Padma awardees should select Lokpal: Ravishankar

The post of Lokpal should be filled by the respectable people in the society including Padmashree and Padmabhushan awardees and not by the government directly, opined Art of Living (AoL) Founder Ravishankar Guruji.

Addressing reporters at Shobhavana in Mijar near Moodbidri on Thursday, he said that the Lokpal should have extreme power in democratic set up and the post should be above the Union Ministry.

“Corruption is prevailing in bureaucratic and political levels. It is unfortunate that even courts too are not spared from the clutches of corruption. Awareness should be created to discourage people from giving bribe to government officials and politicians,”
Ravishankar noted.

Ravishankar said that the AoL has launched an anti-corruption campaign and accordingly, stickers reading ‘we do not accept bribe’ will be pasted on all government offices across the State.

To a query, he said that his desciples are not corrupt.

“All devotees who visit me for blessings cannot be considered as my desciples. My real desciples are not corrupt,” the Guruji added.

Expressing concern over the increasing sale of drugs and use of alcohol, he said, “society will not change until sale of alcohol and use of drugs are banned completely in the State.”

Reacting to the criticisms of rationlists, he said “some rationalists criticise spiritual leaders only for the sake of criticism without conducting proper studies.”

However, he said, “there were fake spiritual sadhus even during the time of Ravana.”
‘CM need not worry’

On allegations of practice of ‘vamachara’ (black magic) in politics, Ravishankar said that those who have faith in God need not worry about vamachara.

“Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa need not worry about vamachara, if he is an ardent believer,” he asserted adding, “there is positive energy in every individual, which converts the negative energy into positive.”

He lamented that most of the medicines and therapies of Indian origin were hi-jacked by foreign countries.

 “While Indians ignore the values of our medicines and therapies, foreign countries especially China makes use of it. Lakhs were cured for mental illness through the AoL practice,” added Ravishankar Guruji.

‘Madesnana superstition’

Ravishankar termed the practice of ‘Madesnana’ in Kukke Sri Subramanya Temple as a ‘superstitious belief’.

“Such superstitious beliefs are existing in many places in the nation. If they claim rolling on the left over of the lunch taken by others can cure various ailments, it is only a part of their faith. None of the religious books in India talk about such treatments. It is very difficult to separate sand mixed in sugar. We should either put water to separate the sweet water or else we should become ants to separate sugar from sand,” he explained.
He further added that awareness should be created to ward off all such practices.