Pune Cantonment Pune Camp, पुणे छावणी
—  city  —
MG Road in Pune Cantonment
Pune Cantonment Location of Pune Cantonment in Maharashtra and India
Coordinates	18°25′25″N 73°54′32″E / 18.42361°N 73.90889°E / 18.42361; 73.90889Coordinates: 18°25′25″N 73°54′32″E / 18.42361°N 73.90889°E / 18.42361; 73.90889
Country	India
Region	Paschim Maharashtra
State	Maharashtra
Division	Pune
District(s)	Pune
Subdistrict(s)	Haveli taluka
Established	1817
Cantonment Executive Officer	Rachel Koshy
Parliamentary constituency	Pune
Assembly constituency	Pune Cantonment
Civic agency	Pune Cantonment Board
Population • Density	79,454[1] (2005[update]) • 6,677 /km2 (17,293 /sq mi)
Time zone	IST (UTC+05:30)
Area • Elevation	11.9 km2 (5 sq mi) • 577 metres (1,893 ft)
Climate Temperature • Summer • Winter	Tropical Wet & Dry (Köppen) •      24 °C (75 °F) •      30 °C (86 °F) •      12 °C (54 °F)
Distance(s) • From Mumbai • 158 kilometres (98 mi) NNE (road)
Codes • Pincode • 411 0xx • Telephone • +(91)20 • UN/LOCODE • IN PNQ • Vehicle • MH 12
Website	www.punecantonmentboard.com
Seal of the Pune Cantonment Board Seal of the Pune Cantonment Board

Pune Cantonment (Marathi: पुणे छावणी), also known as Pune Camp, is a military cantonment located in Pune, Maharashtra in India. It was established in 1918 for accommodating troops of the British Indian Army. The cantonment houses many military establishments. It is also known for its many shopping locations like MG Road and East Street. The headquarter of Indian Army's Southern Command is located in Pune Cantonment. The National War Memorial Southern Command which commemorates the sacrifice of soldiers of the Indian Armed Forces is also situated in the cantonment.

History[link]

The British Indian Army already had a small encampment west of the Mula River in Khadki. As more troops were required to be accommodated, a larger area was occupied to the west of the Mutha River, leading to the establishment of the Pune Cantonment in 1817^[2] for accommodating troops of the British Indian Army. The villages of Mali, Munjeri, Wanowrie and Ghorpuri (Ghorpadi) were selected for this purpose.^[3] Initially, a garrison for 4,620 troops was planned for the cantonment. This included two European regiments, a mountain battery, a native cavalry and three native reciments.^[2] A central belt of 130 acres (0.53 km²) was designated for training and drills. The firing ranges were located at Golibar Maidan.^[2] Soon a large number of civilians began settling in the area. This was encouraged since civilians provided services to troops garrisoned in the cantonment.

A statue of Sam Manekshaw in Pune Cantonment

The National War Memorial Southern Command in Pune Cantonment

The limit of the cantonment were extended in 1822. In 1963, Ghorpuri Village (Ghorpadi) and Fatima Nagar were merged into cantonment area. The limit of the cantonment was again extended in the same year when Mundhwa village was included in the cantonment.

Government and politics[link]

Pune Cantonment is a part of the Pune Lok Sabha constituency. Pune Cantonment is a separate constituency of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly (Vidhan Sabha). The currently elected Member of Legislative Assembly from Pune Cantonment constituency is Ramesh Bagwe.^[4]

Civic administration[link]

The Pune Cantonment Board is responsible for the civic administration of the cantonment. Pune Cantonment has no independent mayor. The mayor of Pune is the mayor of the cantonment. The Lashkar Police Station is responsible for maintaining law and order in Pune Cantonment.^[5] The cantonment comes under Zone II of the Pune Police.

Transport[link]

Pune Cantonment is connected by public transport buses operated by the Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Limited.^[6] Autorickshaws are easily available in the cantonment. The NH-9 which connects Pune to Machilipatnam via Solapur and Hyderabad passes through the cantonment. The nearest rail link to the cantonment is the Pune Railway Station. The nearest airport is the Pune International Airport.

Utility services[link]

The Pune Municipal Corporation supplies water to the residents of Pune Cantonment.^[3] The Pune Cantonment Board has also set up public water posts for usage by economically backward sections. Electricity is distributed by the Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited. Cell phone coverage is extensive, and the main service providers are Vodafone Essar, Airtel, BSNL, Reliance Communications, Idea Cellular, Tata DoCoMo and Tata Indicom.

Education[link]

The Pune Cantonment Board runs three high schools and 6 primary schools in the cantonment area.^[7] In addition to these, there are many other private schools and colleges in Pune Cantonment. The Armed Forces Medical College, a prominent landmark, is also located here.

Health[link]

The Pune Cantonment Board runs the Cantonment General Hospital,^[8] a 100 bedded hospital on the Solapur Road. It also runs 3 dispensaries in the Cantonment. A military hospital is also located in the cantonment. Also the Ruby Hall Clinic, the Jehangir Hospital (both privately operated) and the Sassoon Hospital (state operated) are located in the vicinity of the cantonment.

See also[link]

