R Sridhar – Connecting all, spiritually

He is a journalist in India’s leading news portal. He is an artist, he is a musician, he is a reiki teacher, and he is also a spiritual teacher. He runs a Yahoo group named Connect-ticket. He heals others…not from any magic but from the prayers. He is jolly, friendly and young.

Multiple personality? no!!

He is Sridhar Ramakrishnan, formally known as R Sridhar, and friends call him Sri. He is man with noble thoughts and splendid goal in life. Sridhar is a man, with a unique combination of being a journalist and a healer. He is a man who is like a hidden treasure, treasure of knowledge, wisdom, humanity, mending and lot more. Let’s know from Sridhar in this interview that how much depth he holds.

First, let me welcome this interesting personality. Welcome Sridhar! And also accept my heartiest congratulations for becoming a father.

Thanks Zazo for the warm welcome. You are free to call me Sri. Looking forward to this conversation.

Cheers,
Sri

Sri, I am feeling excitement inside me and this never happened in any of my past experience in Hall of Fame. Please write down your short biography, your place of birth, your childhood etc.

Well, I am born and brought up in Mumbai in a traditional, simple South Indian (Tamilian) family. Educated at Greenlawns School and Jai Hind College, Mumbai. Simple childhood, and being a late child, was much doted upon. Did additional courses in Journalism, Advertising and Public Relations as also in stock market operations. Currently, I am working with The Times of India in Mumbai, in the capacity of Editor – mumbaimirror.com., and Editor of the newspaper – The Times of South Mumbai. I have also been a columnist for The Times of India for about ten years now. My column ‘Connect-Ticket’ gets published in six publications of the TOI.
I have always been fascinated by human behavior. I love to find out why people behave the way they do. That quest led me to study palmistry, numerology, graphology, physiognomy, and even caricaturing – all targeted at understanding human behavior. This quest led me to learn the touch-healing therapy, Reiki. I graduated to becoming a teacher of reiki, and started conducting workshops in Mumbai.
My understanding and study of the human energy field since the past 2 decades led me to write the column ‘Connect-Ticket’ in The Times of India.
It is basically a column where I talk about spirituality and science, about energy movements, about metaphysics. In 2001, the column got concretized as a formal prayer group that is largely functional online in the form of an e-group, and has members from all over the globe including Pakistan and even Mongolia. These members pray for random people who they have never seen or know. We have seen many prayers getting answered and improbable and impossible situations change for the better purely on account of prayers. The aim is to build a band of positivity across the globe.
Since the past four years I have been conducting eight hour workshops on Personal Energy Management in Mumbai. These have been received pretty well.
I live with my mother, and my wife, Chithra in Mumbai, India. Chithra has been my backbone in all the ventures I have started.

How this name “connect-ticket” came in your mind? From writing a column to making an e-group till the personal meetings, how the journey of connect-ticket is going on? Please tell us more about the group.

Prayer, to me, is just an intention. The intention is more important than the technique of praying. Unfortunately, today, people give importance to the method of praying and that is the reason why we don’t find an all-religious prayer group anywhere.
In my reiki days, I had experimented a lot with group energy i.e. the power of many people praying for one person. The impact used to be tremendous. So, in 1999, when I got to write my column, I decided to harness the group energy of my entire reader base. In this column that I called Connect-Ticket, i invited people to write their prayer requests to me. It could be about anything – health issues, jobs, relationships, etc. I used to publish these requests in my column and ask my readers to pray for those individuals. I named it ‘Connect-Ticket’ because the column was a ‘ticket’ to get ‘connected’ to different people. Also, it was a play on the name of the US city – Connecticut.
My logic was simple: my newspaper (Bombay Times’) circulation was 600000. Of that even if 10 per cent read my column, that’s 60000 people of that, even if 10 per cent heed my request, that’s 6000 people praying for one individual! The effect is bound to be there. And that is what happened. Prayer requests started getting answered amazingly. Hopeless cases turned around completely. It was marvelous. And I used to publish these success cases in the column as well. So it prompted many people to write to me.
In 2001, I decided to formalize the group, and invited my readers who knew me only as an email address, to meet me in a Bandra temple. I didn’t know who would ultimately come. But about 45 people came, gingerly enquiring about me. We didn’t know what we were going to do, but all present knew that SOMETHING needs to be done. That’s how the Connect-Ticket group was formed. One member then set up the yahoo group, and since then it has been functioning online largely. Those in Mumbai meet up once in a while. There is no money nor any rules involved. People are free to join or leave anytime.

