Protest over sex tourism in Goa: 'Tales of Kamasutra and Christmas' cancelled
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The civil society and the Catholic community in Goa protested against the proposed event titled ‘Tales of Kamasutra and Christmas’, which was planned to be held between December 25 and December 28, fearing it to be promoting sex tourism in the state, while the organiser, the Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh Foundation, which later cancelled the event after police direction, maintained that it had been misunderstood as something obscene, whereas it was a meditation retreat based on tantra.
The controversy emerged after a poster promoting the event began circulating on social media, and the content, which depicted explicit acts, alarmed several citizens’ groups and members of the Catholic community, who argued that the presentation projected Goa as a destination for sex tourism, according to The Indian Express.
Their objections prompted the Goa Police to intervene, and the authorities directed the organisers to withdraw the promotional material while also instructing police stations to monitor upcoming events within their jurisdiction.
The event, facilitated by Swami Dhyan Sumit, the founder of the Osho Ludhiana Meditation Society, was described by him as a tantra-based meditation retreat, and he asserted that the mention of Christmas in the poster was intended only to signify a festive atmosphere rather than to suggest inappropriate conduct; however, he conceded that the combination of the words Kamasutra and Christmas had led to widespread misunderstanding.
Following communication from the authorities that the sentiments of the Catholic community had been hurt, Sumit decided to cancel the event and instructed the withdrawal of all posters, and he expressed regret that the wording had conveyed a misleading impression.
The agitation against the event gained momentum as several citizens’ groups approached the authorities demanding action, and the Goa Women’s Forum submitted a letter to the tourism department warning that such an event would harm Goa’s image as a family-friendly tourist destination and distort its reputation by linking it to sex tourism.
Similarly, Arun Pandey, founder and director of Arz, a non-governmental organisation working against sexual violence, lodged a complaint with the Goa Crime Branch, arguing that the event misrepresented meditation and religious themes and contributed to the objectification of the state as a sexual destination.
The Catholic Association of Goa also filed a police complaint against the organisers, alleging that the sentiments of the community had been hurt and calling for official scrutiny of the event’s intent.