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Spiritual leader and founder of Art of Living Foundation Sri Sri Ravi Shankar has spoken out on the death of Hyderabad University research scholar Rohith Vemula.

Speaking to The Quint, he called the death ‘an act of crime’, but was also quick to add that the issue shouldn’t be politicized in the name of caste.

Not denying that casteism still exists in schools and colleges, he says that "The caste system is not playing a big role like it used to - once upon a time. It does exist even today, but on a political level."

When asked if all the activism surrounding Rohith's death was justified, He said:

This is an exercise to divide society. A crime happened. Someone dies, you think only that caste person will have feeling for that? That's nonsense. Any good human being, his heart will cry for anybody who has been a victim of a crime. People of all castes have stood up against such violence.

Source: The News Minute

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Sri Sri Ravi Shankar to Launch New Initiative

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Spiritual guru Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, founder of The Art of Living movement, who has recently been conferred the prestigious Padma Vibhushan award, will be in the city on 9 and 10 February to launch a slew of social welfare programmes.

According to a press note, the initiative, named 'Pudhu Malarchi', includes the unveiling of Art of Living Legal Cell - Tamilnadu Chapter, which will be held at Chettinad Vidyashram, Raja Annamalai Puram.

Senior judge of Madras High Court, Justice V Ramasubramanian, would preside over the event. President of Art of Living (Tamil Nadu) R Krishnachander would give a brief outline of the programmes.

The release said 'Pudhu Malarchi’ initiative is to bring a host of advantages to every strata of society from children to rural people on the outskirts of the city. The agenda includes 'Happy Child. Happy Chennai'; Naganadhi river rejuvenation; rehabilitation programme for the flood-affected; development of Melanur village in Tiruvallur district; youth leadership training programme; life skills training at Perumbakkam and Okkiyam Thoraipakkam slum re-settlements, among others.

On 10 February at 6:30 AM, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar will be performing Rudra puja at Avichi School, Virugambakkam, for invoking the blessing of Lord Shiva for harmony and peace in the country. Around 5,000 people are expected to take part in the event.

At 6:30 PM, on the same day, he would deliver a knowledge talk as part of the Great Chennai Dialogue series. He will delve on cultivating the three 'I's - Intuition, Intelligence and Innovation - in every sphere of one’s life, at hotel Le Meridian, Guindy.

Source: News Today

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Gender Row Ends: Shani Temple Sanctum Closed for All

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Mediating on the issue of gender bias at Maharashtra's Shani Shingnapur temple, spiritual guru Sri Sri Ravi Shankar on Sunday claimed to have arrived at a solution that allows both men and women to have darshan of the deity some distance away from the sacred "Chabutara".

Citing two models of facilitating darshan, practised at Kashi Vishwanath and Tirupati Balaji temples, Ravi Shankar said, "It is agreed that no one - man or woman - will step on the sacred Chabutara at the Shanti temple where oil is constantly poured as it can result in possible skidding."

"This contentious issue has been settled. There will not be any discrimination based on gender and all will have equal right of worship," he told a press conference at Balewadi near here.

While the temple trustees present at the meeting agreed with Ravi Shankar's formula based on the Tirupati Balaji darshan model, Trupti Desai, who led the recent agitation of the Bhoomata Brigade seeking women's entry into the temple's inner sanctum, said, "If nobody is to be allowed on the Chabutra, the priests who perform pooja of the deity at the sacred platform should include women."

Desai said if both men and women are going to be banned from stepping on the Chabutara, activists of Bhoomata Brigade should be given an opportunity to perform the "last pooja" on the sacred platform in the temple in Ahmednagar district, in the presence of Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Sri Sri Ravi Shankar.

She also said that it was wrong to disallow men to perpetuate ban on women.

Source: TOI

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