On 13th July, over a dozen artisans who were part of a lawsuit against Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan (BAPS) temple in New Jersey, United States, decided to withdraw their names from the case. In May 2021, a lawsuit was filed against BAPS in the United States of America alleging forced labour for construction of temple as well as human trafficking.
Rajasthan High Court Advocate Aaditya SB Soni has issued a press release on behalf of the artisans under the banner of Bharatiya Majdoor Sangh and Patthar Gadhai Sangh stating the artisans were threatened to be part of the deep-rooted conspiracy to stall the construction of the grand Hindu Temple.
#BIGBREAKING: 🧵
— CoHNA (Coalition of Hindus of North America) (@CoHNAOfficial) July 15, 2023
Remember the case against @BAPS Hindu temple in 2021 that alleged "caste discrimination"? #JUSTIN: A dozen artisans claim coercion, promise of US citizenship and large sums of money to testify against BAPS, are withdrawing the case. pic.twitter.com/0obQmSm9eL
The volunteer stone carving artisans stated that they were made accomplices in the conspiracy but have rebelled against it. They have decided to withdraw from the civil complaint filed in an American court against the Hindu temple. Advocate Soni, who is representing over 25 clients, all of whom are artisans, said that his clients served as volunteers for religious stonework at the BAPS Hindu Mandir being built in Robbinsville town of New Jersey, USA.
Around a dozen of them were pressured to join as plaintiffs in a civil complaint in the New Jersey court. Based on the complaint, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) entered the temple premises on 11th May 2021 and took away volunteers claiming they were trafficked to the US. Around 110 out of 134 artisan volunteers were taken away by the authorities from the temple site. Some of them contacted Advocate Sone and informed him that an advocate from the US named Swati Sawant had misled them into making the complaint, and now they want to withdraw from it.
“These artisans have made strong claims that Swati Sawant and her companions impressed upon them and misled them, using false temptations, to make a complaint against the temple management,” the press release read.
Notably, these artisans have provided their services for BAPS temples in India and the US for many years. They never experienced any pressure, castism or discrimination during their association with the BAPS temple.
“These artisans have clarified that they were treated with love and respect at the BAPS Swaminarayan temple, where they served and were well cared for. Advocate Aaditya SB Soni stated that the temple provided all support and facilities to these volunteers, including their flight tickets, their stay in the USA, their lodging and boarding, clothes, healthcare and medicines. The temple also provided for their family members in India. The volunteers returned from the USA to India to visit their families regularly, as per their wishes. They would return as per their convenience after spending some time with their families,” the press release added.
Furthermore, Advocate Soni stated in the press release that the artisans were scared to tell the truth as Swati Sawant allegedly warned them that some of their own fellow artisans would report them to the US police and they would be put behind bars if they revealed the truth. She also “convinced them to make false allegations in court, tempting them with promises of American citizenship for them and their families, and huge amounts of money.”
Due to the temptations, the artisans went with the FBI, but when they learned that they needed to make false allegations against the temple, they had second thoughts. The press release stated, “They realised they were caught in a conspiracy and wished to return home. Their families in India were worried about them and were calling them home. Some of them gathered the courage to leave the FBI’s custody and return home, even though Swati Sawant insisted that they stay and repeated her offer of American citizenship and money for them. Advocate Sawant also called their families in India to make them force the artisans to stay in the US. But by this time, the artisans had realised the truth and contacted lawyer Aaditya SB Soni for his help.”
“Some of the artisans who had filed a false case against the temple in civil courts also realised that they had been misled. A dozen of these ‘plaintiffs’ decided to withdraw their complaint and remove their names from the case and asked Aaditya Soni for his help to inform the American courts and attorneys. The artisans have now withdrawn from the case and have voluntarily withdrawn their claims in court. Though their previous attorneys were informed three weeks ago, they are yet to submit this withdrawal to the court,” the press release noted.
Speaking to OpIndia, Prabhuram Meena, General Secretary, Bharatiya Paththar Ghadhai Avam Nirman Majdoor Sangh, confirmed that the artisans withdrew their name from the complaint. Advocate Soni said the press release was issued on behalf of his clients. Further details on the matter from him are awaited. OpIndia has also contacted BAPS to get their comments on the matter. Their reply is awaited.
Allegations of human trafficking against BAPS temple
In May 2021, a group of Indian artisans in the US filed a lawsuit alleging human trafficking and forced labour and claimed they were confined and forced to work for as low as USD 1 on the construction of the Swaminarayan temple in New Jersey’s Robbinsville. BAPS was accused of luring labourers from India to work on temples near Atlanta, Chicago, Houston and Los Angeles, along with New Jersey, while paying only USD 450 a month.
BAPS denied the claims and said worship through seva is an integral part of Bhakti in the sect, and volunteers from around the world contribute to the same. The volunteers who take part in such construction activities of the temple regularly interact with people who come to visit. They are also regularly in touch with their family members back home.
BAPS further stated that many of the artisans then went back home while some chose to stay back and perform seva at other temples in the US. “When the artisans have come to the US, they have done so on R-1 visa, which the federal government has approved for 20 years. In addition, federal, state and local government agencies have regularly inspected and approved all of the mandir construction projects on which the artisans volunteered,” the statement read.
