After deadly Nepal floods, Sadhguru bats for 5-nation board to deal with disasters

As the death toll from deadly flash floods in Nepal and Tibet crossed 900, spiritual leader Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev called for a five-nation Himalayan Board comprising India, China, Pakistan, Nepal and Bhutan to coordinate disaster response across the mountain region.

In Short

• Sadhguru warns against calling Nepal floods divine, says it belittles suffering
• Pledges Rs 1 crore for relief to those affected due to floods
• Remarks come as Nepal flood toll crossed past 900

As over 900 people died in the deadly flash floods in Nepal and Tibet, spiritual leader Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev has called for a five-nation Himalayan Board involving India, China, Pakistan, Nepal and Bhutan to coordinate responses to disasters in the mountainous region.

Speaking at a solidarity event for Nepal in Kathmandu, the 68-year-old Isha Foundation founder said countries must look beyond political boundaries when dealing with disasters in the Himalayas. He also pledged Rs 1 crore to the Nepal Prime Minister's Disaster Fund for relief and recovery efforts.

Sadhguru said the Himalayan region should be treated as a connected ecological system rather than as separate territories divided by national borders. He called for greater cooperation among the five countries to address disasters and protect communities living in the mountain region.

He also urged people not to attribute the Nepal flash floods to “divine reason” or a “mystical possibility”. He said such explanations could diminish the reality of the suffering caused by the tragedy.

As a gesture of support for those who died in the tragedy, Sadhguru said Kala Bhairava Karma, a consecrated death ritual intended to bring ease and a pleasant transition for people who have died natural or unnatural deaths, would be performed at the Isha Yoga Centre in Tamil Nadu's Coimbatore on September 3.

He said the ritual would be offered in memory of those who died in the disaster and as a gesture of solidarity with their families.

SADHGURU ON 77 MISSING PILGRIMS IN NEPAL

Earlier, Sadhguru said the flash floods have also left 77 pilgrims from the Isha Foundation's Kailash pilgrimage group unaccounted for. The group was returning to Nepal when the disaster struck near the Tibet border.

Recalling the incident, the spiritual leader said the group's strict practice of reaching the Tibet-Nepal border immigration centre at Gyirong early had initially made him feel reassured when the flood hit.

He said group leader Praveen, who has been associated with him for more than two decades, called to say that all members had reached the immigration centre at 9:05 am. The group had deliberately arrived early because of the “chaos and confusion” at the border, where even a slight delay could mean hours waiting for immigration.

When the first images of the flood emerged, Sadhguru said the water and debris appeared to be around 40 feet high.

“I said, ‘This is okay. Our people are all in the immigration centre, so maybe it will flood the centre, maybe they'll lose their baggage, maybe they'll lose their passports, maybe they'll lose their clothes. I don't care, but they will stay alive,’” he recalled.

However, the whereabouts of the 77 pilgrims have remained unknown since the disaster. Maa Gambhiri, a coordinator with the group, said 77 families were waiting anxiously for information. “There are 77 families waiting desperately for the answers. It is an emotional turmoil for them,” she said.

The group comprised pilgrims from 19 nationalities, and the Isha Foundation has contacted the embassies of India, China and Nepal for assistance.

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