108 days of “NO AI” campaigning as New Year begins

 As the calendar flips to 2026, there are exactly 108 days until Election Day, April 18. Virtually every party on the #patriavotes2026 campaign trail is on board with Patria’s so-called War on Artificial Intelligence. Whether the leftist Social Democrats, the new-agey Chakra Party, the macho man National Union, the TERFs of the Lilith Party, Jim Rome’s Jungle Party, the tree-hugging Greens, and of course the Hindu nationalist SRM, all parties contesting seats in the 53^rd Congress rise as one with the calls of “NO AI IN PATRIA!”, “Human intelligence, not ChatGPT!” and “No more Victoria Goldiee’s”.

 

One of the worst-kept secrets of the 2026 campaign is the apparent resurrection of the Amrita Party under the name of “IAM”, rising from the tiny Independent Amrita Member caucus that was left over when the Amrita Party dissolved in late 2021. Like virtually all other parties, they also oppose the proliferation of AI. The IAM Party will not have Amma as a sitting member of Congress and will probably be lucky to elect more than a handful of members to the 53^rd Congress, but they stole Patria Post’s 2026 definitive stamp design, depicting Amma as a young girl named Sudhamani, to use as one of their campaign posters.

Needless to mention, the SRM has been leading from the front on the WAR ON AI campaign.

Patria Post 2026 definitive stamp, on sale at post offices across Patria Jan. 5, 2026

AmritaServe reaches out to villages for economic self-reliance

Amrita SeRVe is a new initiative championed by the Amrita Party's House Leader** that will help make small villages in Bharat Mata (India, birthplace of much of Patria's spiritual heritage) self-reliant and grow the local economy. Amrita SeRVe was launched during Amma’s 60th birthday celebrations in September 2013 and ushered in sustainable development in village clusters across India. Its work is aligned with United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. It is focused on areas in which to begin a series of changes that starts from basic needs and then leads to a state of true empowerment. Amrita SeRVe’s vision is to teach villagers the skills they need to live in communities that are prosperous and self-reliant. These are places where people are healthy and educated and where they lead lives of dignity in a clean, pollution-free environment. Such self-reliance will lead us to vibrant cultures rooted in India’s age-old traditional wisdom. Because villagers are the providers of most of the nation’s food supply, these steps can lead to a sense of community and gratitude throughout the entire country.

You can like Amrita SeRVe on Facebook, follow on Twitter, or subscribe to Amrita SeRVe's e-mail newsletter.

Amma says "It is our villages that sustain us by providing those who live in cities with the nourishment needed in order to survive. However, today, we are just exploiting villages and casting them aside. It is time to acknowledge that our villages are our very foundation and move forward with one heart and one mind to protect and serve them."

Amrita SeRVe's activities focus on areas such as self-empowerment (e.g. teaching a system of simple yoga asanas for women and children as well as training villagers to become yoga teachers), health (fighting malnutrition by encouraging villagers to start kitchen gardens where they can grow vegetables for their own needs), education (to strengthen village schools, achieve zero drop-out rates, and provide opportunities for higher education), and of course environmental initiatives such as promoting the use of re-usable cloth sanitary napkins rather than environmentally unfriendly disposable tampons for women when it's "that time of the month".

While Patria is known for its bustling cities such as Castoropolis, there are many small towns and villages within the Inner Realm that do not always enjoy the amenities, advanced infrastructure, educational opportunities, standard of living, public transit and even the 50,000-watt blowtorch radio stations of the capital city. Amrita SeRVe is a project that the Amrita Party of Patria fully supports.

** Standard disclaimer for newbies to this site or to Patria: the Amrita Party of Patria has no macro-national (i.e. "real world") connection to Amma (Mata Amritanandamayi) or Amma's charitable, educational and other organizations in India and throughout the macro-world. Nor does Amma endorse any real-world political party or hold any real-world elected office.