• Khadki Cantonment
• Dehu Road Cantonment
• Roads of Pune

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official website

v t e Pune topics History Maratha Empire Sinhagad Shaniwar Wada Battle of Khadki Shivaji Baji Rao I Nanasaheb Peshwa Bal Gangadhar Tilak Pune Terror Attacks Civic Mayor Pune Police Pune Municipal Corporation Pune Cantonment Board Pune Metropolitan Area Landmarks Buildings Aga Khan Palace Ruby Hall Shaniwar Wada Vishrambaug Wada Balbharti Shinde Chhatri Temples Chaturshringi Temple Dagadusheth Halwai Ganapati Temple Pataleshwar Kasba Ganapati Dashabhuja Ganapati Temple Museums Raja Dinkar Kelkar Museum Mahatma Phule Museum Babasaheb Ambedkar Museum Pune Tribal Museum National War Museum Blades of Glory Museum Parks and Zoos Bund Garden Rajiv Gandhi Zoological Park Shunyo Park Shahu Udyan Peshwe Park Saras Baug Empress Garden Kamala Nehru Park Sambhaji Park Pu La Deshpane Udyan Baner-Pashan Biodiversity Park* Osho Park Others New Katraj Tunnel Old Katraj Tunnel Katraj Ghat Economy Software companies Market Yard Mandai Magarpatta City International Convention Centre Tulsi Baug Transport Air Pune International Airport New Pune International Airport * NDA Glider Airport Hadapsar Airport Rail Pune Railway Station Pune Suburban Service Shivajinagar Station Khadki Station Ghorpuri Station Ghorpuri West Station Hadapsar Station Ahmedabad - Mumbai - Pune Bullet train * Road Mumbai-Pune Expressway Old Pune-Mumbai Highway Pune Station Bus Stand Swargate Bus Stand Shivajinagar Bus Stand Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation Ring Road † Internal Shivajinagar Station - Swargate Skywalk * Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Limited Pune BRTS † Pune Metro * Pune Monorail * Roads Mumbai-Chennai NH 4 Pune-Nashik NH 50 Pune-Solapur (Part of NH 9) Karve Road F C Road J M Road Tilak Road M G Road Laxmi Road Sinhgad Road Pune-Paud Law College Road Canal Road Chhatrapati Shivaji Road Bajirao Road Katraj-Dehu Road Bypass Culture Meher Baba Osho Sawai Gandharva Music Festival Ganesh festival Shaniwarwada Dance Festival Education College of Engineering National Defence Academy Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute Fergusson College and IMDR,Pune University of Pune Film and Television Institute of India Sinhgad College of Engineering Gokhale Institute of Politics and Economics Symbiosis Institute of Business Management Symbiosis Institute of Management Studies Pune Institute of Computer Technology National Chemical Laboratory Deccan College Armed Forces Medical College Bharti Vidyapeeth Law college Sports Events Pune Marathon 2008 Commonwealth Youth Games 2009 FIVB Men's Junior World Championship FIBA Asia Under-16 Championship for Women 2009 2011 Rollball World Cup Teams Pune FC Pune Warriors Pune Strykers Pune Black Tigers Maharashtra cricket team Chetak FC Deccan XI FC CMS Falcons FC Fatima XI FC Khadki Blues FC Sinhagad Supremos Venues Royal Connaught Boat Club Nehru Cricket Ground MCA Stadium Shree Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex Pune Race course CAFVD Sports Stadium Sanas Sports Ciy Geography Hills and Mountains Vetal Hill (Hanuman Tekdi) Fergussen Hill Parvati Hill Baner Hill Sutarwadi Hill Katraj Hill Ramtekdi Gultekdi Water Bodies Mula River Mutha River Mula-Mutha River Peacock Bay Katraj Lake Pashan Lake Ramnadi Ambilodha City Areas Central Pune Somwar Peth Mangalwar Peth Budhwar Peth Guruwar Peth Shukrawar Peth Shaniwar Peth Raviwar Peth Kasba Peth Ganj Peth (Mahatma Phule Peth) Bhavani Peth Ghorpade Peth Ganesh Peth Sadashiv Peth Narayan Peth Rasta Peth Nana Peth Navi Peth Inner Pune Pune Cantonment (Camp) Yerwada Kalyani Nagar Koregaon Park Kothrud Swargate Shivajinagar Aundh Lohegaon Sopan Baug Deccan Gymkhana Erandavane Paud Phata Parvati Mukundnagar Maharshinagar Gultekdi Erandwane Salisbury Park Bopodi Heera Baug Outer Pune Range Hills Khadki Khadki Cantonment Ganeshkhind Dattawadi Sahakarnagar Dhankawadi Bibvewadi Lullanagar Upper Kondhwa Ghorpadi Fatimanagar Wanowrie Vishrantwadi Ramwadi Vanaz Kharadi Gokhale Nagar Pune City Suburbs Katraj Balewadi Warje Baner Pashan Hadapsar Bavdhan Manjri Dhanori Kalas Wadgaon Budruk Dhayari Lower Kondhwa Undri Mohammedwadi Mahalunge * Planned † Under construction

To comply with Wikipedia's lead section guidelines, the introduction of this article may need to be rewritten. Please discuss this issue on the talk page and read the layout guide to make sure the section will be inclusive of all essential details. (April 2012)

The neutrality of this article is disputed. Please see the discussion on the talk page. Please do not remove this message until the dispute is resolved. (May 2012)

Swami Ramdev
Baba Ramdev
Born	January 1965 (age 47) Ali Saiyad Pur (Alipur), Mahendragarh, Haryana, India
Birth name	Ram Krishna
Guru	Acharya Pradumn
Philosophy	Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam[1]

Swami Ramdev (born as Ramkrishna on 11 Jan 1965 in Haryana)^[2] alias Baba Ramdev is a spiritual leader known for his ventures in yoga, ayurved and agriculture. Baba Ramdev is best known for popularizing yoga among health conscious Indians through his mass yoga camps & TV shows. Since last year he has become more controversial for his continued advocacy on Indian political issues.^[3]

Early life[link]

Ramdev was born as Ramkrishna Yadav to Gulab Devi and Ram Nivas in the Alipur village of Mahendragarh district in Haryana state of India.He had a formal education till 8th standard in school. He then studied Indian scriptures, yoga and Sanskrit in various gurukuls. Eventually, he became sanyasi, renouncing worldly life & took present name as Baba Ramdev.^[4] While living in Kalva Gurukul of Jind district in Haryana, he offered free yoga training to villagers for some time. Then he moved to Haridwar, Uttarakhand and spent several years studying ancient Indian scriptures at Gurukul Kangri Vishwavidyalaya. This included a rare book of Aurobindo Ghosh, Yogik Sadhan,^[5] translated from Bengali into Hindi by Pandit Ram Prasad Bismil. After reading this small booklet योगिक साधन he went to the caves of Himalaya and practised intense self-discipline and meditation.

