Tr: we need a radical change in ISKCON top management.

[Guest guest]

Sri Rama prabhu, this letter came back to me with a message that there were

fatal errors in the addresses. Is it possible for you to send it to GBC

restructure?

Your servant,

Krsna-kirtana dasi

 

----- Message d'origine -----

De : Veronica Loison <kkloison (AT) club-internet (DOT) fr>

À : Arjunanatha (das) KKD (Bristol - UK) <Arjunanatha.KKD (AT) pamho (DOT) net>;

<GBC.Restructure (AT) pamho (DOT) net>

Envoyé : vendredi 4 mai 2001 07:48

Objet : Re: we need a radical change in ISKCON top management.

 

 

> Dear Arjunanath prabhu and all the devotees who still have some concern

for

> morality and respect for others, in ISKCON, its suburb and the great

> society.

>

> Pamho; agtSP and his pure followers!

>

> Thank you, Arjunanatha prabhu, for taking the matter seriously.

> I am afraid, unfortunately, your letter is again going to fall on death

> ears -like all the previous ones and our last proposal.

>

> We should now do something, we, the 150 or so devotees who have signed

for

> a radical reform at the top level. These GBC-gurus are overworked and seem

> to have some other motivation than the spiritual and material welfare of

> their dependents.

>

> The structure and content of top management in ISKCON have to change

> urgently and radically and we have to be instruments in the correction of

> all these abuses which have been perpetrated for the past 25 years.

>

> We now need volunteers to go to Mayapura next year and convince the

current

> ISKCON leaders, subcommissionners and so-called reformers there, that a

> genuine and thorough reform at the top is long overdue. Not just a handful

> of devotees that will be disrespected, but a hundred of volunteers who do

> know Prabhupada's instructions thoroughly and are serious in their

spiritual

> practices. Matajis are not duly respected in Mayapura so it has to be

> mainly men devotees.

>

> Would you agree to volunteer, prabhu(s)?

>

> I will make a list of all the devotees who are committed to assist

> Pancaratna prabhu and the GBC restructure in Mayapura next year. When we

> have a good number already, we can send this first list all over the world

> to ask for more devotees to come and support our attempt.

>

> We can also print our first list, show it or send it by regular mail and

> gather more devotees who are not on com, everywhere in the world.

> I am ready to be your secretary and assistant.

>

> "Please join for a radical reform in ISKCON, in Mayapura, next year."

>

> Your servant,

> Krsna-kirtana dasi.

>

> ----- Message d'origine -----

> De : Arjunanatha (das) KKD (Bristol - UK) <Arjunanatha.KKD (AT) pamho (DOT) net>

> À : Bhaktisvarupa Damodara Swami <Bhaktisvarupa.Damodara.Swami (AT) pamho (DOT) net>;

> Gopal Krsna Goswami <Gopal.Krsna.Goswami (AT) pamho (DOT) net>; Jayapataka Swami

(GBC)

> <Jayapataka.Swami (AT) pamho (DOT) net>; Secretary (of the) EC (Executive Committee

of

> the GBC) <Secretary.EC (AT) pamho (DOT) net>

> Cc : GBC Restructure <GBC.Restructure (AT) pamho (DOT) net>

> Envoyé : jeudi 3 mai 2001 10:12

>

>

> > Dear

> > Please accept my humble obeisances

> > All glories to Srila Prabhupada!

> >

> >

> > Today I recieved the following e-mail sent to the

> > PAMHO GBC Restructuring conference.

> >

> > Its contents are extremely disturbing. I have no personal knowledge of

> the

> > situation at ISKCON Bombay, but if a quarter of what Mr Raut is

> complaining

> > about is true (and it does ring true) then it sounds like ISKCON Bombay

> has

> > more in common with the mafia than any spiritual organisation.

> >

> > According to the information on iskcon.com, you have shared GBC

> > responsibility

> > for India. Please could you investigate these allegations of *murder*

and

> > intimidation with the utmost urgency and let me know the results of your

> > investigation and what action you propose to take.

> >

> > Your servant,

> > Arjunanatha dasa

>

> Original message:

> > Sanjay Raut

> >

> >

> > 295,Harekrishna Land,

> >

> >

> > Juhu, Mumbai - 400049.

> >

> >

> > Phone No. 6231932.

> >

> >

> > E-mail - rsanjay (AT) vsnl (DOT) com

> >

> >

> >

> >

> > To

> >

> >

> > GBC Restructuring: Division of Leadership Responsibilities in ISKCON

> >

> >

> >

> >

> > Sub: Harassment caused and Dire Threats by the

> >

> >

> > Management of 'Hare Krishna Temple' (Iskcon)

> >

> >

> >

> > Respected Sir,

> >

> >

> >

> > I, Sanjay Damodar Raut, aged 50 years, residing at the above mentioned

> > address

> > beg to submit the following facts and incidents and the serious threats

> > posed

> > to me and my family members by the management of the Iskcon with an

> earnest

> > plea for our kind intervention in the matter and necessary action.

