HIGH DRAMA prevailed at the Osho International Meditation Resort throughout the day on Wednesday as the rebel group tried to barge into the resort premises while the police and resort personnel tried to rein them in. While the management of the resort alleged that the rebel group indulged in ugly and indecent behaviour which was highly unbecoming of sannyasins, the rebels denied that they did anything wrong.

The fracas erupted a day after the management of the Osho International Meditation Resort had allowed the rebel group banned for years to enter the resort premises wearing mala (beaded rosary). On Tuesday, the management of the resort had made it clear that the wearing of mala was allowed only for a day because of the intervention of Pune police.

However, on Wednesday, the rebel group in batches tried to barge into the resort premises. They made at least three attempts to enter inside, the management said.

Swami Chaitanya Keerti, who has been leading the rebel group, told The Indian Express, Over 250 sannyasins sought to enter the resort premises. They were all wearing the mala given in diksha by Osho himself. It is an integral part of our life and signifies the master-disciple bond. However, the resort management refused to allow us to enter the premises.

Swami Keerti said in three batches in the afternoon hours, some sannyasins managed to enter the resort premises. Once inside, the devotees sat in the Buddha Grove area, sang Keertan songs and did not interfere with anybody else inside. But the Osho Ashram Management preferred to send the police inside, coax them to use force in terms of threats of arrest and lathicharge on a crowd of innocent devotees. The lathicharge though was not severe. One or two devotees must have got hurt badly, he said.

On Wednesday, following intervention by police and considering the possible law and order situation, the management of the Osho International Meditation Resort had allowed the rebel disciples to enter the campus wearing malas or rosaries for one day to mark Rajneeshs Enlightenment Day. The rebel disciples celebrated the occasion and held meditation sessions at Oshos resting place. Many of them were banned years back for alleged anti-resort activities.

On Tuesday, due to the intervention of police, the resort management had to allow the devotees to enter the premises with their Osho Sannyas Mala, after paying the full fee of Rs 970.

The disciples rejoiced and thanked the police as well as the management for coming to an amicable conclusion on the Osho Mala tussle.

Unfortunately, we were misled and lied to by the Osho Ashram Management. When Osho devotees tried to visit the ashram this morning, with their Osho Mala, ready and willing to pay Rs 970, their day-long charge; we were refused entry and asked to remove the Mala again.

This stirred strong emotions in the devotees and some of them barged inside the ashram out of frustration at the managements ploy, said Swami Keerti.

So it is explicitly clear that this disproportionate fear of Osho Mala is not out of their obedience to Oshos instructions as they claim, rather it is a part of their conspiracy to mint money off the prime real estate of Koregaon Park, Pune, the rebel group alleged in a press release.

The disciples are deeply hurt by Osho Ashram managements audacious and horrendous decision to allow the police to raise dandas on Oshos disciples at the Buddha Grove. The same Buddha Groove from where Osho addressed his devotees for decades. After todays incident, it is axiomatic that Oshos Temple of Love and Meditation is in the wrong hands and the Trustees should be replaced. The disciples have given official letters of complaint to the police station regarding all this. The Joint CP of Pune visited the Osho Ashram in this regard today and we are expecting that justice be served in favour of the truth, the release stated.

Condemning the ugly and indecent behaviour of the rebel group, Amrit Sadhana, spokesperson for the resort, said, The way the rebel group behaved today raises doubts whether they are really Oshos disciples. They barged into the resort premises, raised slogans, and used abusive and threatening language. I was also abused in filthy language and threatened. They entered the resort premises as if they wanted to capture the entire resort. We strongly condemn this kind of ugly behaviour and hooliganism. Stating that the ugly scenes witnessed at the resort were the first in 50 years, the spokesperson said they had allowed the wearing of mala only for a day and that too because of the intervention of the police.

We had made it specifically clear that the relaxation in the rule was only for a day and from next day, all the rules and regulations will be strictly followed. And therefore, there is no question of allowing anyone inside the resort wearing mala.

The spokesperson reiterated that Osho was himself against wearing of malas or any other symbol which gives a sannyasin a religious touch.

Religion leads to fanaticism. Fanatic people fight with each other and they kill one another. And therefore, Osho was against such outer symbols, the spokesperson said.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone 2) Smartana Patil said, In spite of being allowed on Tuesday, the group of disciples from other factions forcibly entered the campus on Wednesday wearing malas. Over 100 to 150 of them barged into the resort and chanted slogans. However, there was one person, who according to the preliminary probe, does not belong to any group, created a ruckus and also attacked the police personnel who tried to stop him. This person has been detained after being overpowered by multiple police personnel. We are in the process of registering a case against him. We have made adequate force deployment in the area and the campus as a precautionary measure and are closely monitoring the situation.

Officials said they earlier thought that the man was a foreign national, it was later confirmed that he holds an Indian passport.

(With inputs from Sushant Kulkarni)

Go here to read the rest:

High-voltage drama: Protesting followers of Osho Rajneesh forcibly enter his Pune ashram - The Indian Express