Agra police arrests International Yoga Guru for conducting Yoga classes at the Taj

VISHAL SHARMA
AGRA, 27 Dec. In a surprising security goof-up by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) that took place at the Taj Mahal on Saturday, atleast three - four dozen foreigners, led by the International Yoga "Guru" Bikram Chowdhary practised various Yoga postures at the monument's main dome, in a semi-nude state, as the whole event was filmed by atleast three movie cameras, all in clear violation of the ASI Act.
Now, to save its face, the ASI has charged Bikram Choudhary, a US national for alleged violation of the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1958, section 7 & 8 subsection (b) by conducting unauthorized commercial activities in a monument protected by the ASI. The muslim organizations have also presented the District Magistrate Agra with a memorandum alleging that the Guru had defiled the monument's sanctity.
In an FIR filed on Monday by the assistant conservator of ASI, posted at the Taj Mahal, the Guru's activities at the Taj Mahal were in clear violation of the Act, which demanded strong and immediate action against him, following which, Choudhary was taken into custody by the police only to be released later on personal bond. Bikram Choudhary, a champion NRI weight lifter and , developed Bikram yoga. It is believed to be an effective therapy for some forms of arthritis and chronic back pain.
Talking to UNN, Senior Superintendent of Police Agra, Rajiv Krishna said that Choudhary could not be arrested as in its complaint, the ASI had not been able to provide sufficient evidence to implicate him in any cognizable offence. He said that according to the complaint, Choudhary had violated the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1958, section 7 & 8 subsection (b) but the only punishment in this offence is a fine of Rs. 500 and that too, should be charged by the ASI and the police has no role in the case. Still the police has charged Choudhary with Sec. 188 I.P.C. for disobeying the orders issued by a public servant and he may be charged with a fine of Rs. 200, if the charges are proved.
According to the available information, Bikram Choudhary had conducted a "Yoga expo" at the Taj Mahal on Saturday, for which he had widely advertised in the local dailies to recruit students. Upon entering the monument, the Guru quickly stripped to just his "boxer shorts" and led his "students" to the main dome of the monument, prancing about semi-nude at the Taj Mahal for about an hour, instructing his disciples on the various yoga positions, all under the nose of the ASI and the CISF, who remained conveniently ignorant of the exercise even when a flock of hundreds of foreign and Indian tourists watched amusedly the "Guru's" antics.
Notably, the main dome of the Taj Mahal is a restricted zone for video photography and the permission for video shoots at the main dome is only granted in "special cases" at a whopping fee of upto Rs. 10 thousand a day, but still atleast three video cameras were unauthorizedly used to capture the exercise on film by the guru's crew despite the presence of the ASI "Watch & Ward staff" at the main dome.
When the ASI officials in Agra were contacted on Monday regarding this incident, they claimed that they were completely unaware of the guru's exercise at the main dome of the Taj Mahal and they only came to know about it through the photographs of the incident that were published by some local dailies the next day.
Meanwhile, the local muslims have seriously objected to the "half-naked" Guru moving about at the Taj's main dome. Yusuf Khan, a local muslim leader said that the Taj Mahal is "Holy Ground", being the burial place of Mumtaz Mahal and Shahjahan. Also, there is a mosque nearby and no adult is allowed near the main dome or the mosque in nude or semi-nude state. He said that keeping this fact in mind, allowing Bikram Choudhary to instruct Yoga postures at the Taj Mahal in just a pair of shorts is very disturbing and an immediate investigation should be ordered to ascertain why and on whose orders did this happen.
Now, the debate has started on the issue of the risks posed to the safety of the Taj Mahal by the un-cooperative nature of the two government agencies ASI & CISF responsible for its security.
Even in this case, while the ASI is blaming the CISF for having allowed the Guru to film at the main dome, the CISF has returned the ball in the ASI's court saying that the role of the CISF is to protect the Taj Mahal and it is the duty of the ASI to make sure that such people do not enter the Taj premises. The CISF can only make sure that no activities that could cause damage to the Taj, take place inside the premises.
(UNITED NEWS NETWORK)