Mumbai, September 30: A 54-year-old UK woman reveals the harrowing childhood experience of being sexually assaulted from the age of six across three Sannyasin communities of Osho, Indian godman Rajneesh. Prem Sargam, in an interview with The Times, mentioned, "It was considered suitable for children to be exposed to sexuality and that she was raped 50 times before she left the place.

Ms Sargam's father deserted their UK home to seek spiritual enlightenment at the cult's ashram in Pune when she was six, leaving her and her mother behind. Soon after, she was pulled into the cult herself, compelled to adopt a new name, wear orange robes, and adhere to a philosophy that regarded children as obstacles to their parents' sexual freedom. Karan Johar to Have a Conversation with Osho’s Former Secretary Ma Anand Sheela for an NGO Initiative Event.

Further, she tells how she was subjected to sexual abuse in the name of 'Free Love'. Rajneesh introduced a spiritual moment to her parents that followed the philosophy that children should watch sex regularly and males should introduce sex to girls as guidance. Osho Rajneesh’s Secretary Ma Anand Sheela Talks About the 18 Rules That Define Her Life in New Memoir.

One of her harrowing experiences living in the community was the normalisation of children to watch adults indulge in sexual activities. She saw it at the age of six, and when she grew older, at the age of, she was forced to have sex with adult men in the community. 

The abuse continued when Ms. Sargam was sent to the Medina ashram in Suffolk, where she was told she would attend a "boarding school" program. Instead, she faced further exploitation. By age 12, she had moved to the US to join her mother at an ashram in Oregon. "I only understood what had happened when I turned 16," she said. Sangram mentioned that she was raped 50 times by then. 

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 30, 2024 08:00 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).