Ashram suffered 'swamiji says' syndrome

Sky News
December 10, 2014

http://www.skynews.com.au/news/national/2014/12/10/ashram-suffered--swamiji-says--syndrome.html

The Indian headquarters of the Satyananda yoga movement expressed its disgust and threatened to withdraw all support for its Australian ashrams after one of the communities was investigated over sex scandals.

In an angry email to the Mangrove Mountain Ashram in October the Munger ashram in India said that Australia was 'willing and happy to hide behind the guru's dhoti' and suffer the 'swamiji says' syndrome.'

The email is understood to reflect the position of Swami Niranjan, the world leader of the movement.

It threatened to withdraw all support from Satyananda ashrams in Australia unless a full account, an apology and a new system was put in place.

'After a lifetime of support for Australia, Swami Niranjan and the Bihar School of Yoga in disgust withdraw their support,' the email said.

Practices at the NSW Central Coast retreat during the 70s and 80s are being examined by the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse.

The email said that the leaders of the Australian movement were happy to involve him (Niranjan) in the investigation of '20-year-old sex scandals and tarnish his reputation' and did so without any accountability or concern for yoga in Australia.

It accuses the Australian institution of not being prepared to take responsibility and not daring to put their own names in the firing line.

It says unless there's an apology and explanation all links to the Australian institutions will be removed from official websites of Bihar yoga, the modern school of Satyananda yoga.

Sarah Tetlow, who handles accounts for the ashram, told the commission the ashram had $5.6 million in net assets and property in Rocklyn in rural Victoria, Manly and Mangrove Mountain.

She acknowledged the initial response to sex abuse complainants by the ashram leadership was inadequate and as a result abuse survivors suffered further trauma.

'We were trying to do things that were helpful, but obviously we have not done the right things and that is why we welcome this royal commission,' she said.

Ms Tetlow said in her statement to the commission she advised the leadership group to just apologise and get on with the matters in Australia.