I write this in response to the self-proclaimed political pundit Rajdeep Sardesai’s misleading, pontificating column "Art of Living and politicians: When loyalty trumps propriety" in the Hindustan Times on 18.3.16. Rajdeep is not all wrong. Gurudev does melt away differences – but not just on the banks of the Yamuna or in India. The galaxy of national and world leaders, artists and ordinary people who thronged the World Culture Festival, are testimony to his unique ability to unite people of different nations, races, beliefs and traditions – political or otherwise. In the words of the Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri alMaliki, who said this of Gurudev: “There are big powers which have big might, but they are not able to unite the hearts and minds of people. This work can be done only by a spiritual leader.” And herein lies Gurudev’s power - it is the power of love to move the world. And thus the World Culture Festival was most definitely a monumental power statement.
Rajdeep lies when he says of the World Culture Festival that, “a day before the event, the National Green Tribunal had fined Gurudev Rupees 5 crores for environmental violations.” The truth is that the Tribunal, by its order of 9.3.16, provided for environmental compensation for restitution of the environment, and did not levy a fine on Gurudev or The Art of Living. When the issue of the media claiming that Gurudev had been “fined” came up in the Tribunal on 11.3.16, Justice Swatanter Kumar specifically clarified in his order that, “We make it clear that we have imposed a sum of Rs. 5 crores initially as an environmental compensation in exercise of our jurisdiction in term of Section 15 and 17 of the NGT Act and not a penalty in term of Section 26 of the NGT Act.”
Contrary to what Rajdeep would have us believe, The Art of Living committed no illegality, as the Delhi Development Authority gave permission to hold the World Culture Festival on the banks of the Yamuna. With DDA permission, and no penalty being levied by the National Green Tribunal, for Rajdeep to make an accusation that “a wealthy and powerful spiritual leader can have an illegality ‘blessed’ by the PM”, is to grossly defame the spiritual leader and the PM.
Gurudev being clear that no penalty had been levied, said unequivocally that he would not pay a fine, (a penalty for an offence), and that The Art of Living had always planned to restore the environment. The Art of Living at no time intended to cause any damage to the environment, as validated by the organization’s decade’s old, global credentials in proactively caring for the environment, including rejuvenating seventeen rivers in India.
Gurudev doesn’t romance with politics as Rajdeep says. He simply stands for the truth and works tirelessly for a better world, fixed in our common human values. Gurudev works to elevate the level of ethics in all fields, be it politics, business or sports. His strategic initiatives have engaged multiple levels of national, international and multilateral government, business, and humanitarian organizations, including the UN, WHO, the European Parliament, and FIFA. His political goodwill and respect have been earned through decades of work on the ground, impacting every section of society, from militants and hardened convicts in prisons, to people in villages and cities, to those affected by trauma. It is this selfless service of Gurudev’s that brought politicians, in government, and in the opposition, from over 80 countries to India for the World Culture Festival.
Gurudev’s way is one of courage, conciliation and compassion. His courage is exemplified by his going into the red zones in Iraq with his conciliatory message; his fearless conviction seen in his inviting ISIS to the table to have a dialogue. Rajdeep, as Editorin-Chief of CNN IBN has personally experienced Gurudev’s compassion, when Gurudev unconditionally forgave Rajdeep’s Deputy Editor and anchor Sagarika Ghose for a fake “live” debate. Sagarika falsely presented Gurudev as being live on her panel with a looped clip of Gurudev. She had earlier recorded a oneon-one interview with Gurudev, with one set of questions. She then cut paste clips from Gurudev’s interview as his responses to live panelists on her evening show. The live panelists addressed specific questions to him, leveled accusations, and Sagarika inserted previously cut clips as Gurudev’s answers to the panelists. CAN YOU BELIEVE IT? No matter what a live panelist said, Sagarika played a doctored clip as Gurudev’s response to that question! Please watch this here. It’s irrefutable that Rajdeep, as Editor, allowed a falsified broadcast, damaging to Gurudev, selectively telecasting what they wanted the public to see. He himself selectively sees what he wants to.
Gurudev’s followers are from all faiths, beliefs and strata of society, but Rajdeep can’t see this. His eyes are fixed on Golf Links and his pet bogey: Hindu vote banks. He doesn’t see the 425 free schools that Art of Living runs to educate over 51,000 students in India in the rural, tribal and slum belts where child labor and poverty are widespread. The Art of Living through its 5H program has reached 40,212 villages, trained 203,220 rural youth, conducted 165,000 free stressrelief workshops benefitting more than 5,688,000 people, conducted 52,466 hygiene camps and 27,427 medical camps benefitting 577,400 people. It has planted 55,000,000 trees, built 3,819 homes, 15,000 toilets, 1,199 borewells and 904 biogas plants. 55 model villages are being developed benefitting thousands of people, and over 24,303 people have been trained in organic farming. What does Rajdeep see? He sees crony spiritualism, and an individual who “seeks self-aggrandizement above all else”.
He sees Gurudev as “India’s most well connected self-styled spiritual godman.” Gurudev is indeed the most well connected person I know, because he feels connected with each and every one on the planet - his one world family. Is he a godman, as defined by the Oxford dictionary: “an incarnation of a god in human form”? To answer this I end with a Gurudev quote: “God is not someone sitting far away in the skies. He resides within us all.
This is the essence of all religions be it Vedanta, Sufism, Islam, etc. In Christianity it is said, “The Kingdom of God is within you.” Om, Amin, Amen.
Written by Kavita Khanna.
