.
Ramdev kind of fake publicity seekers were there, and will come in the future also. But to sustain and growth of any democratic country requires 2 strong parties with strong vision and values. But unfortunately one behaves arrogant and another behaves very immatured, silly.
Having said, i could not understand whats wrong with Ramdev meeting Minsiters in a hotel which is being owned by someone, who did something, whose son did something…etc.. What point churumuri trying to make here?
when u r putting some genuine topic, dont go overboard with silly points.
16 June 2011 at 2:11 am
Aaah these armchair critics..some rustic has got them real scared & agitated. Churumuri is a perfect title for a blog whose research is as good as its name..that to be eaten & thrown away as a fluffy snack..no real meal this !
The writer could be having some real issues with Yeddy Gov’t in Bangalore but to turn anything, that is deemed remotely connected with the BJP, into a harangue is really boring. Perhaps it is an indication of the amount of pentup frustration that this blog author has builtup within himself.
Would recommend him getting up early in the morning, switching on the Aastha Channel & do some Pranayams (at least for a month)..This way he could also test the efficacy of Baba Ramdev’s teaching !
You can have issues with the way Baba conducted the entire proceedings of his hunger strike..but don’t belittle his reach & power of Yoga…The machinations of the Congress Party got better of them.
PS : Do check out the TRP ratings of Baba’s early morning shows where crores of people tune-in every morning. These people are not fools..had his Yoga been a farce, people would rather have happily invested in their sleep.
16 June 2011 at 5:40 am
he is nothing but a ‘dhongi baba’.
16 June 2011 at 5:56 am
Jatin Das also lasted 63 days before passing away while fasting for [political] prisoners’ rights
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jatindra_Nath_Das
16 June 2011 at 8:09 am
Typical Congress-style name calling by Churumuri. Did Kapil Sibal write this post?
If Subroto Roy is a shady businessman, why isn’t the UPA taking any action against him for the last 7 years? Why did the Union Ministers come to meet Ramdev against in a 5-star hotel owned by a shady arms dealer?
Why don’t you ask these questions to the India’s most corrupt government ever?
16 June 2011 at 11:57 am
comeon Faldo
Baba Who? was evacuated to hosp with a BP of 102/70 and a pulse rate of 58.
and he fasted from 10am to 6 pm and drank fruit juice in the interim
a visionary who advocates pranayam in case of a terrorist act ( with a following of 20 to 30 million) being evacuated to a allopathic hosp.
and all those masks.
16 June 2011 at 12:37 pm
>>Why don’t you ask these questions to the India’s most corrupt government ever?
Yawn..everyone has been asking the India’s most corrupt government ever ie Karnataka govt similar questions for long. Did we get any answer? Why these questions shouldn’t be asked to Baba Ramdev? What makes him holier tan thou and me and the political clowns? Is his circus better than the political one?
16 June 2011 at 12:54 pm
Well going by this logic, all Secular supporters have as much brains as “Zero Loss” Kapil Sibal :) LOL
16 June 2011 at 1:59 pm
Indians (read as mostly Hindus) in general, are slaves by blood (as has been forced upon for nearly 1000 years). And the slaves should better be left as slaves instead of trying for their upliftment, because they enjoy being slaves. No Anna or Baba or for that matter any other person should fight for all these causes what they think can bring upliftment of the Indians; because they want them to be left as is.
This blog post is an example of this. Instead of this post the author should have taken the cause for which they stood for; and then where is the question of exposing!.
Iam happy that ‘the colonel’ is retired and is no more in the Indian Defence Services….
16 June 2011 at 2:52 pm
How many medals has Yoga gotten us in Olympics?
16 June 2011 at 6:10 pm
Hey, he is Manging Director of world’s biggest Yoga corporation. He is a multi-billionaire, so he is used to good life. How can he fast?
Anyone who thinks that a multi-billionaire can fast for two months is a retard.
Having said that, I would still say that I like this guy. Baba Ramdev’s yoga might be fake, but he himself is real.
He is a million times better than those elites who are currently part of the Civil Society, the Jantar Mantar brigade.
16 June 2011 at 7:28 pm
i think a more relevant question is, is sonia’s carefully developed and enthusiastically propagated image as the ‘mother of sacrifice’ a farce?
given that most media have reduced themselves to keeping the journal for their political masters, is indian journalism’s claim to the 4th estate a farce?
because, ramdev has no power, he is a private citizen. but media and politicians day in and day out excercise power. if figuring out if they are a farce or not is the more important thing.
17 June 2011 at 12:12 am
*Simple*
Sir, yoga is not a competitive sport. Yoga is not even a sport. Evidently, it is a profound discipline that could enhance performance in sports or other pursuits.
17 June 2011 at 7:34 am
>>How many medals has Yoga gotten us in Olympics?
You want the real answer or Kapil Sibal’s version of it?
17 June 2011 at 10:58 am
If Congress is liberal can they question Ramdev’s fidelity to Yoga? Why do they question him on his interest in administration?
extending tsubba’s intentions it’s time to ask the fidelity of the Roman widow and the son of the widow and the curvacious daughter specially when the great grandfather was instrument of desire to late Edwina.
