SRINAGAR: A proposed “Tantra in Silence” retreat advertised in Gurez Valley has triggered a political and public controversy in Jammu and Kashmir, with Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti and Kashmir’s chief cleric Mirwaiz Umar Farooq questioning the event and seeking government intervention, while the Tourism Department has clarified that it has neither approved nor authorised it.
The controversy erupted after a poster circulating on social media promoted a “Tantra in Silence” retreat in Gurez Valley from September 24 to 27, allegedly facilitated by Swami Dhyan Sumit, who is associated with the Shree Rajneesh Foundation.
In a post on X, Mehbooba Mufti said a similar retreat facilitated by the same individual had been cancelled in Goa last year after its promotional material sparked controversy and Goa Police intervened.
“A poster is advertising a ‘Tantra in Silence’ retreat in Gurez Valley, Srinagar. A similar ‘Tantra’ retreat facilitated by Swami Dhyan Sumit, a self-styled godman promoting a new religion under the Shree Rajneesh Foundation, was cancelled in Goa last year after its obscene promotional material sparked widespread controversy, and Goa Police had to intervene,” Mufti wrote.
She said Gurez should not become “a playground for experiments in the name of spirituality or tourism” and appealed to Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and Jammu and Kashmir Police to take action. She also urged Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and People’s Conference president Sajad Lone to raise awareness about the issue.
Reacting to Mufti’s post, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq on Saturday called for immediate intervention by the authorities to stop the proposed event.
In a post on X, the Mirwaiz said the concerns raised by the PDP president deserved immediate attention and questioned why such a programme was being allowed in Kashmir.
“That this kind of programme is being allowed in Gurez in Kashmir, when a similar programme by this organisation was cancelled by police in Goa due to public outrage over its obscene promotional details, is outrageous,” he wrote.
The Mirwaiz appealed to Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and the administration to prevent what he described as the exploitation of Kashmir’s religious, cultural and social ethos.
Amid the controversy, the Office of the Assistant Director Tourism, Gulmarg, issued a clarification distancing itself from the event.
In an official statement, the department said it had neither granted permission nor issued any authorisation for conducting the event.
“This office has no information or official communication regarding the proposed event referred to in the said social media post. No application seeking permission for the event has been received or processed by this office,” the statement said.
The department further clarified that the proposed event had not been authorised or approved by the Office of the Assistant Director Tourism, Gulmarg, and that it had no association with the organisation or conduct of the programme.
No response was immediately available from the organisers of the proposed retreat.
