Swami Ramdev - The character and vision of Krishna

Swami Ramdev is an unparalleled case of religious entrepreneurship and can only be compared with Swami Vivekananda of yore. I cam across articles on his life in the Pioneer and found that Swamiji exemplifies both the character and strategy of Lord Krishna. Here is how.

Swamiji was born to a poor farmer’s family in Haryana. In childhood he suffered from a debilitating disease which left him with a partial disability but he was not dissuaded by the limitations that it posed on him. He learned yoga asanas at his Guru’s hermitage and began a career teaching yoga to people. However even from the beginning he had the conviction that one day he would be the world’s number one yoga exponent. In the late 90s he used to go on a rickety vespa to teach yoga to the SSP’s wife in Hardwar. The SSP remembers the fierce determination of the man that he would one day be the world’s foremost authority of yoga.

Swami Ramdev would have made his initial impact by his use of wit and humor. In my book ‘The Avatar Way of Leadership’ I have pointed out how humour can influence people around oneself and how Lord Krishna used humour to buttress his position. That sense of humour is evident in Swami Ramdev's meetings, which he starts by teasing the youngest and moving slowly up the age ladder. A sense of humour plays a crucial role in reducing distance between the leader and followers and in generating a positive regard for the leader.

This is also one of the reasons Jayendra Saraswati could never build a following the way Swami Ramdev has done. Jayendra Saraswati hobnobbed with political leaders and always maintained a formal distance from the common people. The result was that he failed to get any popular support when he was attacked.

Then Swamiji realized the strategic opportunity that presented from TV channels especially those on religion. An expert communicator, Swamiji also realized that most yoga acharyas on TV hardly made any effort to communicate with the people. They came, expounded the virtues of yoga and admonished people to practice extremely difficult and physically contorting asanas.

Not so Swami Ramdev. The first thing that he did was to make Yoga simple. No longer people with stiff joints had to bend their bodies impossibly. He also focused on stressing on breathing. This was significant not only because most yogic texts have stressed on the necessity of correct breathing in regulating body functions but also in terms of ease that it offered to practitioners. Pranayama had hardly received as much attention by yoga practitioners who stressed on difficult asanas almost as if they were involved in a show of gymnastics.

The result was that he became a hit from the very start. It was not that he was fated to become a hit. Rather it was the attention that he paid to generating the maximum impact among the people that made him a hit. He followed this up with mass camps across the country where people got the opportunity to practice what they had seen on television. he set up a rigorous schedule criss crossing the country with thousands of camps. They not only brought in revenue but made him directly accessible to the common people. The people came into contact with Swamiji and were mesmerised by cheerful and outgoing personality, becoming his devoted followers.

This was not all. He realized that there was a need to safeguard the country’s medical heritage in Ayurveda. From the very beginning he had the vision to build a formidable enterprise that would combine the best of east and the west. It would not be a shoddy enterprise. Talking to reporters of the Pioneer his associate said that he was overwhelmed by the scale of Swamiji’s ambitions "5000 out-patients a day under one roof, a self-sustaining herbal plantation for a one-crore tablets a day pharmacy and an international facility spread over 650 acres to debate and evolve Ayurveda on a global scale"! He advised Swamiji to begin modestly since there was no money in their pockets. But Swamiji was committed to his grand vision. This committment to a powerful vision that has never been realized before and which seems completely impossible is one of the hallmarks of the archetype of Krishna.

Today that vision is a reality. Swamiji’s Patanjali Yogapeeth will soon be operational. It has "eight wings, five sections, a state-of-the-art yogshala and centrally air-conditioned diagnostics section and an in-patient department". Further, the four-storeyed Divya Yog Pharmacy in the industrial belt of Hardwar, is the biggest building in the area. This fully-computerised facility combines the best of ancient and modern wisdom and will soon start mass production of fully tested one crore tablets.

Of course success brings problems. Lord Krishna faced powerful enemies throughout his life and Swamiji has had the same fate. Swamiji seemed as an easy target. Most Hindu sages unfortunately hardly know how to deal with organized opponents. The biggest example of this was the ease with Jayendra Saraswati was humiliated. The Kanchi Shankaracharya's arrest hardly raised any protest. Rather the arrest only embarrassed the Kanchi Mutt.

