a land that lies between Himalayas and Indu Sagara was called “Hindu.”
So anybody who is born here is a Hindu
everybody knows which media belongs to which party.
It’s no more news, it's propaganda.
Superscript: Has Religion Mixed With Politics in India?
Interviewer: Sadhguru, let me start with one thing, which I wanted to know from you.
This “nation is state” is a concept which is essentially Western.
And in Western concept, church and state, they were considered to be the two separate entities.
In India, it has mixed.
So do you think that “Nation is State” concept in Indian context,
is somewhat different from Western concept?
Sadhguru: See, first of all, we don’t have a church in India.
I mean to say, in that context, we don't have an organized setup like church in this country,
except for the church itself, in the... you know, the Christian Church in India,
which is a small entity, but it's organized,
but the rest of the so called religion, what we call as Hindu religion, has never been an organized process.
That's its strength, and that's its weakness.
The only reason why this Hindu way of life has survived
these 1000 years of invasions and occupations is
because nobody knew where the head is.
If they knew where the head is, they would have cut it off.
Because there was no head, it was a billion-headed Hydra, whatever they did, it still lived on.
So (Laughs), this whole idea of separating church and state doesn't even arise in this country.
Now we're trying to get organized to counter certain things.
But still, it is not an organized process.
We must first of all understand, when we say a religion,
per se religion means a certain belief systems,
there will be one, two, three, four, five things that you must believe in.
Point out such a thing in India, what you should believe in.
You can believe whatever you like, and still be a Hindu.
Because it's always been a geographical identity.
This is a land, a land that lies between Himalayas and Indu Sagara was called “Hindu.”
So anybody who is born here is a Hindu, it is not a question of what you believe or disbelief.
In the same family, two dozen idols are worshipped by different people.
And there is somebody who doesn't worship anything, who will do yoga, who’ll do meditation,
he doesn't worship anything.
But still, he's a Hindu, because it's a geographical, and later on, a cultural identity.
Only it became a religious kind of identity, only when external forces try to impose their ways,
only then we realized there are other ways to it.
Otherwise, we never knew that we had to organize, we have to do this.
So church versus state is a very… what to say… people are doing an implant from elsewhere
Interviewer: Why I’m asking you is because,
off late, what has happened in India, that religion has got mixed with the state.
Here is a monk who is heading the most populous state.
Sadhguru: No, why do you see…
No, no why do you see him as a monk?
Do you say “here is a married person who's heading the state?“
Do you say that?
I am married or am I a monk is my business.
What's it got to do with you?
So just because he is a monk, have you given him some special rights?
Can I drive on the street without a license?
Can I go without paying taxes?
Just because I'm a spiritual person, do I have any privileges?
Can I get onto an Indian Railways without a ticket?
So there is no privileges.
So why are you taking away certain rights?
If I can vote, I can also stand for an election, not that I will (Laughs), it's not in me to do that.
But if somebody wants to do that, I don't even see what anybody has any problem about that.
Interviewer: Right.
Don’t you see that identity of the state with religion, will that not have negative effect on administration?
Sadhguru: See, how do you say that just because I practice something, I will definitely impose it on you?
There is no such thing.
Everybody practices something, isn't it?
Somebody drinks alcohol, and he becomes the Chief Minister.
So will you suspect he may impose it on everybody?
Actually, they are imposing. You're not questioning that (Laughs).
So somebody who meditates, will he impose it? Definitely he will recommend it.
An alcoholic drinker is recommending alcohol.
Somebody who meditates will recommend meditation.
But it's for people to take it or leave it, right?
Interviewer: Sadhguru, now elections are around the corner.
Do you see some kind of negativity around?
Sadhguru: I think there is negativity.
Essentially, I think in media.
Interviewer: Why is it so?
Sadhguru: I don't see any negativity, because every day I'm in contact with millions of…
you know, thousands of people, at least.
In all this contact, I don't see any negativity, but if you turn on the national channels –
because I generally watch the English Channel, if I do – whoa, it looks like nation is on fire (Laughs).
I don't see anywhere nation is on fire.
Everywhere, nation is fine.
But if you look at the television studio, some of the television channels even have fire burning (Laughs).
So nation is on fire only in the television studios, because you have over two hundred news channels.
How should they run their news channels?
Two hundred news channels, who will you get any viewership?
So obviously they are setting fire to the nation to do it.
It's not a total negative commentary on media, they have their… they have their duties,
they have their rights, and they have a responsibility.
But creating this image that nation is all on fire, everybody's upset, things are going like this –
No, that's not the truth.
I am living in India, and I have a huge contact with people, and I'm telling you, it is not so.
If you want to understand, I can take you out for a drive around the villages.
Nobody thinks it's on fire.
Well, they have their daily issues.
But it's not on fire.
Nation is not on fire. But,..
We're getting that feeling. There are a few people who are motivated to do those things.
There are few people who are doing it in reaction to those motivations.
These things are there.
But today it's all more visible, simply because there is social media.
Social media essentially means anonymous journalism.
If you don't have to put your name on what you're saying or doing,
then you could say whatever you want, isn't it (Laughs)?
Interviewer: So do you find this negativity only in social media, or other media as well, mainstream media like…?
Sadhguru: Social media is… you know what it is.
Anybody and everybody can say whatever they want to say.
But the regular media also is, unfortunately, taking strong sides.
It's almost like in the United States if you go, everybody knows which media belongs to which party.
It’s no more news, everybody knows it's not news, it's propaganda.
We are not that far yet, but I think slowly they're pushing it in that direction.