Self-proclaimed godman and fugitive Nithyananda\u2019s \u201cUnited States of Kailasa\u201d wanted in India on several charges of rape and sexual assault \u2013 allegations he denies, has signed a \u201ccultural partnership\u201d with over 30 American cities, a media report has said, days after the city of Newark in the US state of New Jersey said it rescinded a \u201csister-city\u201d agreement with the fictional country.<\/p>\n
The sister-city agreement between Newark and the fake \u201cUnited States of Kailasa\u201d was inked on January 12 this year and the signing ceremony took place at City Hall in Newark.<\/p>\n
Nityananda, whose mind-bending spiritual homilies wrapped in a sheen of pseudo-science has provided much mirth on social media, claims to have set up a country called the “United States of Kailasa” in 2019.<\/p>\n
According to its website, there are over 30 American cities that have signed a cultural partnership with the fake nation of Kailasa — cities from Richmond, Virginia to Dayton, Ohio, to Buena Park, Florida literally all over the map.<\/p>\n
It said that it reached out to some of the cities in the US for a reaction on signing an agreement with the fake nation.<\/p>\n
“And so far most of the cities have confirmed these proclamations are in fact true,\u201d the report said.\u00a0 Jacksonville, North Carolina told Fox News: \u201cOur proclamations with Kailasa are not an endorsement. They are a response to a request and we do not verify the information that is requested.\u201d Fox News blamed the cities for not \u201cgoogling\u201d for information about the fake nation.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf someone wants a proclamation, someone gets a proclamation. They’ll just say you’re an exotic Hindu Island and they\u2019ll name a street after you,\u201d the Fox News anchor said.<\/p>\n
The report added that it’s not just mayors or city councils but “people running the federal government\u201d who are falling for the fake nation too.<\/p>\n
It added that according to the fake guru, two members of the Congress have given Kailasa \u201cspecial congressional recognition.\u201d One of them is Congresswoman Norma Torres of California, who is on the House Appropriations Committee.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo, the person who decides what we spend our tax dollars on just got duped by an alleged rapist guru with a fake country,\u201d the Fox News anchor said.<\/p>\n
Republican Troy Balderson from Ohio also presented \u201chis divine holiness and pontiff of Hinduism congressional recognition.\u201d Earlier this month, Press Secretary in the Department of Communications, City of Newark, Susan Garofalo had told PTI in an email that as soon as “we learned about the circumstances surrounding Kailasa, the City of Newark immediately took action and rescinded the sister city agreement\u201d on January 18.<\/p>\n
\u201cBased on deception, the ceremony was groundless and void\u2026Although this was a regrettable incident, the City of Newark remains committed to partnering with people from diverse cultures in order to enrich each other with connectivity, support, and mutual respect,\u201d Garofalo said.<\/p>\n
Newark Councilman at Large Luis Quintana sponsored the motion to rescind the agreement.<\/p>\n
He said during official proceedings that going forward any city entering into a sister city agreement \u201cmust be in good standards of human rights.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe cannot bring Sister Cities International into an issue where there is controversy. This is an oversight, cannot happen any longer,\u201d he said, adding that Newark cannot put itself in a situation where there is a sister city that has no human rights.<\/p>\n
He had said going forward, it must be ensured that while sister cities are encouraged, agreements cannot be entered into with \u201cgovernments that don’t have human rights.\u201d The Fox News report quoted a Newark resident to say that the sister-city agreement with a fake nation was an embarrassing episode for the city. \u201cI think that’s embarrassing that he didn’t do his background research before entertaining them.\u201d<\/p>\n
Last month, USK representatives attended two UN public meetings in Geneva – a general discussion on \u2018Equal and inclusive representation of women in decision-making systems\u2019 organized by the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) on February 22, and the general discussion on the General Comment on economic, social cultural rights and sustainable development on February 24, hosted by the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (CESCR).<\/p>\n
Responding to questions on the United States of Kailasa\u2019s participation at the UN forums, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) had said registration for such public events is open to NGOs and the general public.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnyone can submit information to the treaty bodies, who will use their judgment to determine the credibility of the submissions received.\u201d \u201cOn the day of the CEDAW general discussion, USK members were prevented from distributing promotional material in front of and inside the conference room. Their written submission to CEDAW will not be published by the Committee as it is irrelevant to the topic of the general discussion,\u201d OHCHR had said.<\/p>\n
Nithyananda is wanted in India on several charges of rape and sexual assault \u2013 allegations he denies.<\/p>\n
The Kailasa website counts “two billion practicing Hindus” among its population.<\/p>\n
Nithyananda (born Arunachalam Rajasekaran on 1 January 1978 is known among followers as Nithyananda Paramashivam or Paramahamsa Nithyananda.\u00a0 He is an Indian Hindu guru, godman, and cult leader.\u00a0 He is the founder of Nithyananda Dhyanapeetam, a trust that owns temples, gurukuls, and ashrams in many countries.<\/p>\n
Following the charges of rape and abduction filed in Indian courts, he fled India and has remained in hiding since 2019. He is subject to a court-issued non-bailable warrant relating to the allegations.<\/p>\n
In 2020, he announced the founding of his own self-proclaimed island nation called Kailaasa.<\/p>\n