Protest! a controversial statement....

[Guest guest]

I wanted to write a few words in support of Jahnu prabhu's point of view. He is

touching on a very important point that ISKCON, which has many different

aspects other than gurukula and a very vast-ranging membership other than

gurukula students, is having all its activities and members held to ransom over

the mis-handling within that one department.

 

While I have all sympathy with those abused (because I went to a boarding

school myself and was none too happy there) I have found in ISKCON something

which takes me higher than the karma I was due.

 

Thus my sympathy does not extend to condoning the court case, which attempts to

destroy my activities in service to Srila Prabhupada and those of many

thousands of others who never go near a gurukula (or those dedicated teachers

and students in gurukulas around the world) but are active members of ISKCON in

other areas. Two wrongs do not make a right.

 

Jahnu prabhu writes:

>Do

> you think this is going to help ISKCON? The children who are

> suing ISKCON are being instigated by the two most crazy and

> envious defamers of ISKCON, Puranjana and Pratyatosa. Pratyatosa

> is their contact to this famous lawyer. Have you read their texts on use-net?

> They say that the whole ISKCON and the GBC have been taken over by a scheming

> cult of pedophiles.

 

Puranjana told Tribhangananda prabhu in the UK that he wanted to destroy

ISKCON. That is his motive. And the court case is about destroying ISKCON, not

child abuse. The court case is only to financially penalise ISKCON and thus

punish so many innocent ISKCON devotees unconnected with any gurukula activity,

and those in gurukulas like Mother Rachitambara and many others who have never

abused anyone and trained so many wonderful young devotees, and current

gurukula students who are being treated well. It has nothing to do with

punishing the perpetrators, it has nothing to do with preventing future child

abuse (which the office of child protection is making a serious attempt to do)

and it has nothing to do with councilling the abused.

 

>just because I dare approach the issue

> from a more philosophical angle and

> suggest that we have to look at the whole situation in ISKCON and not just

> stare ourselves blind at the child-abuse.

 

I think this is important. Let's not become blinded to what ISKCON is (and can

be) by the ghastly child-abuse. Let's put things in proportion. One aspect of

ISKCON activities has caused great suffering to a significant (I suppose - I

don't have the statistics) proportion of children where it should have caused

happiness - let's help them, punish the offenders, and make as sure as possible

it doesn't happen again. And not lose sight of the wood for the trees.

"IF" (big if) child abuse has in the past been condoned by those who should

know better, those who knew were not acting in Krishna consciousness.

Similarily, to blanket punish all ISKCON members (especially those serving in

gurukulas at present) with the bad name of child abusers and court cases, that

is also wrong, and two wrongs do not make a right.

 

>I don't have faith in all the

> individuals of the GBC, but I do have faith that Srila Prabhupada is present

> in the collective GBC. And that is not empty faith.

>

> I think this is the real issue here. Child abuse is just a

> divertion. Who wants child-abuse in ISKCON or is not out-raged

> about it? Do you think I don't hate those who abuse children?

 

I agree that is the point. I don't know if I agree child abuse is "just" a

diversion, but I think that is "just" the way Jahnu prabhu presents himself.

Thinking that dealing properly with child abuse justifies financially crippling

ISKCON's worldwide activities, however, is an unjustifiable position.

 

Jahnu prabhu writes:

One time I was sitting in

> Mayapura with an ex-guru-kuli and having a pizza. I asked him if

> he had had any bad experiences in guru-kula. He said, do you

> really want to know? and I said yes. Then he points with his

> thump to the devotee back there serving the pizzas, and says:

> "This guy #£@#"@ a friend of mine in the @£ so bad that he needed stiches

> afterwards." What could I say?

 

Well, have you given his name to the child-abuse people? Why is he staying

where there is a gurukula? Let us know what happens. These things are practical

preventative measures.

I read the action the child-protection people take over some cases on Chakra,

and I was pretty impressed.

If anyone hears of child abuse, they should report it to the ISKCON

child-protection people. I believe temple authorities are bound by ISKCON law

to contact police about it also. There are new rules in place. Does anyone know

them?

These are practical steps that can be taken.

As are attempts to contact abused children and give support.

More could be done, but there is a limit where action taken goes out of the

context of child abuse and simply rides on the back of this inflammatory issue

to disturb as many ISKCON devotees with no involvement in gurukula, or no

involvement in child abuse in gurukula either as perpetrator or victim, through

blanket propoganda and financial attack.