What is Nithyananda's 'Kailasa', the fictional country that has caught UN’s attention?

Self-proclaimed Indian ‘godman’ stunned the world by sending his team to the United Nations in Geneva last week.The group claimed to represent a little-known island nation off the coast of South America.The representatives from the United States of Kailasa (USK), who were decked in heavy jewellery and saffron robes while attending a meeting of the UN Committee on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights, sparked a fresh controversy online.The “country” that the UN does not recognise, was founded by Indian fugitive ‘godman’ Nithyananda, who is accused of sexual abuse in India.Let’s take a closer look at the fictional country that is in question and how Nithyananda formed it.What is Kailasa?According to the “official” USK website, Kailasa is “the greatest Hindu nation on Earth.” It is a “nation without borders created by dispossessed Hindus who lost the right to practise Hinduism authentically in their own countries.”The website says that the nation is dedicated to the “restoration, preservation and propagation of authentic Hindu culture and civilisation after centuries of oppression and subjugation.”Located off the coast of Ecuador, the Hindu holy mountain Mount Kailash in Tibet reportedly inspired the name Kailasa.The fictional country is believed to have its own constitution, economic system, passport, flag, emblem, and bank, the “Reserve Bank of Kailasa,” according to Economic Times. The self-styled godman even announced flights to his country in December 2020.Nithyananda, who is wanted by Indian authorities on sexual assault charges, claimed in 2019 that his nation for Hindus will combat global warming, provide free healthcare, encourage gender equality, and practise vegetarianism, reported Independent.While speaking at the UN meet, Vijayapriya Nithyananda, who claims to be the Permanent Ambassador to the UN from the USK, said, “Kailasa is the first sovereign state for Hindus, established by the supreme pontiff of Hinduism, Nithyanand Paramashivam, who is reviving the enlightened Hindu civilisation and its 10,000 indigenous traditions of Hinduism, including the Adi Shaivite indigenous agricultural tribes for which the supreme pontiff of Hinduism is the leader as well.”She added that Kailasa has been implementing the “ancient Hindu policies and indigenous solutions that are in alignment with the time-tested Hindu principles for sustainable development.”Vijayapriya also spoke about Nithayananda’s “intense persecution and human rights violation for reviving the indigenous traditions and lifestyle and lifestyle of Hinduism.”“And he was even banned from preaching and exiled from his birth country,” she said and also asked the panel what can be done to help him, according to IANS.How Nithyananda started his own country? According to Independent, the fugitive godman claimed in 2019 that he founded the USK after buying an island off the coast of Ecuador.In a previous investigation, India Today learned that Nithyananda had been establishing foundations and businesses all around the world to manage his business. As per the report, he founded over ten legally registered organisations in the US that are probably connected to Kailasa.In 2020, when asked about how he planned to use the money he was getting, Nithyananda revealed, “People are donating all over the world, working with the local governments because each donation in any country belongs to that country’s NGO, follows that country’s laws, working with those countries in an organised way this whole structure is absolutely ready.”Is it a recognised country?This is where Nithyananda is struggling.His team has been sharing details about the events the fictional nation participated in and making claims about encounters with officials from various governments.Yet, “Kailasa” is not one of the 193 nations that the UN recognises.According to the 1933 Montevideo Convention, which is recognised as a component of customary international law, a region cannot be referred to be a country until it has a permanent population, a functioning government, and the ability to interact with other nations.The latest move of sending USK representatives was also part of Nithyananda’s strategy to gain acceptance at an international forum.However, the UN called the submissions “irrelevant” and that those will not be considered in the final outcome drafts, according to NDTV.It is pertinent to mention here that once recognised by the UN, a country gets access to many international forums, including the World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF).So, what’s the status of the ‘fictional country’?If a territory has not attained the status of a country, it is called a micronation.According to BBC, a micronation is a “self-proclaimed sovereign state that lacks a legal basis for its existence.” They are not recognised by established nation-states or the UN.If a territory has not attained the status of a country, it can be called a micronation. According to Encyclopaedia Britannica, micronations are self-proclaimed entities claiming to be independent sovereign states but are not recognised by the international community or the UN.As per New Zealand-based multimedia organisation RNZ, there are as many as 140 micronations in the world.With inputs from agenciesRead all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News,India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.