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Over the past few weeks I've steadily become more aware of Baba Ramdev's work. His avid fans write to me, asking me to watch this video or that.
I don't have time to watch videos, but did watch one – where Rajiv Dixit and Baba Ramdev spoke – and found it amazing in terms of the ignorance about world history displayed by Dixit, and his praise for Mao Tse Tung and other communists! I haven't watched more videos but I do hope that Mr Dixit is not advocating communism!
Next I discovered that Baba Ramdev wants to ban cow slaughter. I found it to be a misguided viewpoint and tantamount to religious interference in the affairs of the state.
Following a link sent to me today by one of his fans I came across http://bharat-swabhiman.com/en/about/ (do read this page).
Now I'm beginning to become concerned! I'm not yet alarmed but concerned that Baba Ramdev might be biting off more than he can chew. It is not necessary for an outstanding yogi to also be an outstanding engineer. So also Baba Ramdev is excellent in yoga but VERY weak in policy. He also has no one within his group that can advise him on policy.
Take two examples:
1) 100% boycott of foreign companies, adoption of ‘swadeshi’
This a seriously misguided. If swadeshi means what it should mean in Hindi, then the website of Baba Ramdev should be shut down, for NONE of it was invented in India. Everything underpinning the website including electricity, the transistors, the integrated chips, the internet infrastructure, the software was developed OUTSIDE India. The atomic theory, the entire physics behind it, was developed outside India.
If he is serious about swadeshi, Baba will also need to ensure that all Indians shut off their electricity and stop using bicycles, cars, buses, trains, and planes. And he should immediately stop using his mobile phone. And so on…
Is the Baba aware of how badly misguided this policy is! He needs to read about how wealth is created. He can start with Adam Smith, or at least chapters 2 and 3 of BFN.
2) We will adopt nationalist thought 100%, and while in our personal lives we observe Hindu, Islam, Christian, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, etc. religious traditions, in our public lives we will live like a true Bharatiya.
I have no objection in principle with this but this statement is DEEPLY contradicted by the Baba's other statements. What is a Bharatiya? To find an answer to this question we can seek guidance from two other statements: (a) 100% yoga-oriented nation; and (b) ban on cow slaughter (i.e. no one to eat beef).
With re: to (a) I'm a great fan of yoga since it helped me immensely as part my cure of RSI (see my RSI cure website here). I attend at least one yoga class each week even now (apart from a Pilates class, and many other things I do at the gym/pool). But what if someone doesn't want to practice yoga? Is that person not Bharatiya? Isn't such an objective by a political front a blatant encroachment of religious views on the affairs of society?
Second, (b) – i.e. ban on cow slaughter – contradicts the religious freedom of Muslims and Christians (and many Hindus as well) to eat beef. How can people live their personal life as Muslims or Christians but be forbidden by the state to eat beef?
Note that statement (2) is good in principle, but because Baba Ramdev is not an advocate of freedom, he is mixing up good things with bad. Yes, people must not, as statement (2) states, mix their religion in the affairs of the nation. But therefore also, Baba Ramdev can't ask people to take up yoga or forbid their eating beef if they want to – just because he is a Hindu. What if Baba Ramdev was born a Muslim? Would he then say such things? How can our policy positions be based on the beliefs of the family to which we were born?
He is advocating religious interference in the affairs of state, and he doesn't understand policy. India can never become a free nation or a successful nation with such policies.
Tentative conclusion
Nothing from what I have read, watched (on video) or understood about Baba Ramdev so far convinces me that he is capable of delivering even remotely on his fundamental promise of honest good governance. He will fail since he doesn't understand policy and doesn't understand the causes of India's corruption and misgovernance. His team, e.g. people like Dixit do not seem capable of achieving anything either (from what I have gathered so far, given that they also presumably agree to such policies).
PREDICTIONS
True, Baba Ramdev is very popular, and he WILL influence Indian politics. But the results won't be what his followers want. From what he seems to be advocating I can now safely predict the following:
a) His party will take half of BJP's vote but barely a single Congress vote. Both BJP and his party will fare badly in the elections as a result, making it VERY EASY for Congress to win.
b) Even if his party and BJP undertake seat adjustments, and manage to win a majority together and form a coalition, the coalition will fail to provide good governance because neither BJP nor his party understand policy.
