Mysuru: Ever since it helped two teenage girls lodge a rape complaint against the head of a mutt (seminary) last month, the Mysuru-based NGO Odanadi Seva Samsthe has received an outpouring of support as well as virulent backlash in Karnataka.
The case in question is not an ordinary one. The main accused is the revered Lingayat spiritual leader Shivamurthy Murugha Sharanaru, pontiff of the wealthy and politically influential Murugha Mutt in Chitradurga.
Many of his followers have claimed that a conspiracy to defame him is behind the accusations of rape levelled by the two girls. Both complainants lived at an orphanage run by the mutt before they left and arrived at the doors of Odanadi, an NGO that assists victims of sexual violence and human trafficking.
Since then, the over three-decade-old NGO has been in the eye of a storm. It has been accused by some mutt supporters of not just conspiring against Shivamurthy, but of being part of a “conversion racket” aiming to weaken “Hindu dharma”.
It’s not the first time that Odanadi has faced anger or pushback for its work, but this time “life-threatening calls” prompted its directors, K. V. Stanly and M.L Parashuram, to send a letter to the Mysuru police commissioner, with a request to instate a “gunman for security reasons”.
But the alleged threats haven’t stopped Odanadi and other like-minded organisations from rallying around the rape complainants.
On 10 September, at least 4,000 people from organisations throughout the state (including Odanadi) took to the streets of Chitradurga to express their solidarity with the teenagers.
When ThePrint visited the Odanadi office last Friday on the outskirts of Mysuru, directors Stanly and Parashuram (aka Parasu) acknowledged that they’re currently under pressure, but are nowhere close to buckling under it.
“We came into this field with full knowledge of what was about to happen to our lives. Of course, a lot of things have surprised us, but nothing has broken us yet,” Stanly said, with Parasu nodding in agreement.
Here’s a look at the organisation and the work it has done with law enforcement over the years, as well as its role in the Shivamurthy Murugha Sharanaru case.
Also read: ‘Revolutionary reformer’ to rape accused — the scandalous story of Karnataka’s top Lingayat swami
What does Odanadi do?
When social activists in Mysuru talk about Odanadi (which means companion or soulmate in Kannada), they usually mention the co-founders in one breath — Stanly-Parasu. Many people even think Stanly-Parasu is the name of one person. They might be forgiven for this misconception since the two men have been working together for over 30 years.
Based out of a sparsely furnished office stacked with hundreds of files, Odanadi has been involved in aiding and rehabilitating women and child victims of gender-based violence and human trafficking since 1989.
Journalists by profession, Stanly and Parashuram said they were working as district coordinators for the comprehensive literacy programme when they realised sex workers did not have access to many social initiatives of the government. That’s when they resigned from their jobs and started Odanadi with the vision of creating better opportunities for women and girls, they said.
Today, Odanadi also provides residential and educational support to orphaned boys and girls, ranging from primary school students to young adults enrolled in postgraduate courses. The NGO today has offices in the Netherlands, Sweden, the UK, Canada, and the US.
In Karnataka, Odanadi is best known for its victim advocacy and grassroots work. Through its strong networks, the NGO has helped release “at least 13,000 women” from the clutches of their traffickers, according to Stanly.
It was also instrumental in ensuring 1 per cent reservation of seats for the children of Devadasis and victims of sexual violence across state-run educational institutions in Karnataka, starting with the University of Mysore.
Work with the police
For years, Odanadi has interfaced with the police in various capacities, from providing tip-offs to helping victims file cases,
Last year, Stanly said, it was after a tip-off from Odanadi that cops raided a lodge that was being used for sex work in Tumkur. There, they uncovered a secret tunnel that was allegedly used by customers to hide in the event of a police raid.
That same year, Stanly added, Odanadi helped the Mysuru police crack a human trafficking network from Hunsur near Mysuru. Two people were arrested and two women were rescued.
