The 'New York Times' calls him the “Indian who built Yoga Empire”. His camps are thronged by thousands of people.
Some call him a PT instructor and controversies cling to him all the time. But the man remains unruffled.
Much to the discomfort of his critics, the renowned Yoga Guru Baba Ramdev has attained “cult” status during the last few years. Not only does he teach Yoga, he's also very articulate about almost all the social issues in the country and is ready to take up a cause whenever required. His comments and actions create a stir but the dust settles down soon. And there goes Baba Ramdev marching in again.
Last year when he announced plans to float a political party and field candidates for all 543 Lok Sabha seats, few took him seriously. But a series of rallies organised by him during the last few months are giving nightmares to the politicos around the country. The rallies attracted scores of supporters and served as a “show of strength” for the Godman.
Baba Ramdev has never been known for just the 'asanas' he endorses. The 'sadhu' is profoundly into worldly affairs and has an opinion about everything under the sky. The Baba has the verve, exudes confidence, scorns at his critics, breaks into a smile out of nowhere, laughs as if he is roaring and has claimed to cure people of AIDS and 'homosexuality'.
Many are wondering how “His Holiness” managed to build an empire worth a nail-biting Rs 1,000 plus crore and still claim that all he owns is a saffron robe and clogs. Baba Ramdev indeed has a captivating style which never fails to enamour people, including his critics. He is known to travel in a convoy of cars and fly frequently. He has a team of professional media and business managers managing his enterprises.
So if tomorrow Baba actually forms a political party will his grandeur actually attract voters? His camps may be swarmed by thousands but is his aura good enough to reward him with electoral gains? His fairy-tale transformation from a common recluse to the most-celebrated Yoga guru in the world and his hystericalfan-following suggests that he is quite likely to give other political parties a run for their money should he decide to launch his own party. However, at the same time politics and Yoga are two different arenas and the underlying forces vary tremendously.
Whatever may be the answers to these questions, the political parties in the country are feeling the heat generated by Baba's activities. Not too long ago, Swami Ramdev audaciously pointed fingers at the Nehru-Gandhi family, accusing them of having illegal wealth stashed in bank accounts outside the country. Also, in a country plagued by scams, corruption and family politics, Baba may offer an alternative. It remains to be seen how reliable the alternative would be.
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| Beating them at their game....Holds discussion with Anna Hazare. |
Come Saturday, Baba will be sitting on a hunger strike in the iconic Ramlila Ground in New Delhi which will mark the commencement of his protest against corruption. He has claimed the support of millions of people and even Anna Hazare has pledged his solidarity with him. This has already left the politicians gasping for breath as they are worried that he may steal all the thunder for fighting graft and corruption and his agitation might even bring some of them under the scanner. Prime Minister and his colleagues are brainstorming to stop Baba's storm. They tried the appeasement policy but Baba refuses to budge an inch.
The man continues to be an awe-inspiring, iconic figure in India and has been able to make his presence felt in the international circuit. His Yoga has come to the rescue of the sick; thousands would stand as living testimony for that. The maverick Yoga Guru is now a trendsetter in India and enjoys following which is normally reserved for Bollywood stars or cricketers. One clarion call by Baba and people would willingly throw away their quilts during the dawn of a chilly December morning to attend his camp - be it Yoga or an agaitation against Social ills.
(Story taken from MensXP.com)
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