Ravi Shankar

[Kay @Kay84650600]

There are legitimate questions one can ask about any large yogic organisation, including Isha. But this thread is a good example of how a collection of facts can be arranged to imply something much more sinister than the evidence actually establishes.

Yes, Isha owns a very large property in Tennessee. Yes, it is developing residential accommodation. Yes, some residences involve 99-year ground leases, and yes, certain types of residence have prerequisites connected with Isha’s spiritual practices and culture. None of this is hidden: Isha publishes the arrangements itself, and the residential development and its utilities appear openly in Tennessee regulatory filings.

But what exactly is the allegation?

The repeated emphasis on “17,000 acres” needs context. That number describes the broader landholding, not 17,000 acres being turned into houses and apartments. Isha has publicly stated that roughly 70% of the land is intended to remain under conservation. Much of it is forest, bluffs, waterways and wildlife habitat rather than a giant residential development.

Having spent time there myself, one of the most striking things is actually how much wildlife thrives on the property. Nature has been left largely undisturbed, and you see animals flourishing everywhere.

What is actually being taught and practiced there? Primarily yoga, meditation and a way of living centered on the science of well-being. Isha does not require residents to convert, adopt a religious or political identity, or renounce their existing faith.

It is not particularly unusual that some people who value this way of life would choose to live near others who share those interests. People everywhere choose residential environments that reflect how they want to live: around nature, wellness, sustainability, retirement, or simply shared interests. For example in Georgia, Deerlick Astronomy Village was created specifically for people who share a passion for astronomy and want to live under genuinely dark skies. The development has no streetlights and imposes strict limits on outdoor lighting, building and land use specifically to protect the night sky for everyone who chooses to live there. These shared expectations are not sinister or separatist.

Living in a setting conducive to yoga and meditation is no more a withdrawal from wider American society than choosing to live in an astronomy village or an eco-community. People there still live under the same laws, pay taxes and participate in the world like everyone else. Wanting to live around people who share some of your values is hardly separatism.

And what’s actually expected of people living there is pretty ordinary: avoiding drugs and alcohol, and maintaining a peaceful atmosphere conducive to yoga and meditation. They are not aggressively policed rules, but part of the basic ethos people are expected to respect when choosing to live there.

The practice requirements make more sense in that context. Yoga and meditation have well-documented scientific evidences for physical and psychological benefits, and at Isha they are part of a broader way of life centered on health, awareness and inner well-being. It is not a requirement to adopt a particular religious identity. Asking prospective residents to have actually experienced these practices simply ensures they understand what they are choosing to be part of. Before labeling it “religious,” “separatist” or something more sinister, it might be worth first understanding what is actually practiced there and why.

Isha’s programs are open to people across religious backgrounds and do not demand exclusive religious allegiance; someone can remain Christian, Muslim, Jewish, Hindu, atheist or anything else while practicing yoga and meditation. For more than 30 years, these practices have been taught globally to people of different cultures and faiths, by teachers who themselves come from diverse backgrounds.

The Tennessee center is also open to visitors and hosts events intended for the wider public, from Christmas lights and celebrations to Earth Day and World Peace Day. That hardly fits the picture of a closed religious enclave separating itself from the outside world.

So the relevant question is not, “Why are they building a separate society?” They aren’t. A more meaningful question is: what is inherently sinister about people who value yoga, meditation, nature and a quieter way of life choosing to live near one another in an environment designed to support those interests, while remaining part of the wider society around them?

The same problem appears in the attempt to draw ideological conclusions from the organisations Isha has interacted with. Cooperation or engagement with groups, such as Sewa, ITServe, HSS or RSS, does not, by itself, establish ideological alignment. Isha has engaged with an extraordinarily diverse range of institutions and leaders globally, particularly through its ecological and humanitarian initiatives, including Muslim leaders, Jewish rabbis, Vatican representatives, Buddhist monks, various governments, NGOs and people from widely differing cultural, religious and political backgrounds.

That breadth of engagement is exactly what one would expect when addressing issues such as soil degradation, rivers and ecological restoration, which transcend religion, nationality and politics. Cooperation with one organisation on a particular project no more implies endorsement of that organisation’s wider affiliations than cooperation with the Vatican makes Isha Catholic. Collaboration on a shared objective establishes common ground on that objective. Nothing more.

What concerns me more in many of the comments on this thread is the amount of misinformation, half-truths and unsupported allegations being repeated as established fact. I have seen this pattern before: legitimate questions become mixed with ideological hostility, selective facts and guilt by association until a predetermined narrative begins to masquerade as evidence.

Given the complex political and religious dynamics surrounding these issues in India, there are groups with sharply competing interests and interpretations. That does not make every criticism malicious, nor should Isha or any large organisation be beyond scrutiny. But scrutiny should make us more rigorous about evidence, not less. Accusations should not become facts simply through repetition, and associations should not become conspiracies through insinuation.

If the concern is genuinely accountability, then the standard should remain the same for everyone: evidence, context and intellectual honesty. Not selective facts, guilt by association or hostility dressed up as investigation.

[P.T. USHA @PTUshaOfficial]

It was a divine experience of spirituality meeting serenity, as I stood on the banks of Mother Ganga in Haridwar, letting her calm energy flow through me when I worshipped her. She is a testament of our ancient history and blessing to us all. Har Har Gange!

[Hindu Voice @HinduVoice_in]

Muhammad Yunus has been trying to fool the world that there is no anti-Hindu violence in #Bangladesh.

But, the World knows .

The serious matter of ongoing anti-Hindu violence in Bangladesh has come up in the British Parliament.

The World must act to stop this.

[Emmanuel Macron @EmmanuelMacron]

More than 100,000 Indians fought for France in 1914. Ten thousand never returned. They set foot on the soil of Marseille before fighting in the mud of the trenches, unaware that they were marching to their deaths.