In either scenario, India is doomed to further misgovernance. Congress – the totally corrupt socialist organisation will rule, or BJP/Baba Ramdev coalition will rule – which is totally confused about policy.
Solution: The solution for India is very simple. We need a clearly liberal group that understands how to govern and create excellent outcomes for all Indians. That group is FTI. Its policies will ENSURE the abolition of corruption and illiteracy, among other things. No one else can provide Indians what they desperately want: peace, good education, honest governance, health, and wealth. NO OTHER GROUP IN INDIA CAN ENSURE THAT. ZERO CHANCE. IMPOSSIBLE! Sawaal hi paida nahin hota.
Unless – of course, Baba Ramdev's ideas change, and he takes a crash course on policy. He can take a crash course in policy by reading BFN. That should be the first book on policy for anyone who wants to reform India. Just like people need to read a book by an expert physicist in order to understand gravity, so also they can start with BFN to understand policy. I can take yoga classes from him. He can take policy classes from me. Let the best that India can offer be made available to the people of India. Let us not get our Policy from a Yogi, nor Yoga from me!
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Related posts:
- Baba Ramdev needs to think more deeply
- Baba Ramdev’s irrational demand to prohibit cow slaughter
- Is Baba Ramdev wasting everyone’s time!?
- There is no option but to stop Baba Ramdev’s fast unto death
- Baba Ramdev is turning out to be a godsend for the Congress
- Baba Ramdev a good man, but how does one get him to understand good policy?
- My initial views on Baba Ramdev's movement
- Did Baba Ramdev offer to be arrested? If so, the Congress must resign
- Is Baba Ramdev an arm of the BJP?
- Baba Ramdev now shows his true colours – a subversive, violent anarchist
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Dear Dr Gogoi
I DON’T care for power. I care for the truth. In invite you to consider the truth and the welfare of India, not ‘customs’ and superstitions. While everyone is entitled to follow their beliefs they can’t force their ideas down the throat of others.
My goal is to liberate India from its own chains and to make it healthy, wealthy, and peaceful.
Regards
Sanjeev
Is this my mistake?I am taught from age 2 that cow is our mother and we must pray her,
My answer to terrorism, why terrorism can't be eliminated because you could kill the person but not his thought and thinking what you think you become and that Dalit comment kindly check I.P of people sometimes you get email id on google from that all info could be collected to because I had seen many Muslims making vulgar comments in many instances.
In my view I support Reservation in Govt jobs but they must also do in schools inspite of colleges because without proper study of 11 and 12th crude subjects one can't even think of MBBS or B.Tech that reason IIT's throw Dalit students out every year.You get see college vs minority ministry in newspapers.
Dr Gogoi
Just curious, what subject is your doctoral degree in?
Anyway, I don’t support reservations. The solutions doesn’t lie with the current education system in India.
Regards
Sanjeev
Dear Nitin,
I am astonished and sad after reading few of your comments as the person who is going to launch political party (FTI) and gonna be a 'LEADER' soon.
Let me highlight few of your comments and give my counter points to it:
1. Also, 80% of the world eats cows. So they are food for mankind. A valuable asset.
a) Freedom for any living creature is most important and this is not meant only for HUMANS. Imagine if non human beings had voice.. wouldn't your heart be crying if u hear their pain while killing them.. We human are part of society and our society is a part of ecosystem. If we change our eating habits(positive change) it doesnot detoriates the food chain rather it enhances it. It has been proven that eating a vegetarian give u more Kcal of energies than a non veg food. Then why so called intelligent human go for non veg…It just because of their own selfish needs and taste. Because of these selfish needs we human don't care for our ecosystem/nature and start exploiting them. And because of it we suffer from severe problems like Global Warming, extinction of species(tiger,whales etc), terrorism. Where are we heading… and so called future 'LEADER' like you justify it as freedom…how narrow you guys think…[please don mind I am little harsh :) ].
b)Every religion be it Hindu,Islam,Christianity ,Sikhism teaches peace and respect for every creatures. None of them has ever justified killing of animals for their own taste. How materialistic, opportunist we become ..since 80% people of world eat so it has became staple food….a valuable asset!!! ( How foolish this thought can be…)
c) If killing of animals is a virtue of being free to do anything then Smoking,drinking,raping, eve teasing …killing should also be made virtue of freedom…why govern by law…as by ur argument it can be justified as 'freedom'.
