Brahmavihari Swami Says Eiffel Tower Incident Was Miscommunication

Brahmavihari Swami of the BAPS sect has said that the dispute over the treatment of female staff during a BAPS delegation's visit to the Eiffel Tower in Paris stemmed from a misunderstanding, and that he does not hold the monument's management responsible.

Speaking at the NDTV World Summit during a session titled 'Beyond Intelligence: AI, Faith and the Meaning of Being Human', he said the probe had found no clear evidence that the BAPS delegation sought to remove women staff from the entire procession or programme.

"This was a misunderstanding from the Eiffel Tower's side. I do not blame them," the swami said.

The row came to light after reports said some female employees had been pulled from their duties or kept away from the delegation during its private visit on September 5. Their protest subsequently compelled authorities to close the tower for one day.

The episode drew considerable criticism in France, a country where secularism and gender equality hold deep importance.

An inquiry by the Paris city inspectorate reportedly turned up no written documentation showing that the Hindu delegation had demanded women be separated during the programme. Findings pointed instead to communication breakdowns and collective errors.

Brahmavihari Swami noted that BAPS had spent nearly a decade in ongoing discussions with French authorities before receiving permission to build a temple in the country. He recalled a cultural procession on the Seine that involved about 5,500 people on 11 boats.

He added that the Eiffel Tower management had welcomed the delegation, and that the visit was arranged during normal opening hours so other tourists would not face any inconvenience.

Describing the disciplines followed by saints, he said brahmacharya is a personal spiritual resolve. It does not mean opposing women or treating them unequally.

"We saints follow our spiritual rules, but we do not apply them to others," he said.

Stressing that human life comes first, he said that if a woman's life is in danger, saints should set aside all personal rules and help her without delay.