Justices SM Subramaniam and V Sivagnanam of the Chennai High Court ordered police to report on criminal cases against the Isha Foundation, expressing concerns about the centre's activities
Published Oct 02, 2024 | 10:20 AM ⚊ Updated Oct 02, 2024 | 5:45 PM
Kamaraj, a retired professor from Tamil Nadu Agriculture University says he has been in conflict with the Jaggi Vasudev-run Isha foundation since his refusal to merge the NGO run by his wife, Sathi Jodi Kamaraj with the foundation.
Speaking with South First, Kamaraj shared his distressing experience on how he and his family were allegedly targeted for not giving in to the pressure from the foundation.
The NGO based in Coimbatore engages in welfare activities with government support across 22 villages.
Kamaraj recalls, “Tensions arose when an individual linked to Isha foundation pressured us to merge the NGO. I refused, and I believe this led to my daughter’s involvement with Isha foundation.”
Kamaraj further explained that after he refused to merge their NGO with Isha Foundation, the organization allegedly targeted his daughter, brainwashing her from her first year at Anna University.
“They told her she was living a bogus life, dominated by men, and that joining Isha would give her more purpose. They convinced her to volunteer with them, promising a salary of ₹one lakh after completing her studies,” Kamaraj noted.
He added, “But instead, she and 20 other students joined the foundation without receiving any pay. When my elder daughter, who works in London, heard about this, she insisted I bring her sister back. She returned from London and visited Isha, and within a week, both of them became monks.”
Expressing shock at the turn of events, Kamaraj adds, “We went to Isha, only to find them with shaved heads in red robes, and my wife crying, lying on the ground. They told us our daughters were adults above the age of 18, and we couldn’t do anything.”
Kamaraj also said that he and his family were denied access to their daughters multiple times. “We even went to the Inspector General, and also filed a habeas corpus petition to produce our daughters, but they claimed the girls were staying voluntarily. They shut the case without any investigation. Now, we are preparing to take the matter back to court next week.”
“The public is being misled by Isha. They change their name frequently in official gazettes to avoid scrutiny, and even when our relatives tried to visit my daughters, they were told there was no one with that name. No one knows what are their names now. I am appealing to the government to take action before more young lives are lost to this deception.” Kamraj concluded with the hope that their petition in the high court would help them reunite with their daughters.
Kamraj also raised serious concerns about Isha’s environmental impact, claiming that the organisation’s wastewater severely polluted agricultural land in the nearby area. “They release one lakh litres of wastewater daily into the fields, destroying groundwater and affecting the livelihoods of tribal communities who rely on that water. When local farmers approached the court, Isha covered up the waste before the pollution board inspection. They also claim to plant acres of trees, but no one has seen any evidence of this.”
He further accused Isha of harming wildlife, particularly elephants, by diverting them toward railway lines through the construction of 900-acre enclosures, leading to elephant deaths.
Following a high court directive, an investigation is underway at the Isha Yoga Centre in Coimbatore.
The probe, led by a team of over 50 police officers and social welfare officials, follows a habeas corpus petition filed by Professor Kamaraj from Vadavalli, Coimbatore, seeking the court’s intervention to rescue his two daughters, whom he claims are being held at the centre against their will.
According to the court order, the case was taken up by Justices SM Subramaniam and V Sivagnanam in the Madras High Court. During the hearing, the judges expressed concerns regarding the centre’s activities and ordered the police to provide a detailed report on the number of criminal cases lodged against the Isha Foundation. The next hearing has been scheduled for October 4, by which time the police are expected to submit their findings.
As per the High Court’s directive, a team led by Coimbatore District Superintendent of Police Karthikeyan, along with Social Welfare Officer Ambika and a group of more than 50 personnel, visited the Isha Yoga Centre for an extensive inspection on 1 October. The team is investigating possible violations of legal and ethical norms and is expected to submit an official report on their findings to the court.
According to a report, during the court proceedings, the judges raised questions regarding the foundation’s practices, particularly in light of the contrast between Jaggi Vasudev, the founder of Isha, marrying off his daughter while encouraging other women to shave their heads and embrace a monastic lifestyle. This prompted the bench to scrutinise the apparent hypocrisy in preaching renunciation while engaging in conventional family practices.
Isha Foundation, established by Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev, has often found itself in the spotlight for various controversies. Recent years have seen allegations ranging from illegal land encroachments to unauthorised constructions. More recently, a case under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act was registered against a doctor associated with the center, intensifying the scrutiny surrounding its operations as the high court order states.
“We do not ask people to get married or take up monkhood”, Isha Foundation told South First.
“Isha Foundation was founded by Sadhguru to impart yoga and spirituality to people. We believe that adult individual human beings have the freedom and the wisdom to choose their path. We do not ask people to get married or take up monk hood as these are individual choices. Isha Yoga Centre is home to thousands who are not monks and a few who have taken Brahmacharya or Monk hood,” they said.
Isha foundation added, “despite this, the Petitioner wanted the monks to be produced before the Court and the monks have presented themselves before the court. They have clearly stated that they are staying in Isha Yoga Centre out of their own volition. Now that the matter is seized by the court, we hope truth will prevail and there is an end to all the unnecessary controversies created.”
“Previously, this very petitioner along with others, tried trespassing into our premises on the false pretext of being a fact-finding committee to enquire about the facts surrounding the crematorium being constructed by Isha Foundation and then filed a criminal complaint against the people of Isha Yoga Centre. Against this, the Hon’ble High court of Madras has granted a stay on submission of the final report by the police. Apart from this, there is no other criminal case against the Foundation. Whoever indulges in spreading false information against the foundation will be strictly dealt with as per the law of the land,” they told South First.
Deepa, a former Sadhguru follower said, “I never expected this from someone I once admired. I always saw Sadhguru as a realistic person, but this doesn’t feel right to me. It’s disheartening to see the teachings I valued taken in a direction I didn’t anticipate.”
Rakesh, another follower said, “I had always thought of his words as wise and grounded, but this situation has shaken that belief. It’s hard to reconcile the image I had with what’s happening now.”
“When I first followed Sadhguru, I believed in his vision for humanity. I didn’t think it would lead to this disillusionment. It’s difficult to process.” Rakesh added.
(Edited by Ananya Rao)