The underlying point is 'TRUTH'. The truth is to live a life in good way free from drugs,violence, etc…. Mahatma Gandhi once said a person who eats flesh develops quality of being violent etc… I hope and wish u are follower of MK Gandhi. Baba Ramdev is just spreading and implementing MK Gandhi thoughts. Our society and Indian culture should not be kept hostage to such narrow thoughts of 'freedom to do anything'.
2. Today go to any engineering/MBA (include IIT/IIM) colleges in India… Look at the spread and use of Drugs/alcohols/… most of the students is under its grasp. Now the use of drugs can not be justified by the intelligence of these guys. Our Indian culture so called Bhartiya Sanskriti never teaches us such behaviour and lifestyle. Every individual is a part of society and contributes to the balance of society. Society cannot be made hostage to individuals 'freedom to do anything'. If one cannot improve the society then he has no right to abuse the society and culture.
3. I want to ask you a question ..How much is the influence of Spiritualism in your FTI ? :)
PS: Please dont mind if I little harsh at some places… read it casually..
Regards
Kumar
Dear Sanjeev,
My previous post is addressed to you(sanjeev) instead of Nitin…
Thanks
Kmar
Dear Sanjeev
I don't hold any high profile job status like yours IAS but my educational backround is comparable.
I am B.tech in industrial production from regional engineering college Durgapur after that I thought to pursue Masters in electronics from IIT Delhi but soon I quitted as my interest was in medical line, from childhood I wanted to become a doctor but in our school biology was not there and my options were limited.To fulfill my long left aspiration I researched a lot and got to know a M.D/M.S in Biomedical engineering from Aiims soon after in my second try I got there.
Anyways you are creating More enemies than supporter or friends I could have agreed if everyone other had praised you but in your forum more and more people are against you.You Must accept finite Failure on your part but don't loose infinite hope.
I explained you a very simple exam named AIEEE but it had deep message associated with it to become successful you must be 100%committed to your goal which I see you are Not.
If you are so concerned about India why don't you do something on ground even on internet invest some money?You served 19years as senior IAS officer I assume money won't be any problem to you.I would rate Ramdev and subrmanium above you because they are commited to their goal.
Don't assume me wrong or take personally but sometimes one need to show the mirror for reality check.The pace you are going would ever FTI come up as a party in India.You are trying to justify there is no partiality to Indians in Australia what more vague than this I could expect?
Dear Dr Gogoi
I had asked for the area of your doctoral qualification to find out whether you had learnt about the scientific method and appropriate data analysis techniques. Indeed, you are extremely well qualified and have definitely learnt these methods.
So what explains a statement like: "I am taught from age 2 that cow is our mother and we must pray her,"
or: "that Dalit comment kindly check I.P of people sometimes you get email id on google from that all info could be collected to because I had seen many Muslims making vulgar comments in many instances."
I'm afraid these comments may not match the high standards of your education.
a) Even if someone is taught that cow is our mother from age 2, what is one's responsibility as a scientific thinker? Do we take this "fact" as a permanent feature of our thinking or do we ask questions? Is the basic point of critical thinking not this: to ask questions?
b) Re: Kumarkashyap's comments (which is what I presume you are referring to), I have no doubt he is a "Dalit" political activist who has undergone very bad experiences in life. Are you saying that the "Dalits" are not oppressed in India? Please try visiting Dhubri district and as you enter the town there is the sweepers colony. I have visited that place. Children and pigs live together in the most unhygienic conditions one can imagine. No one cares for them. I do. I think we must recognise the facts and thereafter change things.
I suggest, Dr. Gogoi, that you and I should be talking serious reforms, and not diverting our attention into religious beliefs and other such things.
Please read my book, BFN and let me know if you disagree with what I've said.
Finally, "to become successful you must be 100%committed to your goal which I see you are Not."
