by Angela Anghel

The subject of lies in the anti-MISA campaign is unfortunately inexhaustible, because journalists were resourceful in this sense. Almost every day various old and new lies about MISA and Gregorian Bivolaru are recirculated or launched. Thus the press again and again published very serious, libellous and defamatory accusations about Gregorian Bivolaru and other yogis. Generally, they first publish a lie and promise they will then present proof or witnesses. However, afterwards, they do not offer any proof or interviews with credible witnesses, but resume with the same lie, as if it was already proven, or they invent new ones.

Inevitably, the press reached a turning point in which, after they had created the pseudo-criminal image associated with MISA, they were confronted with the inevitable question: How is it possible that although there are a multitude of alleged offenses in almost all areas, yet there are no witnesses or evidence? How is it possible that an organisation guilty of such crimes has not been convicted in court? The ingenuousness the journalists showed to evade these kinds of pertinent questions is far beyond the threshold of reasonableness.

One of the favourite theories of the journalists who consider themselves experts in the MISA case, is to periodically remind everyone through the media, particularly after their initial protestations through all media channels of all the horrific accusations made against the yogis, these journalists have not been able to offer any evidence or witnesses. It is octopus theory, some journalists brazenly say that the authorities have not taken action against MISA because MISA has people in key positions in all the state institutions, in all the important decision making areas, including Justice. These journalists speak about “the octopus that has stuck its tentacles” in all really important places and is protected from necessary legal action.

“The Octopus Theory” does not explain, of course, how come it is possible that yogis have been subjected to serious abuse, persecution and injustice by the authorities and state institutes for years. This shortcoming does not seem to disconcert the believers in the theory, after all nobody died during the searches or investigations, so why have we complained? The nonchalance with which some journalists periodically repeat the “Octopus Theory” leaves us speechless. If we think about it a little, this theory is absurd to the point of being ridiculous and it cannot explain the lack of credible evidence and witnesses against MISA. If the “octopus” truly existed, how would it be possible to falsify files against MISA? Or to unjustly convict Gregorian Bivolaru? Or for the Romanian state to issue false documents? How is it also possible that this “octopus” does not have a convenient tentacle in a newsroom so that we would see, at least once, the MISA point of view in the press?

The variations of the “octopus theory” goes from accusing all those who those who had the courage to expose the abuses in the MISA case as being “MISA members”, to the absurd that MISA has compromising photographs of important people in Justice, the Police and Prosecution Office etc, and this is why the investigations did not lead to trials, convictions etc. There are also more exotic variations of “octopus”, in which they speak about the mafia, omerta and other specialities in this area.

Without doubt, we could speculate that the journalists who write about MISA are deceitful and have started to believe in their own fabrications, do not discern truth from fantasy and even in extremes fear the monster they have created with their own minds. We are sure that journalists would ask us to rigorously demonstrate the theory, even if they could not demonstrate theirs. Some of them probably consider themselves to be heroes who have had the courage to fight against a powerful organisation. They do not realise that they make “revelations” about things which were already “revealed”, but never proven?

In conclusion, the “octopus theory” is impertinent speculation which tries to offer a complicated answer to a simple question of common sense: why, if the press publish so many accusations against MISA, has justice system not sanctioned such facts? The correct answer is very simple; the accusations are lies. They cannot be proven by evidence in court. There is no proof, because they are lies, inventions and fabrications of the press and not true facts. The decision of the Tribunal in Cluj to acquit all yogis in a falsified file in which they were accused of people trafficking (by an absurd interpretation of the notion of karma yoga) pertinently shows that the allegations contain an inadmissible number of articles from the press. This is not proof. They do not belong in allegations. The press has not even mention this document, although they announced with a fanfare that soon a judgement will be given regarding the prosecutor’s appeal over the trial in Cluj.