Isha Foundation, on Wednesday, has clarified that allegations of illegally acquiring land in Coimbatore were false and baseless. The Foundation was responding to an article, “Allegation of encroachment against Isha Foundation,” published on October 25, based on a press statement issued by P. Shanmugham, General Secretary of the Tamil Nadu Farmers Association. “It is highly defamatory to state that Isha had purchased lands from landless poor who got assignment out of the surplus lands measuring 44 acres,” it said.
The Foundation stated that it has never acquired land assigned to the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes or the poor. It went on to state that Mr. Shanmugham was wrong in representing the 44 acres as a single parcel of land; 37 acres are located in a separate part of Ikkarai Boluvampatti village in Coimbatore.
“An extent of 7.00 acres is located abutting Isha lands which were allotted to nine individual allottees, the individual persons appear to have purchased measuring 7.00 acres and the list of purchasers is also annexed (to the statement),” said Isha.
The Foundation said that only seven of the said 44 acres were situatated abutting its patta land. The association was trying to mislead the public by falsely stating that an extent of 44.30 acres was acquired by Isha,” the statement added.
Says it never acquired land assigned to SCs/STs
or the economically marginalised
