Feeding 19,000 Kids Daily vs. Couch Potato's Talking

[Guest guest]

>"Raghunata \(John\) Anudasa"

>"'Jahnava Nitai \(das\) \(Mysore - IN\)'" , , , ,

>CC:

>Feeding 19,000 Kids Daily vs. Couch Potato's Talking >Sun, 30

Dec 2001 11:04:34 -1000 > >Feeding 19,000 Kids Daily vs. Couch Potato's Talking

> >While many senior devotees talk endlessly if such programs are even >proper,

Madhu simply goes off and feeds 19,000 school kids---DAILY. >(Article below)

Madhu's success in S. India and lack of participation >from other god brothers

may prove a significant and valid reason for >Madhu keeping ISKCON/GBC at arms

length. > >I can't help but wonder if these talks (about not feeding the poor)

are >at best frivolous. Let's say it was clearly demonstrated that Prabhupada

>wanted and demanded prasadam programs for the poor. Let's also say they

>proved a powerful preaching tool as demonstrated by Madhu. It appears >most of

those on this conference would still fail to provide a Food for >Life program.

These talks therefore seem slanted towards discounting >such prasadam programs

as a means to excuse their own failings to >provide this invaluable service. >

>It reminds me of Prabhupada's god brothers who sat on the side lines

>critiquing the legitimacy of Prabhupada's programs and devotees. It did >not

occurred to them to go and assist Prabhupada, learn from him or go >off and do

the same. Maybe we should consider learning from Madhu, if >not helping him or

trying something similar. > >Fighting words indeed. If you feel I am

inappropriate, well good, please >prove me wrong and go out and give some

prasadam to your neighbors, >nearby college campus etc. I did and do. As much

as 20% of our income on >occasion can go towards prasadam distribution. We have

so little money >and $30,000 credit card debt. Still, we provide some prasadam

program. I >don't know how devotees can not. > >I'm a little exasperated for in

my own experience those who discounted >the importance of prasadam (for others)

always have customized or first >class arrangements for their own eating. To

me, there seems to be a >strong correlation between being heartless or self

centered and being >tight fisted about prasadam. I have not been proven wrong

yet. Just a >thought. > >Raghu > > >

GBC.Unmoderated (AT) pamho (DOT) net [GBC.Unmoderated (AT) pamho (DOT) net] On >Behalf Of

Jahnava Nitai (das) (Mysore - IN) >Sunday, December 30, 2001 6:18 AM >To:

Jayadvaita Swami; Hari Sauri (das) ACBSP; Tattvavit (das) ACBSP >(NE-BBT);

Balarama LOK; Lotta; GBC Unmoderated; India (Continental >Committee) Open

(Forum) >SV: prasada to poor people; some relevant quotes > >Here are

some nice newspaper articles that have recently been published >about the

prasadam distribution of the Bangalore temple, which feeds >17,000 >children a

day in the schools of Karnataka. The government was so >impressed >with the

program that they have adopted a similar program for the rest >of >the state;

and the chief minister of Karnataka personally honored the >ISKCON temple

president at an inauguration function. Just imagine, >ISKCON is >setting the

standard for the government to follow. Don't you think >Prabhupada would be

happy? But some here would say it is "Food for >Death", >it is an offense to

Srila Prabhupada, and it is all mundane karma-kanda. >After all, they are just

giving prasadam to the needy. Why aren't they >giving it to the rich? > >TIMES

OF INDIA >Mid-day Meal Started in N. Karnataka > >Times News Network >

>Raichur: Chief Minister S.M. Krishna sat down to lunch with students of >the

>Government Primary School on Friday, kicking off the mid-day meal scheme >for

>the seven districts of North Karnataka. The launch took place at Arakera

>village in Deodurga taluk of Raichur district, where Krishna arrived by

>helicopter along with some ministers at 11.40 a.m. > >Minster for Education H.

Viswanath, district in charge and Public Works >Minster Dharam Singh, Health

Minister Maalaka Raddy and Home Minister >Mallikarjun Kharge joined the CM in

the meal. After the lamp had been >lit >and vocalist Sangita Kakhandiki had

sung the invocation, MP Venkatesh >Nayak >delivered the welcome speech. >

>"Children are not a burden to society. To encourage them to study, and

>decrease illiteracy in the state, particularly in a backward area like

>Deodurga taluk, we have proposed to introduce the mid-day meal >programme,"