From the past few years, I can say after the world trade centre tragedy. I have seen the major changes in the thinking of people around the world. Mainly, the youth of different backgrounds and religions either turned atheist or became more extreme into their religious belief. I may be wrong because that’s my personal belief according to the observation I did. But, can you tell me where do you place “Spiritual but not religious” people? What is the majority of age-group people in connect-ticket?

According to me, you need not believe in a God to be ‘spiritual’. Unfortunately, today religion is considered a synonym for spirituality. It is not. Religion, acc to me, is a way or a facility to become spiritual. Religion helps you in the process but it is not an end in itself.
Spirituality to me is being connected with your spirit – which means yourself. As long as you do that, your energy will be good, and as a result, your surrounding energies will also be good. It’s like this – suppose there is a devout, religious person. His God fixation may be praiseworthy, but if he is guilty of domestic violence or not helping out the needy, would he have progressed on the spiritual path? I doubt.
Spirituality to me is the ability to keep our body energy healthy and moving. Stagnant energy causes ailments and multiple issues. Every religion has designed ‘physical rituals’ precisely towards this end – be it the namaz in Islam, the namaskar in Hinduism, the kneeling in Christianity, etc. All these rituals help keep the energy moving in the body.
Visiting a temple or a place of worship is, according to me, an occasion to have a ‘spiritual bath’. Just like we have a water bath to clean our physical body, we need to have a spiritual bath to clean our ‘aura’ i.e the energy body around every being. So being in a pure place helps does that.
To me, spirituality and science are very closely connected. In fact, two sides of the same coin. We are essentially frequencies and electromagnetic beings, and function just the way a battery functions. Our lives are completely governed by physics, chemistry, biology, geometry, etc. This is evident even in the way we talk when we say ‘We are on the same wavelength’, or ‘I’m getting vibes’..etc. Our seers realized this and simplified it in the form of religion so that common folk understand and follow it.
The key here was the correct passing on of info from generation to generation. Essentially all religions are good; we just need to understand what it says in its pure scientific form.

What was your most memorable moment in connect-ticket group?

hmm…several…
- the fact that in an age where goodness seems to be at a premium, it is heartening to know about so many wonderful selfless people across the globe who are willing to help people in distress.
- the realization that there is a strong yearning inside people to do something good; they just want the forum and the opportunity
- that the average age of members in connect-ticket is between 25-30, and that the younger generation believes in the power of prayer – which is usually considered as a post-retirement activity by many.
- that prayer could solve improbable cases where even docs had given up hope.
- that we could collectively pray for Kashmir, and get remarkable results there.
- in many ways, the fact that the members could connect with their core and realize what they actually are and what they are looking for in life.

How journalism is going on? Its my favorite question about time management, isn’t tough to manage two things together? and I am sure you have more than two things to do one at a time.

Journalism is going very well. I oversee the supplements div of TOI nationally apart from hands-on handling some publications/portal that I mentioned earlier. So it’s definitely a tedious job. But I always believe that we have 24 hours and how we allocate time for different activities is up to us. I am into many activities apart from my regular job: I am into photography, singing, healing, teaching (journalism in 2 Bombay colleges), connect-ticket, writing a book, doing workshops, art – these being some of them. I dont do all of them at one go obviously. But I incorporate one into another. For instance, I am a fan of old Indrajal and Commando war comics. I collect them.
So when I go to work, I carry some comics with me and read them during breaks at work. In my office drawer, there is a coloring material set as well as drawing paper/pads. When free, I draw and paint. Things like that.
This technique has helped me to intertwine my passions and create a situation where life is well….lot of fun

Everything changes according to time and same for Journalism. How much change you saw in this particular field from the time you are on job till now? Media is the most powerful and also most convenient way of spreading the news, awareness and thoughts. Any tips or guidelines for students of mass media and journalism? or any future predictions?

