Tribals protest Yoga guru's Ayurveda college

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Wednesday December 6, 2006:Ranchi, Yoga guru Ramdev's proposal to set up an ayurvedic medical college and hospital here has run into trouble with tribals claiming that the land allotted for the project was their sports ground.

Though construction work had started on the land allotted to Ramdev's Patanjali Yogapeeth in Namkom area here, hundreds of tribals gathered at the site Tuesday, held protests and drove away the labourers.


Earlier this year, Ramdev had signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the previous National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government, which also allotted land to set up the institute.


Ramdev had announced that Rs.12.5 million collected from a Yoga camp held in the state would be utilised for the project. The government was to donate Rs.10 million.


'The land was handed over to Patanjali Yogapeeth without the consent of the people,' said Sawan Lakra, a former Congress legislator, who is spearheading the protest.


Said Rinku Oraon, another protester: 'How could the land be handed over to an outsider despite it being used as sports ground by the youth? We will not allow the construction of the ayurvedic college and hospital.'