Jakarta Globe
Nurfika Osman & Made Arya Kencana
February 14, 2010
A prominent spiritual guru on Saturday denied allegations that he sexually abused his female students, a day after at least two women reported him to the National Commission on Violence Against Women.
“I categorically deny all those allegations,” Anand Krishna, 54, told the Jakarta Globe in a telephone interview. “I have never dealt with, or provided consultations on meditation or any other services, on a one-on-one basis for at least five to six years.”
“I have always said love is the solution. Perhaps there is a misunderstanding here … There are people who do not like me.”
According to his personnel Web site, over the past 17 years, Anand claims to have spread his spiritual messages about health and education to millions of Indonesians through numerous radio and television shows, books, in-house training sessions, newspaper interviews and opinion articles, as well as through workshops held at his meditation centers in Jakarta, Bogor, Yogyakarta and Bali.
Arimbi Heroeputri, a senior official at the commission, also known as Komnas Perempuan, who took the complaint on Friday, told the Globe that the complaint alleges that Anand “touched” the women, telling them that it was part of the process.
The alleged abuse took place in an overnight meditation course. “The students said they could not refuse, as it was part of the spiritual activities. They also said that all of this took place in private and not as a group,” Arimbi said.
She said that while only two women gave testimonies, 10 other women accompanied them to file the complaint.
Arimbi declined to give further details, saying only that “more than two” women are suspected to have been allegedly sexually abused.
Anand denied having ever held private classes.
“I have public group sessions, involving 30 to 40 people at any one time,” he said, adding that he didn’t consider those who attended his sessions to be students.
“I do not have students and I never force them to take classes. Many people consider me a teacher, but that is up to them … Those accusations are not correct.”
Anand also refuted accusations that he had hypnotized the women in order to take advantage of them. “I do not engage in hypnosis or conduct hypnotherapy. At my centers, we only make suggestions as to how someone, for instance, can overcome their fears and apply [our method] in their own lives — like telling one’s self on a day-to-day basis: ‘I am not afraid,’ and believing it.”