Baba’s followers

In years and years of writing, I have had my share of disagreeable reactions. But never have I received as much hate mail as my Baba Ramdev blog seems to have provoked.
Every writer wants reactions to what he writes. That’s because it shows that people are reading him and are bothered enough to respond with their ideas. As a writer you are happiest with unconditional praise (which human being isn’t?). Qualified phrase comes second. If you are a serious writer, you are also pleased with criticism that is equally serious and thoughtful.
But hate mail? That’s different. People who respond to what you say by threatening violence? Readers who get nastily personal? That’s what the Baba Ramdev blog received.
So my question to those of you who sent in vituperative comments is this: Are you all Baba Ramdev followers? My next question to you is: is this what you have learnt from him?
If you are one of his very many followers, but violence is not your thing, perhaps you would like to consider some questions that arise from Baba Ramdev’s demands from the government:
1. He wants all black money stashed away abroad to be brought back to the country.He is not the only one. I want it to come back. You want it to come back. Bankers want it to come back. The Finance Minister wants it to come back.
The question is how? For the sake of argument let us say that the UPA government has failed abysmally to do so. How successful was the NDA government? Wasn’t that the BJP led government? Isn’t the BJP controlled by the RSS? Isn’t the RSS a big supporter of Baba Ramdev? Didn’t the RSS want to bring black money back? It’s easy to say, not so easy to do.
2. He wants all illegal wealth abroad to be declared national property.
Great idea. ‘Declaring’ it through an ordinance would be the easiest thing. But then what? How does it come back here? Would Swiss banks, for example, suddenly open up their secret accounts and send the money to the Government of India just because our government asked for it? There is such a thing as the national law of each country to contend with. Then again banking institutions like the Swiss guard their clients most zealously.
3. Ramdev wants to ban Rs 500 and Rs 1000 notes.
 That will stop generation of black money? It will only inconvenience a whole lot of people plus the banking system. As for black money looters, they will just put Rs 100 notes in gunny sacks and hide them under their beds. Someone did that. We all know his name.
4. Baba Ramdev wants to revoke the Land Acquisition Act.
What happens then if a new airport or highway or much needed factories benefiting lakhs of people have to be built and land has to be acquired? Even with the act in place now, governments find it difficult to acquire land because our legal system can be used to bring stay orders. Without the Act, you can say goodbye to all new infrastructure.
5. Baba Ramdev wants all our existing systems to be changed to a Swadeshi model.
There exists a swadeshi model? For administration, for education, for law, for taxation, etc?
Support Baba Ramdev by all means. But don’t do it blindly. Ask questions. Seek answers. Only then can our society get better.
It doesn’t get better through hate reaction.