On shootings in US, Sadhguru says gun violence related to mental health

Sadhguru's comments come amid several incidents of mass shootings in the US.

Spirital guru Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev on Sunday said that the gun violence in the United States is related to the mental health of the youth.

Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev

Adding that violence has been made a popular thing, Sadhguru told news agency ANI that the violence culture is rising “because of the content of television shows, movies, and video games.”

"Mental health and violence are very connected. I am asking -- have we not made violence a very popular thing? A five-year-old is playing a video game. What do you think he is doing? You think he is playing badminton; he is shooting somebody. Most of the time he is shooting something," he said.

"From the age of five till 18, if I am that child, if I go on shooting on the screen when I become 18, would I like not to graduate to something more real," the spiritual guru, who was recently in the US as part of a global initiative to boost awareness about deteriorating soil health, added.

Sadhguru's comments come amid several incidents of mass shootings in the US. Recently, 21 people were killed - including 19 children and two teachers after an 18-year-old opened fire at Robb Elementary School of Uvalde in Texas. The gunman, identified as Salvador Ramos, reportedly had an argument with his grandmother and shot at and injured her critically on May 24. After shooting her, he drove his car to Robb Elementary School and opened fire there. The accused was later killed by the police.

Meanwhile, five people were gunned down and two dozen others wounded in two incidents of mass shootings in the US last weekend. The shootings took place on late Saturday in Philadelphia and early Sunday in Chattanooga, Tennessee respectively.

(With inputs from ANI)