Isha Foundation Defends Freedom of Choice Amid Legal Controversy

The Isha Foundation, founded by Sadhguru to promote yoga and spirituality, has issued a statement regarding ongoing legal matters surrounding its ashram in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu. The foundation emphasized that adult individuals have the freedom to choose their paths, whether that means marriage or monkhood, and asserts that the Isha Yoga Center is home to both monks and laypeople.

“Isha Foundation was founded by Sadhguru to impart yoga and spirituality to people. We believe that adult individual human beings have the freedom and the wisdom to choose their path. We do not ask people to get married or take up monkhood as these are individual choices. Isha Yoga Center is home to thousands who are not monks and a few who have taken Brahmacharya or Monkhood,” the foundation said in an official statement.

The recent controversy stems from a habeas corpus petition filed by retired professor Dr. S. Kamaraj, who claims that his daughters, Geetha Kamaraj (42) and Latha Kamaraj (39), are being held against their will at the ashram. He alleges that the organization has brainwashed the sisters and severed their contact with family. In response, the Isha Foundation noted that the monks residing at the center willingly chose their lifestyle and have presented themselves before the court to clarify their status.

“The Petitioner wanted the monks to be produced before the Court and the monks have presented themselves before the court. They have clearly stated that they are staying in Isha Yoga Center out of their own volition. Now that the matter is seized by the court, we hope truth will prevail and there is an end to all the unnecessary controversies created,” the foundation stated.

The foundation also highlighted previous attempts by the petitioner and others to trespass on their premises under the guise of a fact-finding mission regarding a crematorium being built by the organization. In this context, the Madras High Court granted a stay on the submission of the police’s final report regarding the complaint against Isha Yoga Center residents. Additionally, the foundation clarified that recent police visits, including those from the Superintendent of Police, were part of a general inquiry, not a raid. Police are conducting interviews with residents and volunteers to understand their lifestyle and the nature of their stay at the center.