Swami Ramdev

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Swami Ramdev

Swami Ramdev

Born Ramkishan Yadav

Haryana, India

Residence Haridwar, Uttarakhand, India

Nationality Indian

Occupation Yogi
 Known for proliferation of Pranayama, Yogaand Ayurveda. Leading

the Bharat Swabhiman Andolan (Mission) to eradicate

corruption from India and restore prosperity in the country.

Ramkishan Yadav (date of birth unknown[discuss]) popularly known as Swami Ramdev (Hindi:स्वामी रामदे व), is

an Indian Hindu swami. He is particularly known for his efforts in popularizingYoga as it is enunciated

in Patanjali's Yoga Sutras. He is also one of the founders of the Divya Yog Mandir Trust headquartered
in Haridwar, that aims to popularize Yoga and offer Ayurvedictreatments. The New York Times calls him an
"Indian who built Yoga Empire", "a product and symbol of the New India, a yogic fusion of Richard
Simmons, Dr. Oz and Oprah Winfrey, irrepressible and bursting with Vedic wisdom".[1]

His camps are attended by a large number of people. Over 85 million people [2] follow his yoga camps via TV
channels and video. His yoga teaching sessions are for the masses and free for all. His stated principle in life is
to be of help to everybody.

Contents
 [hide]

1 Early life

2 Work

3 Patanjali Yog Peeth

4 National Issues Raised

o 4.1 Bharat Swabhiman Campaign and

political party

o 4.2 Malpractices in the agricultural sector

o 4.3 Consumption of fast food and soft drinks

o 4.4 Exploitation of farmers

o 4.5 Poor condition of indigenous industries

o 4.6 Indian black money in Swiss banks

o 4.7 84 Crore (840 Million) People living on

Rs. 20 a day

5 Bharat Swabhiman Andolan

6 Controversies and criticisms

o 6.1 Minimum wage

o 6.2 Allegations of unlawful manufacturing

practices
 o 6.3 Opposition to Homosexuality

o 6.4 Claims of curing AIDS

o 6.5 Claims of curing cancer

7 Awards and recognitions

8 References

9 External links

[edit]Early life

Shri Swami Ramdev ji was born in the [Mahendragarh] district of the Indian state of the Haryana[citation needed] to a
impoverished farmer, Shri Ramniwas Yadav Ji and his wife, Srimati Gulab Devi Yadav. As a child he suffered
from paralysis. He stated on air[citation needed] that it was through yoga that he was able to regain the full
functionality of his body again.

He attended school till the eighth standard(class) in Shahbajpur. He then joined an aarsh gurukul in Khanpur
village to study Sanskrit andYoga. He was taught there by acharya Shri Pradyuman ji. Eventually, he
assumed Sanyas (or monastic living), taking his present name. He then moved to Jind district and joined the
aarsh gurukul Kalva and started offering free Yoga training to villagers across Haryana. At gurukul kalva he
was taught by acharya (grand master) Shri Baldev Ji maharaj.

[edit]Work

Swami Ramdev, started relentless efforts to popularise Yoga in 1995 with the establishment of Divya Yoga
Mandir Trust, along with Acharya Karamveer and Acharya Balkrishna. While Karamveer is well-versed in Yoga
and the Vedas, Balkrishna is a physician with a degree in Ayurveda. Ramdev became the president of the trust,
Karamveer the deputy president and Balkrishna the general secretary. The objective of the trust was to reach
Yoga in every part of the country and cure as many patients as possible. With this he began activities in health
and spiritual pursuits and has cured many incurable diseases since then. ,(However now Acharya Karamveer
has left the Divya Yog Mandir Trust and is practicing his mission individually and separately at Mumbai.)

