BACKGROUND
Sri Aurobindo
Ashram is known all over world as the home of Sri Aurobindo’s unique and
pathbreaking Integral Yoga. Sri Aurobindo Ashram is also the Pride of
Puducherry and occupies a central position in its cultural and spiritual
landscape.
Sri Aurobindo Ashram
is administered by Sri Aurobindo Ashram Trust with five Trustees at the helm of
affairs. There is no election or democratic selection process of these
Trustees. Trustees remain Trustees for life and have no accountability.
While Sri Aurobindo
Ashram Trust is a Public Charitable Trust, it does not come under the R.T.I.
As per various
reports, the Sri Aurobindo Ashram Trust occupies over 60% of Puducherry’s prime
real estate valued at over Rs.10,000 crores by very conservative estimates. It
receives hundreds of crores in donations every year as also Income Tax
Exemptions from the Central Government and various benefits from the Government
of Puducherry.
Over the last 10
years, there have been consistent and serious reports of violations of human
rights, sexual harrasement and serious crimes against women, financial
mismanagement and evasion of taxes, etc, and all in the name of God.
The Trustees are
involved in hundreds of legal cases all over India. The Managing Trustee is
currently out on bail for forgery in a land grabbing case and the children of
other Trustees are allegedly involved in shady real estate transactions
involving crores of rupees in Public Funds. Annually, the Trustees spend crores
of rupees in legal fees from Public Funds in order to defend themselves
individually.
Over the last
couple of years, the National and International Media has come out with many
negative documentaries on the Trustees bringing shame to Puducherry. Last year,
over 75 Members of Parliament wrote to the Trustees and the Puducherry
Administration demanding answers and accountability for the Trustees’
misdeeds. Recently, the Honourable
Minister of Women and Child Welfare, Smt. Krishna Tirath wrote to our Chief
Minister demanding strong action against the Trustees in view of the serious
complaints received by the Ministry.
The whole country
was shocked to learn that the inmates of Sri Aurobindo Ashram cannot approach
the Police or the Press regarding any matter as per the orders of the Trustees.
In view of the above,
our Honourable Chief Minister ordered a free and fair probe by the Collector of
Puducherry into the corrupt practices of the Trustees of Sri Aurobindo Ashram.
Over 50 lady inmates and other members from and outside Puducherry deposed in
camera and writing and submitted evidence to the Government about the crimes of
the Trustees against women and serious sexual and human rights violations. Many
other inmates submitted voluminous reports about financial misdeeds and Tax
Evasion by the Trustees running into hundreds of crores of rupees.
After stalling the
Probe for over eight months and using this period to destroy evidence and
intimidate inmates into silence, the Trustees were forced to bow to public
pressure and the Probe was ordered to be restarted with a retired High Court
Judge as the Enquiry Officer.
However now the
Trustees have used large amounts of money from the Ashram’s coffers in
employing the most expensive lawyers in order to mislead the Honourable High
Court of Chennai. They have deliberately and by providing false information
ensured the change in the terms of reference of the Probe and its very nature
in order to manipulate the result.
UNACCEPTABLE MANIPULATION
BY THE ASHRAM TRUSTEES
BY THE ASHRAM TRUSTEES
In a shocking
development the latest High Court order has changed the terms of reference of
the Probe in the following manner:
The Probe is now
open to inmates and ex-inmates of the Ashram only, thereby denying the
fundamental right of the Public of Puducherry to participate in the Probe! This
will not make the Probe free and fair and is against the spirit of proper
enquiry! It should also be noted that most of the sexual harassment cases
involve non-inmates and this would allow the Trustees to go scot free!
Additionally, the
Public of Puducherry and beneficiaries of the Ashram Trust from outside have
been denied the right to participate in the Probe, thereby depriving them of
their basic right as envisaged by the Divine Mother. The Trust Deed clearly
states that all disciples, devotees and followers of Sri Aurobindo’s philosophy
and ideals are beneficiaries of the Trust and share equal responsibility and
participation as inmates.
In a most shocking
development, the Govt of Puducherry, which had initiated the Probe in the first
place has been barred from participation in the Probe. This will result in the
Trustees having a free run and manipulating the results of the Probe. Moreover many
of the major financial irregularities involving the Trustees can be brought to
public knowledge only with the participation of the Govt of Puducherry. This is
totally unacceptable.
DEMANDS AND CONDITIONS
FOR A FREE AND FAIR PROBE
FOR A FREE AND FAIR PROBE
Ashok Anand, M.L.A.,
met the new Enquiry Officer, the honourable retired Justice T.L. Viswanatha
Iyer, and humbly represented the case of the beneficiaries and complainants and
requested the Enquiry Officer to consider the following:
1. Ensure that there is no deviation from the original
Terms of Reference of the Probe and that all the beneficiaries are allowed free
participation without discrimination.
2. The Govt of Puducherry must remain a fully
empowered participant in the Probe.
3. The Public of Puducherry cannot be denied their
right to participate in the Probe.
4. All the complaints against the Trustees involving
intimidation and threat in gross violation of Court orders must be dealt with
and the guilty punished before the Probe can proceed.
5. The Trustees must bear the legal expenses of the
helpless inmates who have to run to the High Court of Chennai for repeated
clarifications involving the Probe. The Trustees use Public Funds to defend
themselves individually and are also paying for the expenses of the Enquiry
Officer and all other costs of the Probe. Therefore it is only fair that they
pay for the legal expenses of the inmates in connection with the Probe. Otherwise
the poor inmates are harassed and are unable to bear the cost of seeking
repeated clarifications from the High Court in Chennai.
6. Immediate appointment of a senior I.A.S. Officer as
the administrator of the Ashram in line with the functioning of the Auroville
Foundation and Tirupati Devasthanam.
7. Thiru Ashok Anand, M.L.A., visited various
departments and premises of the Ashram on 23 October, 2013 along with the
Enquiry Officer in order to have a preliminary assessment of the situation.
Thiru Ashok Anand highlighted to the Enquiry Officer and the Trustees that it
is improper, illegal and immoral to house hundreds of lady inmates with male
inmates in adjacent rooms with common toilets in the same buildings. Thiru
Ashok Anand pointed out that it is nowhere permitted to house unmarried male
and female inmates in the same complex and this encourages sexual harassment
and abuse of helpless women.
8. Thiru Ashok Anand has assured the Public of
Puducherry that their grievances in connection with the Probe will be conveyed
in a proper manner to the authorities and that justice will not be denied to a
single beneficiary of the Trust.
The
Hindu – 27 October, 2013
Views of residents outside
should also be considered by probe panel
PUDUCHERRY: Ashok Anand,
Member of Legislative Assembly, said that the territorial administration should
initiate steps to take the view of residents outside Sri Aurobindo Ashram to
the inquiry commission, which is looking into the allegations against the
Ashram.
Speaking to reporters
here on Saturday,
he said it looked as if the panel under retired judge of Kerala High Court
might not meet anybody except the Ashram inmates.
This would deny the
chances of probationary inmates to air their grievances and complaints to the
judge.
Hence, the government
should take necessary steps to redraft the terms of inquiry purview of the
judge. If needed, it should approach the High Court so as to listen to the view
of the general public.
Support of leaders
Mr. Anand added that he
would meet leaders of various political parties in Puducherry to seek their
support to fight for transparency in the administration of the Ashram.
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