A 54-year-old UK woman has shared her horrific experience of being raised in the sex cult of Indian mystic Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh, aka Osho, where she was allegedly forced to undergo sexual abuse as a minor in the name of “free love.”
In an interview with The Times, the victim, Prem Sargam narrated the rampant sexual abuse which began when she was six, across three Sannyasin communities – or ‘ashrams’- she grew up in. “We were innocent children, exploited and abused in the name of spiritual enlightenment,” she said.
While describing her nightmare, Sargam said that her father abandoned their home in the UK to join the cult’s ashram in Pune when she was just six years old. He sought spiritual enlightenment as a sannyasin, leaving Sargam and her mother behind.
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.
She further said that Osho’s movement believed in a philosophy that children should regularly watch sex and that girls as they reach a pubic age should be guided by adult men on their sexual journeys.
“The other message of sannyasin teaching, both unlawful and shattering, was quickly assimilated by those joining the cult,” Sargam said. This philosophy normalised paedophilia within the cult.
She was allegedly engaged in sexual activities at seven years old which escalated to rape at the age of 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 said in the interview.
Between seven and 11, Sargam and her friends were allegedly coerced into performing sexual acts on grown men living in the commune.
He exploitation continued after she was sent to the Medina ashram in Suffolk under the guise of attending a “boarding school” program. By the time she reached 12, she was relocated to the US, joining her mother at an ashram in Oregon. By that time, she had allegedly endured rape over 50 times.
“It was only at 16 that I understood what had happened”, she said.
The Osho Cult
The Rajneesh cult, or the Osho cult, was founded in the 1970s. It mainly attracted Western followers who were seeking spiritual enlightenment.
Rajneesh (later came be 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. His unconventional methods of meditation and emphasis on sexual freedom earned him the title “Sex Guru” in India. In the US, he was dubbed the “Rolls-Royce Guru” due to his collection of 93 luxury cars.
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,” Sargam said.
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