Swami Ramdev's TV program "Om Yog Sadhana" on Zee Jagran Tv( program promoted by Mr. Mrituenjay
Sharma (producer and director)) and Ashtha Tv made him quite popular with the people. His TV programs and
Yog camps have proved to be immensely popular. Attendance at his Yog camps has been quoted as being up
to 20,000 people.[3] Among the many locations, Swamiji was invited and has conducted a Yoga camp at
the Rashtrapati Bhavan - the residence of the President of India.[3]

His TV program is broadcast in several continents including Africa, Australia, Asia, Europe and America.
Executives at the TV channel carrying Swami Ramdev's program have reported immense demand for the
show.[3] Viewership is quoted as being 20 million regular viewers. [3]
Followers of these programs claim to have found relief from a variety of ailments such as high blood pressure,
elevated blood sugar, spondylitis, hepatitis and obesity. [3]

One of the factors that differentiates Swami Ramdev is his emphasis on teaching and making available the
practice of Pranayama (yoga breathing exercises) for the masses.[3] This is different from other yoga teachers
who place more emphasis on asanas (yoga postures). [3]Comprehensive video demonstration of Pranayam The
practice of 'praanaayaama' and 'Yukt aahaara' (specific diet) for providing health, which Baba Ramdev
demonstrates, is well-established in Indian traditions. [4]

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, a world-renowned spiritual leader is quoted as saying: "If an individual can be credited
with reviving yoga in this country (India), it is solely Swami Ramdev. Yoga can cure even fatal diseases and
Swami Ramdev has definitely proved it time and again. Swami Ramdev has spread yoga to such an extent that
sooner or later, one has to embrace it." [3]

[edit]Patanjali Yog Peeth

The Patanjali YogPeeth

Charak Monument on the campus

Swami Ramdev's flagship project, the Patanjali Yogpeeth (PYP) Trust, was inaugurated on August 6, 2006. Its
aim is to build the world's largest center for Ayurveda and Yoga that includes facilities for treatment, research
and a teaching university[3][5]. The trust primarily offers free treatment to those who cannot afford to pay. For
others, treatment is provided at a lower cost than at hospitals.
Through PYP, Swami Ramdev continues to work with various institutions and medical organizations in an effort
to study and improve the effectiveness of yoga against diseases like diabetes, hypertension, obesity, etc.

Swami Ramdev has acquired a Scottish isle for about £2 million to set up a wellness retreat. The Little
Cumbrae Island, off the fishing town of Largs in Scotland, will also serve as the guru’s base overseas, where
his teachings of yoga as a means to cleanse the body and mind are gaining popularity. The acquisition itself
was carried out by a Scottish couple of Indian origin, Sam and Sunita Poddar, who saw recession and the
resultant fall in property prices as an opportunity to expand the base of Patanjali Yogpeeth — the institution
founded by Ramdev for scientific research and treatment in yog, spiritualism and ayurveda. The island property
has been inaugurated in September 2009 with a ‘hawan’, a Hindu fire ritual, will be administered by the
Patanjali Yogpeeth (UK) Trust[6].

[edit]National Issues Raised

Swami Ramdev has raised a number of national issues through his yoga camps (yog shivirs). Most of the
issues raised by him demand change in the governance policies of India and the lifestyle of the common
people. Some of the most emphasized issues are:

[edit]Bharat Swabhiman Campaign and political party

Swami Ramdev has initiated a movement named Bharat Swabhiman with the help of activist and social
promoter intellectual Dr.Shri Rajiv Dixith who gives speeches with the intention of eradicating corruption, crime,
poverty from India with an aim to transform it into a World Power [7].

In an effort to cleanse the political system, Swami Ramdev has launched an independent political party named
Bharat Swabhiman. The party will be contesting elections in all 545 Lok Sabha seats. There are plans to enroll
7 to 10 lakh members for the new party in each district. The Swami has clarified that he himself does not intend
to contest the polls or accept any political posts [8][9].

[edit]Malpractices in the agricultural sector

Swami Ramdev says that the overuse of fertilizers and pesticides has led to increased profits for those in trade,
but it poses a big threat to the health of the common man since fruits and vegetables are increasingly
becoming contaminated with disease causing chemical compounds.