I do have a very clear goal, which is that I want the "common" educated Indian to get involved in India's governance. I'm not just trying to lead, which anyone can do, but trying to build leaders for India's future. Anyway, I'm happy to return full time should a method be found. I believe India should be the world's No.1 country. That it is not, is unacceptable.
Regards
Sanjeev
Dear Kumar
Sorry for the delayed response. This is going to be short as well since I've got to rush in half a minute!
a) I do NOT advocate "killing of animals" for the sake of killing them. Please note that some animals are used as food in the world. Indeed, about 90% of the world is non-vegetarian.
b) I am NOT advocating freedom without accountability – of the sort you seem to imply. Please read "The Discovery of Freedom" (still a draft). That would destroy freedom. There is no absolute freedom. We can be free only so long as we don't harm others.
c) "How much is the influence of Spiritualism in your FTI?"
FTI is intended to be a group of leaders who want to bring freedom and good governance to India. It is NOT a religious group. FTI strongly supports the separation of religion and the state. Please see FTI's religious tolerance policy at: http://freedomteam.in/blog/content/religious-freedom-and-tolerance
I am a great admirer of Gandhi (e.g. BFN and articles on this blog), but I'm also his critic on mixing up religion and the state. That mixing up, in my view, was part of the reasons why Pakistan came into being. See DOF for details.
Regards
Sanjeev
Hi sanjeev,
as u mentioned "Be nice to cows, don’t eat them if you don’t want to, but please don’t interfere with the rights of others to eat them."
Today you say what if cow provides milk anyone can eat cow. Tomorrow one may say same principal applies to our mothers (humans) and simultaneously also be nice to mother (like Tribes)
We can’t be professional in relationships. These will lead to animal society.
We want minimize wars and killing of all kinds of animal and I have heard Ramdev baba once said that all animal killing should be stopped and live simple life with necessary things to maintain to establish peace and balance in nature.
Dear Nilesh
The principle I advocate – and which forms the basis of the philosophy of liberty – is the ULTIMATE value of life, human life but also respect for animal life. Please read DOF.
The “extension” you suggest is obnoxious and violative of everything I stand for!
Animals have been and continue to be FOOD for hundreds of thousands of years. Our bodies are fully designed through evolutionary processes to eat animals for food and therefore survive in the most difficult circumstances as well.
All I say is that no one is entitled to impose their vegetarianism on others. Why is that so hard to understand?
Regards
Sanjeev
My ans to present situation with remedy
People in the 21st century generally live a life of comfort. We do not like giving anything away. We prefer to get something, rather than give something away. Unfortunately, in this way we disregard one of the most important of the Laws of the Universe – the Law of Sacrifice.
In short the Law of Sacrifice postulates that very often we need to give up something of a lesser nature in order to gain something bigger. Sounds like a fair trade, right? Unfortunately, this is not so easily accepted by human psychology. After all, what we currently have is a certainty, right? And what we might gain is only a promise. Who will guarantee that this promise is fulfilled? This would be the role of the Law of Sacrifice.
The Law of Sacrifice is applicable in many areas of life, and perhaps the most important one of them is the area of personal growth. We all know that personal growth comes through change and change is most often painful. This reality makes people shy away from change – it is painful after all and no one likes pain. However, instead of focusing on the pain we should focus on what stands to be achieved by personal growth. This new perspective can lead us to a new realization, which would make it easier to make sacrifices.
Perhaps it would be easiest to make sacrifices if we were deeply focused on the object of our desire. When change is a must, only then can someone do the sacrifice. Or as the Roman general told his troops when they landed on the Island of Britain: "Burn the ships. There is no way back. Only ahead." Obviously, with no ships to flee with, they had to change and grow. And they succeeded, which proves that the general's sacrifice was well-designed.
Finally, we need to learn to sacrifice even our self-esteem for the great purpose we are after. Very often we limit our achievement by our pride or carefulness not to be humiliated. However, self-esteem is someone you would eventually need to sacrifice if you were to achieve your goals.