Amma delivers keynote address at United Nations

Amma getting face time with United Nations Development Programme Administrator Helen Clark and Ambassador Kaha Imnadze, Chairperson of the UN's Committee on Information.

Although Patria is not, and never will be, a member of the United Nations, the House Leader of the Amrita Party and Chancellor of Amrita University delivered the keynote address at the UN's Conference on Technology for Sustainable Development. Amma, along with researchers from all over the macronational world met at the UN's General Assembly in New York City to discuss the potential of human-computer interaction, nanoscience, molecular medicine, biotechnology, and wireless networking as sites of sustainable change.

Amma told the assembled delegates: "It is my faith in the validity of spiritual knowledge that has brought me here in front of you today. I often reflect deeply on the future of the Earth, the preservation of nature, and the disappearing harmony between humanity and nature. This contemplation has led me to the conviction that science, technology, and spirituality must unite in order to ensure a sustainable and balanced existence of our world. The present age and the world around us demand this transformation."

Amma's speech, entitled "Reconciling ancient spiritual wisdom and modern technology for societal transformation", was delivered, of course, in Amma's native Malayalam. But you can read the English transcription here.

Yoga helps us to reconnect with nature and God - Amma

The Hon. Member of the 50th Congress (Amrita-Arboria) presiding over a yoga class during her program in Santa Fe, NM.

The first International Day of Yoga was celebrated throughout Patria on June 21. While on her North American tour, Amma delivered a message to mark the day:

“Today is International Yoga day. Previously, people did not need to have a special day for performing Yoga because Yoga was part and parcel of their lives. Unfortunately, now we need special a special day to remind us to perform Yoga, just as we need a day to remember our mother and father.

“In the olden days, people would wake up in the morning, bow down to mother Earth and then, facing the sun, they would chant prayers and perform Surya Namaskaram. The whole time they were praying, they were exposed to the rays of the rising sun. Today, in many countries, out of ten people, six or seven have Vitamin D deficiency. It is postulated that vitamin D deficiency may be one of the precipitating factors for Alzheimer’s disease and other types of dementia. Some may argue that even people with normal vitamin D levels get Alzheimer’s disease. This is true, but studies have shown that a majority of people with this condition have Vitamin D deficiency. It is also thought to be a cause of depression, which may be why the incidence of depressive disorders is higher in countries that have less sunlight."

Full text of Amma's International Day of Yoga message. 

Amma celebrates Promethium birthday

Although the celebrations were not quite as massive as last year's Amritavarsham 60, or the humungous 50th birthday party that filled a cricket stadium to Test Match capacity in 2003, Patria's House Leader of the Amrita Party celebrated her 61st birthday (go ahead and google the reference. Surely you remember your periodic table from high school chemistry!) in the midst of Navratri -the nine nights devoted to worship of the Divine Mother - and the Jewish High Holy Days.

Party like it's 5775! Amma distributes the traditional Rosh Hashanah offering of apples dipped in honey (for a sweet new year).

In her birthday message, Amma said: "Devotion and compassion towards the poor and the needy go hand in hand. They are like two sides of a coin. We should look around us and reach out to people who need our help. If we are able to help even just one person, we can bring about a big change in their life. If my children can become ready to share their lives with the poor and the needy, that would be the best birthday present Amma could ever receive."

The celebrations include announcements of Amma's new charitable projects, a free marriage ceremony for impoverished couples, distribution of free clothing to the poor, and of course almost a full day of Amma’s darshan—her personal motherly embrace for each person attending the event.

Amma meets with US Congresspeople

Immediately after wrapping up her North American tour, the Hon. Member of the 50th Congress Amma (AMR-Arboria) made a brief stop in Washington, DC where she met with several members of the United States Congress. The meeting was was held at the request of Democratic U.S. Congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allard, who represents California's 40th Congressional District.

During the visit, some frank discussions emerged over the plight of large numbers of unaccompanied minors from Central American countries that are currently being detained by the U.S. Border Patrol. The children were fleeing extreme violence in their native countries and had been encouraged to seek shelter in the U.S.

