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Kailaasa

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Flag of the claimed Kailaasa Hindu Nation

Kailaasa is a micronation founded by Hindu guru Nithyananda in December 2019. Nithyananda, who has been described as leading a cult,[1][2][3] claimed that he had created a new "Hindu nation" microstate, and claims that Kailaasa is the world's only sovereign Hindu nation. Kailaasa has been variously described as an internationally dispersed network of non-governmental organisations, a fictional or fake country, and a scam or con.

History

[edit]

In December 2019, Nithyananda claimed that he had created a new "Hindu nation" microstate called Kailaasa (also known as Shrikailasa & United States of Kailaasa[4] or USK[5]) and claimed to issue passports, currency, and other documents.[6][7][8][9] In his announcement he said, "Kailaasa is a nation without borders created by dispossessed Hindus around the world who lost the right to practice Hinduism authentically in their own countries".[10] Nithyananda claims that Kailaasa is the world's only sovereign Hindu nation.[11] Kailaasa has also been described as a network of non-governmental organisations spanning three continents.[12][13]

According to a statement by someone identified as the press secretary of Kailasa stated: "It was established much in the spirit of a country like the Sovereign Order of Malta, a borderless service-oriented nation", and the MoneyControl website reporting this (based on CBS News coverage) also stated that Kailasa "is operated through a group of NGOs from multiple countries",[14] suggesting (along with "Kailaasa is a nation without borders") that it does not exist as geographical territory. By contrast, India Today reported (relying largely on self-published promotional material at Kailaasa.org), that Nithyananda had bought an island off the coast of Ecuador for Kailasa; however, the article also said it was "near Trinidad and Tobago",[6] which is physically impossible since those islands are on the opposite side of the South American continent from Ecuador.

In August 2020, Nithyananda announced the Reserve Bank of Kailaasa and released its official gold currency, the Kailashian dollar.[7] He said the design of the coins was inspired by the currency of "the ancient 56 Hindu nations".[15] He said that the bank would be structured on the lines of the Vatican Bank.[16][17][18][19][20][21] In December 2020, Nithyananda announced that Kailaasa had begun issuing three-day visas for tourists.[22] According to his announcement, visa-holders will have to travel from Australia aboard a newly launched private chartered-flight service, Garuda, and all visitors will be provided with food and accommodation during the course of their stay.[22][23]

On 19 April 2021, citing COVID-19 cases across the world, Nithyananda banned travel to Kailaasa from India, Brazil, Europe, and Malaysia.[24][25][26] On 7 June 2021, media reported that while answering a disciple during a Amman reading, Nithyananda said that COVID would end when he is received in India with respect and performs pilgrimage to all Shakti Pitha.[27][28][29][30]

In August 2022, a representative for Nithyananda wrote to Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe to request political asylum citing Nithyananda's ill-health. The letter contained an offer to invest in Sri Lanka on condition of asylum being granted and the donation of medical equipment required for treatment. The request demanded the establishment of political ties with Kailaasa so that an air ambulance would transport Nithyananda as a head of state.[9][31]

Nithananda approached the United Nations again, through a woman identifying herself as Vijayapriya Nithyananda and claiming to be the "permanent ambassador" to the UN of his new country of Kailaasa, at 23 February 2023 open public meetings of the UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women and Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, complaining in testimony and a written submission about persecution of "the people of Kailasa", seeking international recognition for Kailaasa as the "first sovereign state for Hindus", and claiming Nithyanada to be the "supreme pontiff of Hinduism". The UN was reported to have ignored the Kailaasa submission as "irrelevant".[5]

In November 2023, the chief of staff of Paraguay's agricultural ministry was replaced after the government discovered that he had signed a memorandum of understanding with representatives of Kailaasa.[4][32] Reporting by New York magazine in 2023 suggests that Kailaasa-related activities have actually been pursued by Nithyananda for at least 20 years, including various attempts to convince American, Canadian, and other places to enter into "sister city" arrangements with and other forms of acknowledgement of Kailaasa, which has resulted in several scandals from city to national levels.[33]

The general consensus among the mainstream press is that Kailaasa is a fictional "fake country" and even a scam or con.[4][5][34][1][35][32][36][37]

