Thread by @kikumbhar

An awesome pleasure of reading academic scholarship is that we begin to look at things we previously thought we knew well, in totally new and different ways. One of many such enlightening instances for me was reading Venera R. Khalikova's 2017 article on Ramdev. (1/n)

There is a lot of excellent research in the article, and i will focus only on a few points from it. As we all know, Ramdev began as a Yoga guru. Khalikova says that India has had many yoga gurus in the past who have done much to bring yoga to the ordinary Indian (and foreigner)..

.."but Ramdev’s success in reaching out to large audiences is truly unprecedented because it is based on the spread of mass media and the growing availability of communication technologies since India’s economic liberalisation."

It is clear that Ramdev efficiently and smartly made use of nationalism and people's beliefs in "ancient Hindu glory" to basically sell his products and grow his business. Khalikova dissects this business strategy of his very well.

"Ramdev relentlessly reiterates that Ayurveda and yoga are traditions of the Indian (Hindu) past, conveniently omitting a complex history of Ayurvedic knowledge inter-connected with Unani, Siddha and other therapeutic traditions."

At the same time, "Ramdev has personal and political ties with Prime Minister Narendra Modi... His popularity is reinforced by his connections with many leaders of the BJP and with members of the RSS."

"I conceptualise Ramdev’s advocacy of a Swadeshi diet and medicine as the doctrine of ‘biomoral consumerism.'"

"Biomoral": making ppl change health-related ideas & behaviour by using moralistic appeals & suggestions. Eg, "Eat my noodles coz they represent India's lost glory."

In other words, the article argues that Ramdev promotes unlimited consumerism, - of his own company's products, of course - but sugarcoats it as a moral as well as patriotic duty. And justifies his marketing antics as his patriotic right.

This consumerism is directed "primarily at the middle and upper classes, where even the consumption of processed food—such as Patanjali noodles, biscuits, ketchup or fruit juice—is not just tolerated, but deemed ethical."

Note: any kind of processed food in general is not exactly great for health. Which is why people's craze for Patanjali food products as some kind of "healthy alternative" is so mind-boggling.

Khalikova also says that Ramdev's is a "biopolitical" project.

"Biopolitics" relates to the control of people by, among other things, implicitly coercing and nudging them to behave in particular, standardized ways." Eg, when everyone in ur society gulps govt-distributed Coronil.

"In other words, Ayurveda and yoga in contemporary India emerge as political projects that structure human conduct through the prescription of health regimens related to body, hygiene, diet and lifestyle."

"It can also be argued that Ramdev’s close connections to Modi and the central government’s favourable stance towards Ayurveda and yoga make Ramdev an actor through whom the government pursues its own biopolitical agenda."

No wonder the govt has been happily allowing Ramdev to promote highly dangerous, deadly ideas and to defame frontline workers, during what is easily the worst crisis India has faced in decades. Their symbiotic relationship runs deep temporally and in other ways.

Besides, Ramdev's attacks on modern medicine are not new... Khalikova observed that "by locating the roots of India’s poor health in biomedicine and the consumption of Western products, Ramdev lays the groundwork for the promotion of ‘homegrown’ Ayurveda and yoga."

In other words, saying crap about doctors and modern medicine is good for business. It is in fact one of the cornerstones of growth and profits.

Re-reading Khalikova's article in May 2021 helped me still better understand why Ramdev is being given such a lenient treatment by the govt despite appeals to the contrary by healthcare workers - who only a year back were considered worthy of being showered flowers on and whatnot

The article has an excerpt from a 2014 speech by Ramdev. He talks about "Ram rajya," when "not a single person was sick, nobody was ill, not a single person was poor, nobody died at young age."

He then says: I entirely believe that since 2014 a similar Rama rajya has begun.

n/n