Thiruvananthapuram, Feb 22: A memoir written by a former disciple of Mata Amritanandamayi has sparked a controversy over its allegedly explosive content. Amritanandamayi, also known as 'Amma' or the 'Hugging Saint' is a Hindu spiritual guru and has followers worldwide.
Australia-born Gail 'Gayatri' Tredwell in her book "Holy hell: A Memoir of Faith, Devotion and Pure Madness" claims that she was a close disciple of Amma for several years and lived in the ashram before she escaped from there following bitter experiences.
She writes on her website about being an "unwilling keeper of some devastating secrets" and her escape from the ashram. The site, almost serving as a sneak-peek, does not say much about the reason of her escape, nor exactly what her bitterness she experience in her stay at the ashram.
"For two decades I lived in India and served as the personal attendant to Amma. Those intense years of faith, devotion, and pure madness have shaped who I am today and are the basis of my memoir."
"At the end of 1999, I made my daring escape from the organization and fled to Hawaii."
For two decades, Tredwell acted as Amma's personal servant, expected to be available at the "saint's" disposal at all hours. She became fluent in the Malayalam language and was with Amma continuously. The author shares her unique story, keeping to the facts yet taking responsibility for her own role in the situation.
The book talks about Amritanandamayi ashram's meteoric rise from religious community to mega-empire, completely business-minded and rife with hypocrisy.
Tredwell leads readers through the stages of her servitude to Amma, beginning with the early years fraught with innocent devotion, then to the developing awareness of the severity of her situation, until at last she realizes her needed liberation is not from God, but rather from Amma.
Only after years of recovery and reflection has Tredwell been able to reveal this story in all its raw and unflinching truth.
In the book, Tredwell recounts her personal experience in the ashram, where she admits she was complicit in covering up all sorts of ashram secrets, in a misguided attempt to protect the guru's misdeeds from public view (believing, as all guru cultists do, that the guru is God in human form and therefore exempt from human standards of right and wrong).
Tredwell's riveting book recounts stories of donations intended for charity being converted into gold jewelry and hidden under the garments of Amma's sanyasis (monks) as they passed through customs – then the gold being passed to Amma's family to make them fabulously rich. Tredwell tells of being beaten, clawed, and bitten by Amma, who would succumb to fits of rage over small mistakes made by her attendants.
Tredwell also speaks of her discovery that, while claiming to be a lifelong celibate, Amma secretly had ongoing sexual affairs with several of her closest swamis (monks who have taken lifelong vows of celibacy). And she speaks of being raped herself, repeatedly, by one of these same swamis, and names him.
Attempt to create communal tension: Mata Amritanandamayi
Addressing devotees at the Brahmasthanam Temple in Palakkad on Saturday, Mata Amritanandamayi said, "The working of the ashram is an open book. People come up with such rumours because they did not get what they expected from the ashram. I am trying to forgive and forget. I have never asked anyone to serve me. People are trying to bring about communal tensions," she was quoted by Malayala Manorama.
Amma's mutt serves the society rightfully: CM Oommen Chandy
Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy on Saturday said he did not think anything unlawful had happened at the mutt of Mata Amritanandamayi.
"I do not think anything took place at the mutt (which is) against the law of the land. People have to consider the services provided by the mutt to society and not the charges against it," he told reporters at Sulthan Batheri near Kozhikode.
"As one who has witnessed and participated in its services, it is not possible for the public to ignore the great work done by the mutt," Chandy added.
Govt should look into allegation: Pinarayi Vijayan
Meanwhile, CPI-M state secretary Pinarayi Vijayan said the government needs to "seriously" look into revelations in the book because the claims were by an insider and not by an outsider.
"Those who come to the ashramam are people who decide to give up the worldly life and the revelations made now is something different," Vijayan told reporters at Wayanad.However, Chief Minister Oommen Chandy expressed surprise at his statements.
"I am aware and have experienced the huge humanitarian activities that the mutt has been doing for many years. When tsunami struck our state, it was the mutt which was the first to come out with rehabilitation programmes," the chief minister said.
"May be he (Vijayan) is not aware of what they (the mutt) are doing," said Chandy.Newly appointed state president of the Congress party V.M. Sudheeran said that he is yet to study the present issues concerning the mutt.
The social media was also flooded with views and counter views and following a complaint, the police have registered a case against a person from Kottayam for sharing comments.
The police registered a case against unidentified persons who posted adverse comments in the social media based on the content of the book against the spiritual leader, who commands a large following worldwide.
The case was registered under the IT Act by the police at Karunagapally, close to Amritanandamayi's headquarters Amritapuri at Vallikkavu in the district, based on complaints lodged by a group of her devotees, police said on Friday.
This controversy follows a few months after Asaram Bapu made headlines, and debates took place across various TV-channels and mainstream media, over a sex scandal which led to his arrest oversexual abuse of a minor.
The case is likely to be referred to the Cyber Cell of the state police for an investigation and follow-up action on the complaint, police said.
Asked about the issue, Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala said the case was taken up on a complaint but the government need not bother about the content of the book.
"When there is a complaint against the postings in social networking sites, police have to register a case and conduct probe under the cyber laws. But the government need not bother about the content of the book.," Chennithala told reporters in Kochi.
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