Discuss your thoughts on the current situation with Swami Ramdev, especially in light of this past weekend's events.

There are a couple of issues here which make it a complex
one.  The first would be that the overall issue of Swami Ramdev's fast is quite a
legitimate one.  The issue of corruption has been present in Indian politics and
government for some time.  If nothing else, Swami Ramdev's fast and arrest this weekend
shines some much needed light on an issue that must be rectified should India wish to
make serious inroads in the world community as a legitimate political and economic
power.  Having said this, I think that there are some questions as to Swami Ramdev's
motivations and whether or not there is some political posturing in his stance. In this
light, whether or not Swami Ramdev is an actual "outsider" to the political scene, or
merely antagonistic to the current Status Quo is brought into question. Some have
criticized his fast as one motivated by publicity, suggesting that others have been
doing the same thing for some time.  The most immediate name that comes to mind is Anna
Hazare's stance on political corruption, in which his fast was not as widely covered as
Swami Ramdev's, but actually achieved the passage of legislation in response to it and
governmental assurance to adhere to his demands.   Certainly, the Congress Government's
response of arresting him Swami Ramdev late at night, at a service with his followers
present has brought on the unfavorable comparisons to Emergency and 1975, only enhancing
Swami's activist stance and perhaps generating more support for
him.