The founder of the Art of Living Foundation is currently on a two-month tour of the United States.
The founder of the Art of Living Foundation is currently on a two-month tour of the United States.
Noting that the national opposition is weak in the country, spiritual leader Sri Sri Ravi Shankar said he believes that for a healthy democracy it is necessary that India has a strong opposition, which is also constructive.
Ravi Shankar, Founder, Art of Living Foundation said, “India needs a strong opposition, a constructive opposition. The (current) opposition is very weak. The lack of leadership in the opposition cannot show any democracy as a democracy.” ” PTI in an interview.
“Democracy needs a strong opposition – the conservative, constructive opposition that is missing in India. Of course, West Bengal has shown that with free and fair elections, no party can interfere with India’s institutions, and The judiciary is strong enough. But lack of a central opposition, a strong leader will make the country feel like it is autocratic, but it is not. We are such a big democracy. People have power,” Ravi Shankar said.
The Indian spiritual leader is currently on a two-month tour of the United States, traveling to various cities and spreading the message of peace and its need in a post-Covid world.
Stating that India is a vibrant democracy and elections in the country are free and fair, he said that at the national level, there is a need for a strong opposition party, which is currently missing.
mental health
On Tuesday, Ravi Shankar met a group of Congressmen, in which he discussed mental health. A day earlier he addressed the Delaware General Assembly, in which he focused on tackling mental health challenges and building peace.
The spiritual leader highlighted the importance of using one’s own breath to achieve inner peace and mental well-being. The Art of Living founder offered his outspoken support for making Delaware the “happiest state” in dealing with mental health issues in all sections of the community, including students, the elderly, prison inmates, physicians, professionals, and more.
Delaware Governor John Carney said, “We are proud to honor and thank Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar for his humanism, spiritual leadership, and commitment to peace here in the United States and around the world.”
Ravi Shankar’s 2022 US tour began in Miami where he addressed a conference of practitioners on the role of meditation for mental health and overall wellness. He continued to visit Boston where he shared his thoughts on destroying mental health at Harvard University. This was followed by a conversation with healthcare providers and administrators on prioritizing the well-being of health care workers, hosted by Children’s National Hospital and the National Geographic Society.
He then spoke with the US Surgeon General at George Washington University on the woes of youth mental health.
Before arriving in Delaware, the spiritual leader began the “I Stand for Peace” campaign on May 6 in Washington, DC. They also launched the initiative in Philadelphia with a pledge to be a “Peace City” and a rollout in Philadelphia on May 8. of programs to strengthen mental health, resilience and overall well-being indicators within the American community. More than 2,000 people participated in both the events.
Stating that India’s DNA has always been peace and non-violence, Ravi Shankar said there is a misconception in the West about India’s stand on the war in Ukraine, with people thinking that New Delhi is backing an aggressor, Which is not really the case. ,
“First of all, we must make it clear to the world that we stand for peace. We are not for war. It is a misconception that we are favoring war. Our Prime Minister has said this many times that we Standing for peace,” he said.
He said that there is a lot of anger among the people after the COVID-19 pandemic. Ravi Shankar said that this needs attention and he is working on it.