oh it has changed big time. More channels, more newspapers, now internet, more stress, more competition…. and more errors, distortion, lack of objectivity, money power…everything. Journalism then and journalism now is vastly different. And by ‘then’, I don’t mean the 70s. Even the 90s are vastly different from what we are seeing now.
Then, newspapers were meant to educate. Now, unfortunately they are meant to infotain. Information in an entertaining manner. It is not the fault of journalism. Times have changed, people’s tastes have changed. Today’s audience wants to be entertained in everything they do. And newspapers are after all a business. There is some entrepreneur running the show and he needs to make money. He can’t afford a reader/surfer switching to a rival channel or paper. So he provides what the people ask for.
That’s the reason we have comedy scenes in news programs because plain online news programs don’t find takers. Every news item has to be seen thru an entertainment prism.
Newspapers also face the challenge of a disconnect with the future generations since the latter are more netizens. So, the future lies in adapting to the new media, changing existing newspaper formats to suit the future generations, changing the rules of the game where we bestow greatness on the reader, where newspapers shed the top-down approach and instead accept citizen journalism into its fold.
In The Times Of India, I spearhead a program called the YO Bureau where i involve under 18 year-olds to write the stories and bring out one edition of my newspaper. In fact, there is an orkut community formed by these young YO participants called ‘YO Bureau’ as well. It’s a fascinating exercise because youngsters become part of newsgathering, and in turn, their parents also feel relieved that their ward is into something noteworthy. The newspaper’s brand equity, as a result, rises phenomenally. I am currently doing this in various cities of India.
So, journalism is in a state of flux, both conceptually and operationally.

How much social networking sites like orkut is helping you for both your profession and passions? Can you tell me what are your main activities or interest in orkut?

I love to make friends, and observe human behavior. And social networking sites are immensely useful in that regard. I have been part of numerous sites – ryze, linkedin, tribe, myspace, hi5, but now am largely active on orkut and facebook.
Well, social networking also helps in my profession coz it’s a good way to get connected to the community I am serving. Also, these sites provide a glimpse of how society is changing and how we need to adapt to growing trends. It shows the thinking patterns of future generations and so from that sense, it helps me align my newspaper content accordingly.
I am part of numerous communities here on Orkut that help my passions. I bought my cameras after interacting with specific communities that exist here on those cameras.
Whoever invented social networking sites – well may God bless him/her … it’s a wonderful way of getting closer to people world over

What is the biggest challenge you ever came across in your professional life? if any.

Several – especially when covering emergency situations. In 1992, the coverage of the Mumbai riots, as also the post-riots coverage when Mumbai was extremely polarized and tense. Then recently, in the Mumbai terror attacks on Nov 26, when my office was very close to the action….these are some moments that stand out. That’s the fun of being a journalist. During a calamity, when others run away from the epicenter, a journalist is required to go towards it. That’s the hallmark of a good journo.

Sridhar, everyone wants to be successful. What is your definition of success; is it getting rich or getting famous?

Neither. To me, success is a relative term. I see success more in terms of moments. If I set out to do something, and I successfully do it, I term myself successful. Many such small-small successes will ultimately and logically lead to the ‘success’ that people usually perceive and talk about. But without these small-time successes, one cannot hope to achieve the biggie success. That’s my approach.
I really don’t bother much about whether people see me as successful or not. It’s more important for me to know whether I feel I am successful or not. If I am, great. I give myself a hug. If not, i hug myself nevertheless and tell myself – well, there’s always next time.

In all these years you have been working with a prestigious institution like TOI. You must have met many intellectuals. All among them, whose personality effected you the most till date?

hmm…have met many people, but not many that I remember who have impacted me so strongly. I have learnt a lot from the many i have met – man-management skills, language skills, networking skills, journalistic skills…so in that manner, many have impacted me. If I have to name someone, it would be my present boss/editor, Carol Andrade for her management style and journalistic ability, and my company President Mr Bhaskar Das, for his visionary views about how society is changing.

Where do you wish to see yourself 10 years down the line?

- Publishing my own paper.
- Running a company that employs thousands; rewriting the rules of the game about how companies should be run by taking every decision from an energy perspective rather than a profit perspective as is being done now.
- Adopting a village in India and transforming it.
- Connecting every citizen through Connect-Ticket and help create a band of positivity across the globe. A band so powerful that when accessed or invoked, will have the power to heal the earth many times over.
- Making a mark as a motivational speaker
- Making PEM (Personal Energy Management) a big brand.

Phew…have lots on my plate isn’t it?! Lol

Thanks for such a wonderful Interview Sri, It was absolutely a masterpiece. Thanks for giving your precious time in making it successful. Any last message you want to convey through this interview to the readers?

Absolutely my pleasure Zazo! Loved your questions as well.
Well, the more people join Connect-Ticket, the better. Those who want to know more about it can visit my blog at http://shreedee.blogspot.com. And if they want to join the group, they can mail me on personalenergy@gmail.com. As I said, the aim is to build a band of positivity across the globe. And what better way than use technology to aid the process.
Thanks for your time, and for acknowledging my work and giving me this opportunity to express my opinions. Good luck and God Bless!

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