Osho Commune ’least interested in Indians’

Says its former spokesperson; the magazine he had started 25 years ago, Osho Times, is going to be shut down

Osho Commune 'least interested in Indians'

Says its former spokesperson; the magazine he had started 25 years ago, Osho Times, is going to be shut down

The Osho International Commune is doing its best to keep Indians at bay, if its former spokesperson is to be believed.

Swami Chaitnaya Keerti, former founding editor of Osho Times, which will stop publication from August, said, "The main reason for closing down the magazine is that the Osho International Resort, that has its headquarters in Zurich and its publishing headquarters in New York, is least interested in Indians."

You probably curse Australia because of the treatment meted out to Indians there at the moment. But closer home, things aren't any different.

After a DJ at the ashram racially abused a Delhi-based woman in November 2008 (Read Racist DJ), the commune has now decided to close down Osho Times that is published in English and Hindi.
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Swami Chaitanya Keerti, former founding editor of Osho Times, said, "The main reason for closing down the magazine is that the Osho International Resort, that has its headquarters in Zurich and its publishing headquarters in New York, is least interested in Indians and feels it's a waste to spread awareness about the spiritual guru among Indians."
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The magazine founded by Osho in 1975 to propagate his views will cease publication from August.
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Keerti, who was the spokesperson of the commune before he parted ways with the management after a bitter fight years ago, said, "It is shocking and painful for Oshoites in India that the magazine will shut down after 34 years. I had started the magazine in January 1975 with Osho.

I could never imagine that Osho Times that had a circulation of over 60,000 copies at one point of time would shut down. The magazine was a hot favourite among Indians."

Baseless allegations

Ma Sadhana, spokesperson of the Osho International Resort and the editor of Osho Times, confirmed that the magazine was closing down, but denied allegations that the commune was against Indians.
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"The allegations that we want to keep Indians out of reach is baseless and are spread by people with a negative agenda. Someone seems to be planting these stories to spoil our name.
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The fact that I, an Indian, is working in the commune is testimony to the fact that we are not against any Indians," said Sadhana.
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She said going digital is environmentally friendly and makes sense in today's fast-paced world. "We need to cut trees to make paper and publish a magazine.

By going digital, we will save these trees from being axed. We will make the content of Osho Times available to readers in the form of a monthly newsletter and on our website. Thus, we can reach out to millions of people across the globe," added Sadhana.

Shocking move

Ma Yoga Neelam, who was Osho's personal secretary, said, "It's shocking that they're going to close Osho Times.

This goes against the very tenets of Osho who believed in expansion and not downsizing. Indians will be very upset with the move."

Keerti and Neelam are members of Osho Friends International, an international organisation representing Osho sanyasins, disciples, friends and lovers all over the world.

Their aim is to make Osho freely available to the entire world. "The Osho International Resort is patenting Osho's works.
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We are against this since we believe that Osho is for everyone and not the copyright of a few.

These people want to reduce Osho to the level of a commodity by patenting his thoughts and vision. Oshoites across the globe are opposed to such a move," explained Keerti.

Racist DJ

In November 2008, Rinky Bali, a Delhi-based woman, accused the DJ at the Osho Commune International in Pune of racially abusing her.

The incident happened during a Plaza party when Rinky asked DJ Krishna to play Hindi music. He yelled back at Rinky and said, "Get lost you Indian b***h."

The DJ then looked at the commune members and shouted, "I don't know who allows these bloody Indians inside the commune," alleged Rinky.

When Rinky told the DJ that he was standing on Indian soil, he abused the country by saying, "This is not bloody India, this is Osho International."
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The Osho commune denied these allegations.

Wide reach

Osho content is available to more than 100 million people every month through newspapers and magazines

It is believed that the number of hits to the new osho.com will increase from 10 to 20 million overnight because of its easy-to-use search engine

Osho is published in 57 languages around the globe, including 11 languages in India

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