The future Nobel laureate of India, Sri Sri Ravishankar (SSRS) of the Art of Living, is in the news.
According to a PTI report, the 54-year-old spiritual guru escaped unhurt when an unidentified gunman shot at his car shortly after he left his evening discourse on Sunday. According to the Economic Times, a man fired a shot at the car in which he was travelling. According to The Hindu, the target was SSRS himself, but the bullet fired from a .22 revolver missed him and hit somebody standing near him.
DNA calls it an assassination attempt. The New Indian Express reports that SSRS said the gunman could not fire a second shot because of the “positve energy” in the ashram. IANS says the incident was not a result of any enemity between devotees; CNN-IBN says it was not an “inside job“. SSRS himself says he has forgiven the attacker and appealed for peace. ANI quotes him as saying he fears a threat to his life and the Karnataka government has scaled up his security after BJP president Nitin Gadkari stepped in.
But did SSRS really have a narrow escape? The DGP Ajai Kumar Singh says it was not an attack on him, it was just an “incident”. The bullet was fired from more than 700 feet. According to the Wall Street Journal, “The incident appears to have taken place five minutes after Mr Shankar left the place where it happened.” Home minister P. Chidambaram says “it may not be correct, I underline, may not be correct to say the firing was aiming at him.”
Questions: Was there an attempt on SSRS’ life or not? What could be the reason for such a dastardly attack on a man of god? Is this all a publicity stunt to cover up something else?
churumuri 
who cares.
i think it is a deft PR work.
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People do care. One may not like RaviShankar. But the fact that somebody shoots in a place full of hundreds of people should worry us about everybody’s security. Police calling it an incident does not make it any less scary.
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700Ft? That’s 200meters??
Heck! Reminds me of the stray bullet that hit a two wheeler rider on intermediate ring road a year or so back!
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It can’t be PR work because, if they get caught, it will be really embarrassing.
But, the thing which made me laugh was SSRS saying that his driver had a premonition. According to me, it shows that driver had advance knowledge of the attack. Interrogate him!!!
SSRS also says that he has forgiven his attacker, and has asked him to come to his ashram for learning Sudarshan kriya etc. My question to SSRS. Does he have to pay SSRS for this “course”?
Forget Nobel Prize, SSRS doesn’t even deserve a Padma Shri.
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I seriously think, it is someone from his inner circle. Lot of jealous guy roaming around.
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Who could be behind it? Handiwork of people from ‘ Art of Thieving ‘?
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Supposedly it was the father of a disciple trying to scare his son over a property dispute!
I wouldn’t be surprised if that disciple was writing away his share to AoL Foundation, this is how most of the cults(and sadly even the respectable organisations like Ramakrishna Ashram) operate, they brainwash the gullible disciples to renounce their worldly belongings by donating them to the organisation. :(
Brahmakumaris are similarly usurping homes in almost every alternate street in Mysore. :<
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The news item provides an excellent picture! Kudos.
The latest version comes from P Chidambaram:
SSRS is not the target, firing is a result of infighting in the Ashram.
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Ah,this post portrayed exactly what I too was pondering about..
I think it was a publicity stunt..He has been out of news pages since some time,so this will boost up his image,and remind people that he is still here around..
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I wish at least some of the Brahmakumaris were worth a second look. Our political and religious women, Mathe Mahadevi, Amma, Jayalalitha, Mamatha Banerjee, Prema Cariappa, Sonia Gandhi–not one of them is a looker. Let us bring Tarakeshwari Sinha back from the dead. I heard her make a speech when she was about forty. I was eighteen. I dreamt about her for weeks. She was the Waheeda Rahman of politics. Everytime I am on M. G. Road or Brigade Road I keep looking around to catch a glimpse of Waheeda, old though she is. So far no luck.
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He is under fire by some of his ex-followers/teachers in a Blog :
http://artoflivingfree.blogspot.com/
http://aolfree.wordpress.com/
Eveyone in Art of Living is highly upset due to this negative publicity when they are dreaming of winning Nobel Prize, getting more and more public, money and property under Art of Living.
Ravi Shankar is great businessman who know how to use each and every situation for his benefit.
Thanks to the media who torn his mask.
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Very quick cover up nobody is ever going to find out what really happened.
Wonder Mr PC also has any clue on what is happening with security of rest of the poor citizens.
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@ Pulikeshi the Last,
Don’t you think you are being a bit unfair there on Sonia? She used to be a very charming lady, up till the political sun of our capital cast its evil shadows on her. And not to forget Mrs. Vadra. I think even she is a very charming woman.
And as far as Ravishankar is concerned, all I can say is “Just miss aaythalla, maga!”
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It is high time the authorities investigate the increasing no of scams involving pseudo Swami’s and con-men in India who have successfully marketed everything from yoga to meditation courses that claim to purify the body to Aurvedic nadi pariksha to sexual bliss and miracles while land grabbing and money laundering tops their priority list!