Beginning of Public Life[link]

He entered prominence when he started the Divya Yog Mandir Trust with the company of Acharya Balkrishna at Kankhal Haridwar. In 2003, Aastha TV began featuring him in its morning yoga slot. Within a few years, he had gathered a huge following.^[6] The New York Times called him "an Indian, who built Yoga Empire, a product and symbol of the New India, a yogic fusion of Richard Simmons, Dr. Oz and Oprah Winfrey, irrepressible and bursting with Vedic wisdom."^[7]

A large number of people and many celebrities in India and abroad have attended his yoga camps.^[8] He has taught yoga to many actors including Amitabh Bachchan and Shilpa Shetty.^[9] He has also taught yoga in the British Parliament,^[10] at the MD Anderson Cancer Center affiliated to the University of Texas^[11][12] and at the seminary of Muslim clerics at Deoband in Uttar Pradesh, becoming the first ever non-Muslim to publicly address the deobandi Muslim clerics.^[13]

Apart from making Yoga a household word in India, he has also taught Yoga in Britain, USA and Japan among other countries. Soon after getting popular outside India, he was invited by Kofi Annan in 2006 to deliver a lecture on poverty alleviation in a United Nations conference.^[14][15]

Patanjali Yogpeeth and Research on Yoga[link]

A view of Patanjali Yogpeeth in Haridwar (Uttara Khand) India

The flagship project of Baba Ramdev is Patanjali Yogpeeth. Since its inauguration in 2006, it has been one of the largest centers for research on Yog and Ayurved in India. The vision of the research institution as mentioned on the Patanjali Yogpeeth website is "To evaluate the physiological and clinical effects of Yog and Pranayam as taught by Swami Ramdevji and the Ayurvedic medicines formulated by Acharya Balakrishanji".^[16] Apart from running free yoga classes and providing free ayurvedic consultancy in the premises of the yogpeeth, the Patanjali Yogpeeth website claims to run 20,000 free yoga classes and 2000 chikitsalayas all over the country.^[17] The facilities at the Yogpeeth comprise a 300-bed multi specialty hospital, a yoga research center,^[18] a university,^[19] an ayurvedic pharmacy^[20] and a food park.^[21]

Patanjali YogPeeth has acquired a Scottish Island for about £2 million which was donated by Mr.Sam and Mrs. Sunita Poddar, originally from India and living in Scotland for 25 years, have been running the UK branch of the Patanjali Yoga Peeth Trust.^[22] The Little Cumbrae Island, off the fishing town of Largs in Scotland, will also serve as the Patanjali Yog Peeth's base overseas, where yoga will be taught. This project will be run by Patanjali Yogpeeth (UK) Trust.^[23] They have plans to set up a wellness retreat there.

Political and social campaigns[link]

Ramdev has clarified that he has no political ambitions and is not interested in starting a political party, but feels it's his obligatory duty to reform social and political ambiguities apart from popularising yoga and thus strengthen the country.^[24][25]

He has raised a number of political, social and economic issues through his yoga camps (in Hindi Yog Shivir). Most of the issues raised by him demand a drastic change in the governance policies of India.

On agriculture and dietary practices[link]

In many yog shivira (yoga camps), he has raised the issue of increased consumption of fast foods, packed foods and soft drinks by the people. According to him these products can cause diseases and so they must not be eaten. He has also claimed that commercially available aerated drinks are harmful to due to the presence of phosphoric acids, preservatives, unknown chemicals and emulsifiers. He claims that these drinks are very harmful to the entire body and especially the stomach lining if consumed. He has also made statements along the lines of "Coca Cola means Toilet Cleaner" and has claimed that these cold drinks are as effective at cleaning toilets as the commercially available toilet cleaners.^[26] He urges people in his public meetings to pledge not to consume commercial aerated drinks, to protect individual health as well as to avoid Indian wealth being transferred to multinational companies. Instead he advices the public to consume hot water, milk or traditional Indian juices which keep them in good health.

He has also claimed that the use of fertilizers and pesticides has led to an undue economic load on farmers and increased the profits of large business houses involved in the business. He also claims that these practices are harmful to the general public, since the farming produce is contaminated with inorganic fertilizers and pesticides.^[27] Due to this practice, the farming land is also becoming barren. He also blames corrupt practices for the miserable conditions of the poor farmers and other backward class of the society. He says that although agriculture is the biggest area which can contribute enough to India's economy yet it's farmers are the most poverty stricken class of the country. He says if villages improve then there will be a completely different India^[28]

Protests against black money[link]

Baba Ramdev raised the issue of black money publicly in Ramlila Maidan on 27 Feb 2011^[29] Estimations indicate a total of Rs. 400 lakh crore, or nearly 9 trillion USD, of Indian black money outside the country. It is claimed but not proven that this is so much money that every Indian constituency could get up to 50 thousand crore for development. The money has been pulled outside the country via physical and technical means, with hawala, under/over invoicing being some common methods. Money laundering started on a large scale since 1990.

In April 2011 Julian Assange, founder of Wikileaks, confirmed that there are Indian names on Swiss bank accounts.^[30] Switzerland is not the only tax havens where Indian black money is stashed. Other tax havens include Dubai, Liechtenstein, USA, UK, and others.^[29] Switzerland has officially rejected any "fishing expeditions" by the Indian government but are willing to be more cooperative in investigations where specific evidence is provided. An approach had been made by Indian government but was refused on the basis that it was a fishing expedition without any evidence. Baba Ramdev has said that most of the money belongs to the ministers, government officials and bureaucrats.^[29]

Apart from this, there is an estimated Rs. 100–150 lakh crore of black money in India's internal economy. India's total GDP is in the range of 60 lakh crore and at least twice of this amount is circulating in black, which is roughly between 100 and 150 lakh crore.^[29] Ramdev has suggested many measures to curb the amount of black money circulating inside the internal economy. Baba Ramdev pointed out that total currency note circulation in India is 10 lakh crore. If the GDP is 60 lakh crore, then currency note circulation should be 1/50 of that amount, which is only 2 lakh crore. A common thumb-rule of macroeconomics is that a currency note can travel 50 to 100 transaction points over a year. Hence if RBI has circulated 10 lakh crore of currency then the total Indian economy should be at least 50 × 10 lakh crore = 500 lakh crore. This clearly indicates that there is huge amount of black money circulating inside the internal economy and an equally high amount of unaccounted wealth is being siphoned out of the country every year by corrupt ministers and bureaucrats.

