Baba Ramdev's fast and its aftereffetcs

Baba Ramdev, the famous Yoga guru, has been claiming that he will go on indefinite hunger strike, demanding that Government should bring back all of India's black money stored in foreign banks, and govt should end corruption etc.

Initially, the govt seemed too much inclined to meet all of Baba's demands. The baba, whose source of income is unknown, came to Delhi in a chartered plane. When he arrived at the airport, on 1st of June, 4 central ministers including finance minister Pranab mukherjee, went to meet him and tried to convince dissuade him from taking up the fast.
Hectice parley ensued, but the Baba was adament on going on a fast unto death.

His right hand man, Acharya Balakrishna was seen collecting lakhs of rupees for organising the fast at ram leela maidan.

Again the govt ministers met Baba and acceded to all his demands. On the evening of 3rd june Baba himself gave the statement that 99% points have been agreed upon.

But the next morning, he and his followers were on fast at Ram leela maidan. Along with him some 50,000 follwers were in the same location, joined fasting with the baba. By the evening of 4th June, Kapil Sibbal, Union HRD minister, held a press meet, and he displayed a piece of paper purportedly written by Baba's negotiator, to the affect that all Govt had already agreed to all the points raised by baba. Now the question was, why did the Baba insist on continuing the fast.

On the morning of 5th June 2011, the country was for a big shock. Baba and his followers have been evicted from Ram leela maidan in the middle of the night. A huge police force landed in ram leela maidan, at 1:30 at night, and beat up everyone, and arrested baba ramdev. He was later air lifted to dehradun.

At this juncture I want to mention my observation of the entire episode.

Parliament is the final authority. Similarly switzerland etc are not willing to part with black money. That is the main source of income for such countries like Switzerland. So due process has to be follwed. In short Baba's demands were right bight he put them wrongly, or asked them to be solved immediately.

Parties like BJP tried to take advantage of the situation, and supported baba. Basically they were also raising the same issue for long time. But no progress has been made. So they cling on to Baba Ramdev etc, so people can be confused between what is what.





But the Baba continued to fast from Hardwar and after 8th day he broke his fast.
Then again larger question remained whether the Baba has the right to arm-twist the govt to meet his demands, and demand that they be met immediately, whether his movement could be hijaked by the BJP, because they could not get much popularity lat elections, or was he trying to get limelight at the expense of Anna Hazare.

Media too, hyped Baba Ramdev too much. Baba on the other hand was asking the govt to pass a law by by-passing the parliament. So ultimately govt could not take it any more. Some people would say govt bent too much in front of baba. He is yet unfamiliar with the parliamentery peocess. You cannot ask govt to pass a law directly, and continue to fast until the govt passes the law.

And the maximum gainer seemed to the Govt, because they were the ultimate victors, as they did not have to sign any agreement with Baba Ramdev.