This was the second year in a row that Congresswoman Roybal-Allard had invited Amma for such a meeting. The event took place mere hours after a marathon Devi Bhava public program in Toronto during which Amma hugged devotees continuously for some 14 hours without stopping for a bathroom break, let alone a few hours of sleep.

ॐ लोकाः समस्ताः सुखिनो भवन्तु ॥

Lucille Roybal-Allard  (D-CA) gets some face time with Amma.

Vatican plot against Amma?

Four more years for Amma? Not if the Vatican has anything to say about it!

As if Amma and the Amrita Party don't have to campaign hard enough in order to fight off the challenge of the macho National Union, and to forge sometimes uneasy alliances with the new-agey Chakra Party, old-school liberal Social Democrats, Jim Rome's Jungle Party clones, and even some of the moderate elements of the hard-core Hinduism-cum-economic patriotism SRM, they are now dealing with rumors that Opus Dei (in cahoots with the Vatican) is launching a campaign to discredit Amma.

Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) International president Ashok Singhal on Friday [March 14] alleged that a secret agency under the Vatican Government was behind launching the malicious campaign against Mata Amritanandamayi and her Math. He told a news conference here that Mata was not only one of the top spiritual leaders of the country but a great spiritual figure venerated across the globe as well.

‘’There is a conspiracy against our mahatmas, sages and saints. Jihadi elements and fundamentalist forces have launched a malicious campaign. Some Communist organisations also feel satisfied in tarnishing Hindu spiritual leaders whenever they get an opportunity,’’ he said.

He urged the television channels in Kerala, especially the ones under the control of the jihadi elements and fundamentalist forces and the Left, to refrain from maligning Hindu spiritual leaders.

Whether in India or Patria, haters be hatin'. Particularly when it's election time!

Holy Hell on the Amrita campaign trail

While on the Amrita Party campaign trail, Amma took some time to respond to the allegations contained in Gail "Gayatri" Tredwell 's self-published book Holy Hell: a Memoir of Faith, Devotion and Pure Madness.  A native of Australia, Ms. Tredwell spent almost two decades as Amma's closest disciple and effectively her chief of staff before suddenly leaving the Amma organization in 1999. The book alleges that as Amma's organization morphed from a traditional Hindu-based ashram into a multi-national business empire, incredible financial improprieties took place under Amma's nose or with Amma's explicit approval - socking away millions of dollars (or crores of rupees) in foreign bank accounts, little of the donations by western devotees actually going to Amma's charitable activities and failure to file financial records as required by law. Ms. Tredwell also claims that Amma was physically and/or emotionally abusive toward her and other devotees and that sexual abuse took place involving Amma's chief swami and possibly even Amma herself.

Amma's remarks were, of course, made in her native Malayalam. The following is a summary of what the Amrita Party house leader said in the above clip.

Amma’s Response to the Allegations Against the Mata Amritanandamayi Math
[Said by Amma during her Brahmasthanam Festival, Puthur, Palakkad – 22nd February 2014]

“Every year the Ashram [The Mata Amritanandamayi Math] submits its accounts without fail. Every thing is being done as required. Some people are now trying to create misunderstandings, making various claims and misinterpretations. If we had the millions that they allege, I would have already wiped out poverty, both in India and throughout the world. That is my desire. No religion or any specific community donates to the Ashram, nor do we collect any membership fees. What we have is only because of my children’s self-sacrifice.

“This is an organization that does service. It’s an organization that helps people to cultivate service-mindedness. After the earthquake in Gujarat [2001], the Ashram reconstructed three villages there. Now, when the Ashram builds houses for the poor after disasters like the tsunami, even people 85 and 90 years old come from those villages to offer their service.

