Interview with Indian Yoga expert.

[Guest guest]

Dear Friends,

 

Yesterday (9th July 2005, Saturday) Swami Ramdev, an yoga expert, was

interviewed for the second time on INDIA TV a prime TV channel in India, in the

slot 21:00 to 22:00 hrs IST. The interview was in the form of a courtroom where

there was a judge, a mainstream doctor, audience, and a lawyer who was also the

anchorperson. The anchor was the renowned Mr Rajat Sharma, a well known media

analyst.

 

The second interview became necessory because the first interview of the Swami

was a resounding success prompting many vested interests to sling mud at him and

his claims that he would rid India of its dependance of toxic drugs and the

harmful products of many MNC's. The immense popularity of the Swami, and his

message, has resulted in falling sales of the MNC giants selling cola drinks and

fast food. There has also been a distinct shift of the patients from modern

medicine to yoga and ayurveda.

 

The charges level against him were mostly;

 

1. He is using disputed materials in his medicines.

2. He is maligning mainstream medicine, various products of the MNC.

3. He has amassed a huge fortune which is not becoming of his status as a monk.

4. He is coming up with a huge yoga cum ayurvedic research cum treatment centre

to

fleece the rich.

 

The charges were read out before the Swami who countered them as under;

 

1. Use of disputed ingredients.

------

The Swami denied this claim outright and questioned the basis of this

allegation. He challenged the concerned parties to come out with facts and not

spread rumours. He clarified that all ingredients were clearly mentioned on the

label of the product as per the law of the land. He also pointed out that his

medicines were extremely cheap compared to the industry. They were also given

free of cost to the poor and adequate discounts were given to the

underprivilleged. The Swami also pointed out that he did not recommend medicines

for any illness unless he and his team of doctors were convinced that the

ailments were not amenable to yogic and pranayama treatment.

 

2. Maligning mainstream medicine & MNC products.

----

The Swami had material on hand to prove that mainstream medicine had turned into

a flourishing industry which thrived on and encouraged illness so that it could

earn handsome profits. The fate of patients and the issue of their care and cure

had become redundant.

 

The Swami pointed to data that allopathic medicines had an astounding turnover

of Rs. 20,00,000 crores every year all over the world. (If diagnostic costs,

hospital costs and doctors fees are considered that this figure would increase

manifold). Much of this, said the Swami, was unnecessary and diseases at the

primary stage could easily be controlled by changes in lifestyle, diet including

organic wholesome food, proper exercise, and of course avoiding unnecessary

medication. He subtly hinted that today we were treating diseases caused by

medication with further medication thus creating a vicious cycle.

 

He openly said that the MNC's were dishing out poison in the name of cola drinks

and fast food. He cited the example where famous MNC's were unwilling to print

the contents/spices used in the labels of their products despite being ordered

by the judiciary. He also pointed towards the exorbitant costs of their products

which were nowhere near the manufacturing costs. Costly poison, he seemed to

say.

 

As regards his own claims of curing chronic ailments like cancer, choked heart

arteries, diabetes, nervous ailments, paralysis etc., the Swami held out a huge

published book containing all the relevant medical information pertaining to his

patients. He said such documentation was a continuous process and that more

books were forthcoming.

 

3. Amassing huge wealth.

--------------------------------

The Swami pointed out that not a single pie was in his name but all was

deposited into a Trust. The accounts were audited regularly by qualified

Chartered Accountants and the audit reports made available to the Govt of India

and also the general public. Not a single paisa was utilised except with

permission from the Board, he claimed. He said the Trust had been formed with

the aim of establishing a Patanjali Yoga Centre in Haridwar, India and that work

was already in progress.

 

4. Yoga cum Ayurvedic Hospital.

---------

The Swamiji admitted that he was indeed guilty of the crime of setting up a

world class Yoga and Ayurveda Centre and that Rs. 35.00 crores had already gone

into its making. The total project was one of Rs. 100.00 crores, nowehere near

the 20,00,000 Crore, he pointed out.

 

Regarding catering to the rich, the Swamiji said the entire treatment is and

would remain free of cost. The expenses would be borne out of a corpus of funds

donated by the public and also from the efforts of the Swami, yoga classes

conducted in various cities, sale of ayurvedic medicines, books, other

literature etc.

 

 

The interview was interspersed with views of the audience who spoke about their

own cures. They urged the Swami to highlight the issue of pesticides and harmful

materials that had been introduced into the food chain.

 

Very interestingly the audience took pains to point out that the Swami's life

was under threat and urged the Swami to take care to see that the good work

should continue even if he "was exterminated". The Swamiji acknowledged the

threat in good humour and assured the audience that the work could go on despite

his absence if it so happened.

 

THE JUDGEMENT

---------------------------

The Doctor who was the judge was of the oipinion that though yoga was a part of

Indian heritage, it would not be proper to say that it could replace modern

medicine. He said that yogic postures caused a temporary mental well being and

euphoria which could explain some of the cures. However he was quick to admit

that he himself had benefitted from yoga and that more research should be done

on the subject. He expressed the hope that yoga and allopathy would merge in the

future for the benefit of humanity.

 

Regards,

Jagannath.