Why is such a large contingent of
police entering the Isha Foundation?
A large convoy of vehicles passes
down the road, featuring big SUVs and a white police traveler marked
"Police Striking Force." This convoy eventually enters through a
massive gate, which belongs to the Isha Foundation in Coimbatore. Dozens of police
personnel enter, raising the question: why is such a large contingent of police
entering the Isha Foundation?
Sadhguru ( Jaggi Vasudev) Founder of Isha Foundation
The answer lies in a court order
in which the court stated –
"We want to know why a person who has married off his
own daughter and settled her well is encouraging others' daughters to shave
their heads and lead a life of renunciation." This was the concern
expressed by the Madras High Court regarding Sadhguru, also known as Jaggi
Vasudev.
Madras High Court
But why did the Madras High Court feel the need to make this
comment about Sadhguru?
The order included additional
comments from the court, which we will detail in this article. All of this is
related to a petition filed by retired professor Dr. S. Kamaraj, who claimed
that his two daughters, 42-year-old Geeta Kamaraj and 39-year-old Lata Kamaraj,
were being held captive by the Isha Foundation in Coimbatore. He alleged that
the foundation was brainwashing people and turning them into renunciates while
preventing them from contacting their families, effectively severing their
ties.
The hearing took place on Monday,
September 30, before Justices S. M. Subramaniam and V. Shivagnanam. In the
petition, Dr. Kamaraj highlighted his daughters' successful academic and
professional backgrounds. His elder daughter had completed her postgraduate
degree in mechatronics from a well-known university in the UK and was working
with a good salary before divorcing her husband in 2008. After the divorce, she
began taking yoga classes at Sadhguru's foundation. His younger daughter is a
software engineer and soon followed her sister, deciding to live permanently at
the center.
Dr. Kamaraj alleged that the
foundation had administered certain substances and medications that impaired
his daughters' ability to think clearly, leading them to cut off all ties with
their family. He also claimed that they were being kept at the yoga center
against their will. However, during the proceedings, his daughters were present
in court and refuted their father's claims, stating that they were living at
the center of their own free will and were not being held against their will.
The court was not entirely
satisfied with this explanation. It questioned why someone who had married off
his own daughter and settled her well would encourage others' daughters to
shave their heads and lead a life of renunciation. This was the core suspicion
that the court expressed.
The lawyer Rajendra Kumar was
defending the Isha Foundation.
He presented the foundation's
case and stated that adults have the right to make their own life decisions,
including spiritual ones, and that judicial inquiry into these personal choices
is not necessary. The concerned women are acting of their own volition. In
response, Justice Subramaniam said, "You will not understand this because
you are representing a specific party."
Justice Subramaniam said...
Justice Subramaniam stated,
"This court is neither for anyone nor against anyone; we simply want
justice for those who come to us." He then addressed Kamaraj's daughters,
saying, "You claim to be on a spiritual path, but don’t you think denying
your parents is a sin? A principle of devotion is to love everyone and not to
hate anyone. Yet, we see a lot of animosity towards your parents; you don’t
even speak to them with respect."
After hearing objections from the
two women and the Isha Foundation, the court directed Additional Public
Prosecutor E. Raj Tilak to submit a detailed investigation report by October 4.
This report was to include information on all pending criminal cases against
the foundation.
Following this order, on October
1, a team of 150 police officers arrived at the foundation for a search
operation. A senior police officer told the Indian Express that the operation
was aimed at verifying the individuals residing there and inspecting the rooms
within the foundation. Regarding the investigation, the Isha Yoga Center stated
that the police, along with the SP, came for a general inquiry as per the
court's directive. They questioned the residents and volunteers about their
living conditions and how they came to be there.
The police conducted a thorough investigation
into the ashram until late at night. What the police discovered during the
investigation and whether this will lead to more challenges or ease the
situation for the Isha Foundation will become clear only after the
investigation report is released. We will keep you updated on any developments
in this matter.
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