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Nepal discovers magic of Indian yoga guru
By Sudeshna Sarkar, Indo-Asian News Service

Kathmandu, Oct 16 (IANS) Yogi Ram Dev, whose breathing exercises and yogic postures shown on faith-based channel Aastha have made him a household name in India, now boasts of a large fan following in Nepal as well.

Bureaucrats, housewives, students and Nepalis of all ages and occupations switch on the idiot box early in the morning to exercise with Ram Dev. Among his staunchest followers are some leading politicians, especially communist leaders.

In February, when King Gyanendra seized power and had the country's top politicians arrested, many of those imprisoned turned to yoga.

"Several of us were imprisoned in army barracks with nothing to do," recalls Amik Sherchan, president of the leftist People's Front that is part of a seven-party alliance fighting the royal takeover.

"We weren't given any papers or books to read; nor were we allowed to leave our cells." Besides gastritis, Sherchan also used to suffer from cervical spondylosis, the result of a neck bone fracture due to a police baton charge.

One of his inmates, Lilamani Pokhrel, vice-chairman of the same party, was a Ram Dev follower, having watched the exercises on television. So Pokhrel taught the basics to Sherchan and their other companions.

They included Navraj Subedi, general secretary of the same party, Bal Krishna Khar, a former minister belonging to deposed prime minister Sher Bahadur Deuba's Nepali Congress (Democratic) party, and student leader Kishore Rathore. Then Sherchan managed to smuggle in a book by the yogi and was hooked.

"My gastric pangs went away, so did the neck pain," says Sherchan, 63. "After being released, I watched Ram Dev on TV to see if I was following the instructions correctly. Now I exercise half an hour every morning."

"I follow Ram Dev not because of blind faith but because the exercises helped me," says Sherchan. "The bottom line is physical fitness."

Madhav Kumar Nepal, former deputy prime minister and leader of the biggest communist party in the kingdom, the Communist Party of Nepal-Unified Marxist Leninist, also became a yoga convert during a prison stint in the 1970s.

"Then I saw Ram Dev on Aastha and added some of his exercises," the 53-year-old says.

"Earlier, I used to take morning walks. But these days, there is a lack of security. So I exercise at home."

What makes communist leaders watch a faith-based channel? "I prefer nature cure," says Nepal. "Give me ayurveda and naturopathy any day."