“Whatever be a person’s level of comprehension, whatever be his perspective—he will believe that alone to be right. This is the way most people think. We have sight, but lack insight—this is the situation we are seeing now. I have never asked anyone to serve me. I am serving everyone. I am simply a mother serving my children. We are not stealing or begging from anyone. Nor is anyone sitting idle; we are working hard and serving others. I only eat once a day. On some days, I may not eat at all. Regardless, every single day, I sit for hours on end and meet the devotees. Back in my room, I read hundreds of letters sent to me from all over the world. There are institutions to manage. I lead the children in meditation and give question-and-answer sessions. Here, no one sits idle. I have no hesitation to do any kind of work.

“I am not blaming anyone. I am just speaking about my children’s self-sacrifice and surrender. Because of that, we have been able to accomplish various things. Many people are making allegations, but none of these people are coming down to help society. That’s sad. Amma doesn’t ask anyone to believe in God. ‘Does God exist?’ is not the question. ‘Do suffering people exist?’ That is the question. ‘How can we relieve their suffering?’ Amma is ready to come forward and wash the feet of anyone who puts in sincere effort to that end.

“This Ashram is a centre of peace. I put my faith in self-surrender, selfless service and love. This is what I am teaching my children. I am an open book. All the rumours that are being spread are untrue. Because certain desires of theirs went unfulfilled, they have started making all sorts of allegations. Someone, somewhere, with an agenda is trying to stir up religious conflicts, making people fight each other, trying to start a war. My prayer is that goodness fills up everyone’s hearts and that everyone’s mind becomes filled with virtue. My children, please pray that you develop the strength to forgive and forget. Within and without, there is agitation. I don’t know where we are headed. May everyone’s mind be filled with only virtuous thoughts.”

Unfortunately, Amma had to take some time away from her mission of love and service to the world (and getting re-elected in Patria) to respond to this garbage. It should be noted that Ms. Tredwell's book is not exactly a best-seller. By one account, she has sold only a few hundred copies, not including pirated editions and unauthorized Malayalam translations in Amma's home Indian state of Kerala.

Amrita Party: four more years of Amma's hugs

The Amrita Party is campaigning hard to win a fourth term for Amma and to hold on to their 78 seats in the 50th Congress - including the seat actually held by Amma in the precinct of Arboria. There are no polls in Patria, but rumor/pre-election scuttlebutt has it that the Amrita Party, which holds the most seats in the 49th Congress, could lose as many as half of them on April 19. They have been running a very low-key campaign thus far in 2014, with uninspiring slogans like "Embracing Patria" and "love and serve", and have not been able to effectively counter the SRM's "Patria first" and "take back the economy" messages. Patria's economy has been circling the drain pretty much since 2010. The past four years still feel like a recession thanks to offshoring, outsourcing, globalism and the proliferation of made-in-China consumer goods. Patria's unemployment rate is well into the double digits - virtually unchanged since the depths of the 2008-09 Great Recession - and the underemployment rate is probably around 50%. SRMers know that not even Amma's hugs can fix a broken economy.

Amma on a stamp, for real in Finland.

Over the years Patria Post has issued a number of stamps depicting Amma, such as for her recent 60th birthday as well as for her 50th in 2003, but Finland has done it for real! During Amma's European tour stop in Helsinki, Jani Toivola, honourable Member of Finnish Parliament, officially released a stamp commemorating Amma’s 60th birthday. The stamp includes the message Syleillen Maailmaa ("Embracing the World" in Finnish) and a beautiful photo of Amma. Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Jani Toivola expressed his happiness on being able to see Amma once again and expressed his deep appreciation for Amma’s work that creates opportunities and platforms for people, especially the youth, to feel empowered. This stamp is apparently a macro-national philatelic first. Not even India has issued an Amma stamp. Macro-nations (i.e. "real" countries) tend to avoid issuing stamps portraying living persons, unless it is the head of state, reigning monarch or a member of the royal family. The only living person who may be pictured on Canada Post stamps is the Queen.

