NEPAL: Human rights defender living in fear after detailing corruption and malpractice in Osho Tapoban

Dear Friends,

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that Ms. Anshu Gurung, a human rights defender and writer, is in hiding, fearing for her life. After Anshu wrote an article on her experiences at Osho Tapoban International in Nepal, Swami Ananda Arun and his followers have been publicly harassing her and threatening to finish her off through media outlets and open forums. She has been forced to stop using her social media accounts and telephone, and is seeking protection and safety. She has written and complained to many authorities, but has received no assistance so far.

CASE NARRATIVE:

In July 2018, Ms. Anshu Gurung wrote an article about her experience at Osho Tapoban International, and about the ill practices being committed there. The contents of the article were seen as controversial, and there was considerable backlash and harassment against her. In particular, Anshu raised the issues of corruption by Swami Ananda Arun and his followers, as well as labour and sexual exploitation.

On October 22, Anshu gave an interview regarding her experiences at Osho Tapoban. It was published on YouTube and Nepal Aaj, without any monetary compensation to Anshu. In her interview, Anshu questioned how an NGO could be established in 1991 in the name of Osho Tapoban, without any social service being done. There is no transparency in the executive committee, and the Chairperson is re-elected every year, ever since the establishment of the NGO. Furthermore, how did Osho Tapoban receive 30 million rupees three years ago to build a concrete bridge from the government red book? How is Osho Tapoban International selling houses within their commune like a housing society, with prices starting from rupees 15 to 60 lakhs?

There is labour exploitation, sexual exploitation of sanyasins, death of an Indian Sanyasin, encroachment of national park, killing of monkeys and cutting of trees in the national park. Anshu wanted to bring light to these issues that are not being talked about, and that Arun and his corrupt followers are getting away with. She
submitted her application to the prime minister’s office to find out the actual facts and to take necessary action on Osho Tapoban and other supporting documents.

Anshu later learned that a case had been registered against Osho Tapoban under the registration number 22- 07-2018-7RXWHJ in the Ministry of Land Reform and Management and the Ministry of Forests and Environment regarding the encroachment of the Nagarjun National Park.

Again, there was much backlash against her video, resulting in severe harassment. Anshu submitted an application regarding the harassment to the Prime Minister’s Office, the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA), Tarkeshowr Municipality, Home Minister and informed different parliamentarians Dr. Bimala Rai Pandey, Mr. Biraj Bhakta Shrestha. Also, Home Minister, Mr. Sher Dhan Rai (Chief Minister of Province 1), the Press Secretary of PM and the Public Relation Officer of PM office.

People from Osho Tapoban International have spread the rumour that they will have her arrested. She is being accused of being paid by Osho International Pune, of gaining attention and shortcut to fame, being a homewrecker, being an alcoholic, abuser of children, and other falsities. They have threatened to cut her, sue her, and put her in jail. 

Then the DSP from Teku – Kathmandu went to Basecamp – Lalitpur, a hangout place near her house, asking for Anshu. In an interview on November 1, Swami Anand Arun said he is taking legal action against Anshu and another man has been taken into custody already (this man had posted a photograph of Swami Arun Anand being massaged by a woman Osho disciple living in Osho Tapoban). Arun Anand stated that he has made a complaint to the press council and that his legal advisors will take legal action against Anshu and for her false allegations against him. Arun threatened on Sagarmatha TV to catch Anshu and punish her for merely speaking up.

Due to the threats, Anshu has left Kathmandu, and stopped updating all social media. She is experiencing psychological trauma and cannot move freely around Kathmandu and Nepal. Her phones are switched off and she lives with in constant fear of arrest. Moreover, Anshu was diagnosed with breast cancer in October, after her interview was posted on YouTube. She had a mastectomy on November 4, and her recovery has been marred by this harassment. This forced social isolation after her cancer diagnosis and surgery is severely impeding her recovery.

Background Information:

Osho Tapoban was formed on 6 April 2005 as a NGO.

Here is an excerpt of Anshu’s article published on baahrakhari after spending some time in Osho Tapoban:

As it turns out, some 12 to 14 years ago, Swami Ananda Arun, who is the head honcho at Osho Tapoban, had taken some 10 staff members of his company named BDA on his side and declared himself an Acharya. Gradually, he also began calling himself a bodhisattva. He had removed Shanti Ma and Govind Narayan Bharati from their positions as camp administrators because they had objected to his self-declaration as a bodhisattva. Before this, he had already declared himself the head, or mathadhis, of Tapoban by orchestrating the removal of a Japanese sanyanisn who had helped purchase the land for Tapoban in the initial years, along with Anurag and Basudev Lamichhane. That group has started a separate organization called Osho Dhaar.

In the process of expanding Tapoban and his ‘empire’, the very much alive Swami Ananda Arun hasn’t only constructed his own mausoleum and statue but also formed a bhajan troupe to sing a bhajan called ‘Jaya Jaya Arun Swami’ during meditation sessions. This is against the directives of the Sadguru Osho. Because of these actions, protests against him began in Nepal, India and Russia.

All the powerful people in Kathmandu know Swami Ananda Arun. The ashram is supposed to be devoid of any discrimination, but the chief of the ashram himself runs after powerful personalities. When Lok Man Karki was the head of the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority, he was very influential at Tapoban – Karki would come and deliver hours-long lectures. A new tradition began – the rich and powerful were welcomed into the ashram with an arati worship. King Gyanendra had also entered the ashram premises after an arati. Many powerful personalities from India have been received into the ashram premises with similar aratis.

Swami Ananda Arun must have benefited greatly from this. After receiving a large sum as assistance from the government, he cleared forest land, built a bridge and an ostentatious mansion, and began selling a room for 7 million rupees. I hear that these days it costs up to 10 thousand rupees to stay for a night at Tapoban.

Another reason behind the worshipping of power centers is the lawsuit against forest clearing brought by the Shivapuri Nagarjun National Park. Tapoban now uses more than 100 ropanis of land even though it has documented ownership of only 27 ropanis. This will certainly be investigated by the Park.

Swami Ananda Arun has the strange habit of calling himself the reincarnation of a Bihari king. I have really been hurt by incidents in the name of serving the teacher where novice initiates have been made to work through the month on a salary of two thousand to 22 hundred rupees, only to be expelled from the ashram once they are unable to work anymore; or of making female followers massage his legs; or how up to three different couples living in the Ashram are made to live in a single room in cramped conditions; or of how dissenters have been expelled from the ashram.

On top of that there is the issue of sexual exploitation. However, since the victims themselves aren’t ready to step forward and speak out, I cannot divulge the names of the perpetrator or the victim. Many sanyasins have left the ashram because of such exploitation. But they don’t speak a word against Tapoban. Because they are scared that society will say to them, ‘You got what you deserved.’

SUGGESTED ACTION:

Please write to the authorities below calling for quick and stringent action by the Government of Nepal to ensure the safety of Ms. Anshu Gurung. The government must afford her protection and ensure that she can receive the necessary medical treatment in security and safety. The government must also investigate into the alleged malpractices and sexual harassment inside Osho Tapoban International.

The AHRC is writing a separate letter to the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders.

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