Parvati labels Bhima irresponsible

[Guest guest]

------------------For Readers of the ICC Open Forum-----------------

 

I personally don't wish to continue this discussion about the Australian

mataji and the eyebrow-raising efforts to cover it all up, other than to

point out to whoever is still following this thread:

 

1) that the deprival of the Australian Mataji's medication was only one of 6

different simultaneous life-threatening conditions our delegation

identified. I am saving the other five for the investigators, as I am sure

it will evoke yet another time consuming barrage of emails from those who

would rather we not "poke our nose" into this pitiable matter and who have

gone to such obnoxious extremes to try to intimidate and silence our

delegation's findings. If you want the full report please contact me

privately,

 

 

2) We have a GBC Body and and Executive Committee to determine our general

policies and to correct leaders who are in error when they make mistakes.

That we have an RGB and ISKCON Bureau in ISKCON to resolve issues is clearly

not enough to rely on, as Mahmantra Prabhu's case has proven to at least my

satisfaction. This I suggest is partially due to the conflicts of interest

that tend to breed over time regionally and thus skew and reduce the quality

of judgments that regional leaders like the RGB and ISKCON Bureau have

demonstrated they are capable of producing. I don't think it directly says

anything bad about the people on the RGB or Bureau, but more about the

natural conflicts of interest inherent in the positions they hold and have

held.

 

While the RGB decisions reportedly served some member's political agendas

and personal vendettas in Mahamantra Prabhu's case, they certainly did not

serve the greater interests of ISKCON, and any impartial judge of events,

would I trust, conclude the same as the GBC EC apparently has. Mahamantra's

positive support of the GBC EC has proven his worth as an ISKCON leader with

international influence and value beyond the scope of the RGB to evaluate.

 

All this appears to reinforce the 2004 GBC briefing I read by Sesa Prabhu

about our ISKCON Judicial System which appears to be at a stand-still.

Functionally our GBCs are more like legislaters and police ("policy makers"

and "policy enforcers"- with more of the former than the later) than

impartial judges. If we are to become a truly alternative society then we

certainly need a competent judicial system that is not embroiled in

management and political issues like GBCs and TPs undeniably are.

 

We can't refuse to have a functional alternative judicial system AND expect

devotees to not take advantage of the karmi judicial system (especially

high-court criminal advocates from Bombay whose appetite for justice is

certainly greater than the average devotee).

 

Mahamantra Prabhu is a professional lawyer from Bombay, a very high-profile,

very well-known and is very favorably connected to leaders at all levels of

Indian society AND THEY ARE ALL WATCHING HOW ISKCON HAS TREATED HIM, WHO IS

"ONE OF THEM". I have not met one person who has felt he was fairly treated,

and certainly we have paid a stiff price for that in terms of their

enthusiasm, trust and interest to cooperate with ISKCON in the future.

 

Braja-bihari and other's efforts to implement the Ombuds and Mediation

system are two great steps forward, and I guess our judicial system would

function as a type of binding arbitration and is the logical 3rd step. All

three ADR options are clearly needed.

 

That the RGB is ISKCON India's only alternative to India's legal system is

not satisfactory in my humble opinion. There are too many "policy people",

too much history, too many factions, too many vendettas, and too many

personal agendas for ISKCON to assure that the RGB is going to be able to

serve justice to any acceptable quality standard. These are people, some

with lots of money, lots of power, and lots to win and lose, and not the

profile one would want to ordinarily see in an impartial judge.

 

I suggest we would want to see humble and learned brahmanas who are

completely aloof from management and politics, and preferably with a legal

background (lawyers, judges, etc). I don't find that on the RGB, by and

large, with all due respect. Let the RGB be the prosecutors and the police

if it is determined that the RGB is needed (some are questioning its

legitimacy), but form some other body to administer the justice and do

ISKCON devotees in India a real service. I also suggest we appoint judges

that do not have a political/management history, at least in the region

where they serve.

 

 

Dasanudasa