Ramdev's false crusade

Baba Ramdev's eviction from the Ramlila grounds on Saturday is one of the recent controversies caused by the UPA government. What had caused the government to stage a forced eviction; the yogic Baba had taken permission to stage a yoga camp at the Ramlila grounds in New Delhi and later changed the yoga camp into a fast against corruption and black money. The second question that arises is that while Anna Hazare and other civil society members are in the process of drafting the Lokpal bill, why was this fast necessary? , Views are divided on the issue, congress and UPA argue that this event was orchestrated by the RSS and BJP to unsettle the government, where as many consider this a publicity stunt by the Baba to enter politics. The government justifies the eviction saying that the permit issued by the police was for a yoga camp not a protest, but was the force used to disperse the gathering excessive? Whilst Baba Ramdev claims he was orchestrating a sathyagraha against corruption, why did he jump into the crowd?  

A true follower of sathyagraha would have surrendered to police and would have avoided unnecessary hardships to his fellow protestors. People who follow the Baba must ask themselves are they doing the right thing by supporting someone who makes deals with the government and then goes back on his word to the government and takes advantage of people who support him by putting them in harm’s way to evade eviction. Today five days after the crackdown at Ramlila ground, Baba Ramdev makes a public statement stating that his next protest will be armed. The Home minister P.Chidambram says that this statement shows the hands of BJP and RSS at work behind Baba’s crusade against corruption, and if such a protest arises or staged it will be handled according to police protocol.

The major question which has been raised by political parties and public alike was the crackdown done in an undemocratic way. The right to peaceful protest belongs to everyone regardless of their age, sex; caste etc. Democracy gives people the right to protest against a government whose actions isn’t in the best interest of the people in a peaceful manner, and when any form of government is destructive to the constitutional rights of the people. It is the right of the people to abolish or alter it. Having said this was the UPA government denying us our constitutional right in the Ramlila, or as the Finance minster Mr. Pranab Mukherjee said “was an unfortunate turn of events”. Or have the people been hoodwinked by Baba Ramdev’s false crusade against corruption. For he clearly did not conduct a sathyagraha like he claims, nor does he intend to fight corruption peacefully.