Major outcomes for liberty in India – from my recent Patanjali Yogpeeth visit

As I indicated in my previous blog post on this subject earlier today, Swami Ramdev has been most responsive of the three main “good” groups that want to reform India’s governance. His responsiveness is far greater than even Lok Satta’s. This has been not just amazing, but entirely unexpected.

1) FTI members have made THREE speeches, and participated in key events

Swami Ramdev not only let me speak (almost impromptu) to thousands of Bharat Swabhiman members, his institution arranged to relay this speech on Aastha channel and uploaded it on youtube. He also requested me to make impromptu comments at Jantar Mantar.

I’m grateful to him for the confidence he reposed in me at such short notice. We barely knew each other before but after just a few minutes it seemed we were perfectly at ease with each other, and each other’s approach.

These speeches were a major opportunity for me and Shantanu to suggest key messages of liberty and good governance into the public debate.

Just a few days after these two speeches (and many meetings), on 29 December morning, after the brave woman Nirbhaya died, Swami Ramdev requested me and a few other FTI members to sit at the yagna he performed to honour the memory of Nirbhaya. He had so many other key personnel and guests, but placed me, Supratim and Shantanu in key positions at the yagna. It was an unprecedented and humbling honour. The video of that event on youtube is linked below: 

“In Haridwar, Baba Ramdev held a “yagna” at Patanjali Yogpeeth praying for peace to the departed soul and demanded that a special session of parliament be called to ensure the most strict punishment for the culprits of heinous crimes against womenfolk. “Steps should be taken to instil fear of law against such demonic criminals”, he said.”  [Source]

He then requested Shantanu Bhagwat to deliver some comments at the yagna, which Shantanu did as well as one could hope for – talking strongly about the respect that women deserve in India. Please see the video of the event:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v0UvBN-cmu8&list=PLnAK24eTekR10erC1kFnyWmKC_03FPnp6&index=8

and

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K5xkkNayVJk&list=PLnAK24eTekR10erC1kFnyWmKC_03FPnp6&index=9

In brief, while FTI has been able to get some interest and attention from the Anna group, our natural affinity with Swami Ramdev is much deeper. In particular, there are only a few policy disconnects with Swami Ramdev, and none whatsoever on integrity or even on his approach to reform. One thing Swami Ramdev does very well is that he consults widely with the best people in India before forming an opinion. That is something I don’t see the Anna group doing well, and definitely not the Arvind Kejriwal group.

According to me, Swami Ramdev is not only a level 5 leader (the ONLY one I’ve found in India in my lifetime- even greater leader than Verghese Kurien), but a CITIZEN who takes his responsibilities for India VERY SERIOUSLY.

2) FTI’s logo is imprinted in the Bharat Swabhiman vision booklet

I was also delighted to be requested by Swami Ramdev for him to be allowed the use of FTI’s logo (Sone Ki Chidiya) on the Bharat Swabhiman vision document released two days ago. 

This logo – which represents the best that India was in the past, and can be in the future – now forms part of the document which will reach one lakh people across India.

3) My main suggestions regarding minimal role for government form part of the Bharat Swabhiman vision booklet

In addition, if you recollect, I made many suggestions in my vision speech at Patanjali Yogpeeth. A key suggestion was that government should not needlessly meddle with citizens who want to produce something of value. Instead, government should strictly perform its core functions well (e.g. law and order). I also mentioned (this is a key KPI also mentioned in BFN) that we need to bring back the Indians who have fled India, and THEREAFTER attract the best brains from the rest of the world.

Guess what, these ideas were included personally by Swami Ramdev in his vision document. If you go to page 37 of the BS vision document, you’ll find paragraphs that reflect most of my suggestions outlined above.

In brief, Swami Ramdev is willing to listen to suggestions and even incorporate them into his vision. In a matter of days. Once he is convinced, he ACTS. 

I was also given an opportunity by him to comment on a draft version of this BS vision document, and provided feedback (but haven’t verified whether this feedback was considered in the final version). I realise also that everyone was super-busy and I shouldn’t expect my views to influence Swami Ramdev’s long standing views at such short notice.

Indeed, I learnt a LOT from his booklet. The depth of analysis of black money is outstanding. I must say that Swami Ramdev does not shirk the necessary research in forming his opinions.

Nowhere else among the groups of “good” people working to reform India’s governance, is such flexibility, such willingness to listen, and such agility, found.

Swami Ramdev did NOT do all this because he was doing me any favour (I bring no money no resources: only ideas to the table), but because he wants to learn about and implement the best ideas in the world.

I’m a keen admirer of Swami Ramdev now (regardless of whatever I might have said or thought in the past – let those thoughts remain as a reminder of the hasty opinions one can sometimes form through misinformed media writings). Who knows – if things continue in this direction I might even consider joining Bharat Swabhiman (as an overseas member, perhaps, initially), in addition to my Honorary membership of FTI.

Download the Bharat Swabhiman Vision document

Please click the image below to download the Bharat Swabhiman vision document. The PDF file – in Hindi – is about 7MB in size.