1 Feb 2014
A Sanyasi of the Nithyananda Sampradaya, Sri Nithya Shantimayananda Swami, was made to face huge media uproar in 2014 for the conflict the media created between him and his parents.
Sri Nithya Shantimayananda Swami alias Santosh, faced a backlash from the media as they spread lies that he was being detained at His Divine Holiness Paramahamsa Nithyananda aadheenam. Facing parents who were already uncomfortable with his living in the aadheenam, being unable to fathom why their son would take up the life of a sanyasi, the media only exploited this vulnerability further. They effectively brainwashed his parents into believing that there was a great wrong being done to their son, and that Paramahamsa Nithyananda was holding him captive. His parents went on to give several interviews on news channels, expressing their grief and concern over their son being at the aadheenam, and finally, even filed a petition, urging authorities to help free their son from the aadheenam. However, Shantimaya Swami made it abundantly clear in his statement that he was a grown adult who chose to live as a sanyasi in the aadheenam, and the petition was disposed of as a result.
Violating the personal life of an individual in this manner, by interfering in his personal relationship with his parents, brainwashing them into believing their lies, and causing severe damage to the ties that he has to his parents – this is the real atrocity committed against Shantimaya Swami. The personal consequences of such an attack, even at an individual level, have to be borne by a blameless sanyasi whose only crime was to desire a life of service and spirituality. His parents could have been made to understand that it was simply a life choice that he made, and not blown out of proportion as the media did.