(Not The Bee) If you have any doubts of where the public-school system has led us, this is the story for you.
Newark, New Jersey, is the largest city in New Jersey, and its “sister-city” was a nation called the United States of Kailasa, at least it was until city officials found out the nation was just a fabrication.
Would these folks make it one round on “Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader?”
Not a single city official had any basic knowledge of world geography or the wherewithal to do an Internet search when signing an agreement to become sister-cities with a nation that does not exist.
In fact Newark Mayor Ras Baraka said that they hoped the cultural bond that Kailasa and Newark were making would be mutually beneficial:
Benefiting the people of Kailasa would prove an impossible task because there are zero citizens.
The United States of Kailasa was fabricated by Indian Swami Nithyananda, a man wanted in India for child abduction, torture, and rape.
The self-proclaimed godman fled the country in 2019 when warrants for his arrest were issued, and he has apparently been hiding in the United States of Kailasa ever since — which is probably just an apartment somewhere.
While the Kailasa website still lists Newark as a sister-city, Newark spokeswoman Susan Garofalo said Newark does not return the sentiment any longer:
As far as Nithyananda goes, he’s actively recruiting citizens for his make-believe nation.
Interested parties can join the nation via QR code.
Warning: It’s a very sketchy site, I wouldn’t recommend visiting.
Apply Now for the Free E-Citizenship of United States of KAILASA.https://t.co/zPWSIaOVxl#Kailasa #nithyananda #UN #citizenship pic.twitter.com/YU5KMcOoVY
— KAILASA’s SPH Nithyananda (@SriNithyananda) March 3, 2023
Also he’s sending out belly-dancer emissaries to members of the United Nations to try to obtain membership for his imaginary state.
