Analysis

Baba Ramdev’s Theatre of the Absurd

Baba Ramdev’s fasting drama has ended at Ramlila Grounds. It ended not with a bang but with a whimper in spite of the support extended by many heavy weight political leaders from all over the counry. His political debut occured in June last year and now the second coming with the fasting.

 
Baba Ramdev’s gimmics as a social activist  have now turned into antics. As a religious guru he was popular, but there are grave doubts if his own followers will accept this role of Ramdev as a social activist.
In India people like religious gurus and follow them. But people don’t like much religious gurus and sant to get engrossed in political muddle. Social activists will be doing the job of protest. There are many such activists and their organizations. Religious gurus are not expected to don such mantle of social activism as people are shocked to see the social activists putting on political mantle.

Baba Ramdev is very popular as a yoga guru and thousands of people all over India throng his conferences. Good or bad, effective or ineffective are secondary questions. He is loved by people as a religious guru with a modern touch in his image as a savant. But recently Baba Ramdev’s approach is a heady mix of religion and politics and people in India are usually not very happy over this kind of cocktail.

What Baba Ramdev is claiming reminds one of the Theatre of the Absurd. The theatre of the absurd expressed the belief that human existence has no meaning or purpose and therefore all communication breaks down. Logical construction and argument gives way to irrational and illogical speech and to its ultimate conclusion, silence.

This is what actually happened in the Baba Ramdev fasting show at the Ramlila Grounds. It is the second day of his fast. He declares in the Anna style that he has no political agenda and merely wants to make India a great nation. He sees an immediate link between the attainment of that exalted state and the return of black money stashed away abroad. Then there is the drama over the martyr gallery.

Who are there beside whom? One will be surprised to see Ramdev’s aide Balakrishna placed beside Bhagat Singh. Now Balkrishna is in jail on charges of passport forgery. Then there are the pictures of Rajabala and Jayendra Saraswati’s pictures. Rajabala is described by Ramdev as a ‘great martyr who gave up her life for a cause’. Actually , she died of injuries suffered during the mindnight crackdown by police on Ramdev’s June 2011 agitation. The other person Jayendra Saraswati, the Kanchi Sankaracharya is now facing a trial in a murder case.

Ramdev speeches are irrational and illogical like those in an absurd drama. He said India would win Olympic gold medal for corruption. The criterion for India being a superpower stronger than China and US is the use of black money for national security. He makes an oversimplication of the problem of terrorism and Maoist activities by saying that black money is the root cause.

Ramdev very confidently knows the black money amount which he says is 20000 lakh crore.  He wants the scrapping of 500 and 1000 rupee notes. The Government itself came out with a 13 page fact sheet on black money saying some Rs. 49,325 crore in undisclosed income had been detected in India and Ramdev’s own ashram is there in the list. The most funny thing is that the interest in Baba Ramdev is gradually waning.

Ramdev claimed that fights happen due to three things — wealth, woman and property. He is proud that both Anna and he himself have none of these weaknesses. What did he expect us to feel that other religious babas in these countries are not so? Ramdev’s difference with Annaji is becoming more and more prominent and in this last Ramlila Ground fasting Ramdev once again reiterated that he had no political agenda while Team Anna has decided to enter politics. Did Ramdev take a jibe at Anna Team? There is wild guess about it on all quarters.

The Baba's second coming represents dissipation and trivialisation of India's fledgling anti-corruption movement. His political jibes at people with political authorites show that he has now no truck with Anna Hazare who is on the verge of joining politics. How seriously can you take a person who claims he will bring down petrol prices to Rs 35 a litre and end corruption when he himself evades taxes on his sizeable commercial operations?
 

13-Aug-2012

More by :  Dr. Ratan Bhattacharjee

Top | Analysis

Views: 3456      Comments: 6



Comment Ratan ji u are in the bad company of Communists who even opposed Gandhi Ji's and Subhash Chandra Bose's efforts for freedom Struggle. Pls come out of bad people around u.

ganesh sharma
14-Sep-2012 04:42 AM

Comment With due respect to the author, would like to state "Before writing this comment, I checked profile of the writer of this article and I am aghast to see how elites can chose to be illogical"

And with due respect to the editors of the boloji.com, I am equally appalled to see that boloji.com, the site I refer to others as unbiased place for political analyses, has placed this article on top !