Their sacrifice binds France and India forever.

[Radharamn Das राधारमण दास @RadharamnDas]

Not a single Deity has been left behind, not even the items used for worship—they’ve taken everything! Where will Hindus of this ancient temple in #Bangladesh now go to worship, and with what will they conduct their rituals?

The idol of Bhavatarini Kali, along with worship materials, CCTV equipment, and preserved old miniature idols, has been stolen from the historical Bhavatarini Kali Temple, established at the Tushbhandar Zamindar House in Kaliganj Upazila, Lalmonirhat.

This morning, on January 10, when the temple priest arrived for the daily worship, he found the temple's lock broken. The valuable Kali idol from the zamindar era, gold ornaments, worship materials, and preserved small old idols were all missing.
#SaveBangladeshiHindus

[Swati Goel Sharma @swati_gs]

Saubhagi Devi came to Bharat from Pakistan in 2013. Her husband’s visa didn’t arrive on time and she had to make the incredibly tough journey with her kids without him, although with a group

She understood construction labour to keep the kitchen in her house running till her husband arrived two years later

This resilient, hard-working woman now works as a cook for our organisation @sewanyaya. Prepares and bajra rotis for 200 kids everyday. A month ago, we started daily distribution of free millet-based meal for all kids at our education centre in Jodhpur

To be able to give them employment and legit income is a matter of honour for us

[Radharamn Das राधारमण दास @RadharamnDas]

The child exposed the Father 🤣

[Faraz Pervaiz @FarazPervaiz3]

Bangladesh: In Chakaria Upazila of Cox's Bazar, A minor #Hindu girl was gang-raped in broad daylight by militants from Jamaat-e-Islami. She was left on the road and has since been admitted to the hospital due to severe bleeding.

Please Repost Raise your Voice for #Hindu Girls.

Please listen to her account for the full details of this tragic event.

[Radharamn Das राधारमण दास @RadharamnDas]

Another Hindu businessman has been murdered in Bangladesh.

Tragically, such incidents have now become routine news from #Bangladesh. The Hindus of India seem to have accepted this as a part of life, almost as if it’s inevitable. The Indian media, too, will soon stop covering these stories, as they fade into indifference.

If this silence and apathy continue, history may repeat itself—Bangladesh could become another Afghanistan for Hindus. How much more suffering will it take for the world to wake up and act?
#SaveBangladeshiHindus

[Bangladeshi Hindus Community🚨🇧🇩 @Hindubd49346]

BANGLADESH :🇧🇩🚨
🇧🇩Hindus in Chittagong are protesting for the release of Chinmoy Krishna Prabhu, who has been detained for a long time.‼️Concerns over the fairness of the charges against him are rising.⛔

RT Max🙏
@MEAIndia @ihcdhaka @VikramMisri
#SaveBangladeshiHindus

[Maria Wirth @mariawirth1]

Incredible!
I am ashamed by those people from my 'tribe'.

[Bangladeshi Hindus Community🚨🇧🇩 @Hindubd49346]

#BreakingNews🇧🇩🚨
🇧🇩Please everyone,look at how the Hindus of #Bangladesh are living so happily.All of this is an example of our happiness.‼️Is there no one to stand by the #Hindus of Bangladesh? How much more do we have to endure.⁉️

RT Max🙏
@VikramMisri
#SaveBangladeshiHindus

[Faraz Pervaiz @FarazPervaiz3]

27 Dec 2024: A #Hindu Businessman Rajesh Kumar Kidnapped and Held Captive for 50 Days by Muslim Bandits in Kashmore, Sindh; Video Released for Ransom Money.

Raise your voice for Hindu Man.

[Yusuf Unjhawala 🇮🇳 @YusufDFI]

Reminds of Deewar - mere pass gari hai (J-20), bangla hai (J-35), bank balance hai (J-36?). Tere pass kya hai?

Mere pass Ma hai - (Bhagwan bharose)

[Hindu Voice @HinduVoice_in]

Anti-Hindu program in #Bangladesh.

Islamists murdered a Hindu man named Dipal Chakraborty and hanged him in a tree in front of his home.

Dipal Chakraborty was a resident of Dubachail village under #Nabinagar police station of #Brahmanbaria district.

Now, the police and the administration are trying to prove that he did suicide.

[Radharamn Das राधारमण दास @RadharamnDas]

The image of a helpless mother, crying over the lifeless body of her daughter, Basana Mallick, is a searing indictment of the world's indifference. Basana—a Bangladeshi Hindu woman—raped, murdered, and discarded by Islamists. Her dreams were silenced, her life snuffed out in a nightmare of cruelty. Yet, the world looks away.

Where is the outrage? Where is the justice for Basana and countless others like her? When a mother buries her child amidst a sea of apathy, the silence of nations becomes deafening. This is not just her grief—it is humanity's shame.

The Bangladeshi Hindu community faces an unrelenting wave of persecution—temples desecrated, women brutalized, families shattered. The world sees, but it does not act. How many more mothers must cry? How many more daughters must fall before the world acknowledges their suffering?

This indifference is not neutrality—it is complicity. To ignore this plight is to betray the very essence of humanity. The tears of this mother, the cries of Basana Mallick, and pain of an entire community demand justice. If the world still remains silent, it becomes a partner in this unending tragedy.
#SaveBangladeshiHindus

[Radharamn Das राधारमण दास @RadharamnDas]

Happy #HumanRightsDay! Thought @UNHumanRights might take a break from their nap and acknowledge the plight of Hindus in Bangladesh. But alas, the snoring remains louder than the cries for justice. Priorities, I guess. 😴
#SaveBangladeshiHindus