It is perhaps a coincidence that Sri Sri is in the news even before the shocking activities of Swami Nityananda, Swami Bhimananda (Sant Swami Bhimanand Ji Maharaj Chitrakoot Wale) and other crooks has faded away from our memories!
Most of the successful swamis are very intelligent and have mastered the art of marketing-networking while carefully cultivating key politicians across all parties inorder to capitalize globally.
Sri Sri has been controversial for many reasons although he has managed to remain comparatively clean as far as his image is concerned.
Incidentally his nephew (Arvind Varchaswi Narasimhan) is well known in Bangalore as the key channel for massive money laundering through a family run company called Arvind Exports. Millions of $$ and €€ gets channeled to overseas bank accounts while contributions to political parties are all unaccounted.
It was almost a decade back when the CBI arrested Swami Chandraswami. Nothing ever came out of it and it is obviously going to be the same story with these modern day swami’s. However, such investigations and media exposure will at least make the gullible public more aware of the facts.
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hmmm….
ART OF LIVING INDEED Someone perhaps decided best way to practice it is to kill someone?
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It is high time the authorities investigate the increasing no of scams involving pseudo Swami’s and con-men in India who have successfully marketed everything from yoga to meditation courses that claim to purify the body to Aurvedic nadi pariksha to sexual bliss and miracles while land grabbing and money laundering tops their priority list!
It is perhaps a coincidence that Sri Sri is in the news even before the shocking activities of Swami Nityananda, Swami Bhimananda (Sant Swami Bhimanand Ji Maharaj Chitrakoot Wale) and other crooks has faded away from our memories!
Most of the successful swamis are very intelligent and have successfully mastered the art of marketing-networking while carefully cultivating key politicians across all parties inorder to capitalize globally.
Sri Sri has been controversial for many reasons although he has managed to remain comparatively clean as far as his image is concerned, although a family run company called Arvind Exports has been on the scanner for money laundering.
It was almost a decade back when the CBI arrested Swami Chandraswami. Nothing ever came out of it and it is obviously going to be the same story with these modern day swami’s. However, such investigations will at least make the gullible public more aware of the facts.
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Not that I have anything against transgender or gay people, but can some enlightened souls of enlightened masters enlighten us about why most of these godmen do not seem to have straight sexual orientations. I was looking at SSRS’ interview on TV and this guy walks, talks and behaves a lot like Nityanananda and Saibaba.
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These gurus have no control on their life itself. But they pose as if they are the only one in this world to protect people from stress. Guruji save yourself first. Real estate may be reason!
Art of living is art of making money.
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PTL,
What about the men in politics? Sachin Pilot is cute- period. The promos of the Hindi movie Rajneeti seem to have more attractive men than in the entire Indian political system.
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People now know about these people and they will not waste a bullet on them!
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ಪತ್ತೆದಾರ ಪುರುಶೋತ್ತಮನನ್ನ ಕೇಳಬೇಕು! There is something fishy about the whole thing. What anyone would gain anything from targetting him?!
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Ravishankar Claims “…gunman could not fire a second shot because of the “positve energy” in the ashram…”
This is utter balderdash. Why was the first bullet fired?? positive energy went missing at the time??
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It may not be a planned PR effort..but has been deftly used by Sri Sri s PR machinery..i think this overdrive might backfire..
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So many versions – blind men and the elephant! And journalism is history in the making……
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This incident has clearly proved what a lair Ravishankar is.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Cops-version-a-white-lie-Sri-Sri/articleshow/5996511.cms
In one single interview he is giving conflicting statements. First he says that he came to know about the fact that it was a bullet fired after 45 minutes and next he says he did not want the devotees to panic after the bullet was fired. He says cops are telling a white lie but I wonder who he is trying to fool. I am also wondering about the intelligence level of AOL devotees who planned this fiasco and also the other idiots in AOL who beleive in these blatant lies.
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Why there is double ‘sri’?
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The shooting drama needs to be investigated further.
Question – “Is this all a publicity stunt to cover up something else?”
This might be a smokescreen to cover up their real estate and money laundering frauds.
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Interesting link here
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I think PC should start doing something about more pressing problems concerning the security of common citizens of this country, and stop wasting his breath on such self-marketing Pundits.
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After Nithyananda, we have a Guru in news now, but for a different reason. Strange, the Guru did not have the premonition, but it his car driver! The conflicting statements give a fishy twist to the incident.
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I went to the Ashram that day around 6.15 PM, to show my family the Ashram premises. There was no sign of any such shooting having happened. (Sunday satsangs usually end at 6.00 PM.) People were moving around happily, getting prasadam after Satsang in different queues. Not even a murmur of any unusual happening.
