Isha Foundation has served a legal notice to Senior Reporter Pallavi Pundir and the US-based VICE Media Group.
On 23 June, VICE published an article titled “This Climate Guru Is a Celebrity in the US. In India, He’s Accused of Destroying a Forest” written by one Pallavi Pundir on its digital platform containing the usual allegations peddled against Isha Foundation and Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev.
The so-called report is a stringing together of insinuations and allegations that have been perpetrated by vested interests in the past and which Isha has refuted time and again citing government records which has been made available in the public domain.
“Isha Foundation has provided documents including affidavits presented in court by government authorities, official replies to RTIs, court orders and public documents by authorities in public domain which prove these accusations to be false.”, the official press release said.
The VICE article relies largely on a source of dubious distinction – a man who was fired for malpractice by his organization and has been arrested in the past on charges of cheating tribal women. The article is almost entirely based on his narration.
“The article is rife with misinformation and slander and has made no genuine attempt to access the truth.” the statement said and quoted a couple of examples to illustrate the poor standards of scrutiny and verification.
The author of the article attempts to reiterate the usual rhetoric that Isha Foundation has been accused by some specific individuals of encroaching on forest land.
However, the article conveniently ignored the statements of Tamil Nadu Forest Department when it issued an RTI-response reiterating that Isha has not encroached forest land as recently as September 2021,
It is to be noted that the affidavit filed in court by Tamil Nadu Forest Department in 2013 hearing, and the Counter Affidavit filed by The Ministry of Environment & Forests and Climate Change, Government of India in 2017, categorically state that there has been no encroachment.
“It begs the question as to why a media house and journalist would perpetuate the lies spread by spurious vested interests, while ignoring the written statements by regional, state and national governmental authorities of the country and the court of law?”, the statement from Isha said.
Isha Foundation also refuted another allegation about it being located on an elephant corridor stating that several official proofs have been put up in public domain that completely falsify these charges.
The ‘Right of Passage: Elephant Corridors of India’ published by the Wildlife Trust of India (WTI) that lists encroachments on elephant corridors in the country doesn’t mention Isha.
Similarly, an Expert Committee Report published online by the Tamil Nadu Forest Department also does not notify any corridor near Isha.
In 2010, the Elephant Task Force of the Ministry of Environment and Forests published Gajah with a list of priority corridors. This document also does not list the area where the Yoga center is situated.
The recent RTI response too categorically states that Isha Yoga center is not on any Elephant Corridor.
“Despite all these irrefutable proofs the article chooses to ignore the truth and instead gives wind to lies.”, Isha Foundation said in its statement.
Isha Foundation has now slapped a legal notice on the author and VICE Media to retract the article in its totality, to cease and desist from levelling such false statements and to tender an unconditional apology for printing blatantly false information even though it had avenues and access to the truth.
“Isha Foundation is extremely disappointed with the writer as well as the VICE group for its lack of journalistic ethics and for misinforming its readers. The publication is duty-bound to clarify to its readers the truth about Isha. We look forward to a mature and responsible response from VICE.”, the statement said.
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