Fugitive Nithyananda's Reps Attend UN Meet: All You Need To Know About the Row

How did Godman Nithyananda's representatives make it to a UN meet? Why has the UN refused to take their inputs?

Stills of Nithyananda and Kailasa's rep Vijayapriya Nithyananda

(Image: Twitter)

A team sent by self-styled Indian godman and rape accused Nithyananda, attended a United Nations meeting in Geneva, Switzerland, on 24 February, to speak for the unrecognised island nation, the United States of Kailasa (USK), that he has established.

In the meeting for 'Sustainable Development held by the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (CESCR),' Vijayapriya Nityananda, a woman who called herself the ambassador of USK, said that the godman was being "persecuted" and that she represented the only "sovereign nation" for the Hindus.

On 1 March, the UN clarified that the "inputs" provided by the USK representative will be overlooked. In a response to India Today a UN official wrote, "Their written submission to the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) will not be published as it is irrelevant to the topic of the general discussion."

Who Is Godman 'Nithyananda' and What Is ‘United States of Kailasa’?

Nithyananda Paramashivam is a fugitive godman who reportedly founded a new country called United States of Kailasa (USK) by buying an island off the coast of Ecuador in South America. Once based in Karnataka, Nithyananda was accused of numerous offences, including rape, under the Indian Penal Code. He had fled the country in 2019.

What are the charges against Nithyananda?

• In 2010, Nithyananda was booked for allegedly raping a disciple who stayed at his ashram between 2004 and 2009. In August 2022, a Karnataka court reportedly issued a non-bailable warrant against the controversial holy man in connection with the rape case.

• In 2014, a 24-year-old woman – Sangeetha Arjunan – died due to torture allegedly inflicted on her by other members of Nithyananda’s ashram. She was allegedly tortured for stealing pen drives. The family of the victim alleged that in 2013, the woman came home with bruises on her body and that the ashram members had restricted her movement too.

• In 2019, Nithyananda reportedly faced allegations of kidnapping at least four children who were allegedly held illegally in a flat and were used as child labourers to collect donations for the ashram.

• French officials are investigating him for fraud worth USD 400,000. In January 2020, Interpol issued a blue corner notice asking for details regarding the rape accused guru.

His imaginary country, Kailasa, reportedly has its own flag called the Rishabha Dhvaja, own currency and banking system, constitution, government website, passport, national anthem, and national emblem.

Kailasa is named after Mount Kailash in Tibet, which is considered sacred by the Hindus. Nithyananda also calls the fictional country, the "Ancient Enlightened Hindu Civilizational Nation." On the official website of USK, Kailasa calls itself the home and refuge for the international Hindu diaspora.

Who Is Kailasa's 'Ambassador' Vijayapriya Nithyananda?

Vijayapriya Nithyananda is a disciple of Nithyananda, she reportedly said at the UN meet. In Geneva, she described herself as a resident of Washington DC, United States, who has the status of "Diplomat in Nithyananda's country Kailasa." She also identified herself as the "Permanent Ambassador of Kailasa to the UN."

She demanded "protection" for Nithyananda, the "Supreme Pontiff of Hinduism," at the UN meet.

She also claimed that Nithyananda has been reviving the enlightened Hindu civilisation and its 10,000 indigenous traditions including Adi Shaivite indigenous agricultural tribes.

"Kailasa has been implementing the ancient Hindu policies and indigenous solutions that are in alignment with the time-tested Hindu principles for sustainable development"

Vijayapriya Nithyananda, disciple of Nithyananda

Ian Kumar, a second representative of Kailasa, questioned one of the panel’s experts over “local legislation that might significantly stifle indigenous groups who want to authentically practice their cultural agricultural traditions.” According to reports, none of the panelists at the meeting answered their queries or made any comments. While Nithyananda's social media handles shared the video of Vijayapriya speaking at the UN meet, the same visuals were also reportedly found on the United Nations website.

How Did Kailasa Make It to the UN Meet?

It is not yet clear how Kailasa, an unrecognised country, and its representatives managed to gain access to the UN.

For them to do that, Kailasa delegates would have needed to be affiliated with a legitimate organisation.

The UN platform had reportedly allowed the participation of civil society groups and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGO). Experts doubt that Nithyananda and his team used the opportunity to gain access to the meet as he has a network of NGOs which are registered outside of India.