Yoga guru Swami Ramdev has made a major and significant statement regarding Sanatan Dharma, the caste system, and social discrimination. During a press conference organized in Haridwar, he clarified that Sanatan Dharma considers everyone equal and doesn't discriminate against anyone. He also stated that it's deeply unfortunate that whatever was written in Sanskrit was blindly accepted as religious scriptures. According to him, the principles of Sanatan are completely universal, scientific, beneficial for all humans, and everlasting. During this press conference, he elaborated on various historical and religious aspects in detail.
Baba Ramdev referred to Valmiki Ramayana and said that several verses and stories were inserted into it forcibly, depicting Lord Ram as a meat-eater and Mother Sita as a consumer of meat and wine. Plus, he alleged that other verses were introduced showing Lord Ram as insulting Shudras and women, while in his words, this was a massive religious, spiritual, and cultural sin committed in this country, and political figures always provided protection to those responsible for it.
Emphasizing his point in Haridwar, Swami Ramdev asserted that Sanatan Dharma treats everyone equally and there is no discrimination whatsoever in the Vedas. He stated that wherever there is discrimination, the Vedas don't exist there. He termed casteism as a foreign conspiracy and strongly condemned the ongoing efforts to defame Sanatan. Ramdev clearly explained that words like Brahmin, Kshatriya, Vaishya, and Shudra are purely attribute-based and not caste-based. His belief is that true Sanatan Dharma has always been strictly against hypocrisy and social hierarchy.
Discussing Manusmriti and the governance of the country, he stated that India is running entirely on the basis of the Constitution of India and will continue to do so in the future. However, alongside this, our inner life is based on cultural Vedas, Upanishads, Ramayana, Puranas, and our great Sanatan scriptures. In these texts, it's explicitly clear that whoever eradicates ignorance is a Brahmin, whoever eliminates injustice is a Kshatriya, whoever removes scarcity is a Vaishya, and whoever destroys impurity and establishes purity in society is a Shudra.
Speaking openly on caste discrimination and the social fabric, Ramdev leveled serious allegations of alleged adulteration and misinterpretation of the scriptures of Sanatan Dharma. He stated that foreigners were the ones who erected the walls of caste in the country. He noted that we were divided by instigating mutual discrimination. We're all descendants of the same supreme divine lineage. A major conspiracy is being hatched against Sanatan Dharma, and false accusations are deliberately leveled to defame it. He also claimed that religious texts were altered extensively through power, wealth, and other external influences.
Making another bold claim during the press conference, Swami Ramdev stated that all Muslims in India originally belong to the lineage of Sanatan. He added that the core principles of Sanatan Dharma have always advocated equality, mutual harmony, and the welfare of all. Sanatan Dharma is the primordial father and mother of all religions and faiths. Simultaneously, he appealed to the people of the country to learn to take pride in their religion, culture, and the glorious character of their ancestors.
So, to wrap up, he stated that we've never discriminated among human beings on the basis of countries, while although the formation of countries always involves political borders, despite this, we've consistently upheld the great principle of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, meaning the whole world is one family, along with the deep-rooted belief that this entire earth is our mother. Through all these statements, he made a concerted effort to deliver a message of unity and equality in society.