Indian Americans express solidarity with Ramdev's agitation
Hundreds of Indian Americans will hold meetings and observe fast across 13 cities in the US tomorrow to express solidarity with yoga guru Baba Ramdev's proposed agitation against black money and corruption.
In California, nearly a dozen organisations announced to hold a meeting in Fremont to show solidarity with the anti-corruption agitation of Ramdev, who has announced to go on an indefinite fast in New Delhi from Saturday in support of his demands.
Many Indian Americans in the state have announced to observe fast tomorrow. Everyone registering for the event will receive a yoga DVD of Ramdev.
Similar meetings and fast are being planned in Washington, New York, Houston, Tampa, New Jersey, Los Angeles, followers of the yoga guru said.
In Houston, the events will take place from 8:00 am to 8:00 pm (local time) on June 4 and 5 at the Arya Samaj of Greater Houston with a special programme from 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm on both the days.
"For more than five years, Ramdev has been visiting nook and corner of India, village to village, state to state, and educating the masses about the problems facing India," said Bhishma Kumar Agnihotri, former Ambassador-at-Large of India and chairman of Bharat Swabhiman Overseas. He will be the chief guest of the event.
"Swamiji believes that the systems in India require change and it's not possible unless the masses join the movement and uproot the entrenched current systems, built on corruption or inefficiency and supported by powerful vested interests. People have to wake up as a united force to save India," he said.
Some of Ramdev's followers are limiting themselves to a liquid diet - one of them is Vijay Pallod. "The Indian-Americans, though thousands of miles away from where the corruption is taking place, remains concerned about the situation in their homeland and specifically what it means for the country’s poor," he said.
Ramesh Bhutada, a Houston-based businessman and trustee for Ramdev's Patanjali Yogpeeth (USA), said: "The issues of black money , corruption and fast justice against corruption, the legacy of unjust laws, economic and education system left over from the British Raj even after 63 years of independence taken by Swamiji are of utmost importance to Bharat."
"Resolution of these issues will make India shine all over the world...," he said.
