NE NEWS SERVICE
COIMBATORE, NOV 18
Isha Foundation strongly condemned the sexist, false, and defamatory claims made by Mutharasan, the Tamil Nadu Secretary of the Communist Party of India, during a press conference in Coimbatore on Sunday.
In blatant disregard for the long-standing tradition of monks tonsuring their heads, Mutharasan’s statement that “Women’s beauty is in their hair,” especially when referring to women monks, reflects a deeply regressive mindset that reduces women to mere objects. True beauty lies in a woman’s freedom to live on her own terms, making choices based on her aspirations without being constrained by societal, familial, ideological, or religious pressures. It has nothing to do with appearance—an aspect unfortunately normalized as a measure of a woman’s worth.
- It is highly unbecoming for a secretary of a national party to make sexist remarks targeting women monks’ freedom of choice
- Isha urges Mutharasan to stop making false and defamatory statements that lack factual basis and harm the very rural poor and vulnerable communities he claims to represent
- Despite recent Supreme Court judgements, his remarks seem to be driven by ulterior motives or pressure, appearing as the latest in a series of failed coordinated and vested attacks against Isha
Despite recent Supreme Court judgements, his remarks seem to be driven by ulterior motives or pressure, appearing as the latest in a series of failed coordinated and vested attacks against Isha. Mutharasan has made baseless claims without any genuine effort to verify facts, showing utter disdain for information revealed through RTI inquiries and government field investigation reports. It is deplorable and extremely unbecoming for a state secretary of a national party to behave in this manner.
Last month, the Supreme Court of India dismissed a petition by Dr. S. Kamaraj, a retired professor, who alleged that his two adult daughters, Maa Mathi (42) and Maa Maayu (39), were being held against their will at the Isha Foundation. The Supreme Court dismissed this claim, emphasizing that the women had chosen to live at the Foundation “voluntarily and without any coercion”. “These proceedings cannot be to malign people and malign institutions,” Chief Justice DY Chandrachud, now retired, remarked during the hearing.
Similarly, a joint survey conducted by the Revenue and Forest Departments in 2022, submitted to the Coimbatore District Collector, found that “based on the land scale, there is no evidence of encroachment on the reserve forest (forest area) after measuring the boundaries of the Isha Yoga Center.”
Revenue documents and RTI filings clearly state that the Isha Foundation has not encroached on any of the 44.3 acres of land claimed to belong to tribal communities.
Furthermore, investigations by the Tamil Nadu Police and the Department of Social Welfare, involving hundreds of women at Isha, have documented that the women feel safe. This was confirmed in an affidavit submitted by the Tamil Nadu Police to the Supreme Court.
Every day, thousands of marginalised people, including tribal and scheduled caste communities, benefit from Isha’s initiatives, which transcend barriers of caste, religion, ethnicity, or economic status. Whether it’s the 5 million rural patients receiving free healthcare or 225,000 farmers impacted by Isha’s agricultural, soil, and water initiatives, frivolous accusations only serve to divert focus from this essential work.
The Foundation, therefore, urges Mutharasan to stop making false and defamatory remarks that have no factual basis and cause harm to the very rural poor and vulnerable communities he claims to represent.
