When a devasted couple, Janardana Sharma and his wife filed a petition against Nithyananda Ashram by stating to the court that they had admitted their four daughters to an educational institution run by Swami Nithyananda in Bengaluru in 2013 when they were in the age group of 7-15 years. When they learnt that their daughters were this year shifted to another branch of Nithyananda Dhyanpeetham, named Yogini Sarvagyapeetham, situated on the premises of Delhi Public School in Ahmedabad, they tried to meet them. However, officials of the institute refused to let them meet their daughters, the petitioners alleged. With help from the police, the Sharmas visited the institute and managed to bring back their two minor daughters, but their elder daughters, Lopamudra Janardana Sharma (21) and Nandhita (18), refused to accompany them, according to the petition.
In reply to this controversy, Janardana Sharma’s elder daughter Lopamudra alias Ma Nithya Tattvapriya Ananda posted a video questioning society, “Is it that difficult to be a Sanyasi (Hermit) in India? She further stated that no one has captivated her, its her parents who wants to blackmail Nithyananda for their own motives. She asserted that she is happy in the lifestyle she has chosen to live.”
Civil society people advised her to meet her parents and have dialogue with them, just posting videos on social media gives wrong message. They believe that the video is made in pressure tactics. Nithyananda is known for hypnotism and conditioning young minds.
A couple has petitioned the Gujarat High Court for help to get back two daughters who they assert have been illegally confined at an ashram run by controversial self-styled god man Swami Nithyananda. They alleged their two younger daughters were kidnapped and kept in illegal confinement for more than two weeks and were deprived of sleep. The parents said they have filed a FIR against the authorities in this connection. In the plea, the Sharma’s have asked the court to seek the court’s direction direct the police as well the institute’s authorities to produce their daughters, who they alleged are being kept under “illegal confinement”, before the court and hand them over. The couple has also asked for an investigation into other minors kept at the institute. In June last year, a Karnataka Court had framed charges against Nithyananda in a rape case.
Purnima Mistry a women’s right activist said “If educated people are falling prey to these swamis where are we heading, don’t these parents have any brains? Nithyananda is known and well publicised for his exploitation of women. Parents need to be arrested for sending their children to these dubious places. Why file FIR, where was the sense when they were putting minors in Ashram instead of putting them in school?”
Another Sanyasi of Nithyananda Ashram Ma Nithya Amrtamayananda stated that “The parents decided to drag kids into mudsling. What about a daughters’ abuse being ignored and pushed under the rug? Janardarna Sharma, driven by pure spite and evil has blatantly used his own children as bait for his planned conspiracy against Swamiji and our beautiful sangha. Does anyone really expect children to want to ‘come back home’ and be around him? He has put his own children in the limelight of his ego-driven drama only to suit his own selfish agenda – to destroy the good-willed efforts of Swamiji’s Sangha”. She continued asking “Is it wrong for you to be a Sanyasi? One has all the freedom and the right. But outside people (society, people of law) are looking for a controversy”.
Suchithra Raghunathan – Director, SRISHTI NATYALAYA PEARL ENTERPRISES said “Lopamudra alias Tattvapriya, instead of posting live videos, should meet her parents and talk to them straight. Being initiated with all kind of powers, why she is not daring enough to make her statements straight to family?”
Ma Nithya Vishalananda another Sanyasin of Nithyananda Ashram said, “This is one of the tactics used by anti-Hindu elements- send people inside the Sangha who will seem to become part of the insider, live the lifestyle for some time and then suddenly leave and start abusing and claim that ‘I am exposing’…we Hindus have to be more aware of such tactics…enough of us being ignorant for these many years…””
Ma Nithya Deepikananda Swami said “Father is forcing his adult daughter against her will. Support the daughter, and her individual choices. Tattvapriya (Lopmudra) and her sister are adults, let them decide for their own lives, support their freedom. Stop attacking Hindu institutions just to promote missionary education, stop being Supari contractors against own religious preachers.” Nithyanandita and Tattvapriya both requesting government, judiciary, to support individual freedom not media propaganda.
Former student of Ashram told Afternoon Voice on the condition of anonymity, “That there are too many allegations by several Ex-Sangha members on Nithyananda. Blindly labeling all of them as anti-Hindu just won’t suffice. Just ask Swamiji & Senior Ashramites to come out into open, be completely transparent and clarify the matter. It’s not very difficult. She said, girls are not only conditioned but had to go through many unexpected shacks and court should order an enquiry. “