>Krishna said in his speech. > >Krishna had a special word for the social

services of ISKCON and Wipro >chief >educationist Azim Premji (the richest

Indian in the world). At present, >the >International Society for Krishna

Consciousness (ISKCON), Bangalore, has >taken on the responsibility of

providing mid-day meals to 19,000 people >in >Bangalore. > >Later, Krishna's

cabinet ministers and His Holiness Madhu Pandit Das, >president and project

director of ISKCON, Bangalore, also spoke, >Deodurga >MLA Yellappa Akkarki

proposed the vote of thanks. > >ISKCON Seer Felicitated > >Chief Minister

Krishna felicitated His Holiness Madhu Pandit Das of >ISKCON >with a shawl and

presented him a memento. In his speech, Swamiji Madhu >Pandit Das said that

"annadanna is supreme. No other gift or donation is >equal to it. ISKCON has

already started providing mid-day meals to >19,000 >people in Bangalore, and

plans to feed 2.5 lakh (250,000) people a day >in >and around Bangalore", he

said. "It will cost roughly Rs 30 lakh >($60,000) a >month, but Lord Krishna's

grace, we have no scarcity of finance." > >The Swamiji invoked the tale of the

'Akshya Patre Yojana' (miraculous >pitcher) which never got empty, to relate to

the mid-day meal programme. >He >blessed Krishna to lead Karnataka and make the

state hunger-free within >three years. > >DECCAN HERALD > >Iskcon chief calls

for Child hunger free State > >BANGALORE, Nov 10 >The president of Iskcon,

Bangalore, Mr Madhu Pandit, has urged Chief >Minister S M Krishna to adopt the

mission of making Karnataka a >"child-hunger free" State during the remaining

three years of his >tenure. >Replying to the felicitation for the success of

Iskcon, Bangalore's >"Akshayapatra" programme of feeding poor children of

schools in and >around >Bangalore, Mr Madhu Pandit attributed it to the

dedication of their 70 >full-time volunteers, who go with a begging bowl each

morning, albeit in >a >sophisticated manner with brief cases and by

appointment, to affluent >Bangaloreans and awaken their social responsibility

to support one >hungry >child. > >The scheme has managed a phenomenal reach of

19,000 children in little >over >a year and it is aimed to feed 30,000 children

by end of this academic >year, >said Mr Madhu Pandit, thanking the donors whose

donation of Rs 1,200 >each >helped feed a child for a whole year. Mr Madhu

Pandit was felicitated by >Chief Minister S M Krishna at the launch of the

State government's >mid-day >meal scheme for seven north Karnataka districts at

Arakere, Raichur >District, on Saturday > >He said the Centre at present

supplied free rice for feeding primary >school >children. If a similar request

is made to feed high school children >through >an NGO, the Union Food and Civil

Supplies ministry was willing to >oblige. >The State Government should

immediately approach the Center, he >suggested. > >THE HINDU > >`ISKCON`s

Programme has shown results' > >By Our Staff Reporter > >BANGALORE, NOV. 10.

The Akshayapatra Annadana programme implemented by >the >ISKCON in several

schools in the State under which children are given >free >mid-day meals has

resulted in their improved attendance, "increased >attention" and academic

development, according to Sri Madhu Pandit Dasa, >chief of the ISKCON,

Bangalore center. > >Replying to a felicitation by the Chief Minister, Mr.

S.M.Krishna, at >Raichur on Friday, he said a study report of the Education

Department >said >the free mid-day meal had a great impact on school children,

and 99.6 >per >cent of the beneficiaries felt that they paid better attention

towards >their >studies. He added that 93.8 per cent of the teachers felt that

there was >an >overall academic improvement in the students. > >Sri Madhupandit

Dasa said that 91.8 per cent of the teachers felt that >the >attendance of the

students had improved. In the current academic year. >16 >Schools had reported

a 15 per cent increase in enrolment. The mid-day >meal >programme had addressed

two of the most debilitating problems-hunger and >education. > >The Home

Minister, Mr. Mallikarjuna Kharge, the Minister for Public >Works, >Mr. Dharam

Singh, and the Education Minister, Mr. H.Viswanath, were >present. >The ISKCON,

Bangalore Centre, which provided mid-day meals to over >19,000 >children planned

to help 30,000 children daily, Sri Dasa said and added >that >it required Rs.30

lakh a month to sustain the present programme. >Specially >thanking

philanthropists and organizations in the State, he said each >donor >paid

Rs.1,200 to feed one child for a whole year. He said ISKCON`s aim >was >to make

Bangalore Rural District a hunger-free district, "Which had >2,50,000 >children,

who were hungry." > >Requesting the Chief Minister to introduce a programme to

provide >mid-day >meal to all poor children in the State. Sri Dasa said that

this should >be >done even at the expense of an infrastructure project or by

levying >taxes. > > > Send and receive Hotmail on your mobile device: Click

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