Yoga guru Baba Ramdev talks to The New Indian Express Editorial Director Prabhu Chawla about his role in nation building, his respect for Dalits and Narendra Modi’s determination to return black money from foreign shores on Sachchi Baat on News X.
PC: Have you really become the Chanakaya? Your appearance, behaviour and disposition suggest you have.
BR: Prabhuji, I am really fond of you. You bestow upon me various titles. I am Swami Ramdev. And the tradition of the Rishis, whether Rishi Vishwamitra or Lord Rama, or Lord Krishna or Acharya Chanaka, or Mahrishi Dayananda, I take pride in the tradition. That’s my spritual path. I walk on it selflessly.
PC: Your vanvaas hasn’t ended. You have struggled for so long. You haven’t gone to Patanjali (Yogpeeth) for so many months. I am sure there is some politics behind it. I am sure there is a Chanakya strategy behind it. What do you want to do next? People say there is a motive behind your actions. They say that you have expectations from the Modi Government.
BR: Five years ago, on January 5, 2009, I founded Bharat Swabhimaan Trust... There was no question of Narendra Modi ji’s role on the national front. Two years ago, when we proposed his name for PM candidate...
PC: Did you propose it two years ago? I think it happened last year, around eight months ago…
BR: It was an internal discussion within the organisation…
PC: Who did you tell? Advaniji?
BR: My organisation… In April 2013, when the spiritual dignitaries were present on the dais, at an inaugural ceremony of Acharya Param, in Haridwar, the world watched it… we have no hidden agendas and no ambitions. We had proposed Modiji’s name for PM. He was present at the dais. It was a period of uncertainty and mistrust. Most influential people were scared. Sitting next to Modi was looked upon as a crime. We didn’t have any aspirations. Today, when he has become the PM, we don’t have any aspirations or expectations from him.
PC: In 2013, you announced that his name should be proposed for the PM post, you would have consulted the other spiritual dignitaries.
BR: On what?
PC: You barely knew him. You hardly met him. You were not in politics.
BR: Why not? I was not in politics… I am not taking any credit for it.
PC: You announced it in public. How did the thought strike you?
BR: Now look at the motive behind the journey. I have sworn that I will never enter politics, but I had pledged to change the power and system. We knew that there were too many challenges and questions being raised everywhere in the country. There was a huge crisis. The opportunity to solve all the problems and crisis, whether they were economical or political, was first given to Congress. They deceived us. I wanted to change the Congress reign because their social, spiritual, political, economical, cultural and administrative thought was not in tune with the wellbeing of the country. Their policies were pushing the country to darkness. People had lost faith in their leadership. I doubted their intentions. Hence I needed a person with good intentions, with an effective leadership and the one who could chalk out policies for the well-being of the nation. I saw the strength and those capabilities in Modi.
PC: So you realised that there was only one person and personality who could uproot the Congress.
BR: Yes. It’s true. In fact, objections were raised on my statement that there would be no support to BJP if there was no Modi. I had to say it. It’s not that there wasn’t capable leadership other than Modi in BJP. There were other personalities as well. But Modi was the need of the hour for the nation. But the kind of courage… There are three qualities-first-clarity-whether on social issues or political issues or economical issues or international issues; second - the courage to take crucial and tough decisions, and third- a person who could not be controlled and influenced like a puppet by the corporate forces.
PC: But it’s said that he is controlled by the corporate forces.
BR: Where? There were four people who saw the maximum number attacks in 10 years-Narendra Modi and Amit Shah in the political view; in the social view, Acharya Balkrishna and Swami Ramdev-who is sitting in front of you right now. I am not singing my praises. No one else could have survived those attacks. From putting us in jail to income tax notices of several hundred crores, we have paid them, and we have won the cases, from CBI to ED... And I want to mention it here today. It wasn’t a mere threat alone, that Baba Ramdev’s death would be the best for us.
PC: Are you talking about the Congress Govt?
BR: I am not about anyone.
PC: Who would try to kill you?
BR: It’s past. I want to give everyone “Abhay Daan”.
PC: You want to say that you have suffered a lot. Would you want everything back?
BR: I worked for the general good. You can do the biggest test one me. Not even once have I spoken to Modiji about the case.
PC: You would do it now.
BR: Why would I do it?
PC: You supported him.
BR: I am on the path of Truth. I won’t make appeals. I won’t plead anyone. I am not a pleader. I am the giver and not the taker. At the dais back in 2013, Modiji had said that the Sants have never asked him for anything. I say the country should be reduced to a “pleader”.