NewsLaundry’s dirty lies — part 1
So, the NewsLaundry puts out a series of posts about Sadhguru and Isha Foundation alleging many things. There are just too many things that looked wrong at the outset itself and I wanted to walk through that in this post.
Lie #1: This image they have used in the article — https://www.newslaundry.com/2021/05/17/how-sadhguru-built-his-isha-empire-illegally.
It implies as if Isha Ashram is blocking an elephant corridor with electric fences hurting the animals.
In fact, the post itself says: “The campus is adjacent to the Bolampatty Reserve Forest, an elephant habitat in the Nilgiris biosphere reserve, and along the Thanikandi-Marudhamalai migration corridor of the pachyderms”
Facts:
(1) Isha Foundation is not on any elephant corridor. We had covered this in the past as well (https://bigfundu.medium.com/elephant-war-against-bharat-f71135d2a7e7).
There is one elephant corridor near Isha and that is in the Nilgiris district, several kilometers away and not adjacent to the campus as implied. Here is a High court order to stop/destroy constructions on that corridor.
As recently as November 2020, the National Green Tribunal itself has stated clearly that the Isha Yoga Center is not in any elephant corridor.
These lies could be flying in the early 2010's but not after many records have been made digital. A simple Google search today on Elephant Corridors will reveal all the relevant documentation.
The list of all the elephant corridors in India is presented in the ‘Right Of Passage’ document.
https://www.wti.org.in/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/pub_right_of_passage-1.pdf
Anybody who can simply go through these will know the truth about linking a non-existent elephant corridor and Isha.
The lands near Isha Foundation have been agricultural lands, with primarily sugarcane, tamarind, and banana plantations. All of these are very attractive for elephants as sources of food. Elephants come habitually when there is a shortage of food and water in the forest. The sighting of elephants near Isha Center have not been like a big herd — they are just stray elephants that have moved away from a herd. Such stray elephants have been seen in almost all parts of Coimbatore, not only near the Isha Center.
(2) Isha Yoga Center in Coimbatore is having only solar fences to scare wild animals and not high charge electric fences as implied.
Lie #2: Sadhguru is a star godman
Fact: Sadhguru himself has said that there are not godmen but only god damn men. Godman is a term used for intermediaries like a church pastor who herd their sheep towards God.
Sadhguru neither promises you God nor has he ever acted as an intermediary between man and God. He is a spiritual master and there is a world of difference between a spiritual guru and a priest/pastor promising God to devotees. Calling Sadhguru as a Godman just shows the NL writers’ ignorance about Sadhguru & spirituality in general.
Lie #3: Isha foundation is religio-cultural
Fact: Looks like NL folks have been bent on inventing new terms to suit their narrative. Isha Foundation has never claimed to be Hindu or belong to a particular faith.
In fact, there is a Sarva Dharma Stambha or pillar with multi-religious symbols right in front of the Dhyanalinga, which is the core of Isha Yoga Center in Coimbatore.
Even the huge statue in the center is that of AdiYogi, the first Yogi. It was established to inspire future generations to take up Yoga. There is no religious worship that goes on in the place.
Sadhguru has always been insisting that humanity should move from “religion to responsibility” and that turning in is the only way out.
So, calling them religious in any manner does not make sense and just shows how narrow the understanding of the NL folks is of spirituality.
Lie #4: Ikkarai Boluvampatti is an Adivasi Hamlet
Fact: The picture being portrayed is that of a poor bunch of 10–20 adivasis who are being exploited. Boluvampatti is a village alright and there are Adivasis living nearby to this place. But calling it as an Adivasi Hamlet is a stretch by any means. Anyone who has visited the place in the last 10 years would never say so.
Lie #5: Isha ashram, built between 1994 and 2011 is in blatant violation of laws and rules
Fact: Isha Foundation did build many of its initial buildings with the village Panchayat’s approval. But as NL implies, it is not that all buildings were in violation of the law. Also, Isha Foundation team has never denied that they did not have HACA approval for “some of their buildings”.
If NL really had attempted a sincere reach-out to the Isha team, this publicly information could have been gleaned from Isha’s website (https://isha.sadhguru.org/in/en/blog/article/slander-sans-substance) even without talking to them.
“Initially, while planning the buildings of the Yoga Center, we applied and acquired the Panchayat approvals as standard procedure. All other NOCs were in place except for one from the Forest Department.
With regards to the Forest NOC, the official did not respond despite our repeated appeals due to certain personal vendetta. It is true however that we went ahead and completed the construction in spite of not having the HACA clearances in hand at that time.
A High Level Committee from TN Forest Department dismissed the false report of the particular officer, which was made with malicious intent. The Forest Department NOC was accorded post facto.
The Hill Area Conservation Authority through its 59th meeting held at Chennai gave the Technical Clearance to all the constructions and the Foundation has paid the amount due to the Town & Country Planning Department under Infrastructure & Amenity Charges. The buildings have now been regularized and as we stand, all the buildings within the Yoga Center premises have all the necessary permissions.”
One person suddenly argued with me on Twitter that Isha should not even have gone to Village Panchayat as they have more than 2000 Sq Ft building space for approval. However, the rule is for a single building and not for the entire building space.
When the Tamilnadu Government decided to regularize unapproved plots in some hilly areas in 2020, the same Vetriselvan whom NL quotes was found to be caught openly lying that the GO was to facilitate HACA approvals for Isha.
The GO is clearly about approving residential plots which have not been approved in the past and not about buildings already constructed. This GO is also publicly accessible.
https://cms.tn.gov.in/sites/default/files/go/hud_e_66_2020.pdf
This is the list from the GO. Can somebody highlight where Boluvampatti is in this list?
It is very clear that teams like NL & Vetriselvan are motivated to use any news against Isha Foundation without any verification of its veracity.
The actual report of the HACA approval for Isha’s buildings is also publicly available from the meeting minutes of its 59th annual meeting in Chennai.
Lie #6: Isha Samskriti school is being run illegally
Fact: First of all, Isha Samskriti is not a school in the traditional sense of CBSE or ICSE schools. It is a Veda Patashala and is registered as such. So, there is nothing illegal about the running of Isha Samskriti.
In a media interview, Sadhguru has himself explained about the kind of education being imparted in Isha Samskriti.
This is what the Isha Samskriti website has to say about the Veda Patashala.
At a time when modern education is geared towards inculcating information, which is always subject to social, economic and technological changes, Isha Samskriti is an education system dedicated to a child’s overall development, enabling them to realize their full potential — physically, mentally and spiritually.
Envisioned by Sadhguru as an offering to children, Isha Samskriti allows them to explore their innate capabilities rather than imposing merely informative education on them. Located at the Isha Yoga Center, an ashram set in the serene foothills of the Velliangiri Mountains near Coimbatore, India, it provides an ideal environment for children to unfold in harmony within themselves and with the world around them.
A unique blend of Yogic practices, Indian classical arts such as Bharatanatyam and Classical Music, and martial arts such as Kalaripayattu, which owes its roots to Dhanurveda, bring balance and stability to the child’s body and mind. These intricate art forms have been used for thousands of years not as an entertainment or a hobby, but as a spiritual process. Samskrit — a language unparalleled in its spiritual significance, forms a major part of their learning process. The children also study English and basic Mathematics.
We will bust more of these lies in the upcoming posts. There are too many of them to cover meaningfully in one post. Stay tuned …