Swami Ramdev has been associated with the 2011 Indian anti-corruption movement and was involved in the Jan Lokpal agitation^[31]

In February 2011, he gave the following steps for eradication of black money:^[32]

1. Declare all Indian wealth lying outside the country as national wealth.
2. Agree to and accept the U.N. Convention against Corruption – pending since 2006.
3. Access, monitor and disrupt payment gateway servers enabling corrupt people to manage money in tax havens.
4. Scrutinizing accounts of people having credit/debit cards of foreign banks without any foreign work/relation.
5. Disabling operations of any bank from a tax haven country.
6. Withdrawal and demonetizing of Rs. 500 and Rs. 1000 currency notes – so as to avoid misuse of unaccounted money and quick arrest of the entire locally circulated black money, bribing, and fake note traffic.
7. Death penalty provision for the corrupt persons in Indian Penal Code.

Many countries like USA, Germany and other smaller African countries have attempted to adopt certain steps to recover their black money yet at the same time they have retained their own havens, for example, the USA has Delaware, the UK has the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands, France has Monaco. However in India the government calls Ramdev's idea as impractical as many of Indias largest corporations trade in Switzerland and much needed investment into India from overseas funds is routed through Mauritius. The practicality of such steps has been called into question.^[24]

He has raised the issue of Indian money stashed away illegally in Swiss banks, which is estimated to be anywhere between 1 and 1.5 trillion USD. He says that the government must take immediate action and bring back the money as it belongs to the people of India. Not only this, he openly charges that this black money has been taken out of the country illegally and also very strongly demands a capital punishment to all those Indians or non-resident Indians, who acquire, handle and stash black money.

He suggests that Mauritius route is a tax haven for black money operators in India and this route should be cut effectively by the Indian government but ignores the fact that all UK and US funds use Mauritius to invest in the Indian stock-market and in India. He had also demanded (as early as September 2009) the removal of currency of denominations of Rs. 500 and Rs. 1000, saying that this would curb corruption, black money and terrorism.^[33][34]

Anti-corruption rally on 27 February 2011 at Ramlila Maidan[link]

On 27 February 2011 Baba Ramdev held a large rally of over 1 lakh people at the Ramlila Maidan, New Delhi to protest against corruption. Those present at the rally included Baba Ramdev, Acharya Balkrishna, Ram Jethmalani, Anna Hazare, Arvind Kejriwal, Kiran Bedi, Swami Agnivesh and many others.^[35] All members spoke and explained how corruption was rampant in the country and how the government itself was indulging in it. The most highlighted topic was Indian black money lying in tax havens of Switzerland. A striking feature of this rally was that all the major media houses boycotted it.

Bhrashtachar Mitao Satyagrah 4 June 2011 at Ramlila Maidan[link]

Preface[link]

Baba Ramdev launched the Bhrashtachar Mitao Satyagrah which was held at Ramlila Maidan, New Delhi on 4 June 2011. Key demands were:^[36]

1. Declare all illegal wealth/black money lying in foreign countries, which belong to Indians as National Property.
2. Declaring money laundering as a National Crime and should be punishable.
3. Investigate and shut down the Mauritius route of foreign investment.
4. Sign and ratify the United Nations Convention Against Corruption, pending since 2006
5. Recall Rs. 1000 and Rs. 500 notes to curb corruption, bribery and illegal flow of money in the internal economy of the country.
6. Enact a strong Lokpal bill.
7. Establish infrastructure to deliver medical and engineering education in Indian Languages.
8. Enact Public Service Delivery Guarantee Act to enable all citizens to avail government/public services easily and quickly
9. Enact the Kisan Vetan Ayog to establish standards for payment of wages to farmers and classify farming as skilled labour.

Protest at Delhi[link]

Baba Ramdev declared to go on an Anshan (indefinite fast) on June 4, 2011 at Ramlila Ground Delhi^[37] to pressure the Central Government to root out corruption from India and bring back the black money stashed away in various financial institutions abroad. After this declaration the government was said to have set up a panel to suggest steps to curb black money and its transfer abroad, in an apparent bid to placate Ramdev.^[38]

When Ramdev arrived at Delhi airport on June 1, four senior ministers of the UPA government met him on the airport and tried to persuade him by telling of the government's initiative on corruption.^[39] On 4 June morning 65,000 followers of the yoga teacher had gathered at Ramlila Ground^[40] By noon queues extending up to 3 km from the entry point of Ramlila Grounds and were seen chanting 'Vande Mataram'. In the evening a press conference was organised by Kapil Sibbal made public a letter from Ramdev's camp to call off their agitation. Ramdev took it as a betrayal of the Government and hardened the position by declaring not to take back his Satyagrah until a proper government ordinance is announced in place of forming a committee.

Satyagrah was going on even in the night of 4 June 2011. Sources informed Baba Ramdev that a huge police force can try to clear Ramlila Ground and if it is not done they can also kill him in a fake encounter or set fire in the tents.^[41] At midnight, a huge team of 10,000 officers of the Delhi Police and RAF raided the ground when most of the Satyagrahis were sleeping on the and Ramdev was also sleeping on the dias along with his core group.^[42] A large police force lobbed tear gas shells and lathicharged to evict the crowd from 1a.m. to 4 a.m. The tent was set on fire at many places. Cold water was thrown over power generators to create complete darkness to prevent any video recording of the whole attack. However most media persons recorded what was going on.

