DRK’S NEWS LETTER Issue 014

DRK’s News Letter

Issue No: 14

August,2017

AADHI YOGI, SADHGURU JAGGI VASUDEV AND DRK AT ISHA

INTERNATIONAL DAY OF YOGA 2017

The 3rd International Yoga Day was celebrated on the early morning of 21st June by a mammoth gathering at the Red Fort, New Delhi.

The Brahmakumaris Spiritual Movement had organised meticulously the colourful and yet serene function. Despite the morning showers large number of yoga enthusiasts participated in the performance of yoga postures also.

The 101 year old Dadi Janki ji, Chief of the world-wide socio-spiritual movement made a plea for yoga and meditation to be practiced for the peace of mind and health of the individuals and also for harmony and peace all over the world.

Representatives from all major religions address the gathering. I was given the privilege of being the first speaker. I spoke of the glorious tradition of yoga for thousands of years and how the entire world has come to accept the value of yoga and practice all over the world.

I also explained the sustained efforts made since decades to make the world accept and celebrate 21st June Solstice as International Day of Yoga, as it is the longest day.

It was 14 years ago in the year 2002, I had attended the first International

Day of Yoga being celebrated by the Portugal Yoga Federation on 21st June at Lisbon.

The initiative was taken by the great Yogacharya of Portugal, Amrta Suryananda of Portuguese Yoga Federation. He continues to celebrate 21st June every year as International Day of Yoga, inviting great Masters and yoga enthusiasts from around the world.

Email: drkaarthikeyan@gmail.com Website: www.goodgovernance.in www.lifepositive.com

With 101 year old Dadi Janki on International Yoga Day celebrations at Red Fort, Delhi.

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Again at the initiative of the Portuguese Master, a seminar was organised in 2011 at the Art of Living campus at Bangalore. A resolution was passed and a petition signed by great spiritual and yogacharyas including Sri Sri Ravishankar, Dr. BKS Iyengar and Baba Ramdev. I had also signed that petition which was sent to the Secretary General of United Nations urging him to move the United Nations to declare 21st June every year as International Yoga Day, giving convincing justifications.

And ultimately that long held dream became a reality only when Prime Minister Shri. Narendra Modiji made the appeal in his address at the General Assembly of the United Nations.

When the resolution was adopted in the UN General Assembly in December 2014, Yogacharya Amrta Suryananda was personally present to celebrate realisation of his long-held dream of 14 years.

Now the whole world celebrates 21st June as International Yoga Day, realising and accepting the fact that Yoga ensures health of the body and mind of the individual and through that path the global peace and harmony can be established and sustained.

RESTORATION AND LINKING OF RIVERS

While in one part of the country there is misery due to floods, in other parts of the country there is acute distress due to drought and shortage of even drinking water.

In many States including Assam, Gujarat, Bihar and UP, floods have resulted in loss of valuable human lives and animals. The devastating floods also cause

great distress rendering several thousands of people homeless. After causing enormous havoc by destroying crops and denuding lakhs of acres of fertile top soil over lakhs of acres, the flood waters merge into the sea.

In many states like Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telengana, Maharashtra vast tracts of farmland are lying fallow due to failure of the monsoon in consecutive years. There are reports in the media all the time of large number of farmers committing suicide due to poverty, resulting from failure of crops and consequently the inability to repay the loans from banks and money lenders.

In many parts, particularly in the south of India, there is acute shortage of even drinking water. In a farmer’s rally at Salem, I was told by the women from interior villages that they have to pay Rs.15 for a pot of drinking water brought by water tankers from far away sources of water. The farmers told me that even going

Addressing International Day of Yoga convention at Lisbon, Portugal

With Sri Sri Ravishankar, Baba Ramdev and Sri Amrta Suryananda at Art of Living campus, Bangalore

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to the depth of 1400 feet, they do not get water in the borewells.

There is distress sale of cattle due to shortage of fodder and water. Several thousands of Arecanut and Coconut trees have dried up. At Kangeyam in Tamil Nadu, which produces maximum quantities of coconut oil in the entire nation, I was told that this year the oil mills could not get even 20 percent of the Copra (dried pulp of coconut) than they used to get normally till last year.