In meeting the challenge posed by Ms Karat, Swami Ramdev showed the strategy of Lord Krishna as well. He changed the terms of the debate from one that focused on him to one that focused on allopathy vs indegenous medicine and indegenous vs foreign companies. Further, he mounted a campaign against the communists and exposed their intentions. He also ensured that his entire network of sympathisers was fully activated to meet the threat. The resulting hue and cry was so great that Ms Karat and had to backtrack.

Indian social and religious leaders would also do well to consider the difference in the reactions gathered by Jayendra Saraswati and Swami Ramdev. The difference lies in the nature of leadership style and the kind of leader-follower interactions of the two leaders. There is much that Indian leaders can learn about winning the hearts of people from Swami Ramdev.

Swami Ramdev is an example of the heights that one can achieve with determination and vision. His achievements are not just meant to be lauded but also emulated. Our ancestors made a mistake when they turned Rama and Krishna into a pedestal to be worshipped and not be followed. The result was that the quality of Indian leadership deteriorated badly. Today we have the opportunity and the challenge to to follow the great Avatars ourselves.

Reference:
The analysis of Swamiji's achievements is my own but the facts on his life and the information on his pharmacy as well as the attck on him has come from the following two articles in the Pioneer on Sunday, 15 January.

1. Meenakshi Rao & Debashis Mohanty, 'CEO of Yoga Inc', The Pioneer New Delhi, Sunday 'Foray', January 15, 2006
http://www.dailypioneer.com/foray1.asp?main_variable=SUNDAYPIONEER%2FFORAY&file_name=fory1%2Etxt&counter_img=1

2. Apurva Pandit, 'Ramdev - A Well Planned Blitzkrieg', The Pioneer, New Delhi, Sunday 'Foray' January 15, 2006
http://www.dailypioneer.com/foray1.asp?main_variable=SUNDAYPIONEER%2FFORAY&file_name=fory2%2Etxt&counter_img=2

Vice Admiral Krishnan of the Indian Navy – Tricking India’s enemies Krishna style

Rarely do we honour war heroes in our armed fores who use much ingenuity to outwit India’s enemies. On the other hand we are prone to surrendering all our victories on a silver platter to those whom we defeated. This account is about a war-hero whose brilliant Krishna like strategy led to the winning of the 1971 war. The full details of his exploit may be found in an article published in India Today Magazine. Its reference is provided at the end.

Vice-Admiral Krishnan, Flag Officer Commanding, Eastern Naval Command used a highly creative Krishna type strategy in the 1971 war with Pakistan. In the month before the war, Krishnan was concerned about INS Vikrant that had been given the charge of blockading the then East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) from the sea. However the vessel was deeply threatened by the formidable Ghazi submarine of the Pakistan Navy that was to be deployed in the Bay of Bengal.

Like Krishna, Krishnan prepared an elaborate deception plan to let the Pakistani Navy believe that INS Vikrant was stationed in the port of Vizag. He got an ageing destroyer INS Rajput to pretend to be Vikrant by sailing it out of Vizag and generating heavy wireless traffic. This would create the impression of a large ship in the area.

That was not all. He even tricked his own naval authorities in Chennai by falsely informing them that INS Vikrant would arrive in Vizag and began ordering huge quantities of rations which would indicate that the fleet was in the harbour. The Pakistanis fell for the trap and Ghazi was ordered to change directions and move to Vizag. Within a few days it was hit by an explosion and destroyed.

In the meantime, INS Vikrant and her escorts had been safely stationed in one of the Andaman islands. Three days after the sinking of the Ghazi, the Vikrant launched its first air strikes which dazed the Pakistani army in East Pakistan.

Thus the safety of the Indian aircraft carrier and eventually the victory of India in the
eastern sphere was due to the cunning strategy of a Vice admiral who lured the enemy to
a chosen area where it couldn’t damage the aircraft carrier and where the submarine was
presumably destroyed.

Reference
Unnithan Sandeep, "The Ghazi Mystery", India Today, January 26, 2004, P.58-61

Rama's idealism - B. Manjunathan

Another martyr to the cause of duty! B. Manjunathan, a young IIM graduate working with IOC was killed by the mob for his audacity to expose corrupt petrol pump owners. Manjunathan had struck fear into the hearts of unscrupulous petrol pump owners who used to adulterate petrol. He used to make surprise checks as part of the IOC’s campaign against adulteration and had blacklisted several petrol pump owners. He was killed by killers hired by disgruntled petrol pump owners.