Amritavarsham 60: rallying the Amrita Party devotees

Although the lakhs (quant Indglish term for 100,000's) of devotees attending Amritavarsham 60, Amma's 60th birthday celebrations at her home base in Amritapuri, Kerala could not have been aware of it, the event was none other than a humungous rally to launch the Amrita Party's 2014 re-election campaign. As in the USA, being an incumbent (in Amma's case, the Amrita Party's house leader and the Honourable Member from the Precinct of Arboria since 2002), is an incredible advantage when it comes to ginning up popular support and filling the campaign war chest with crores (another quaint Indglish term for tens of millions) of rupees.

DISCLAIMER: the Amrita Party exists only in the Inner Realm of Patria and has no connection whatsoever to the MA Center, Amrita University, Amma Canada, MA Math, or any other Amma-related organization in the macro-national or so-called "real" world. Amma does not hold and does not seek political office anywhere in the macro-world.

Yes there will be Amritvarsham 60

Amma's 60th birthday celebrations will take place in her home state of Kerala, Sept. 25-27, and at Amma's ashrams and centers thoughout the world. And in Patria too, of course. Will the main celebration take over a cricket stadium in Cochin, like the 50th birthday party in 2003? Stay tuned. Visit http://www.amritavarsham.org/ for further details or view the tentative schedule of events.

Commemorative stamp for Amma's 60th birthday

Amma's devotees in Patria and in the macro-national world are eagerly awaiting Amma's 60th birthday on September 27. Official plans for an "Amritavarsham 60" celebration in Kerala, on the scale of Amma's 50th birthday in 2003, have not yet been announced. Nonetheless, Patria Post has issued a commemorative stamp to mark the occasion. Although most of Patria Post's recent stamp issues are non-denominated "forever" stamps valid for the current first-class postage rate of an ordinary letter, note that this stamp carries an actual denomination of 60 Patrienish Rupees (or about $1.50 US).

108 Names of Parvati Devi

Parvati Devi performed this Sanskrit chant for Amma during Amma's recent hug-fest in Michigan - in November 2012, not in Dearborn, not Ypsilanti, not Ann Arbor, but in the heart of the D, downtown Detroit! Note that the honorary citizen of Patria Parvati is not singing this to or about herself. The Parvati referenced in this chant is the Goddess Parvati, i.e. the consort of Lord Shiva.

Dr. Amma!

On May 25, 2010 the Hon. Member from the Precinct of Arboria and House Leader of the Amrita Party in the 49th Congress-elect received an honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from the State University of New York at Buffalo. “Through her leadership of Amrita University, as well as through her humanitarian work, Chancellor Amma exemplifies the value of international collaboration and dedicated public service in the global arena,” said UB President John B. Simpson. “Her personal example and leadership demonstrate the critical importance of international and cross-cultural cooperation, exchange and dialogue, and it is in that spirit we honor Amma with the conferral of the SUNY Honorary Doctorate in Humane Letters.”

In her address after accepting the degree, Amma said “Spirituality is not religious study. Spiritual education is a training that helps us to truly understand ourselves. It gives us strength and helps us comprehend the deeper realms of knowledge...Knowledge is like a river. Its nature is to constantly flow. Wherever it can flow, it does so, nourishing culture. On the other hand, the same knowledge, if devoid of values becomes a source of destruction for the world. When values and knowledge become one,there can be no more powerful instrument for the welfare of humankind. Today, physicists have even begun investigating the possibility that the essential substratum of the manifest universe and the individual are one and the same. We are standing on the threshold of a new era wherein material science and spirituality will move forward hand in hand...It is Amma’s prayer that we develop the expansive-mindedness to embrace both scientific knowledge and spiritual wisdom. We can no longer afford to see these two streams of knowledge as flowing in opposite directions. In truth, they compliment one another. If we merge these streams, we will find that we are able to create a mighty river—a river whose waters can remove suffering and spread life to all of humanity.”