[edit]Consumption of fast food and soft drinks

At most of his yog shivirs (yoga camps) Swami Ramdev has raised the issue of increased consumption of fast
foods, packed foods and soft drinks by common people. He says that these products are disease causing junk
and must not be eaten. He says that soft drinks like Cokeand Pepsi are no better than pesticides
or toilet cleaners and this is enough to explain the effect they have on the human body.

[edit]Exploitation of farmers
Swami Ramdev blames the corrupt governance practices for the miserable conditions of the farmers and other
backward parts of the society. He says that agriculture is the biggest contributor to India's economy and yet the
farmers are the most poverty stricken class of people. He says that for the economic prosperity of the country it
is an issue of utmost importance to bring welfare to the farmers.

[edit]Poor condition of indigenous industries

[edit]Indian black money in Swiss banks
Swami Ramdev has publicly raised the issue of Indian money stashed away illegally in Swiss bank which is
estimated to be between 1-1.5 trillion USD. He says that the government must take concrete action and bring
back the money as it belongs to the people of India and has been taken out of the country illegally [1]

[edit]84 Crore (840 Million) People living on Rs. 20 a day

Official surveys indicate that at least 84 Crore (840 Million) people (nearly 75% of the population) are living with
a capacity to spend Rs.20 or less in a day. Swami Ramdev has started the Bharat Swabhiman Andolan the first
aim of which is to bring prosperity to these 840 million people.

[edit]Bharat Swabhiman Andolan

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Bharat Swabhiman Andolan is National Movement Started by Swami Ramdev Throughout India.

Main Goal of Movement is 1. 100% voting

2. 100% nationalist thought
3. 100% boycott of foreign companies, adoption of ‘swadeshi’
4. 100% unification of the people of the nation
5. 100% yoga-oriented nation

5 Vows of Bharat Swabhiman Andolan:

1. We will only vote for patriotic, honest, valiant, farsighted, and skillful people. We ourselves will vote 100%
and also make others vote.
2. We will unite all patriotic, sincere, aware, sensitive, intelligent and honest people together 100% and uniting
the powers of the nation will bring about a new freedom, new system and new change. We will make India the
biggest superpower in the world.
3. We will 100% boycott foreign goods made with zero technology and adopt indigenous goods.
4. 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 Indian – a true
Hindustani.
5. We will make the entire country 100% yoga-oriented and make the citizens inward-focused by making them
healthy and arouse the feeling of self-pride in each one by removing the cheating, corruption, hopelessness,
disbelief and self-languor arising because of self-confusion, and awaken India’s sleeping self-respect by
building national character

Bharat Swabhiman Andolan is a mass movement campaign launched by Swami Ramdev to eradicate

corruption from India. The Andolan promotes protest against corruption in every government sector, and claims
that the nature of this corruption is that Indian officials illegally broker deals to allow foreign companies to enter
every Indian social sector and hamper the indigenous system in every sphere. Government estimations show
that nearly 84 crore (840 million) people in India, which is nearly 75% of the total population, are living with a
capacity to spend only Rs. 20 (1 dollar ~ Rs. 45) in a day, and the Bharat Swavhiman Andolan claims that
fighting government corruption is the first step to changing this state of poverty.

The organization aims to accomplish its goal by reviving forgotten parts of Indian culture among all Indians, and
Swami Ramdev says this would be the first step towards making India a superpower. Swadeshi
Shiksha (education system based on Indian principles) and Swadeshi Chikitsa (medical system based on
Indian principles) are two of the most important aims of this mission. Establishment of Hindi and all regional
(Bhartiya-Indian) languages as the primary language in government-sponsored activities like education and the
judiciary is part of the agenda of this movement. Swami Ramdev draws attention to the fact that in terms of
population Hindi is the second most spoken native language after the Chinese language and yet in its own
country it gets secondary status to English. He also sees a problem in the fact that no modernized country in
the world uses a foreign language for official purposes except India

[edit]Controversies and criticisms

Over the years Swami Ramdev's name has been a part of several controversies.