It is interesting to note that Manjunathan had opted to go for the public sector even though he could have had earned premium salaries in the private sector. He knew that there were mafia gangs in the area and had told his father about them but he considered it his duty to attempt to right things. Manjunathan had expressed concern about the the lack of proper controlling systems or official support to control adulteration and book wrongdoers in UP. Yet he felt responsible to the company and its sales. He also saw it his duty to ensure that the dealers obeyed all the norms. Thus, Manjunathan displayed the idealism of Lord Rama in sticking by his committment to what he saw was his duty in the face of heavy odds.

More information on him is available on the following links:

Oil crusader gunned down - IOC employee & IIM graduate dies stoppingadulterationhttp://www.telegraphindia.com/1051122/asp/frontpage/story_5507028.asp

'My son told me about the mafia, he was killed for doing his duty forIOC'
http://www.indianexpress.com/full_story.php?content_id=82603

Many more Manjunaths need cover
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/1306430.cms

Murdered IOC officer's family devastatedhttp://www.ndtv.com/morenews/showmorestory.asp?category=National&slug=Murdered+IOC+officer's+family+devastated&id=81682

Collection of articles on Economic Timeshttp://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articlelist/1306442.cms

Generator muffled petrol gunshotshttp://www.telegraphindia.com/1051124/asp/nation/story_5514068.asp

K. J. Rao - Rama's dedication to duty

A Ram type of hero is someone who is firmly committed to ethical principles and is a forthright and direct person. Such a person is willing to face mighty opposition to not only abide by his ethical conduct but restore order in the place of chaos and mayhem.

One such hero who has shown dedication to duty in the face of great odds is special advisor to the Election Commission in Bihar - Mr. K.J.Rao. Mr. Rao has taught Bihar's politicians a lesson about the rule of law and made them understand that they were subject to the same rules as everyone else. In the process he encountered some powerful enemies in the form of two former chief ministers but he did not waver.

An analysis of Mr.Rao's conduct shows that Mr.Rao was a man of firm principles. He stuck to his stand and played no favorites. Further, he did not remote control the process from above, but went directly to the field and ensured that the election process ran smoothly. The impartial way in which he handled his duties earned him the enmity of Ravans in the form of two former chief ministers who left no stone upturned to insult and attack him. But Rao brushed them aside to concentrate on fulfilling histask.

The sheer dedication and devotion to duty in the face of great odds shows that Rao exemplifies the character of Lord Rama in terms of commitment to duty, adherence to ethical conduct, and directness of speech and conduct.

The way in which he met his formidable challenges is described in this article by Amarnath Tiwari which was published in The Pioneer on October 22, 2005.


The Pioneer
October 22, 2005
In Bihar, EC rules prevail
Amarnath Tewary / Patna

The 2005 Bihar Assembly elections, still midway in the second round, has already spanned many a historic milestones and would be recalled for changes in the caste and community equations, unprecedented deployment of security forces, surprisingly peaceful first-round October polls and for the man who commandeered it all, K J Rao.

But, more than anything, it would go down in electoral history for the lessons that the Election Commission taught to lording politicians across party line. It's not EC against a few, but EC against all in the state.

Ever since the election dates were announced, the Election Commission stepped out determined to hold fair and impartial elections in the badland. Chief Election Commission BB Tandon made several visits to the state with his deputies, passing strict instructions to the administration.

Special advisor Rao did not budge from the state for as many as 25 days a month. He had everything closely scrutinised. Every segment, constituency, electoral roll, voters ID card, polling booth were all seen minutely to plug any loopholes. Absconding criminals were arrested, upright officers were brought in and at the slightest suspicion, officers were shown the door. More than a lakh criminals were arrested in three months and more than 48,000 absconders were put behind the bars, according to state administration statistics.

Significantly, the political masters in the habit of making a mockery of the law, were made to pay acts of omission as the EC went about enforcing electoral law.All political parties felt the EC heat. Neither former Bihar chief minister and RJD candidate from Raghopur Rabri Devi nor LJP chief Ram Vilas Paswan was spared. If three RJD candidates were arrested for poll violation, an FIR was lodged against JD (U) candidate from Mahua assembly constituency.

The EC was fair in its firmness. First it was the RJD candidate from Deo assembly constituency, Suresh Paswan, in Auranagabad district who faced the EC music when he was arrested on the polling day on October 18 while moving with a rifle and armed cronies. Paswan was later sent to jail.