Police had arranged buses to drop supporters at railway stations and bus stands in advance; had ammunition ready and all the policemen were in battle-gear wearing vests and helmets and kept some ambulances on standby. Ramdev was arrested while attempting to disguise himself in women's clothing.^[43]

Delhi Police forcefully detained Ramdev at Safdargunj Airport in complete isolation for a few hours and then deported him to his Ashram in Haridwar via helicopter.^[44] Police fired tear gas, lathcharged people who were reportedly peacefully fasting. 53 persons were injured and treated at the Lok Nayak Jai Prakash (LNJP) hospital, AIIMS trauma center, and Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital.^[45][46][47] Government stopped media person or anybody to enter the hospital to check the injured. Protesters huddled near the Metro station, bus depots and railway stations. Many walked down to Gurdwara Bangla Sahib and other nearby Ashrams.^[48] According to New Delhi railway station authorities, supporters continued to leave in batches through the course of the day. While several supporters spent the day in a park near Ramlila Maidan, others took shelter in Arya Samaj at Paharganj.^[49]

Baba Ramdev was taken by police out side Delhi and was banned from entering Delhi for 15 days. After being banned from entering Delhi for the next 15 days, Union Home Secretary G. K. Plillai said the Baba was on his way to his Ashram at Haridwar under police custody.^[50] On reaching Haridwar, Swami Ramdev declared in a press conference that his fast unto death will continue.

About 5,000 supporters were still missing according to Baba Ramdev.^[51] Dr. Jaideep Arya, a key advisor of Ramdev’s team, said that about 19 girls students from the Chotipur Gurukul, who were seated near the dais, are estimated to be still missing.^[52] Suman, women’s representative of the Trust, said many of these girls were roughed up when the police tried to reach Swamiji and were crying since police officials were pulling their hair, dragging them badly and their clothes were torn. Police, however, said no one was missing.^[52] A senior police officer reported that they were forced to retaliate after Baba Ramdev's supporters started throwing stones and flower pots at them.^[53] Police also released CCTV footage to prove that no woman was beaten by them.^[54] TV channels were telecasting the footage of the scene in Ramlia Ground. Rajbala, who suffered a crippling spinal injury and was undergoing treatment at G. B. Pant Hospital died following cardiac arrest. The hospital authorities refused to give a death summary and other relevant papers, and even asked to file an RTI application. Baba Ramdev, in a statement, said “Her sacrifice is an irreparable loss to the whole organisation…..and her death will not go in vain. We will continue to fight for a corruption-free India.^[55]”

Anti-corruption activist Anna Hazare and yoga guru Baba Ramdev will jointly sit on a day's token fast in Delhi on 3 June 2012 to press for a strong Lokpal Bill and to mobilise opinion against black money.^[56]

Aftermath of the Delhi protest and fast unto death[link]

Ramdev accused the government of cheating him, and alleged that there was a conspiracy to kill him and that he was threatened during a meeting with senior ministers.^[57] All political parties other than the Congress Party condemned the police action, called it undemocratic and naked fascism,^[58] deplorable and shortsighted.^[59][60] It was even compared it with the Emergency^[58] and the Jalianwala.^[58] Apart from politicians, he was also supported by civil societies as well. Activist Anna Hazare termed the crackdown of the agitation a strangulation of democracy. He said: "There was no firing otherwise the eviction was similar to Jallianwala Bagh massacre".^[61] He boycotted his lokpal panel meeting with the government on 6 June and decided to go on a one day fast on 8 June. His allies RTI activist Arvind Kejriwal, former Law Minister Shanti Bhushan, and Swami Agnivesh also criticised the police action to evict the hunger strikers forcefully^[62] Protests were held in many different parts of the country.^[63] Protest were held in Bangalore, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Jammu and Lucknow as well as among other several cities of India.^[64]

End of hunger strike[link]

Baba Ramdev ended his fast on the ninth day by drinking a glass of juice at Himalayan Institute of Medical Sciences, Dehradun, where he was recuperating from the seventh day of his fast. After repeated request from Sri Sri Ravi Shankar and various other activisst he ended his fast.^[65] Political reactions came in from all major parties expressing their happiness about ending the fast. BJP Spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad said they have a "sense of satisfaction" that the fast has ended. Janata Party leader Subramanian Swamy said that the fast was "successful" and termed the government as "monstrous". While the ruling party Congress spokesperson Janardan Dwivedi gave a reaction by saying it as "good".^[66]

Allegations of corruption and tax evasion[link]

Hours after 4 June, the Congress-led UPA government started a massive campaign against Baba Ramdev, Acharya Balkrishna and Patanjali Yogpeeth Trust. Multiple allegations were raised against Baba Ramdev and Acharya Balkrishna.

Some of them being:

1. Baba Ramdev is involved in tax evasion.
2. Baba Ramdev exports products that are banned in the United States.
3. Donations received by Baba Ramdev consist of black money.
4. Acharya Balkrishna has fake passport.
5. Acharya Balkrishna is a Nepali criminal who fled from Nepal to India.
6. Acharya Balkrishna has violated the Arms Act, 1959.

The Indian National Congress lead United Progressive Alliance launched a booklet to criticise and expose Ramdev during its election campaign in Uttar Pradesh for the 2012 elections.^[67][68] Acharya Balkrishna was later cleared of fake passport charges.^[69]

It is said^{[by whom?]} that there are a maze of companies that are run and maintained by Ramdev´s key men. Over 200 businesses^{[citation needed]} from broadcasting companies to food parks are run by his allies Acharya Balkrishna and Swami Muktanand. Baba Ramdev is also facing charges of land grab as it was reported^{[by whom?]} that Patanjali Yog Peeth had grabbed government land. In 2011, a report released by India Today cited some of the firms running under the guidance of Baba Ramdev as being scanned by government authorities for the above mentioned allegations.^[70][71]

Controversies and criticisms[link]

Involvements in activities prohibited for non-profit in USA[link]

Ramdev and his non-profit firms are alleged to involve in activities prohibited for non-profit tax-exempt organisations in USA.^[72]

Links with RSS and BJP[link]

Lalu Yadav said in a press conference- "Sadhvi Ritambhara was the first one to share the stage (with Ramdev at ramlila protest). She was the one who was responsible for the Babri Masjid demolition".^[73] Digvijay Singh, Congress general secretary alleged that all the five-star arrangements at Ramlila ground protests were done by right activist group RSS and Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP).^[74] Congress spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi said-"Some people with vested interest are hijacking and remote controlling the protest by RSS and BJP". It is said that he is also been financed by RSS. Ramdev has responded to these allegations by saying that, every patriot and well-wisher of the nation is supporting him, if RSS is one of them, so be it.