Retired deputy commissioner of police (DCP) Basavaraj Malagatti, who served in Mysuru between 2010 and 2015, told ThePrint that he was impressed by the “high level of integrity” in Odanadi’s activities.
“I have worked in 12 districts through my career in the police department for four decades. I am yet to see a single complaint against Odanadi. They have a commendable track record. During my tenure in Mysore, I even visited their office and saw only good work being done there,” he said.
When asked whether Odanadi might be exceeding its brief by collecting evidence against suspected offenders, he said: “Only when such details are publicised can they be termed as infringing on personal rights. Else, any citizen can collect evidence to substantiate their claims on illegal activities or harassment. Media also does investigative reports, which is perfectly normal and well within the limits of their work.”
However, not everyone has been appreciative.
Bengaluru-based independent journalist Choodie Shivaram, who has been tracking Odanadi’s work for years, recounted one such instance.
“I remember one particular high-profile case where the [NGO’s] directors were literally hounded for having provided clinching evidence against [politicians],” she said.
“It caused a lot of pain for [Stanly and Parasu]. Their families also suffered a lot because the cops would come knocking at their doors late in the night. It’s never been a cakewalk for them. But they have only grown from strength to strength. The kind of work they do is rare and laden with dangers, but I have never seen them back out,” Shivaram added.
But perhaps the most high-profile case that the organisation has been involved in so far is that of the alleged sexual exploitation at Murugha Mutt.
Murugha Mutt controversy
On 26 August, the Mysuru police filed a case against Shivamurthy Murugha Sharanaru for allegedly raping two girls at the mutt between January 2019 and June 2022.
The two complainants, aged 15 and 16, had left the mutt and reached Mysuru, where they had approached Odanadi for help.
After that, Odanadi alerted the Child Welfare Committee (CWC) about the matter and subsequently lodged a police complaint. On the basis on this, the police filed an FIR against Shivamurthy and his alleged accomplices under sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act as well under section 376 (rape) of the Indian Penal Code.
“The girls walked in and narrated the harrowing details of the harassment they faced. We are bound by POCSO law to take them and present them before the Child Welfare Committee within 24 hours in such cases. We just did that,” Stanly told ThePrint.
The case quickly snowballed into a massive controversy in Karnataka, where the Lingayat mutt wields considerable influence owing to its huge following.
Some believe that the case was orchestrated by an alleged rival of Shivamurthy at the mutt and that the NGO was somehow a part of this “conspiracy”. There are allegations by some mutt supporters that Odanadi is an “anti-Hindu” organisation that wants to split the community.
According to Stanly and Parasu, they have received threatening, abusive phone calls and some staff members have quit as a result.
“Two of our staff members have resigned owing to pressure. We understand what they are going through. But no matter what, we will stand by the cause and the affected children,” Parasu said. “We submitted a letter [for protection] to the commissioner of police but nothing has come through so far.”
When The Print tried to contact the Mysuru police commissioner’s official number for a comment on this, the calls went unanswered. This article will be updated if a response is received.
‘There could be more victims’
Both Odanadi co-founders are categorical that the organisation’s sole focus is on the welfare of those who approach it for help, regardless of any controversy that may ensue.
“It’s immaterial how they came to us, or is there a bigger conspiracy here. We are only focused on protecting the future of girls and women who have been exploited. We work to ensure every person that comes seeking help or care from us has a better chance at life,” Parasu added.
Stanly and Parasu said that they intend to remain vocal about the case and have also written to various national and state agencies to investigate it further since they suspect that the “magnitude of the crime” might not yet be fully known.
“Though we are just evidence in the case, we have written to various national and state agencies to investigate this case in a much wider spectrum since we have been told there could be more victims here,” Stanly said.
(Edited by Asavari Singh)
Also read: ‘Riots, hate, killings’ — how this Karnataka district became hotbed of Hindu-Muslim violence
Source: The Print