With that, I would like to put my comments on the article as follows:

Paragraph 2:-----

-----"Religious gurus are not expected to don such mantle of social activism as people are shocked to see the social activists putting on political mantle"-----

First, since when Ramdev has become religious guru ?
Or, is the author under assumption that Ayurveda and Yoga are religious practices, because Ramdev had been preaching only them.

Second, may I recall that Vyasa (writer of Mahabharata), Chanakya, Vivekananda were are 'sanyasi' but acted as great influencers in social and political matters. Why people should get shocked now ?

Paragraph 4:-------

----"The theatre of the absurd expressed the belief that human existence has no meaning or purpose and therefore all communication breaks down. Logical construction and argument gives way to irrational and illogical speech and to its ultimate conclusion, silence."----

Sorry, there are no supportive arguments and facts placed in the article to authenticate the above opinion expressed. So, this opinion itself can be claimed as illogical, right ?

Paragraph 5:-----

-----"He sees an immediate link between the attainment of that exalted state and the return of black money stashed away abroad. Then there is the drama over the martyr gallery."-----

First, The rough estimation of amount of black money stashed away somewhere between 150 Lakh crore to 300 Lakh crore, is mind boggling, that amount itself translates into a different state of the Nation, so what is wrong between finding link between retrun of black money stashed abroad and attainment of exalted state of the nation ?

Second, how do you know that that was a drama over martyr gallery, could you please provide solid ground that is basis of the opinion or is it just expression of the emotions one may have against Ramdev (for whatsoever reason(s)) ?

Paragraph6:------
-----"Then there are the pictures of Rajabala and Jayendra Saraswati’s pictures. Rajabala is described by Ramdev as a ‘great martyr who gave up her life for a cause’. Actually , she died of injuries suffered during the mindnight crackdown by police on Ramdev’s June 2011 agitation. The other person Jayendra Saraswati, the Kanchi Sankaracharya is now facing a trial in a murder case"-----

First, If an army man dies of a mine blast placed by enemy, what do you call him - a martyr or just "a dead soldier" ? Rajbala chose to fight against black money stashed abroad and had to leave this world in illegal police crackdown. You see a trouble with placing her picture in public !!!

Second, Ramdev claims that Jayendra Saraswati is being harassed under a bigger conspiracy, he has strong reasons behind believing so. And I have strong reasons believing that Baba Ramdev is having a correct picture. I invite you to read two of the many articles written by Mr. Rajinder Puri on boloji.com on a similar conspiracy, please read: (1) http://www.boloji.com/index.cfm?md=Content&sd=Articles&ArticleID=10414 (2) http://www.boloji.com/index.cfm?md=Content&sd=Articles&ArticleID=10516

Paragraph 7:----
----"Ramdev speeches are irrational and illogical like those in an absurd drama. He said India would win Olympic gold medal for corruption. The criterion for India being a superpower stronger than China and US is the use of black money for national security. He makes an oversimplication of the problem of terrorism and Maoist activities by saying that black money is the root cause."----

First, India used to be among the top nations in list of most corrupt countries, now with recent formed new low in Indian governance and associated massive corruption it is likely to be found on the top in the list of most corrupt nations on earth, do you find factual or logical fault in Ramdev's statement about winning Gold in Olympics for corruption ?

Second, did you consider the fact that Hassan Ali, the biggest tax evader and recognized by Govt of India as having more than $8 billion in swiss bank account had meeting with top people associated with congress party in closed doors, while officially he was not traceable ? Did you hear about this in news/articles/talks among elites that there is likely massive connection between black money and big frauds and even terrorist attacks in India ?
What Ramdev stated is simplification of all these connecting links, simple statements goes into mind of masses. Still you see it an illogical statement ?

