Dialogue panel ex-member secy pokes fun at ‘vipassana’ plan

ASHISH JOSHI SAID EVERYONE IN THE DELHI GOVERNMENT NEEDS TO LEARN MEDITATION

An officer who was transferred out of the Delhi Dialogue Commission, an advisory body to the AAP government in Delhi, has said everyone in the Delhi government needs to learn meditation to take “considered decisions with balance”.

Ashish Joshi, who was appointed as the member-secretary of the dialogue commission, was asked to relinquish the charge few days later. Joshi said copies of the constitution and transaction of business rules 1993 should be distributed to officers, so that no rules are violated in future. He said he was repatriated in violation of Department of Personnel & Training orders of 2010.

The officer was reacting to a Delhi government’s press release on the introduction of vipassana and anapana for school teachers and officials.

“The initiative to introduce Vipassana and Anapana practice is good. It is required by all to inculcate core human values, decency and morality. In view of last few weeks’ incidents and the way I was repatriated, I strongly feel that there is an urgent need for vipassana and anapana practice by one and all in the Delhi Government. It will go a long way to help all concerned to take considered decisions with equanimity and balance,” Joshi said.

Meanwhile deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia said “the entire media needs to go for vipassana”. Sisodia made the comment while laying the foundation of Phase2 of Indraprastha Institute of Information Technology of Delhi.

“Government wants the youth to become task masters and solution givers. There is an urgent need to invent new technology in the country so that we don’t have to look at other countries for exporting costly technology,” he said in his address.

“Government will set up incubation centres at all higher education institutes across the city. We are seeking new technology from companies to implement our ideas but it is unfortunate that companies which came to us brought technology invented in other countries,” he said.