Initially RSS leader Ram Madhav made distance on this issue.^[75] But later on RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat said- "The RSS was not behind the stir launched by Ramdev seeking repatriation of the black money stashed illegally in foreign banks but have extended all support to it (agitation)." He added- "RSS cannot remain a mute spectator to the social revolution taking place against corruption and black money. Therefore, it has asked its cadres to join the agitation"^[76]

Labour law violations and animal parts in medicines[link]

In March 2005, 113 employees of Divya Yoga Mandir Trust, Haridwar started an agitation for minimum wages and employees's rights such as coverage under the Provident Fund and Employees' State Insurance schemes. After a tripartite meeting, an agreement was reached between the workers, management and the district administration. However, some agitating workers were dismissed by the Trustees after being alleged to be responsible for sabotage. Their case was taken up by the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU), affiliated to the Communist Party of India (Marxist). They are still to be reinstated.^[77][78]

Brinda Karat, a senior leader of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) was involved with the protesters and was told by disgruntled workers that animal parts were used in the manufacture of some medicines. In January 2006, she accused the Divya Pharmacy, owned by Divya Yog Mandir Trust for using human and animal bones in their medicines. Samples of the medicines Kulya Bhasm (Mixture) and Yauvanamrit Vati purchased from Brahmakalp Chikitsalaya- the Trust's Hospital at Haridwar were tested at government labs and the presence of animal materials in the sample was confirmed.^[77] However, the source of the samples was disputed, as these had been supplied by Karat to the labs and not procured by government officials. Karat produced what were claimed to be the prescription and cash receipt obtained from the medicine counter for the samples provided.^[77][78][79]

Her controversial remarks drew strong condemnation from several politicians in North India, like Sharad Pawar, Mulayam Singh Yadav and Narayan Dutt Tiwari.^[80] Subsequently she received a legal notice on the behalf of a BJP leader in Faridabad.^[81]

A few months later in 2006, four samples were sent to the government recognized Shriram Institute of Industrial Research in Delhi. Negating the report from this institute the Union Health Ministry said to have found animal DNA in the samples, although most of the newspapers carried reports to the contrary.^[82]

Views on AIDS and sex education[link]

In December 2006, Swami Ramdev claimed to improve the condition of patients suffering with AIDS through yoga and ayurvedic drugs sold by his Divya Yoga Mandir Trust. He also went on to suggest that sex education should be replaced by yoga education, as his way to AIDS awareness and prevention.^[83] "Sex education in schools need [sic] to be replaced by yoga education," Ramdev told reporters at the state health minister's residence. As a consequence of these public statements he was sent a cease and desist order by the Indian Union Health Ministry to avoid making such claims in the future, and the civil society threatened legal action.^[84] In response, Ramdev paraphrased his statement and said the claims were not directly his, but those of patients who practiced yoga.^[85]

Views on homosexuality[link]

According to Newsweek magazine, Ramdev "detests gays".^[86] In July 2009, when Delhi High Court gave a verdict under decriminalizing homosexuality in Delhi, the swami called a press conference and said, "This verdict of the court will encourage criminality and sick mentality. ... This is breaking the family system in India. Homosexuality is not natural and can be treated. If the government brings this law, I will take this matter to the streets of Delhi in protest."^[87] In 2011 he petitioned the court to overturn the ruling.^[88] He said that "(Gay sex) is against our Vedic culture."^[89] Ramdev has said that he can cure homosexuals within six months using "yoga, pranayam and other meditation techniques".^[90][91] He has offered to cure Manvendra Singh Gohil, an openly gay prince.^[92] His views have attracted criticism.^[93]

Claims of curing cancer[link]

Other press reports quoted him as claiming to have a cure for cancer of the breast, liver, prostate, uterus, pituitary gland, and brain, as well as leukemia, by practicing breathing exercises. Swami Ramdev claims to have documented curing hundreds of patients.^[94]

Awards and recognitions[link]

• January 2007 – Honorary Doctorate, by Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology, Bhubaneswar, in recognition of his efforts to popularize the Vedic system/science of Yoga.^[95]

• March 2010 – Honored with Degree of Doctorate of Sciences by Amity University, Noida, Uttar Pradesh.^{[citation needed]}
• April 2010 – Honored with honorary degree of Doctor of Science by Dr D. Y. Patil Deemed University, Pune, Maharashtra.^{[citation needed]}
• January 2011 – Honored with Sri Chandrashekharendra Saraswati National Eminence Award by Maharashtra Governor K. Shankaranarayanan.^[96]

Bibliography[link]

1. Yoga Sādhanā evam Yoga Chikitsā Rahasya (Yog Its Philosophy & Practice ISBN 978-81-89235-15-4)
2. Prāṇāyāma Rahasya (Pranayama Its Philosophy & Practice ISBN 978-81-89235-01-7)
3. Aushadh Darshan (Aushadh Darshan ISBN 978-81-89235-24-6)
4. Jeevaniya & Vayasthapan Paudhe (Vitality Strenghtening Astavarga Plants ISBN 978-4-04-980004-3)

The books explain in detail about the basics of a system of yoga and acupressure. The third book describes, among other things, the use of several medicinal herbs in curing some diseases which modern medicine is unable to cure. Ramdev claims to have documented proof of the books' claims.^{[citation needed]}

See also[link]

• Yoga
• Ayurveda
• Illegal mining in India
• Black Money

References[link]

External links[link]

