Murder in Vrindavan

[Guest guest]

All the devotees in Vrindavan are furious. One of their oldest and dearest

friends in Vrindavan a gigantic ancient neem tree standing next to Sadhana Kunj

has been mercilessly buthchered by Dr. Samik Rishi Prabhu. Everyone is coming

telling me how he outright lied to them in February and said he would never cut

down this tree, maybe cut few branches in the way of making a guesthouse. I

also had advised him not to cut this tree, but build around it and let it shade

the courtyard.

 

One devotee counted 350 rings on one of the main branches. Another visiting

Godbrother who knows trees said that if that many are on the branches, then the

tree could be 500 years old! It may have been here when Chaitanya Mahaprabhu

visited Vrindavan.

 

This tree has been my friend for the last 21 years. I used to gaze on this

magnificent tree from the roof of the Gurukula while chanting my rounds in the

morning. Later before the MVT Guesthouse went up, I would have his darshan

doing rounds around the MVT pathways. All the devotees say the same thing that

this tree is their old friend. Nobody can believe what just happened. Everyone

tells me it is like their hearts have been ripped out from their breasts. This

was such an enourmous noble magnificent neem tree.

 

Not that the devotees didn't put up fight. They went to the Forest Dept. and

got it stopped as it is totally illegal to cut down trees in Vrindavan. That

slowed things down for a month. But later one of the merchants of Loi Bazaar

told the devotees, that his lawyer met Samik Rishi's lawyer in the court and

showed him the order of the court allowing them to murder this old resident of

Braja. They asked well can't we appeal, and he replied that obviously he paid

some money. Then you can pay some money. He will pay some money. Where will it

end.

 

If I hadn't have been in Mayapur and on Safari, I would have done something

about this senseless slaughter. I have very good contacts in the Forest Dept.,

but I only found out about it during the wonderful 30th anniversary festival we

just had in Vrindavan. By the time I got there to see my friend, it was too

late....

 

You can even see in the pictures, how all the symbols of Vishnu are on this

tree. Near the base you can clearly see the Gada, then above and to the left is

the Shanka, about midway is a small chakra, and near the left top a beautiful

lotus.

 

All the devotees are so angry, they told me they have cursed that he will never

be able to stay in Braj. They have cursed that he will never be happy. They

have cursed that this project fail. They have vowed to boycott any opening

ceremony should anything be built there. They have cursed that nobody will feel

happy to stay there. And everyone told me they will encourage all devotees to

boycott staying in this guesthouse. Without the mercy of the Vaisnavas, then

what is the use?

 

And we had just heard from Kishori how she complained to Srila Prabhupada that

they were going to cut down the tamal tree in the courtyard of Krishna Balaram

Mandir and he was furious.

 

They cut down an old tree in the Dallas Gurukula since it was leaning on the

roof and they thought it posed a danger to the students. The next time

Prabhupada came, he immediately missed his old friend and asked what happenned

to the tree. When they informed him, he said just see, this tree has stood here

for a hundred years and in a few minutes you have finished him. He was so

furious, that no one could enter his room the rest of the day. And this tree in

Braja was 500 years old!

 

And finally a quote from Gaura Kishore Das Babaji Maharaja about a so-called

sadhu who cut a tree down in Navadvipa:

 

Bäbäjé Mahäräja told those nearby, “This atheistic person has informed me that

he has cut the wish-fulfilling trees and creepers of Navadvépa. Alas! Alas!

Just see! Just see! It grieves us to cut even a solitary dry tree of Navadvépa.

These trees and plants are our eternal friends. They assist Lord Gaura in His

eternal pastimes. These cruel persons never achieve the qualification to

perform devotional service to Lord Hari. By making an outward show of being a

Vaiñëava, they bring misfortune to themselves and to others as well.”

 

In service of Sri Sri Krishna Balaram,

Deena Bandhu dasa