I was told by a leading chartered accountant living in a posh area of the city of Chennai, even by paying in advance, they cannot get water through water tankers when they need water. The same gentleman told me that his daughter and her neighbours living in high-rise buildings very often are forced to go to hotels for food, due to shortage of water for cooking and washing. Such people also go to the homes of their friends and relatives even for bathing.

If such is the miserable situation even now both in villages and cities, what will be the future if the monsoon fails again and again? We are facing the imminent possibility of vast tracts of lands becoming uncultivable barren lands. Some areas becoming deserts in the near future is a reality. Such a crisis is staring at our face, unless we do something very drastic to save the situation.

WHAT I HAVE DONE SO FAR IN MY OWN HUMBLE WAY

In April 2002 I had called on the Prime Minister Shri. Atal Bihari Vajpayee and apprised him of the distress sale of vegetables by the farmers, being forced to sell their produce at prices lower than the cost of production. They have no choice as it was due to their inability to hold on to their products even for a few days. It was the middlemen who made the profit, while forcing the consumers to pay high

prices. When the PM asked what is the solution, I suggested to him the Government should create/support storage facilities including cold storage in rural areas. I am happy to say that very soon Government of India implemented such a scheme, but not many farmers could avail of the benefit, due to lack of awareness. The Prime Minister

also assured me that like his project of linking the nation by a network of roads, he will also plan linking of rivers.

On 22nd February 2002 there was a meeting of Farmer’s Forum of MPs at Andhra Bhawan. Because of my deep interest in the subject, I was requested to speak on two issues. One was on encouraging and supporting cultivation of Jatropha and other similar plants to produce bio-diesel and to make compulsory for the

blending of bio-diesel and ethanol from sugar industry, with petroleum products. That was to encourage farmers to produce biodiesel, to minimize pollution and to save precious foreign exchange by reducing imports of petroleum products to that extent. I also made a strong case for linking of rivers, to prevent drought situation in some parts of the country, while at the same time to save enormous loss of lives, properties and crops in some other parts due to floods in the monsoon.

Dr. Manmohan Singh, who was the leader of the

opposition in the Parliament at that time, spoke on behalf of over 40 MPs from different parties who attended the forum. He promised to support both my proposals as sound and implementable, while at the same time complementing me for taking so much interest in the welfare of farmers and rural

With Prime Minister Shri. Atal Bihari Vajpayee

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development, after a distinguished service of decades in the police and the CBI.

On 21st March 2003, a high-level National Conference on linking of rivers, was convened at my initiative at the Aliyar Temple of Consciousness, Coimbatore. Eminent personalities from different walks of life including Shri. Suresh Prabhu, MP and Chairman of the Task Force on Interlinking of Rivers (presently minister for Commerce) participated. They all strongly supported the proposal as the only way of finding a lasting solution to the ever-increasing water problem being faced all over the country – causing damages with floods in some parts and drought in some other parts of the nation.

On 7th October 2005, I called on Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and reminded him about his earlier promise at the meeting in Andhra Bhawan, when he was leader of the opposition. I also told him that while even President Kalam strongly supported Linking of Rivers, some of his senior ministers were opposed to the idea. He assured me that he and government believed in and will implement the project of Linking of Rivers.

In the year 2004, at the prestigious Hindustan Times Leadership Summit, to which I am invited always, I had the opportunity to raise the issue with Smt. Sonia Gandhi, the all powerful President of the Congress Party, which had then come to power. After her speech, at the opportunity given to raise questions, I rose up and explained to her the distress among the farmers and suggested to her major solutions

– namely Minimum Support Price to be declared for every farm produce and effective implementation of Crop Insurance Scheme for all crops.

I also raised the issue of water problem – floods causing damages to life and property during monsoon in some parts of the country and the farmers and people suffering due to drought in some other parts. I appealed that the only lasting solution is linking of rivers, despite the many challenges such a project will throw up.

Mrs Gandhi noted down the points made by me and said these are long standing problems and her government which had just come to office will take up these issues of farmers and water in all seriousness.

In 2011, I was invited to participate in a Seminar on Good Governance as part of Vibrant Gujarat. I had the opportunity to discuss and raise many issues on farming and water with the then

Chief Minister Shri. Narendra Modi. He was good enough to explain in detail the many steps his

government successfully

implemented in bringing prosperity to the farmers and in raising the sub-soil water level by resorting to drip irrigation and water harvesting.

