Politicians need to adhere to right path, says spiritualist

CHANDRAPUR: Noted spiritual guru and Bhagwat Kathakar Rameshbai Ojha from Porbandar (Gujrat) supported the movements taken up by Yoga guru Baba Ramdeo and social worker Anna Hazare on Wednesday. He claimed that when those in power are deviated from their just path, spiritual leaders like Baba Ramdeo and Shri Shri Ravi Shankar have to step in by awakening the people power.

Rameshbai Ojha is in town for the week-long Shrimad Bhagwat Dyan-Yadnya organised at Chanda Club ground by Shri Radhe-Radhe Seva Samiti. Interacting with reporters, he claimed that saints and sages work for social and national welfare. "However, when politics deviates from its right path, spiritual masters need to rein them in through social awareness," he said. He claimed that religion and politics are two sides of a same coin and could not be separated. "There should be religion in politics, but politics in religion is unacceptable," he said.

He stressed that those in power should listen to intellectuals and thinkers. He claimed that spiritual leaders must have ideal character and refrain from running after the money. "We are in the transition period, when people are attracted towards the spiritual guidance, still disintegration of values is high. One should have eye to evaluate right and wrong. It would be detrimental for the society if people start believing in wrong values," he said. Ojha said that he admired the people of Chandrapur for their discipline.

Now, anti-corruption Baba Ramdev's yatra in Punjab

BATHINDA: At a time when political season is heating up in Punjab and yatras are being undertaken by various political parties, yoga guru Ramdev too has pitched in with his own brand of Swabhiman yatra. Having started the Punjab visit on Wednesday evening from this politically volatile town, Ramdev will remain in the state for ten odd days and will raise the demand for bringing back black money stashed away in foreign banks.

Starting the first day of his proposed yatra on volatile note, Ramdev vehemently targeted the UPA government in general, and Ccongress in particular. Before starting a yoga shiver (camp), the baba said he was determined to force the UPA government to contain corruption and bring back the black money. Supporting the Jan Lokpal Bill, initiated by Anna Hazare, Ramdev said a strong public movement was needed for bringing in the bill.

"Though, Art of living founder Sri Sri Ravi Shankar and social reformer Anna Hazare are working in their own spheres at present, the three of us are united in opposing corruption, and would soon share a common platform, as Congress is not serious to contain corruption and giving a go ahead to inflation, price rise", said Ramdev. Yoga guru said trillions are stashed in foreign banks as black money, but here in India majority of people are living under poverty line and UPA is doing nothing to reverse the trend. He said there is dire need to frame such economic policies which suit the common men.

Ramdev later visited the temporal seat of Sikhs at Takhat Damdama Sahib and paid obeisance. He also visited Laleana village and adopted it to make it drug-free and asked the villagers to go for organic farming.

Box- Aggressive China worries Baba

Taking strong note of China's advancement towards India by building up its military paraphernalia, Ramdev said it is threat for sovereignty of India and the country must give befitting reply to China's nefarious designs.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar to campaign against corruption in UP

LUCKNOW: Siritual guru Sri Sri Ravi Shankar will embark on an anti-corruption yatra in UP from November 7 in which he would be holding satsangs in various parts of the state, and would ask people to take oath for not indulging in corruption.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar would start from Jaunpur on November 7 and will be in Sonebhadra on November 8. He would go to Mirzapur on November 9 and Sultanpur on November 10. He would end his trip in Kanpur on November 11. He would also be visiting IIT Kanpur.

Significantly, the yatra is being conducted at a time when political parties in UP are gearing for 2012 assembly elections and Congress is in the back foot on the issue of corruption. While Baba Ramdev is already on a yatra targeting Congress, Anna Hazare has announced to tour UP asking people not to vote for Congress party in 2012 assembly elections in case Congress led UPA government fails to bring a strong lokpal in winter session of Parliament. In such a situation, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar's yatra may create more trouble for the Congress.

The yatra also assumes importance in the light of Congress general secretary Digvijay Singh's statement that RSS has put up Sri Sri Ravin Shankar after its plan A (Baba Ramdev's campaign against corruption) and plan B (Anna Hazare's anti-corruption campaign) failed. Not only Digvijay Singh, even SP leader Azam Khan has alleged that RSS is behind Baba Ramdev, Anna Hazare and Sri Sri Ravi Shankar despite the fact that Anna Hazare has categorically denied any links with RSS.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar has also made it clear that in his campaign is spiritual and not political or for lokpal. He had said that lokpal alone cannot curb corruption, hence he would be making a spiritual appeal to people to shun corruption. Last week, he had administered an oath to nearly one lakh people, asking them not to give or take bribe.

Sri Sri had supported the anti-corruption campaign of Baba Ramdev and Anna Hazare. Responding to Digvijay Singh's allegations, he had also said that fighting corruption is no crime and he would go on educating people on the ill effect of corruption on society.