Godman Rajneesh was a philosophy lecturer before founding his spiritual movement in Pune.
A 54-year-old woman has shared her harrowing experience of being raised in Indian godman Rajneesh's notorious sex cult. Prem Sargam, in an interview with The Times, detailed the rampant sexual abuse she endured from the age of six across three Sannyasin communities.
Ms Sargam's nightmare began at six years old when her father abandoned their home in the UK to join the cult's ashram in Pune. He sought spiritual enlightenment as a sannyasin, leaving Ms Sargam and her mother behind. Ms Sargam was soon drawn into the cult, forced to change her name, wear orange robes and adopt a philosophy that viewed children as obstacles to parental sexual freedom.
“The other message of sannyasin teaching, both unlawful and shattering, was quickly assimilated by those joining the cult,” Ms Sargam recalled. This philosophy normalised paedophilia within the cult.
Prem Sargam's abuse began at seven years old and escalated to rape at 12. She vividly recalled the confusion and unease she felt as a child within the cult. “Even in my seven-year-old mind, I thought what a strange thing to be doing,” she reflected.
Between 7 and 11, she and her friends were coerced into performing sexual acts on grown men living in the commune.
The abuse didn't stop there. Ms Sargam was later sent to the Medina ashram in Suffolk, alone and vulnerable, under the guise of attending a “boarding school” program. However, the exploitation continued. By the time she was 12, Ms Sargam had been relocated to the US, joining her mother at an ashram in Oregon.
“It was only at 16 that I understood what had happened”, she said.
Rajneesh's movement believed children should be exposed to sexuality, and girls going through puberty should be guided by adult men. Ms Sargam recalls, “It was considered good for the children to be exposed to sexuality.”
The Rajneesh cult, founded in the 1970s, attracted Western followers seeking spiritual enlightenment. However, beneath its tranquil surface, the organisation harboured a dark secret – the exploitation and abuse of children.
Rajneesh, later known as Osho, was a philosophy lecturer before founding his spiritual movement in Pune. He advocated for unrestricted promiscuity, including partner-swapping, from age 14. Rajneesh's unorthodox meditation techniques and emphasis on sexual freedom earned him the nickname “Sex Guru” in India. In the US, he was dubbed the “Rolls-Royce Guru” due to his collection of 93 luxury cars.
Despite hundreds of children being abused, little has been documented until now. A single investigation by US child protection services into the Oregon cult was conducted, and Netflix's 2018 documentary Wild Wild Country omitted the children's experiences.
The upcoming documentary Children of the Cult tells Prem Sargam's story, along with two other British women who escaped the cult. “I want the world to know what happened to me and countless others,” Ms Sargam said. “We were innocent children, exploited and abused in the name of spiritual enlightenment.”
The cult's attempt to build a utopian city in Oregon led to its downfall. Osho's personal secretary, Ma Anand Sheela, was arrested and sentenced to 20 years in prison for crimes including mass food poisoning and attempted murder. Today, small numbers of Rajneesh devotees still remain worldwide.