What about fidelity of Manmohan? He has tasted foreign countries in his youth and now we can hear his shayaris which made Sushma laugh uncontrollably in parliament at this age – how is his fidelity? Is he clean?
Looks like a revisit to Ramayana.
Is the congress dog Kapi Sibal barking with rabies?
Will books be written after 50 years – ex affairs la family.
90′s kids are great intellectual masturbators (term attributed to Yogaraj Bhat). They won’t wait till 50 years. Things will be hacked.
17 June 2011 at 12:30 pm
Mysore Peshava
Probably I did not frame the question properly.
1. In how many sports has practicing Yoga helped us get medals in Olympics? The answer is a big zero.
2. I know so many men and women who do Yoga but who have zero discipline in their lives. no patience to wait for the signal to turn red at the traffic junction. They have no patience when dealing with children. they ‘order’ grown up adult children to do their bidding. they bitch, they nag, they get jealous, they cheat their spouse, they have every vice one can think about.They don’t think twice about urinating on streets, they have no fiscal discipline either.
3. Clearly, this is a mere form of flexible exercise. Just like going to a gym. If I go to a gym, will I be more disciplined in other walks of my life? Certainly not. I will continue to throw the candy wrapper on the street, when nobody is looking.
Yoga has absolutely Nothing to do with discipline or spiritual elevation and other form of mumbo jumbo
17 June 2011 at 1:52 pm
Is Ramdev’s fast a big Brahmin Bania conspiracy?
17 June 2011 at 3:40 pm
Murthy,
You are amazing. I am finding it really hard to decipher what you have written although I have to admit it is fun reading it.
17 June 2011 at 5:56 pm
Interesting point of view …it makes one wonder about his agenda …was he trying to gain more popularity then Hazare …also among the most noted people who have fasted for a noble cause..please remember Ms Irom Chanu Sharmila “the iron lady of Manipur”….
18 June 2011 at 9:23 am
Simple,
“I know so many men and women who do Yoga but who have zero discipline in their lives.”
How many? Maybe they ‘do’ something else in the name of yoga?
Not disputing your point of giving something more importance than is due to it.
18 June 2011 at 9:31 am
Since passive method of fasting ended up with egg in his face, will he forge ahead with the plan to create an armed gang of 11,000? How soon before Ramdev turns into the next Bal Thackeray?
18 June 2011 at 1:28 pm
@Simple:
The question to you is, how many sportspersons use use yoga as part of their physical regimen???
There is very recent evidence of a russian scientist using Yoga to help her stay underwater for over 10 minutes in the nude under sub zero conditions. Please refrain from making a mockery of yourself if you dont know about a subject, Yoga this time!!!
19 June 2011 at 1:06 pm
@Simple:
In a lighter vein, you seem to be keeping bad company! What is it with knowing irresponsible people, people who cheat on their partners etc. i suggest that you keep away from such company. :)
19 June 2011 at 9:32 pm
Hey Friends
I made a blog which describe my views about baba
http://binumathew.wordpress.com/2011/06/19/anti-democratic-way-of-getting-things-done/
i think he is doing this for political favor
19 June 2011 at 10:01 pm
Baba Ramdev did fast for good cause, but he completely failed in his mission because we Indians are crabs. The reason why Britisher ruled more than 200 years and now the politicians doing the same. Why the media are now debating on his fast not the mission, are the paid/corrupt. I had a simple question why the media didn’t show any footage while the police men were attacking the Ramdev Group??? Why we talking about a particular person. Why we are not talking about black money? why we are not talking about how to get those black money back into our country?
26 June 2011 at 7:43 pm
delhi in no grandpaa’s property . not only baba but anybody has the right to enter , unless currupted fellos try to stop him . come on people of india support the good deed of irradicating curruption in india. lets live clean .
7 July 2011 at 8:13 am
Government thinks that Baba is NOT RIGHT then why they havent raise their voice before the satyagraha? Even they
went to receive him.
“IS NOT THE GOVERNMENT NOW AFRAID OF BABA???”
“Is not the government making false complain???”
Many brothers and sisters says that a sage has no right to hold political issue.But According to Indian
Constitution all citizens have:-
RIGHT TO PROTEST.
RIGHT TO COMPLAIN.
“Are not the sages citizen of India???”
I will also like to question those brothers and sisters that:-
“Is it the right given to the rulling government to involve or engage in corruption???”
If no then “why they are not focussing on the main issue???”
Fiends first you know everything about ancient yoga before you evaluate a vedic sage from a critics point of view.
The person who raises all such meaningless questions either suffering from mental disease or having least love for common people or bribed by corrupted leaders.
17 July 2011 at 6:04 pm
If baba is a dhongi baba, then for last 7 years ,what was the govt doing? Why they send 4 ministers? Why they called baba for talks? Why they allowed to organize the yoga camp as the govt claims? could dhong has given him this worldwide popularity? And if govt was knowingly doing these all silly things means the govt is the biggest dhongi.And for this they must apologize.The govt should except that they cheat the public and for this reason they must quit.