Paragraph 8:----
----"Ramdev very confidently knows the black money amount which he says is 20000 lakh crore. He wants the scrapping of 500 and 1000 rupee notes. The Government itself came out with a 13 page fact sheet on black money saying some Rs. 49,325 crore in undisclosed income had been detected in India and Ramdev’s own ashram is there in the list. The most funny thing is that the interest in Baba Ramdev is gradually waning. "----

Firsy, There are enough analysis available that estimate the amount of black money, the poorest is the one that you quoted from government findings, which can be proved misleading with the following refutals: (1) Hassan Ali had $8 Billion in swiss account somewhere in 2007/8, this money is moved somewhere else in foreign bank account as stated by former FM Pranav Mukherjee himself, $8 bn itself means more than 40,000 crore Rupees (2) Former Soviet-KGB agent mentioned with sufficient details that $2 bn were deposited in account of Ghandhi family member(s) in 1980(s), (refer to http://www.boloji.com/index.cfm?md=Content&sd=Articles&ArticleID=10564 for details), forget about interest amount on $2 bn, the principal amount itself is more than 10,000 crore rupees.. So you already have information of more than 50,000 crore rupees black money abroad, the govt instead estimates overall less than Rs. 50,000 crore - what a joke to the nation (and you believe it still ! )

Secondly, it is well known fact that a lot of black money within India, is kept in hard cash and obviously in Rs. 1000 and Rs. 500 notes, you may refer to India cables series in "www.thehindu.com", where it was mentioned to US consulate officer in India that Rs. 10 crore in hard cash are ready for every opposition MP who can vote in favour to UPA-1 govt during non-confidence motion. One may relate how this hard cash black money comes are quick tool to fix the system work the way it suits to corrupt politicians (and businessman and criminals and so on). Still, you find joke in Ramdev's demand to ban big notes !

Thirdly, could you please provide some logical or factual ground on which your conclusion that interest in Baba Ramdev is gradually wanning (I believe you mean "public's interest in baba Ramdev is wanning")

Paragraph 10 (last paragraph):---

----"How seriously can you take a person who claims he will bring down petrol prices to Rs 35 a litre and end corruption when he himself evades taxes on his sizeable commercial operations?"----

Firstly, there are countries in this world selling petrol the the proposed price of Rs. 35 per liter, did you know that ? So Baba Ramdev did not say something impractical.

Second, how do you know that baba Ramdev evades sizeable taxes, could you please bring irrefutable facts to justify it ? Did you consider the fact that the same UPA politicians sought to tarnish Baba Ramdev's image during initial days of UPA-1 by claiming that Baba Ramdev's medicines contain human remains, later when it boomeranged the government, those politicians and the media just adopted silence. Did you notice persistent efforts from the politicians in government itself to somehow tarnish Baba Ramdev's image at first place (before he raises and creates trouble to them in national interests)

Dinesh
15-Aug-2012 15:42 PM

Comment Anna and Ramdev Baba have done good thing by raising voice against corruption in politics and government. There is no doubt about it. There is no absurdity about it. You should fully support it. or is it 'nachan na aate bakan
teda'. In we need many Annas and Ramdev Babas to awake the present
Government, and that is pity of incredible India. Does the Government a march
of People against it? I hope not or there shall double march. Media will get food. (laugh) In fact it will be food in service of the people.

I wish that the Government rises to the occasion.

pranlal sheth
14-Aug-2012 23:37 PM

Comment Ratan Ji,
What world are you living in? Time has come for the people to ask questions regarding the Black Money and Corruption, because the Government feels that its ministers are not accountable to the public.

65 years have gone by and there is no ombudsman (lokpal), so what is wrong in Anna or Ramdev asking the questions which normally would be asked by the ombudsman? How can you label these deeds politically motivated.

You ought to know that 49,000 crore is a drop in the ocean. Let the Government release the amounts and names of the people who have stashed money illegally in foreign banks, and start the procedure to bring it back. There then will be no need for Anna or Ramdev.

Paul Sayal
14-Aug-2012 16:22 PM

Comment Dear Ratan ji, we have seen many a social activists siding the the power for a pound of flesh. Perjhaps you had closed your eyes to the facts. Every body is a part of the society, and every body has a right to protest and appeal for better things to come in a society.
Black money and corruptrion are facts, and are no more fiction. Imagine judges are sent to jail, misisters and IAS officers are behind the bars! And where are the social activitist?
We shall have never another Raja Ram Mohan Roy!! Open your eyes, sir.

Kumarendra Mallick
13-Aug-2012 23:38 PM

Comment HANUMAN is immortal.

TagoreBlog
13-Aug-2012 22:55 PM




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