• BBC Audio Interview with Swami Ramdev in Hindi
• BBC Interview with Swami Ramdev
• BBC News – Yogi cleared of animal parts row – March 8, 2006

Madhuri Dixit
Madhuri Dixit in 2011
Born	(1967-05-15) 15 May 1967 (age 45) Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1984–2002 2007–present
Spouse	Dr Shriram Madhav Nene (1999–present)
Website
www.madhuridixit-nene.com

Madhuri Dixit (born on 15 May 1967)^[1] is an Indian film actress who has appeared in Hindi films. Often cited by the media as one of the best actresses in Bollywood,^[2][3] Dixit made her film debut in Abodh (1984) and received wider public recognition with Tezaab (1988). She went on to establish herself as one of Hindi cinema's leading actresses, acknowledged for several of her performances, her beauty, and her accomplished dancing.^[4]

Some of her proceeding films include such box-office hits as Dil (1990), Saajan (1991), Beta (1992), Hum Aapke Hain Koun..! (1994) and Raja (1995). After a relatively low phase, she reinvented herself with the romance Dil To Pagal Hai (1997) and subsequently received critical acclaim for her work in films like Mrityudand (1997), Pukar (2000), Lajja (2001) and Devdas (2002). In 2002, she retired from films in order to raise her children and made a comeback with the musical Aaja Nachle in 2007.

Dixit has won five Filmfare Awards, four for Best Actress and one for Best Supporting Actress. She holds the record for the highest number of Best Actress nominations (13) at Filmfare. In 2008, she was awarded the Padma Shri, India's fourth-highest civilian award by the Government of India.^[5]

She is married to Dr Shriram Madhav Nene, with whom she has two children. The couple resided in the United States before moving to India in 2011.

Early life[link]

Madhuri Dixit is a native of Mumbai, India. She was born Madhuri Shankar Dixit to Shankar and Snehlata Dixit, of a Marathi Brahmin family. Dixit attended Divine Child High School and Mumbai University and studied to be a microbiologist.^[6] She is a trained Kathak dancer^[7] and a great admirer of it.^[8]

Film career[link]

1980s[link]

Madhuri Dixit made her acting debut in Rajshri Productions' movie Abodh in 1984. The film failed but minor and supporting roles continued to follow.

In 1988, Dixit attained stardom after she landed the lead female role of Mohini in N. Chandra's blockbuster Tezaab opposite Anil Kapoor. The film went on to become that year's highest grossing movie.^[9] Dixit received her first nomination for the Filmfare Best Actress Award.

In 1989, Dixit continued her success by starring in a number of successful hit movies. Her first release was Subhash Ghai's movie Ram Lakhan, in which she was paired once again with Anil Kapoor. The film became a super-hit movie and went on to become the second highest grossing film of the year.^[10] Dixit's next release Prem Pratigyaa, in which she starred opposite Mithun Chakraborty, earned her second nomination for the Filmfare Best Actress Award. Dixit's next big performance came in the multi-starrer Tridev, in which she was paired with Sunny Deol. The movie became the year's third highest grossing film. Dixit continued her success with her third pairing with Anil Kapoor in Parinda.

1990s[link]

In 1990, Dixit starred in Indra Kumar's romantic-drama Dil opposite Aamir Khan. She played the role of a rich and arrogant girl who falls in love with a poorer boy and later leaves her house to marry him. The film became the biggest box-office hit of the year in India^[11] and Dixit's performance earned her the first Filmfare Best Actress Award of her career.

After the success of Dil, Dixit became one of the top actresses of Bollywood. In 1991, she starred in Lawrence D'Souza's super-hit movie Saajan opposite Salman Khan and Sanjay Dutt. The movie became the year's highest-grossing movie. Dixit's performance earned her the fourth nomination for the Filmfare Best Actress Award.^[12]

In 1992, Dixit featured in Indra Kumar's blockbuster Beta opposite Anil Kapoor.^[13] Dixit's performance of Saraswati, a woman married to an illiterate, well-meaning man who exposes her scheming mother-in-law, won her a second Filmfare Best Actress Award. Following the film's success, Dixit became famously known as the "Dhak Dhak Girl" for her performance in the famous song "Dhak Dhak Karne Laga".

In 1993, Dixit starred in Subhash Ghai's super-hit Khalnayak opposite Sanjay Dutt and Jackie Shroff. Her portrayal of the police officer Ganga earned her a sixth nomination for the Filmfare Best Actress Award. Khalnayak became the year's second highest grossing film.^[14]

In 1994, Dixit starred in Rahul Rawail's Anjaam, being paired with Shahrukh Khan for the first time. Dixit's performance of a revenge-seeking wife and mother earned her a seventh nomination for the Filmfare Best Actress Award. Dixit was praised for her performance, though the film was a below average performer at the box office. Her next starring role was in Sooraj R. Barjatya's Hum Aapke Hain Koun..! opposite Salman Khan.The film became one of the biggest hits in the history of Hindi cinema. The film was a commercial success and made 135 crore in worldwide breaking the record of Sholay. It became the highest grossing Bollywood film in Hindi cinema history after its theatrical run and held the record for 7 years till the release of Gadar: Ek Prem Katha. Dixit's role of a modern yet family-oriented young girl fetched her the third Filmfare Best Actress Award of her career. In the Millenium Edition of the "Guinness Book of World Records" Hum Aapke Hain Kaun became the Bollywood's highest grossing film.^[15]

In 1995, Dixit starred in Indra Kumar's Raja opposite Sanjay Kapoor. The film became the fourth highest grosser of the year and she earned her ninth nomination for the Filmfare Best Actress Award.^[16] Her next release David Dhawan's Yaraana opposite Rishi Kapoor, in which she plays a dancer on the run from her abusive lover, earned her tenth nomination for the Filmfare Best Actress Award.

After Raja, Dixit's career went into a slump during 1996 and much of 1997. However, she bounced back commercially with Yash Chopra's musical-romance Dil To Pagal Hai in 1997 alongside Shahrukh Khan and Karisma Kapoor. Her portrayal of a young woman faced with a moral dilemma fetched her a fourth Filmfare Best Actress Award.^[17] The movie became the second highest grosser of the year.^[18] In that same year, Dixit starred in Prakash Jha's critically acclaimed Mrityudand.