[edit]Minimum wage
In March 2005, about 113 employees of the Divya Yoga Mandir Trust started an agitation for minimum wages,
coverage under the Provident Fund and Employees' State Insurance schemes. At a tripartite meeting, an
agreement was reached between the workers, management and the district administration. However, some
agitating workers were dismissed by the Trust after being charged for alleged sabotage. Their case was taken
up by a trade union controlled by the Communist Party of India (Marxist). They are still to be reinstated.[10][11]

[edit]Allegations of unlawful manufacturing practices

In January 2006, senior Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader Brinda Karat accused the Divya Yog Mandir
Trust Pharmacy, owned by Ramdev, of using human and animal bones in their medicines. Samples of the
medicines Kuliya Bhasm and Yauvanamrit Bati purchased from Brahmakalp Chikitsalay, the Trust's hospital
at Haridwar, were allegedly tested at government labs which later confirmed the presence of animal materials
in the sample. She exhibited the prescription and cash receipt obtained from the medicine counter in support of
her claim.[11][12].

Later, four samples were sent to the government-recognized Shriram Institute of Industrial Research in Delhi.
The report from this institution declared that the samples did not contain objectionable ingredients and were
purely herbal. Swami Ramdev was subsequently cleared of the charges [13]. Notably people's response was so
huge that subsequent to these allegations, sales of the Trust's ayurvedic medicines have soared [3].

[edit]Opposition to Homosexuality
In July 2009, in the wake of the Delhi High Court decriminalizing homosexuality in Delhi, Ramdev told the press
"The verdict will encourage criminality and sick mentality. This kind of thing is shameful and insulting. We are
blindly following the West in everything. This is breaking the family system in India. Homosexuals are sick
people, they should be sent to hospitals for treatment. If the government brings this law, I will take to the streets
of Delhi in protest."[14]

[edit]Claims of curing AIDS

In December 2006, press reports claimed that Swami Ramdevji had made claims of being able to use Yoga to
cure AIDS. A website promoting his products states that the CD4 cell count in some AIDS patients has
improved after practising Yoga[15]. This statement was translated by certain journalists as claiming a cure for
AIDS[16]. As a consequence of these press reports he was sent a cease and desist order by the Indian Union
Health Ministry and threatened legal action from medical NGOs[17]. Ramdev responded by saying that notice
was not applicable to him since he never made claim to cure it [18]. , and that he has been misrepresented by
media.[19].

[edit]Claims of curing cancer

Other press reports quoted him as claiming to have a cure for cancer of the breast, liver, prostate, uterus,
pituitary gland, brain tumors andleukemia by practicing the seven breathing exercises.

In a residential camp held in Yog Gram, Haridwar during 19–25 June 2008, several cancer patients stepped
forward to recount first-hand stories of their successful bouts with blood, prostate and breast cancer
using Pranayam or breathing exercises[20].

Swami Ramdev has claimed having documented proof of his successes.

[edit]Awards and recognitions

 January 2007 - Honorary Doctorate, KIIT University (Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology,
Bhubaneswar, Orissa) in recognition of his efforts at popularizing the Vedic science of Yoga.[21]

 March 2010 - Honored with Degree of Doctorate of Sciences by Amity University

 April 2010 - Honored with honorary degree of Doctor of Science by Dr D Y Patil Deemed University.
[edit]References

1. ^ "Indian Who Built Yoga Empire Works on Politics".

2. ^ "Ramdev's yog brand launched in America".
3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Life Positive".
4. ^ Shankaracharya's "Bhajagovindam Stotra".
5. ^ "Patanjali Yog Peeth - Introduction".
6. ^ http://www.hindustantimes.com/Baba-Ramdev-buys-