In a concerning development, individuals claiming to represent Swami Nithyananda’s fabricated nation of ‘Kailasa’ managed to infiltrate a United Nations committee’s discussion on sustainable development in Geneva. This move has sparked confusion and raised questions about the legitimacy of ‘Kailasa’, which is being promoted by the fugitive self-proclaimed godman Nithyananda. The incident has also created a false impression that the UN has endorsed the existence of ‘Kailasa’, causing alarm among many observers.
During a recent general discussion on Sustainable Development organized by the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (CESCR), two individuals presented themselves as representatives of the “United States of Kailasa (USK)” during the public segment of the session held on February 24. This unexpected appearance of the purported Kailasa officials has drawn attention to the self-proclaimed nation and its founder, the fugitive godman Swami Nithyananda, as it is unclear how they were able to gain access to the event.
The United States of Kailasa (USK) is not included in the list of 193 countries acknowledged by the United Nations (UN). The UN has established rigorous regulations for admission, which demand the endorsement of both the General Assembly and the Security Council. As such, any new country seeking to join the UN must undergo a complex and thorough evaluation process to determine their eligibility for recognition.
The UN human rights organizations in Geneva have a lenient policy when it comes to permitting individuals to participate in open sessions of their meetings. However, this approach often attracts fraudulent and questionable organizations that make unusual assertions. Since these organizations follow open procedures, they can present their submissions, which are then included in the archives.
During the UN committee’s session on Sustainable Development, a woman adorned with a turban, necklaces, and a forehead ornament, and wearing heavy makeup, introduced herself as Vijayapriya Nithyananda, purportedly the representative of the United States of Kailasa (USK) to the UN.
According to the self-proclaimed USK representative, Vijayapriya Nithyananda, the United States of Kailasa (USK) has been implementing sustainable development policies and indigenous solutions in alignment with time-tested Hindu principles. She further claimed that these measures are being implemented under the leadership of the “Supreme Pontiff of Hinduism,” Nithyananda.
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The individual representing the United States of Kailasa (USK) to the UN committee stated that in their fictional country, all citizens are provided with free basic necessities such as food, shelter, clothing, education, and medical care.
Vijayapriya Nithyananda also mentioned the alleged intense persecution and human rights violations faced by Nithyananda for his efforts to revive the indigenous traditions and lifestyle of Hinduism. She further stated that Nithyananda has been banned from preaching and exiled from his country of birth. She then asked the panel for assistance in resolving the situation.\
At a later point in the UN committee’s session, another individual who introduced himself as Ian Kumar and claimed to be a small farmer and representative of the United States of Kailasa (USK) directed a question to Saima Zia, a panelist from Pakistan who was presenting as an expert on small farmers. The question did not mention Nithyananda but rather focused on local legislation that might hamper indigenous groups from practicing their cultural agricultural traditions authentically. This issue was described as a challenge faced by the fictional country.
The individual who identified himself as Ian Kumar and represented the United States of Kailasa (USK) was attired in a yellow kurta and was accompanied by two women. Both women were wearing Rudraksh malas and necklaces, and one of them had a turban on her head and a pendant on her forehead, which added to the festive atmosphere surrounding them.
One of the women accompanying Ian Kumar attempted to speak during the session but was unsuccessful. The panelists did not respond to any of the comments or questions posed by the USK representatives. The Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (CESCR) is a group of 18 independent experts operating under the auspices of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. They are tasked with monitoring the implementation of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, which recognizes rights such as adequate food, housing, education, health, social security, water and sanitation, and work.
The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights was adopted by the General Assembly in 1966 and ratified by India in 1979. Recently, USK responded to an open call for inputs by the Rapporteur on the sexual exploitation of children by submitting a report on its “Nithyananda Gurukul”, which it claims teaches “the 64 vidyas” and was shut down by “deep state elements” in 2010. The rapporteur posted USK’s submission along with those of 12 other organizations in preparation for a report to the Human Rights Council next month.
According to USK, the submission of their report by the Rapporteur on the sexual exploitation of children is being interpreted as a recognition by the UN of Nithyananda’s “persecution”.
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