2000s[link]

In 2002, she starred in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's melodrama Devdas. The film, which co-starred Shah Rukh Khan and Aishwarya Rai saw Dixit portray the role of Chandramukhi, a prostitute in love with Khan. The film was a box-office success and her performance earned her a Filmfare Best Supporting Actress Award. The film was featured at the Cannes Film Festival. The following year a film named after her, Main Madhuri Dixit Banna Chahti Hoon, was released^[19] in which a woman (played by Antara Mali) aspires to become the new Madhuri Dixit by trying her luck in Bollywood.^[20][21]

On 7 December 2006, Dixit returned to Mumbai with her husband and sons to start filming for Aaja Nachle (2007).^[22] The film released in November 2007 and, despite the critics panning it, Dixit's performance was highly appreciated,^[23][24][25] with the New York Times commenting about her that "she's still got it".^[26][27]

On Women's International Day in 2007, Dixit topped Rediff's list of the Best Bollywood Actresses Ever.^[2] In May 2008, she was given a tribute by Indian Film Festival at Los Angeles.^[28] In March 2010, The Economic Times named Madhuri Dixit in the list of the "33 women who made India proud".^[3] She also received a Filmfare Special Award in honor of her 25 years in the Bollywood industry. In 2011, Rediff.com listed her in top 10 "Readers Choice: The Greatest Actresses of all time".^[29]

Dance[link]

Madhuri Dixit dancing on stage for the Unforgettable Tour in 2008

Dixit is not only known for her acting skills,^{[2][20][21][30][30][31]} but for her dancing skills as well.^[32] Often referred to as the "Dhak Dhak Girl", she is famous for her dance in the song "Dhak Dhak Karne Laga" from the film Beta. She is also known for her dance sequences accompanying Bollywood songs such as "Ek Do Teen" (from Tezaab), "Humko Aaj Kal Hai" (from Sailaab), "Bada Dukh Deenha" (from Ram Lakhan), "Chane Ke Khet Mein" (from Anjaam), "Didi Tera Devar Deewana" (from Hum Aapke Hain Koun..!), "Choli Ke Peechhe" (from Khalnayak), "Akhiyan Milaun" (from Raja), "Mera Piya Ghar Aaya" (from Yaraana), "Kay Sera Sera" (from Pukar), and "Maar Daala" (from Devdas).

Pandit Birju Maharaj, a Kathak dancer, who choreographed Dixit in the film Devdas calls her as "the best Bollywood dancer due to her versatility." ^[33]

Television appearances[link]

Dixit on the sets of Nach Baliye

In 2001 on the popular game show Kaun Banega Crorepati's first season, hosted by Amitabh Bachchan, she won 50,00,000 that she donated for people affected in natural calamities. She also made an appearance in Season 4's Grand Finale that aired in 2010.

In 2002, Madhuri Dixit hosted a TV show Kahina Kahi Koi Hai which was a match-making show that aired on Sony Entertainment.^[34] She also made appearances on Koffee with Karan in Season 2 & Season 3 that aired in 2007 & 2011. Her Season 2 appearance was a solo appearance and in Season 3 she shared the chat show with Sonakshi Sinha.

Dixit has been guest on Nach Baliye Season 1 and 3, a celebrity-couple dancing competition in 2005 (aired on Star One) & 2007 (aired on Star Plus).

In 2011, she appeared as a judge on the dance reality show Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa 4 along with other co-judges Remo D'souza and Malaika Arora Khan.^[35]

Social work[link]

In 2009 Madhuri Dixit performed for NDTV Toyota Greenathon — India's first-ever nationwide campaign for save the environment and creating awareness about environmental issues. NDTV organised India's first 24-hour live telethon — a fund-raising event that brings in people to donate money to support TERI's initiative — Lighting a Billion Lives which aims at providing solar power to villages without electricity. Dixit became a part of this great social cause, and she performed her hit numbers on the live show.^[36][37]

On 3 February 2011 Dixit spent an evening with 75 orphanage kids of farmers at an ashram in Trimbakeshwar and participated in the birthday of two children: Hrishikesh and Rani. "We artists are ready to help such children. People from the higher society should come forward and stand firmly behind them," she said on the occasion.^[38]

Madhuri Dixit is a brand ambassador and a patron for Emeralds for Elephants — a charity project for the conservation of Asian Elephants and other endangered species. This project has been designed to create awareness and raise vital funds for the protection of the critically endangered Asian Elephant. A collaborative project between the World Land Trust (a UK based nonprofit environmental organisation) and the Wildlife Trust of India that is creating protected wildlife corridors connecting National Parks and protected areas to others. Speaking about the issue she said: "Elephants are one of my favourite animals and I love them. So what we need to do today is to see how we can preserve our animals. I feel very strongly about this."^[39]

Personal life[link]

Madhuri Dixit with Shriram Madhav Nene at the Filmfare 2011 Nominations Bash

On 17 October 1999, Madhuri Dixit married Shriram Madhav Nene, a UCLA-trained cardiovascular surgeon who practiced in Denver.^[40][41][42] Nene is also from a Marathi Brahmin family.^[43] They have two sons, Arin (born in March 2003) and Raayan (born in March 2005). After marriage, Dixit had relocated to Denver, US for almost a decade. In October 2011, Dixit again shifted her base back to Mumbai, India, along with her family.^[44]

Madhuri Dixit has been the muse for the famous Indian painter M.F. Husain. He was so fascinated by Madhuri Dixit in Hum Aapke Hain Koun..! that he watched the film 67 times, and in 2007 he booked an entire theatre to see her comeback movie Aaja Nachle.^[45] He made a series of paintings of her, and in 2000 made a film named Gaja Gamini starring her, which was intended as a tribute to Dixit herself.^[46]

Awards and nominations[link]

Filmography[link]