Baba Ramdev, Fasting Indian Yoga Guru, Stable In Hospital After Hunger Strike

NEW DELHI -- An Indian yoga guru was in stable condition at a hospital Friday after his health declined on the seventh day of a hunger strike against corruption, his spokesman and the hospital said.

Baba Ramdev had lost weight, was dehydraded and had a low pulse rate, so "doctors decided to shift him to a hospital" from his north Indian ashram in Haridwar, spokesman S.K. Tijarawala said.

He started his hunger strike in New Delhi to demand the return of billions of dollars stashed abroad illegally in tax havens by companies and wealthy Indians. A police raid evicted Ramdev and thousands of his followers from a park Sunday, injuring dozens and sparking enormous public outrage.

He continued his fast at his spiritual retreat, and hundreds of Ramdev's followers watched Friday as state authorities put him in an ambulance to go to a hospital in the nearby town of Dehradun.

Ramdev's condition has stabilized and he was fully conscious, said a bulletin issued by the Himalayan Hospital later Friday.

Yogesh Chandra Sharma, a senior doctor, earlier said that Baba Ramdev had lost 12 pounds (5.5 kilograms) since he started fasting. He also said Ramdev had low blood pressure.

Ramdev's protest is part of a public push to demand government accountability after a series of corruption scandals such as improper telecoms licensing, illegal land acquisitions and irregularities in staging last year's Commonwealth Games.

Ramdev had agreed to take lime water and honey, but he refused to end his hunger strike.

Comments

[aFtersootdamP]

02:27 AM on 06/13/2011

Not much of a guru if he could only get to seven days.

[Danish Kapur]

09:34 PM on 06/12/2011

although he is doing good work but I don't like the idea when he said to raise his own army of 11,000 to fight with cops if next time they try to stop him from fasting!

[Peace Walker]

01:45 AM on 06/11/2011

To Remdev I send thoughts of gratitude for taking action where most would despair. I pray that his sacrifice is heeded; that his courage brings not only awareness in India but here in the United States too.

May dispossession both in India and the US cease; may the land grabs be halted; may the corruption (such as seeding in the US commission on Hydrofracking with Energy companies) be challenged and brought to an end...

may both countries be brought back to mindfulness and put people and their well being above greed.

[Budista4Peace]

02:16 AM on 06/11/2011

I echo your sentiments.

[factsaboutchina]

01:04 AM on 06/11/2011

Is that a yeti wearing prison garb?

[BurtonDesque]

11:34 PM on 06/10/2011

In the hospital after only seven days? As Gandhiji would say, "Wuss."

[Budista4Peace]

02:18 AM on 06/11/2011

Everyone's body is different. Most certainly not a wuss.

[BurtonDesque]

04:47 AM on 06/11/2011

It was a joke.

[Danish Kapur]

09:32 PM on 06/12/2011

why don't you try next time?!

[Gayitri Ramesh]

11:30 PM on 06/10/2011

He is a serious guy with a seriously large following. He is demanding action against 1.4 trillion USD in foreign banks held by Indian businessmen and politicians.in a country where 80 % live on less than 2 dollars a day. Takes lots to do that, He is already Deepak Chopra to the 10th power, trying to effect social change instead of feel good pabulum for the middle class
He has brought back Yoga/Ayurveda to masses again thru TV knowing that high tech medicine cannot fix the ills of 1.2 billion poor people.
You do not see one person in the US trying to do anything similar - mass peaceful unrest - with no monetary or political ambition.
It may be fun watching the middle east implode, they were all dictatorships anyway you might think, but look out below if there is a collapse in the so called stable world - India China, Europe ,US...

[Stilyagi]

08:41 PM on 06/10/2011

Hey, he's a guru. I thought these people could survive without food? Not much of a guru if he can't even do that...

"Dehradun..."

Geez, so THAT's what George Harrisson was singing about...

[czs5056]

06:20 PM on 06/10/2011

maybe he should be given onion soup for the hunger pains

[BurtonDesque]

11:35 PM on 06/10/2011

What part of the phrase 'hunger strike' do you fail to understand?

[czs5056]

07:48 AM on 06/11/2011

the part of why somebody would intentionally starve themselves potentially to death

[Dan Kreutzer]

05:38 PM on 06/10/2011

admirable.

[BannedInBoston]

02:59 PM on 06/12/2011

The question is, is it effective? Maybe....

[TaoistG]

12:57 PM on 06/10/2011

seven days of fasting? he must not be drinking water, or exercising vigorously, to be hospitalized after only seven days. This other Indian guy (www.solarhealing.com) allegedly has gone years, documented, with no solid food... Ramdev's shakti must be unstable.

[Chanrazig]

03:39 PM on 06/10/2011

it doesn't sound as though he's drinking water.

Also, his purpose is to focus public attention on corruption. If his purpose were to bring in universal energy to sustain and support himself the physical response would be quite different, as we often see with others who go long periods without eating.

[tigerianwinter]

12:53 PM on 06/10/2011

DAMNIT that man is hairy.

[ZenSufi]

03:31 PM on 06/10/2011

...and hungry.

[Danish Kapur]

09:33 PM on 06/12/2011

and thirsty