Bandh tomorrow for govt. takeover of ashram

The Hindu

December 19, 2014

Puducherry sisters’ death

A host of outfits and civil society organisations have called for a dawn-to-dusk bandh on December 20 demanding that the Union and Puducherry governments should intervene and take over Sri Aurobindo Ashram. A decision to this effect was taken at a joint meeting here on Thursday.

G. Sugumaran, secretary, Federation for Peoples Rights (FPR), said the Central government should intervene and appoint a senior IAS official to look after the administration of the Ashram.

He said that the five sisters all hailing from Jharkhand had been engaged in a legal battle with the Ashram for nearly 14 years over alleged sexual harassment. Several other inmates had also levelled allegations of harassment and various other irregularities.

The sisters had taken the extreme step following dejection after they were evicted from the Ashram-run residential apartments by the police, he said.

The Puducherry government should appoint a retired Judge of the Madras High Court to probe the various complaints levelled by the inmates. It should also provide security to the surviving members in the family, he said.

http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/puducherry/puducherry-sisters-death-bandh-on-december-20/article6707059.ece