Isha Foundation Maha Shivaratri Celebrations: Holes In Vikatan Report’s Allegations

Isha Foundation and Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev have come under attack by the Vikatan Group, which has claimed in a report that the foundation demanded money from people who went to attend the twenty-fourth Maha Shivaratri celebrations at its headquarters in Poondi Velliangiri, 30 km from Coimbatore.

The group, in a video as well as a report, claimed that the devotees seating arrangement at the celebrations depended on the money they paid, ranging from Rs 500 to Rs 50,000. It also claimed that many devotees, who were unable to pay the money, were forced to sit far away from the stage where the celebrations were held. It claimed that devotees were unable to follow the proceedings and fell asleep instead of keeping awake on Mahashivaratri.

However, the report doesn’t substantiate its claims by citing the experiences of any affected person. It didn’t even quote anonymously a so-called victim of the alleged donation exercise. The report claims that a volunteer had told the correspondent that if one had to get near the sadhguru, then they had to pay Rs 50,000. Unfortunately, the report has neither quoted the volunteer’s name nor has it put on record any bad experiences of devotees!

The report also shows photos of various labels named after rivers in the country. But in no picture has any devotee been shown paying or donating money. The report also fails to even reveal a desk/counter where money was being received. A picture in the report does show the help desk from behind but nowhere are crowds seen paying any donation that was allegedly demanded. The report does not carry a single photo of a devotee who suffered any discrimination as alleged - all it has is a photo of devotees having food that the report says was served for all those who turned up.

At the Maha Shivaratri celebrations, Tamil Nadu Governor Banwarilal Purohit, Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam, Puducherry Chief Minister V Narayanasamy besides a host of celebrities took part. The report said it had sent a questionnaire to the foundation and got a response saying that a reply would be sent soon. Again, the question here is why Vikatan Group didn’t try and call directly anyone from the foundation before sending an e-mail?

The Vikatan and a few other media groups have been targeting the Isha Foundation and Jaggi Vasudev for quite sometime, especially after he gained prominence and got Prime Minister Narendra Modi to inaugurate the 112-feet Adiyogi Shiva statue at Velliangiri. In particular, the Vikatan group has come out with reports regularly trying to run down the Isha Foundation. These are also the so-called secular media that have been using such reports to undermine the Modi government.