By Walter Elliott
NEWARK – New Jersey’s largest city, for six days this winter, had a sister cities agreement with “The United States of ShriKailasa.”
Mayor Ras Baraka, in a Municipal Council Chamber ceremony with Council President Luis Quintana and a USK representative present, signed the cultural exchange agreement on Jan. 12.
ShriKailasa was Newark’s 16th and latest sister city – until Baraka, on Jan. 18, revoked the agreement.
“As soon as we learned about the circumstances surrounding Kailasa, the City of Newark immediately took action and rescinded the sister-city agreement on Jan. 18, ” said Mayor Baraka spokeswoman Susan Garafolo to the Indian IANS news outlet March 1. “Based on the deception, the (Jan. 12) ceremony was groundless and void.”
News of the brief Newark-USK agreement began circulating in several Asian and Indian news outlets her and abroad before March 1.
The Kailasa website, as of March 8, still has the Newark City Hall ceremony video up – as well as its “Bilateral Relations with the USA” proclamation.
Garafolo was referring to the 27-minute City Hall ceremony which included a Kailasa-provided video of the country and, its leader. The clip included the country’s flag, seal and anthem – as also found on its website.
The problem is that ShriKailasa is not practically recognized by any country – and may only exist in the minds of its founder and his followers.
It is not recognized by the United Nations or its members. It is not a member of Sister Cities International.
Sister Cities, founded by President Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1956, involves cities voluntarily establishing cultural and educational relations with others around the world. As of 2017, 500 U.S. cities have made ties with international colleagues.
Newark is a sister city to 15 others in nine countries, from Azerbaijan to Portugal. Montclair is a sister city to four; Manasquan, New Brunswick and Toms River are also member participants.
Nithyananda had visited South Euclid, Ohio in 2008 to dedicate a related Hindu temple and to “establish bilateral relations” with the Cleveland suburb. South Euclid has an SCI agreement with a Serbian city.
Quintana, declaring, “We cannot bring Sister Cities Int’l into an issue where there such controversy,” called for stricter City Hall vetting of future cities.
SriKailasa founder Swami Nithyananda and his followers bought a Pacific island off Ecuador’s west coast and declared it “USK” on Dec. 3, 2019. Nithyananda, from the Indian state of Kerala, said that the island “nation” is a refuge for those who want to practice “authentic Hinduism.”
Ecuadorian officials said no such sale has happened, that they do not recognize USK and are not aiding or abetting Nithyananda. They do not have an extradition treaty with India.
It is not known if Nithyananda, 45, has even set foot on the island. He has been making YouTube clips while in exile since Nov. 20, 2019. Kerala authorities said he was charged for a 2010 rape there and had jumped bail.
Kailasa “ambassadors” have meanwhile been pressing for recognition at a recent UN conference in Geneva. They had set a goal, on its Jan. 12, 2020 Facebook page, of having relations with 44 countries.
The delegates have also supposedly asked for protection – of Hindus being oppressed from practicing and of Nithyananda from “persecution.”
Indian authorities have also added charges of child abduction and imprisonment in one of Nithyananda’s ashrams.
“Local Talk” contacted the City of Newark for comment, but received no reply at presstime. In our inquiry, we asked the following:
- How did Kailasa “officials” contact the city about a relationship?
- Was there any official contract signed with Kailasa, and did any money change hands?
- What will the City do in the future to prevent such fraud?
“Local Talk” Editor-in-Chief Dhiren Shah offered support if the City had any questions about Nithyananda, as he knowledge of the latter’s infamy. Again, there was no response.
“Catfishing” is the art of one party deceiving another party by pretending to be someone or something they are not. The term originally was limited to online engagements, but has since been used beyond the scope of the internet in reference to such behavior.