References

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  1. ^ a b Medeiros, Dan (17 March 2023). "Fall River gave 'official proclamation' to Indian scammer guru who invented a fake country". The Herald News. Fall River, Massachusetts. Retrieved 17 January 2024.
  2. ^ Pundir, Pallavi (24 March 2023). "This Fake Country Is Run by a Guru Accused of Rape. How Did It End Up at the UN?". Vice. Retrieved 17 January 2024.
  3. ^ "Nithyananda's Fake Nation 'Kailasa' Duped 30 US Cities With 'Cultural' Agreements: Report". Outlook. 17 March 2023. Retrieved 16 January 2023.
  4. ^ a b c "Paraguay official resigns after signing agreement with fictional country". AP News. Associated Press. 30 November 2023. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
  5. ^ a b c Sebastian, Meryl. "Nithyananda's Kailasa: UN to ignore remarks of fugitive India guru's fictional country". BBC News. Retrieved 17 January 2024.
  6. ^ a b Pinto, Nolan (3 December 2019). "Rape-accused Nithyananda buys island, sets up own nation Kailaasa near Ecuador". India Today. Archived from the original on 21 March 2023. Retrieved 29 December 2020.
  7. ^ a b "Fugitive rape-accused Nithyananda declares his own Hindu island nation 'Kailaasa' near Ecuador". Business Today. Noida, India. 4 December 2019. Retrieved 4 December 2019.
  8. ^ "Nithyananda buys island, forms own 'nation' called 'Kailaasa'". The Week. Kochi, India. Retrieved 28 December 2020.
  9. ^ a b "Life in danger: Rape-accused Nithyananda seeks medical asylum in Sri Lanka". India Today. 2 September 2022. Retrieved 3 September 2022.
  10. ^ "On The Run From Law, Nithyananda Establishes His Own 'Nation' Called 'Kailaasa' Near Ecuador". News18. 3 December 2019. Retrieved 26 April 2024.
  11. ^ Mishra, Himanshu (21 December 2020). "Rape accused Nithyananda cites assassination threats for not coming back to India". India Today. Retrieved 27 December 2020.
  12. ^ Kumar, Ankit (21 August 2020). "Exclusive: Behind Nithyananda's Kailaasa empire, a hidden maze of companies and NGOs". India Today. Retrieved 27 December 2020.
  13. ^ "Nithyananda says 29 people applied to live in Kailasa, launches 'E-embassy' plan". The Week. Kochi, India. Retrieved 24 April 2021.
  14. ^ "Does Kailasa exist? Where is it located? Nithyananda representatives respond". MoneyControl. Archived from the original on 12 April 2023. Retrieved 12 April 2023.
  15. ^ "Reserve Bank of Kailasa: What is Nithyananda's 'central bank and currency'?". The Indian Express. 29 August 2020. Retrieved 25 December 2020.
  16. ^ "Rape accused Nithyananda cites assassination threats for not coming back to India". India Today. 21 December 2020.
  17. ^ "Nithyananda launches Reserve Bank of Kailasa: How a fugitive rape-accused is building his own 'nation'". India Today. 22 August 2020.
  18. ^ Rockwell, Lew. "The World Banking System Has a New Competitor". LewRockwell.com. Retrieved 25 December 2020.
  19. ^ "Is he a 'nutty' godman or is Nithyananda a Hinduism icon in New India?". National Herald. 30 August 2020. Retrieved 25 December 2020.
  20. ^ "Reserve Bank of Kailasa, Kailashian Dollar: All you need to know about Nithyananda's 'central bank and currency'". Deccan Herald. 24 August 2020. Retrieved 25 December 2020.
  21. ^ "Rape Accused, Fugitive Godman Nithyananda Launches Reserve Bank of Kailasa on Ganesh Chaturthi 2020". India.com. 22 August 2020. Retrieved 25 December 2020.
  22. ^ a b "Absconding godman Nithyananda offers 3-day visa to 'nation'". Hindustan Times. 19 December 2020. Retrieved 28 December 2020.
  23. ^ Mishra, Ashutosh (18 December 2020). "Nithyananda, absconding rape accused, announces visa for Kailasa, flights from Australia". India Today. Retrieved 28 December 2020.
  24. ^ "Nithyananda Bans Travellers From India To 'Kailasa', Cites COVID-19 Surge". NDTV.com. New Delhi Television. Retrieved 23 April 2021.
  25. ^ "Fugitive godman Swami Nithyananda bans Indians from entering 'Kailasa' over Covid surge". The New Indian Express. 23 April 2021. Retrieved 23 April 2021.
  26. ^ "COVID surge: Nithyananda shuts borders of Kailasa to India travellers". The Week. Kochi, India. Retrieved 23 April 2021.
  27. ^ "Covid-19 Pandemic Will End Only When I Land in India, Claims Nithyananda". India subsite. Yahoo! News. Retrieved 8 June 2021.
  28. ^ "ഇന്ത്യയിൽ കോവിഡ് തീരും, ഞാൻ അവിടെ കാലുകുത്തുമ്പോൾ: നിത്യാനന്ദ". Malayala Manorama (in Malayalam). Retrieved 8 June 2021.
  29. ^ "ভারতের মাটিতে পা দিলেই পালাবে করোনা! আজব দাবি স্বঘোষিত ধর্মগুরু স্বামী নিত্যানন্দের". Sangbad Pratidin (in Bengali). Retrieved 8 June 2021.
  30. ^ "நான் காலடி எடுத்து வைத்தால் இந்தியாவை விட்டு கொரோனா ஓடிவிடும்... சாமியார் நித்யானந்தா சர்ச்சை பேச்சு..!". Tamil.AsianetNews.com (in Tamil). Asianet News Network. Retrieved 8 June 2021.
  31. ^ Rape-accused Nithyananda seeks medical asylum in Sri Lanka (Television production). India Today. 3 September 2022.
  32. ^ a b Aitken, Peter (2 December 2023). "South American official fired after signing agreement with country made up by Indian 'holy' conman". Fox News. Retrieved 17 January 2024.
  33. ^ Stieb, Matt (23 March 2023). "How a Fake Hindu Nation Scammed Its Way Across America". "Intelligencer" department. New York. Retrieved 17 January 2024.
  34. ^ "Nithyananda's Fake Nation 'Kailasa' Duped 30 US Cities With 'Cultural' Agreements: Report". Outlook. 17 March 2023. Retrieved 16 January 2023.
  35. ^ "Nithyananda's 'fake country' Kailasa cons 30 US cities with 'sister-city' scam: Report". The Indian Express. 18 March 2023. Retrieved 17 January 2024.
  36. ^ Creitz, Charles (19 March 2023). "Politicians, cities forging ties with fake Hindu cult leader reveals pitfalls of 'inclusivity': Buck Sexton". Fox News. Retrieved 17 January 2024.
  37. ^ Ghosh, Sanchari (17 March 2023). "How Swami Nithyananda's 'fake country' Kailasa fooled 30 US cities with 'Sister City' scam? Explained". Mint. Bangalore. Retrieved 17 January 2024.
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