I had taken part in many seminars, conferences and rallies of farmers for years. I

have had many discussions with eminent personalities like Dr. Abdul Kalam, Dr. Abid Hussain and Dr. M.S. Swaminathan to alleviate the distress of the farmers and to solve the worsening water crisis.

In my considered opinion, the nation should implement the minimum of the following requirements of farmers and other citizens as well -

1. Minimum Support Price for farm Products as proposed by

Addressing Rally for Rivers at Tiruchirappalli

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the Agriculture Commission headed by Dr. M.S. Swaminathan.

2. Effective and immediate implementation of Crop Insurance for each and every agricultural produce.

3. Implementation of Linking of rivers or at least the National Waterways Project, despite all obvious challenges and difficulties – as otherwise parts of India will become desert within the next few years!!

ISHA campaign for Saving Rivers

Realising the distress situation being faced by the farmers and others due to increasing scarcity of water, Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev, founder of ISHA Foundation has launched a scheme for restoration of rivers and massive planting of trees. My organisation NAAM (National Agriculturists Awareness Movement) is supporting the project fully –

Sadhguru Says –

• 25% of India is turning into desert; In 15 years, we may have only half the water we need for our survival; The Ganga is one of the most endangered rivers in the world; The Kaveri has lost 40% of its flow. Krishna and Narmada have lost around 60%;

• In every state, perennial rivers are either becoming seasonal or totally going dry.

Many smaller rivers have already vanished.

• 2 out of 3 major Indian cities already deal with daily water shortage. Many urban residents pay ten times the normal amount for a can of water.

• We consume water not just to drink or for domestic purposes. 80% of water is used to grow our food. Each person’s average water requirement is 1.1 million litters a year.

• Flood, drought and rivers turning seasonal are increasingly leading to crop failure across the country.

• Climate change is expected to cause worse floods and droughts within the next 25-50 years. During the monsoon, rivers will flood. The rest of the year, drought will follow. These trends are already beginning.

• India’s rivers are mainly rain-fed. They flow throughout the year, even in the dry season, because of forests. Trees are important in ensuring that perennial rivers flow even when the monsoon is over.

• Over a period of time almost all the Rivers have dried up due to deforestation. In many places even the tracks of their existence have been obliterated and utilised for other purposes including constructions. All such

rivers should be restored and large number of trees should be planted on either bank of such rivers upto one kilometre.

• Tree roots make the soil porous so that it can absorb rain and hold water when rain falls. This water in the soil is then released into the river gradually throughout the year.

• If there are no trees, a destructive cycle of floods and droughts occur. During the monsoon, excess water will flow over the surface and cause floods because

the soil does not absorb the rainwater. When the monsoon ends, rivers go dry because there is no moisture in the soil to feed them. This is why it is important to maintain substantial tree cover along riversides.

• In Indian culture, rivers were never seen as just water bodies or geographical

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happenings, but as life-making fundamentals.

• While on Government land forests should be raised on both sides of such rivers, fruit bearing trees should be planted by the private land owners, who will get regular income when the tree start yielding in a few years.

• Maintaining a substantial number of trees for at least one kilometre width along the riversides has vast environmental, social and economic benefits for nation and society.

• Such large-scale, long-term action can only be sustained through government policy.

• The situation is grim. But with a comprehensive policy and resolute government action, our rivers can be nurtured so that they nourish future generations as well.

Rally for Rivers by Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev

In order to focus the attention of the entire Nation and the leadership, Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev has commenced a month-long rally from 3rd September at Kanyakumari, ending at Delhi on 2nd October. He himself will be driving the entire month through 16 states and union territories, holding public meetings with the participation

of the Chief Ministers of the concerned states.

• This is a campaign to raise awareness that our rivers are depleting. Everyone who consumes water must Rally For Rivers.

• Hence the call of ISHA to every citizen for giving a missed call to 8000980009 to become part of the campaign – to show the support of the entire nation –

a massive wave urging the government to implement policy of restoring, linking rivers and to promote massive planting of trees all over.

