Kumbha Mela 2001 (see our website at www.kumbhamela2001.org)

[Guest guest]

<<If Adri and Madhu are going to make their own camp, they have a lot of

resources at their command. We'd better get moving. Here Sanat Sanandan is

ready to start calling all the temples to collect seed money, but since one

week our phone is dead and all our requests to get if fixed are falling on

deaf ears. To compound matters none of the signers are available on the

account we have been given (my request to become a signer waw rejected), so

we have no money to operate. With this type of co-operation, I don't know

how we're going to put on a good show.>>

 

I cannot be expected to baby-sit the KM presidents. If they cannot get their

phoneline repaired, what more can I say? I have no objection to having

Dinabandhu as signer, but the present arrangement was proposed by

Sarvabhauma. I have always been coperative in all respects and ours is the

only yatra that is so far fullfilling commitments. Despite this, we are

forced to hear Dinabandhu's saucy comments.

 

The greatest resource that Adri and Madhu have is their expertise and

experience of having organised (especially Adri) the 1989 KM.and their

commitment to put on a good show. It is our misfortune to be derived of

this.

 

Dinabandhu wrote on free forum :

 

<<Last month we had an all India meeting to start planing for Kumbha Mela

2001. The best news was that ritviks decided to pull out of the planning

committee. As the spectre of politics at the mela disapeared, soon the

magic of '89 began to flow as we evolved a very effective and enthusiastic

team to actually organize the camp..>>

 

Dinabandhu is unwarrantedly raking the issue of gurus/rittviks as if keeping

the ritviks out of the KM committee is the only consideratiion in this Mega

event. Although he has given an elaborate description of the highlights and

successes of the 1989 KM, he has skillfully omitted attributing the success

of the 1989 KM largely to the expertise and dedication of Adri.

 

It should not be misunderstood that I support the IRM style, but I am

convinced that the KM will be nowhere nearly as successful (and it may even

be a flop) by not taking input of these devotees. The efforts of our KM

Co-presidents and other committee members are so far no match against Adri's

and Madhu's, who are way ahead in respect of getting land, booking tents,

exhibitions etc.

 

Even at this late stage, reconciliation is possible, (and necessary).

I accepted chairmanship of the KM by default as none of the other Indian

leaders were willing to take on this responsibilty. But it was my

understanding that KM was going to be a cohesive project.I do not find it to

be so. Rather I see this only as a battle between ritviks and anti-ritviks.

 

A most pitiable scenario indeed!!

 

Y.s Mahaman Das