I felt very odd to hear this news next day.
Can any of those present during that time clarify this ?
Did any hear any noise at all and then assumed that it was just a cracker or tyre burst and went ahead ?
or the place where Sri Sri got into the car was not a prominently visibile place (back of the yagyashala?) If so, how did one manage to shoot him without being visibile ?
If it has hit the devotee, did he not make any noise to be noticed?
Though I am not making any conclusion here, it does sound strange.
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Gowda:
>Why there is double ‘sri’?
That’s simple!!
In IT we call that N+N redundancy.. ;-)
Just to make sure data doesn’t get lost…
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Gaby, burqa required for most politicians, male or female, especially the ones in Karnataka. Looking at them is visual pollution. It is a good thing their brains are invisible. Imagine the filth in every neuropeptide and every neural pathway in those crossed wires.
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Of course the target was Ravishankar. Why would anyone shoot at some random member of the crowd??
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With this new drama Sri Sri Ravishankar has proved that he is the male version of Rakhi Sawanth.
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Art of Lying!
Well Ravishanker can use some of his own breathing exercises and calm down…
Tigers Whiskers The Ultimate,
What is this we hear? That you got a blue-veiner looking at Tarakeshwari Sinha and you are still looking for Waheeda Rehman! I don’t know about Tarakeshwari Sinha but Waheeda was a good looker. I did see Waheeda many moons ago in a Chinese restaurant on the ole Grant Road (now V malliah road). She was portly with some vestiges of elegant features.
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Enuff of double sri. The PR is exceeding the expectation.
Here is the latest rumour in gandhinagara, a new movie based on Nithyananda’s life with Naveen Andrews in the lead role will go on the floors soon.
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please enough is enough.
No More Gurus.
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Mr. Double… err…Sri Sri Ravishankar will continue to prosper globally…after all, thanks to new media and internet, once a crooked scamster attains financial-ego-societal nirvana, using religion or spiritualism (basically use orgs and cults that propagate meditation or yoga or sex or religion), history has shown that these guys on the top of the Pyramid (with obvious political goodwill) will continue for a long time while their inner circles will also become billionaires and enjoy the fruits for many generations!
Regarding hawala, money laundering and related scams, Arvind Exports is just another most obvious firm in Blr. There are at least 4 other front companies/individuals that are all part of the ‘Art of whatever’ family and all close disciples are aware of too!
Meanwhile, expect no further news on Mr. Double since the Global Investors Meet is more important for now. Hype and PR has been riding the wave in Karnataka while corruption and common man’s sufferings have no limits.
Before you damn the state and circumstances, pls remember that it is not a Cong-I but sadly a BJP led completely corrupt govt.
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Mystery Solved and proved that Ravi is Big Liar:
Bullet meant for wild dogs strayed into AoL ashram
http://beta.thehindu.com/news/cities/Bangalore/article446787.ece
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Comments given in above either benefited to those comment, heard, responded, seen or any one read then it is OK useful. And in case none is benefited or made use of it, it is, no doubt, useless. Better not to waste your time, instead do something creative and useful to the world.
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there is lot of filth inside aol i was in aol for few months even i did seva when i wanted to levave one of teacher did black magick on me one teacher said you are trapped but i did not give up i had to take help from powerful healer to get out of it it took seven months to get out of it i am the lucky one i fell pity for others people should be careful while joining such org and sri sri is just tantrick
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How can you people be so heartless, guruji’s wit is more than all of ur wits taken together and multiplied by 1000. i m an iit b student and even i dont believe in things which we cant see but this man is really different, believe me. i know a lady who had a huge cyst, when she was going to take her reports she went to guruji and miraculously, the cyst vanished, i bet none of you guys can perform this task, the bullet may or may not be targetted at guruji, but what the hell difference does it make, the man is gr8. if he would hav not charged money for the courses, all idiots like you would have joined and ruined the charm of it, But dont worry one day he will definitely change u all as he changed me, i am not a blind follower, i am a person who actually saw!!
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” i know a lady who had a huge cyst, when she was going to take her reports she went to guruji and miraculously, the cyst vanished, i bet none of you guys can perform this task”
Yes I agree. None of us can do this task. The next thing we should do is get Sri Sri to Kidwai institute of oncology and cure patients of the cysts. That will silence these critics.
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I know one swamy of Sivagriri who was admitted to hospital when he had fever and trembling. One person happened to see him hospital asked “You being a sanyasi, can’t you hold this and be quite without a clinical process?” He replied ” yes I can control, but the sufferings that is natural and given by God has to be born by me”. One gentleman who was in scene asked the Sanyasi to ahow that how can he be quite without trembling and fever. The Sanyasi was remained quite for half an hour without fever and trembling. I think Mr. Niranjan may understand.
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somebody used my name and has made comments
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