• On Sadhguru’s invitation I participated in the public rally at Tiruchirappalli on the bank of river Kaveri, which is now totally dry. Sadhguru, Ministers of

Tamil Nadu government, MP, leaders of various movements of farmers addressed the gathering consisting of mostly farmers and other public spirited social activists.

• In my address I briefly traced the efforts made since independence to launch the project to link all the rivers of the nation and also highlighted the disasterous consequences that may ensue to the nation, if we do

not tackle the serious issue of water on a war footing immediately.

• Countries can live without high-tech industries but they cannot live without water; Water is bigger than IT, Biotechnology and Aerospace Industries. It is not only wise but top priority to invest in water, as it is the lifeline of the nation.

Water – the basis of life – the biggest challenge

Scarcity of Water can be considered even as more serious challenge and threat than even terrorism and

corruption, as it affects everyone and involves production of food for the 125 crores of people.

Only when the last tree has died and the last river has been poisoned and the last fish has been caught will we realise that we cannot eat money.

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The consequences will be terrible. There may be starvation deaths. There may be violence. There may be mass migration of people from villages to the towns. There may be mass movement of people from even the cities that are starved of water. There will be unimaginable and uncontrollable social tension resulting in serious law and order situation and collapse of entire governance.

In the entire course of history civilisations existed and flourished only on the river banks of the nations. When the rivers perished, the civilisations also disappeared.

Desalination is possible in Dubai. It is not possible in a vast county like ours. In our country, desalination has not been successful even to provide drinking water to a small section in a city.

So despite all obstacles and challenges, restoration of rivers and linking of rivers have to be taken up on top priority on the agenda of governance of the nation.

While restoring all the rivers that have disappeared and linking of all the rivers in the country is fraught with many challenges, there is no other option left to save vast areas of the country

turning into uncultivable desert like tracts.

The Inter-linking of Rivers in India proposal has a long history. During the British colonial rule, for example, the 19th century engineer Arthur Cotton proposed the plan to interlink major Indian rivers.

In the 1970s, Dr. K.L. Rao, a dam

designer, eminent engineer and former irrigation minister proposed creation of "National Water Grid" and presented detailed workable plans even five decades ago.

This was comparatively easily implementable at that time with one party ruling all over the country. Unfortunately it was not acted upon, as the water crisis did not appear so imminent and the rulers did not share the far sight of personalities like Dr. KL Rao.

The Supreme Court in a 2002 case on Interlinking of rivers, directed the Centre to constitute

a ‘special committee' forthwith for inter-linking of rivers for the benefit of the entire nation.

The Apex Court observed: “This is a matter of national benefit and progress. We see no reason why any State should lag behind in contributing its bit to bringing the inter-linking river programme to a success, thus saving the people living in

drought-prone zones from hunger and people living in flood-prone areas from the destruction caused by floods.”

Eminent Indians like Bharat Ratna Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam have been advocating linking of rivers for over two decades.

National Agriculturists

Awareness Movement (NAAM), of which I am the founder President has been campaigning for the river linking project, since the last two decades. We are collecting One Crore signatures of farmers for this cause.

What was easily implementable earlier, is going to be more difficult as the different states in the country are ruled by different parties. What we need is a national consensus demanding immediate implementation of the project to save the entire nation from an impending calamity in the near future.

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So the national leadership has to be supported by a peoples movement demanding immediate implementation of linking of rivers. Political parties can fight for power and implementation of their own party policies, only if the nation exists.

Leaders of all political parties, civil society organisations and Chief Ministers of various states may forget their other political and party differences and support this national cause unanimously.

That will act as a catalyst and mass support for the Prime Minister to immediately launch the project of Restoration of Rivers and Linking of Rivers as top priority of the Nation.

Store water to save future - Storing in coastal reservoir?

There is no scarcity of water, there is only a scarcity of Innovation, says Prof. T G Sitharam, of Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore and President of International Association for Coastal Reservoir Research, Australia.

Keeping out seawater, by construction of sea wall along with a barrage close to the mouth of the River, forms the fresh water reservoir in the ocean. This reservoir will increase fresh water supply for generations to come and use the river flood water very efficiently.

