Rebel group alleges 200 Facebook pages of their guru’s discourses removed

July 16, 2024, 11:33 a.m.

Spirituality

Rebel group alleges 200 Facebook pages of their guru’s discourses removed

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The Indian Express on July 14, 2024: “The self-appointed owners of Osho’s Intellectual Property Rights – in Zurich – have not allowed Osho’s teachings to spread in India and outside India.”

The Osho “rebel” group has alleged that over 200 pages related to their spiritual guru on Facebook have been removed on instructions of the management of Pune-based Osho International Foundation (which works under Switzerland’s Osho International Foundation) so that information about such celebrations does not reach all Osho’s disciples as it did before. The Osho International Meditation Resort refused to comment on the allegations.

“This is a conspiracy by Switzerland’s Osho International Foundation, which keeps declaring from time to time, its monopoly on copyright and trademark on the name Osho. This foundation has got its name registered in Zurich. In Zurich, this foundation collects royalty on Osho’s books published in more than sixty languages of the world. The money generated through such sales does not come to the country.

“The self-appointed owners of Osho’s Intellectual Property Rights – in Zurich – have not allowed Osho’s teachings to spread in India and outside India. Crores of Indian viewers have been deprived of watching and listening to Osho’s discourses on Indian satellite TV channels for the last 3 decades,” alleged Swami Chaitanya Keerti, in a press release on behalf of the “rebel” group.

“The Indian Facebook Pages are operated by Osho disciples and admirers who wish to freely spread their Master’s word but the Switzerland foundation creates numerous obstacles in their way as it limits their earnings. One of the pages that has been suspended was of Osho’s brother Swami Shailendra Saraswati,” said Swami Keerti.

“Osho has millions of disciples and lovers in India and around the world. In India, we have always believed that meditation or Dhyan is inestimable and no limitations should be placed on it. Thousands of Osho lovers are preparing to knock on the doors of the court and challenge the unfair monopoly on Osho’s legacy,” he said.

The “rebel” group said this is not the first time it has happened. It has been observed that whenever an important occasion close to the heart of disciples comes up, such as Guru Poornima (which is no longer celebrated in Osho Pune commune), such harassment is more likely to occur.

“It is indeed an irony, that a trademark and copyright has been placed on the teachings of a Master who never believed in the copyright of thoughts and meditation. The slogan of true Osho disciples is “Osho, everybody’s birthright; nobody’s copyright.”

When asked about the allegations, Ma Amrit Sadhana, spokesperson said “the matter is sub juidice” and refused to comment further.

indianexpress.com