Call for deportation

Press, 1 February 1979, Page 6

Call for deportation

PA Wellington i The deportation of the head of the Ananda Marga movement in New Zealand was recommended by Mr N. C. Jaine. S.M., in the Magistrate’s Court at Wellington yesterday after the man had been sentenced to one month’s imprisonment. The Magistrate said that whether Timothy Thomas Hilton Jones, aged 26. was ult mately deported was up to the Minister of Immigration (Mr Bolger). Jones, described as a religious teacher on the charge sheet, and another Ananda Ma r aa adherent. David John Field, aged 23. appeared for sen’ence on charges relating to false oassports. Field, described as an unemployed storeman. was sentenced to six months neriodic

<ffi’«ntion for his offences. Jones had pleaded guiltv at in earlie' hearing to con-! sniring wi*h F : eld in- Novem- 1 b»r to aon’v for a New Zealand passport with fraudu’ent intent to obtain a pecuniary advantage He had also pleaded guilty to using a document (a leber applying for a birth certificate) to obtain r pecuniary advantage and to forging an application for a New Zealand passport. F’eld has pleaded guilty to simi’ar charges and to obtaining a nassnort illegally. Counsel for both men. Mr: N. J. Dunlop, said that rhe fact that thev were members of rhe Ananda Marga movement could possibly have given the offences a sinister

connotation. It was well 1 known that Ananda Marga; had incurred the wrath of; more than one Government. < “But the sins of Ananda Marga, real or imagined,; should not be visited on my! iclients,” he said. Jones, a member of Ananda ■ Marga for more than six! years, had come to New Zealand from Australia in 1978 to lead the movement in this! (country. He was a self-des-j: cribed monk who had under-;’ gone training in India for his 1 calling. He not onlv led the:: movement but taught physical and spiritual yoga and ; gave persona! counselling. i Field, a New Zealander, had been an Ananda Marga!: member for three years and i a half. The two had had a “strongji urge” to go to India to visit 1 a guru. This urge had been ; a narticularlv emotional thing i

'with them both. They were both faced with the simple problem of not being able to -enter India, because, as members of the movement, they were persona non grata in that country. They had. independently, concluded that they would have to travel with false passports. Ironically, the possibility that the guru in question might come to New Zealand had “surfaced” after the offences. Had they known this at the time, neither would have offended. Both were adamant that the offences had been committed without the knowledge or the blessing of the Ananda Marga movement. There was no evidence at all of any criminal intent, Mr Dunlop said. They sought no‘ gain apart from their own! spiritual development.