According to him river flood fresh waters can be stored in coastal reservoirs in or close to the sea. He says this is already implemented successfully in some countries including Singapore, Malaysia, Japan, China, Hong Kong, UK and Netherlands.

The concept of storing rainfall water will save the future forever. This can be a new beginning in water management. The feasibility, the functioning of coastal reservoir in the above countries deserves to be studied in all seriousness.

On being commissioned by the Karnataka state government, Prof. Sitharam has submitted a feasibility report. Website: www.iacrr.org

Environment is stronger than will power. If you want to be spiritual, seek good company and don’t mix with those whose bad habits may wrongly influence you. Be always with people who inspire you; surround yourself with people who lift you up.

– Paramhansa Yogananda

OUR MIND WORKS LIKE A MAGNET, IF WE THINK OF BLESSINGS,

WE ATTRACT BLESSINGS; AND IF WE THINK OF PROBLEMS,

WE ATTRACT PROBLEMS. ALWAYS CULTIVATE GOOD THOUGHTS,

AND REMAIN POSITIVE AND OPTIMISTIC. WE GET WHAT WE THINK,

SO THINK POSITIVE, LIFE WILL BE AUTOMATICALLY POSITIVE

Thomas Edison, the inventor of the light bulb, attempted to create many light bulbs before he developed one that actually worked. And he said: " I have not failed, I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work. "

In the movie, Gladiator, the main character, Maximus says, “What we do in life echoes in eternity.” We have no idea what eternal effect can come from something insignificant we are doing today.

Someone is sitting in the shade today because someone planted a tree a long time ago - Warren Buffett

The earth, the air, the land and the water are not an inheritance from our fore fathers but on loan from our children. So we have to handover to them at least as it was handed over to us. - Mahatma Gandhi

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HOW FULL IS YOUR HAPPINESS TANK?

(Courtesy: Dr. Ranjit)

Happiness will wax and wane. It’s a perfectly normal phenomenon. There is no one, not even the Dalai Lama who is in a perpetual state of happiness. The only difference is that an enlightened being will see unhappiness like a passing cloud and not associate with it. They just observe the state calmly and quietly and rest back into their deeper states of being. Believe it or not, it is even possible to be aware of one’s blissful inner being and simultaneously conscious of a more surface state of melancholy or sadness. The mind is an interesting thing that maybe observed, explored and understood, and this enables one to navigate life with greater maturity and less attachment.

However, when the happiness tank feels low and you need to lift out of a low energy state, here’s a few tips that can help you move on:

• Meditation– this simple act of stepping back and immersing within, will gently release tendencies towards depression. Meditation creates a separation between you and your emotions. Seeing that you are not the same as your emotions creates a freshness.

It’s like allowing the fresh spring water to wash away stagnation. Learn any meditation technique and make it part of your routine. Morning and evening is best.

• Gratitude– drop the comparing habit and make a list of all the things you can be grateful for. There will always be others who are smarter, better looking, richer, more famous or more powerful. You need to drop that. Write down on paper (yes the old fashioned way!), all of the things you can count your blessings for. There are many.

• Exercise– this is one of the most potent antidepressants known to man. Exercises releases the happy hormones, endorphins. Regular exercise of any sort, will help lift you from a low energy state, to one that is more positive, more energetic and more happy. Start simple with a nice walk and after making that a habit, add in flexibility and strength.

• Fun– life is meant to be fun. Have you forgotten how to have fun? Have you forgotten how to laugh? Have you bought into the “rat-race” philosophy? Time to drop that! Remember what gives you pleasure. Is it dancing? Is it singing? Is it music? Is it a movie? It need not cost the

world, but we all need to find fun and pleasure in our lives.

• Service– one of the most important ways of being happy is to make others happy. Find a way to make someone else smile. Get involved in some community work. Yes, do something that you gain absolutely nothing from. Make another human being happy.

Hope that helps to top up your happiness tank! Have a great day!!!

In Health and Wellness

Dr. Ranjit, Melbourne, Australia

http://drrao.com.au

Physical fitness is not only one of the most important keys to a healthy body, it is the basis of dynamic and creative intellectual activity.

- John F. Kennedy

When there are thoughts, it is distraction: when there are no thoughts, it is meditation.

- Ramana Maharishi