The baba who got it right

Having spent most of my childhood in north part of the country, I too like most kids was very scared of babas. It was told that they doubled up as kidnappers of children. I took these warnings quite seriously and would steer clear of babas (it was around the time that the ranga-billa episode was fresh in people’s mind. Those who have not heard- it was about two children kidnapped and murdered by Ranga & Billa. National Bravery award for children is named after these Chopra siblings). It was during my visits to Kerala that I became comfortable with these people, also many people around became like them during the fasts for Sabrimala. In my teens though I had some serious skirmishes with them (home was open for sadhus to stay overnight or for few days…some even came from US!!). Pune incidentally had too many Spiritual Gurus, since i was going out of hand so was taken to none other than Swami Chinmayanda- who put his hand on my head (i guess he was trying to bless!!. I liked his sense of humour though, i prefered his malayalam over english-it was quite biting). I recall being cautioned about Osho Rajneesh-who regularly came to Deccan Gymkhana. In Pune there were also school kids roaming around the housing colony requesting to observe meatless day (initiated by Sadhu Vaswani). Those malevolent feeling gradually got erased and forgot about them, except occasional sightings and so on. It was in 1997-1998 that I traveled to ashrams around the country right from Aurobindo to Osho to God knows who, it was interesting exposing to new ideas and thinking. I also started to read about ancient Indian philosophy, and spending time with sadhus in small towns along the Himalayas, some of these guys are simply crazy of course there are some who are incisive it was pleasure talking to them. There is a hilarious incident I recall one baba fellow gave me chillum (mostly charas or ganja) to smoke, and here I was all out to try anything and everything, few inhalation and black out. When I woke up few hours later my belongings were found ransacked- there was nothing but notebook, pen and some dry fruits. Money was inside socks!!. Cheers to that…

Most Indians have high regards for sadhus, it is very unfortunate that many are thugs also it serves the people right since they look for superstition/ritual for greed and material benefit. There are genuine sadhus too, some well versed in the art of argumentation (after all it was Ashtpada Gautama who wrote Tarka Vidya- science of debate, some two thousand years back). Someone, while traveling a year or so back, mentioned about Astha channel, I did flip through it few times. That is how I came across this funny half naked fellow grotesquely twisting his body, thought nothing about him. Later came to know that he has done lots of work for cleaning river Ganga and so on. And that he has very large following across the country. Few weeks back I came across him again talking about black money in Swiss bank in one of the channel. That really got me interested. Baba Ramdev is making lots of sense to people across the country, it is very obvious from the kind of following he is having. As I gather he seems to be quite a simple man, one wonders whether he too will be manipulated by people around him?. Since he is taking on some really corrupt powerful people as also exploitative products the threat to eliminate or tarnish is very much present.

The amount of black money in Swiss bank is staggering (it is not billion but trillion), but the politicians who are trying to use this issue I am sure are only doing it to garner votes. Since all these politicians where in and out of power without doing anything about it nor are they expected to do anything in future (same for babri or all the riots). They play on divisive issues and keep it alive- the reason why we have people who passionately hate LK Advani and others who have same feeling for Sonia Gandhi, without even aware of price of rice!!. These are powerful people spread across the spectrum right from politicians (of all parties) to businessmen and media. Do you think they will let the money in Swiss bank come to India?. That is why such a serious crime is put under the carpet, it hurts them, it hurts them badly and there are no pretensions here (it is same agonizing face they have when closing ranks against common people throwing chappals).

There are many issues which they can mime concern and gain (all in the name of common people). It is in same context that the exploitative products that harm common people don’t find any concern since the big money has closed their mouth. It is a tacit understanding on where the lick is. Probably the financial crisis and fallout in US would awaken the world of this unethical practice carried on by Swiss (mostly ex Nazis sympathizers or those who made fortune out of misery of Jews). Black money cannot be allowed to be routed this away, it is nothing short of human rights violation. In a poor country like India this is unparalleled abuse

Unsustainable exploitation of natural resource putting basic needs and livelihood of millions of people, and future generations, in jeopardy that too for indulgent products meant for few city dwellers should shock most of us. But not in India. We are like this only. That is incredible India for you and yes this blogger has visited many villages where people are protesting against these products, these you will not come across in market media-it is about self interest. Freedom of expression my foot. Market media has this unenviable task of creating market friendly concerns, leaf growing out of boy’s ear was incredible conception in this context!!. Exaggerate that and you will understand the euphoria for IPL.

With socio-political elite very much into filling their coffers and promoting their mediocre progenies in last many decades what we have seen is loot of colossal scale. We have a new meaning of merit!!. If it is about trillion dollars black money in Swiss bank, it is also about multi- trillion dollars black money not in Swiss bank but stacked in quaint homes across the country. It is also about elite of this country and how they function- self gain at the expense of common people. It is also about the natural resources that have been sold to highest bidders in the name of development.

Therefore this blogger unlike Amir Khan (his brand value increases with Muslim name…its dream scene for turd but poor thing aint no popular ye!!. In the world of pretentious secularism muslim names are horny. This blogger is not undermining the importance of secularism but not from self serving mediocre people, who tend to scuttle issues concerning millions of people) don’t consider corrupt politicians a serious threat. The reason being they have to face the elections every few years so they will have to share some percentage of the loot (the same reason why I am not much concerned about distribution of money to voters. It’s about maximizing the opportunity, from the voter’s perspective), also the space for variant policy making is rather reduced in recent times. The danger is from those people who are always around the power centers in capital cities (includes scheming media barons, corrupt businessmen-manipulative marketers and small time fixers, as also mongers for power and clout for common people….Raju boy’s 70000crore scam is nothing- this blogger believes that the scam wouldn’t be out if he wasn’t too stupid. Obviusly the above mentioned people need lots of black money), a section that is insulated from all happenings. This scam by progenies of traditional loot is something that you will not find in Swiss bank. The worms who pupate in subjective situations, where there is nothing to commit or sacrifice (gosh) but dress nicely and talk nicely and lick it together…