As you could see from the above examples the Law of Sacrifice is at least as valuable and important as the Law of Attraction. In reality, however, there are nine other laws of the Universe besides these two. All of these work together perfectly in order to guarantee a fulfilled life. If you are interested in learning more about them, you should click the link below, where you can find a review of "The 11 Forgotten Laws" – a program by Bob Proctor and Mary Morrisey, as well as other related programs. Enjoy attracting the object of your desire and do not mind the sacrifice!
After reading some of your writing You remind of a typical class of Intelligent people who is like
the man who only has a hammer, everything he encounters begins to look like a nail.
do not underestimate the intelligence of our scriptures, saints and common man.
You want to eat beaf eat , i do not want it and i will not.
And the basic point is all living creature has a part of same soul and killing itself is crime.
if 80% do not follow natures law then let them do that.
I live in Canada and trust me the life being followed by developed nations is total failure both in terms at personal and society.
do u understand the kind of financial crises are they and why.
i have would written a more detailed response and may a better one but it will be shear waste of time
reading few books by nehru is of no use.
Dear Yogi
Re: “You want to eat beaf eat , i do not want it and i will not.” – I have NEVER asked anyone to eat something they don’t want to! Again, a misrepresentation!
Re: “if 80% do not follow natures law then let them do that”. Indeed, that’s what I’m saying. Let people eat what they choose to. DON’T IMPOSE your views on them.
Re: “reading few books by nehru is of no use”. What are you talking about?!!
S
About Kumarpushp wasn't I correct? I have pretty long experiance on web there are many softwares by which you could even change Ip in every 2sec{www.Hidemyip.com} etc.
The comments written by him are Totally vague and I feel a person who is having such poor viewpoint about India without 0.1% of understanding can't be such educated to operate a computer because what he is talking is Impossible Dalitsaan etc
I feel he belongs to
1}Muslim Dalit
2}Pakistani National
3}Teenager time pass{70%}
Sanjeev
i am reading most of the comments on your blog.
To SWAMI RAMDEV BASHERS i would like to suggest 2 things.
1. kINDLY understand first what Ramdev is trying to do.
2. Do you guys have really really suffered in your life In india like millions of Indian do everyday.
if not then please try some sufferings on your self.
i can tell you zillions of ways to fall into problems in India.
if not then please understand the policies made in / by "intelligentsia" like you and several others are not going to help masses.
somewhere i read that you wrote
If Baba Ramdev truly wishes to achieve a great India he should read my book/s and apply to join FTI. We can then work together. I don't budge from good principles in the name of populism. If deferring to populism was my goal I would have taken a different path in life.
what r u talking, you are not even clear about the hinduism.
I would love to answer you in a very systematic way but will take lot of my time and it will be a sheer wastage.
But yes once Baba comes to power he might need a good and honest opposition and your party or you could be one.
Yogi
Dear Yogi
The great blunder you make is twofold:
a) You suggest that the Baba knows more about helping “the masses” than I do. That is incorrect. He CAN’T take India to greatness with the current display of policy understanding. I can.
b) You say I’m “not clear about the hinduism”. I may not know all the thousands of slokas but I know what it stands for. But whether I do or not is irrelevant to India’s progress.
You are welcome to your views. I don’t force anyone. Just show them the right way. They can choose the wrong way, if they like. No problem! Nehru’s way was chosen for 60 years and India went to the dogs. Now Baba Ramdev’s way can be chosen. Same result. I can’t change India if India is not ready to even read and understand what I’m trying to say.
Regards
Sanjeev
We should beware of such so called intellectuals like Sanjeev Sabhlok as these people will start killing and eatinng human beings also if such thing is allowed by law. And if killing and eating of humans is banned after it being allowed for some time, then these people will protest vehemently of doing so and will treat it as interference in their personal life style.
Such people have lost complete conciousness and difference between right and wrong.
Dear Neeraj
I know that at least some Indians rush to judgement but this surely takes the cake. What are you saying – that there is an equivalence between non-vegetarianism and cannibalism? Are you saying that 80% of the world’s population are cannibals?
What is it about plain simple English that you don’t understand? How does defending life and liberty equate with cannibalism? Please explain so I understand better how you think. I do hope you are not typical of Baba Ramdev followers.
Sanjeev