`Kudasana'

By Manuwant Choudhary

Shri Laloo Prasad Yadav says in The Week that Baba Ramdev was only teaching a new asana at Ram Lila Grounds - Kudasana (the asana to jump).

He also mentions his similarities with the Baba - both are Yadav's, both come from poor families and both are Gurus.

Laloo says that Baba Ramdev should come to him if wants lessons in politics !

Both are also socialists.

The similarities end there.

Baba Ramdev is a new-age crusader against corruption while Laloo supports corruption.

And while Baba Ramdev knows `Kudasana' a very senior journalist once told us how Laloo knows `bhagasan' (asana on how to run).

Once when his procession was lathicharged Laloo ran and hid in the old Telegraph newspaper office in Patna and he had his slippers neatly tucked under his armpits!

Wonder whether a rich Laloo Prasad would still not forget his slippers when he runs.

Socialists have been very corrupt in India yet they can be colourful and go on a dharna or fast for anything and everything...like I would say more President George Bush effigies have been burnt at Patna than anywhere else in the world.

And about fasts...the Swatantra Party's founder C Rajagopalachari (a Gandhian himself) when asked by journalists why he did not undertake fasts against Indira Gandhi's misrule he replied, "I am not a fool. When Gandhiji fasted he fasted against the British who were democratic. Indira Gandhi and the Congress Party are not democratic. They would let me die."