Similarly, Sanjay Prabhat, an RJD candidate from Govindpur constituency in Nawada district was caught while breaking an EVM machine and put behind the bars. But, the third RJD candidate from Jamui Assembly constituency, Vijay Prakash Yadav, somehow managed to breach the police dragnet and went underground. The arrest of Vijay Prakash, who is brother of UPA minister and close Lalu confidante Jay Prakash Yadav, created a flutter as the minister brother got released Vijay released using his ministerial and political clout.

On getting the news, the man of the moment, Rao, reached the place and made an intensive inquiry. Following this, axe fell on the officer incharge of the Khaira police station then on the zonal Inspector General NC Dhondhiyal. Later, Rao submitted his report to the EC amid speculation that the Jamui poll would be countermanded.

The very next day another RJD candidate and former controversial RJD minister, Surendra Yadav, was caught moving with rifles in his vehicle on the poll eve in his constituency Belaganj in Gaya. Heavyweight Surendra Yadav, too, was sent to jail after some initial hiccups.

The wily politician Lalu Prasad, who does not wish to lose a single opportunity that gives him electoral mileage, even capitalised on the arrest, saying it was "a well-planned conspiracy" against Yadavs and his party RJD. Lalu clearly sensed the eroding vote bank and was keen to undo the damage. Alliance partner Congress too sang the same tune.

Unrelenting EC later issued notices to Lok Janshakti Party chief Ram Vilas Paswan, too, for arousing communal feeling by making Muslim chief minister his main election plank. Later, an FIR was lodged against JD (U) candidate from Mahua Assembly constituency, Brishen Patel, in Vaishali for violating the model code of conduct during the party's public meeting.

An FIR was filed against former chief minister Rabri Devi in Vaishali for violating the code of conduct at the time of her nomination on October 4 by using 20 vehicles against the stipulates number of four. Besides, independent candidate from Dehri, Pradip Joshi, was arrested on the polling day when his bodyguard opened fire on a crowd. Joshi was later sent to jail.

Ashok Kheny - Krishna's proaction and grand vision

A Krishna type of person is someone who takes risks and attempts to realize a grand and powerful vision in the face of great odds. Always the vision is something new and is about bringing something into manifestation that has not existed before. In my book 'The Avatar Way of Leadership" I have referred to Dhirubhai Ambani as an archetype of Krishna.

In the recent spat between Mr. Narayan Murthy of Infosys and Mr. Deva Gowda I came across reference to Mr. Ashok Kheny who is the architect of the Bangalore-Mysore Infrastructure Corridor. This is a gigantic project involving the construction of 164-km string of expressways and five townships. Its due to cost Rs 2000 crore and is India’s first private infrastructure project to build inter-city expressways combined with world-class townships.

The corridoor will open an 8 km expressway out of Bangalore converting an hour-long drive into a five-minute one. The project will also have a 400 MW power plant, water and sewage systems.

Ashok Kheny had first approached the state government with the idea in 1995. He fully realized that Bangalore had the potential to grow exponentially. He told the state govt that Bangalore's IT skills would be worth $10 billion a year and was laughed out outright in the corridoors of power. However since he was willing to back his contention with his money, he was given the go-ahead and Kheny founded the Nandi Infrastructure Corridor Enterprise with the help of the Kalyani group. Kheny was able to get the backing of several banks - ICICI, Central Bank of India, Punjab National Bank, State Bank of Patiala and State Bank of Mysore.

Then started the painstaking process of getting the approvals and the land. In ten years the project has had to gain a mind-boggling 10,500 government approvals with over twenty thousand landholders being compensated. Between 1998 and 2003, there were public hearings and environmental clearances along with toll-franchise and land lease agreements signed.

The entire project is now in the fire due to the politics of Mr.Gowda who is playing the role of one of the opponents of Lord Krishna in this modern saga. That cannot minimise the achievements of Mr.Kheny. Mr.Kheny may justly be seen as exemplifying the risk taking and visionary abilities of Lord Krishna .

An account of Kheny's work and challenges especially the menace posed by the politics of Gowda is found in the following articles published in the Indian Express. This piece on Mr.Kheny is based on information from these two articles:

1. Lost Expressway Part - 1 by Samar Halarnkar, Indian Express, Sunday, October 23, 2005 http://www.indianexpress.com/print.php?content_id=80596

2. Lost Expresway, Part - 3 by Samar Halarnkar, Indian Express, Tuesday, October 25, 2005http://www.indianexpress.com/full_story.php?content_id=80729