> >

> >

> >

> >

> > 1.. I am 50 years of age and was born and brought up at the above

> > mentioned

> > address in Hare Krishna Land, Juhu, Mumbai 400049. The said premises

> stands

> > in

> > the name of my father Shri Damodar Raut, being a very old Tenant for

last

> > more

> > than 52 years. I being the son of Shri Damodar Raut. He is very old

tenant

> > of

> > the said premises having rented the same from Mr. A. B. Nair who was the

> > original owner of the said premises. I being his son have been staying

in

> > the

> > said premises, since my birth. I am staying therein with my wife and

son.

> I

> > had

> > completed my schooling in the Potdar School at Santacruz and completed

> > college

> > education in Bhagubhai Engg. College at Vile-Parle and got a Civil Engg.

> > Degree. I was running a factory wherein I was manufacturing wooden

> cabinets,

> > for TVs and Xerox machines.

> >

> >

> >

> >

> > 2.. The property wherein my house is situated, originally belonged to

> Shri

> > A.B. Nair and the said land then, was popularly known as Nairwadi till

the

> > year

> > 1972. Thereafter, the said original owner sold out the said property to

> Hare

> > Krishna Temple Trust (Iskcon) of Juhu, Mumbai. When the Iskcon people

> > acquired

> > this 20,000 square yard (1,80,000 sq. ft.) property they got it for RS.

> > 14,00,000. At a dirt cheap rate of about RS 70 per sq. yrd. ( Approx.

RS.

> 8

> > per

> > sq. ft. ) While the price of land was RS. 50 per sq. ft. in the late

> > 70s-72s.

> > It was because of the tenants that Mr. Nair deliberately undervalued the

> > property. At the material time Guru Shri Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

> was

> > the

> > Founder Trustee of the said trust. He was a kind hearted ,respectable

and

> > noble

> > person. He was behaving very properly and kindly with all persons, even

a

> > poorest man. A few years after his passing away the so called Sanyasi's

> who

> > took over the charge and management of the said trust of the temple

> started

> > behaving strangely and high handedly with almost all tenants. They were

> > really

> > rough and anti- social. A few years ago there were about 34 tenants

> > occupying

> > different tenements in the building of the said property who were the

> > original

> > tenants. They were residing there for more than 50 years.

> >

> >

> >

> >

> > 3.. At the time when the said property along with the existing tenants

> > were

> > transferred to the above mentioned Iskcon Trust all the tenants were

> assured

> > by

> > the new purchase that the occupation and possession of the existing

> tenants

> > and

> > they will be duly protected by the Trust.

> >

> >

> >

> >

> > 4.. But immediately after the demise of the said Shrila Prabhupada the

> so

> > called Sanyasi's and followers of Shri Krishna, started behaving very

> rudely

> > and giving ill treatment and harassing them as stated below:-

> >

> >

> >

> >

> > 1.. The tenants installed a staue of Mahatma Gandhi at the centre of

> the

> > ground many years ago, which the Iskcon Trustees tried to get rid of but

> the

> > tenant protested.

> >

> >

> >

> >

> > 2.. There was a road on the north end of the said plot meant for the

> > tenants' access. It was a public road. They blocked the said road. By

> using

> > their influence with the authorities, they converted it into a private

> road.

> > Gradually, they amalgamated the said road in the plot of the temple and

> > there

> > is now no road at all. This, they have done inspite of protests from

> tenants

> > inorder to harass the tenants.

> >

> >

> >

> >

> > 3.. There was a gate opening on the said plot from Gopal galli on

the

> > south

> > side of the said plot for the use of tenants, they permanently closed

the

> > said

> > gate and erected a wall in its place. Thus, they easy access to the

> premises

> > of

> > the tenants was blocked.

> >

> >

> >

> >

> > 4.. They also, started objecting to the tenants using the main gate

> and

> > in

> > an altercation with the tenants, they assaulted one of the tenants by

> name,

> > Mr.

> > Dilip Malhotra and killed and there was a murder case pending against

the

> > office bearers and employees of the trust.

> >

> >

> >

> >

> > 5.. There were various other incidents where the tenants were often

> > abused

> > and assaulted. They used to quarrel with all the tenants on flimsy

> grounds.

> >

> >

> >

> >

> > 6.. They had also, constructed several open cooking places and

> 'Bhattis'

> > in

> > the open space behind the temple which was causing great smoke nuisance

> and

> > harassment to the tenants of the adjoining buildings. Having got fed up

> with

> > such harassment and unbecoming tactics of the management, some of the

> > tenants

> > have left their premises. All these activities are indulged in by the

> > management in order to force and coerce the tenants to vacate and leave

> the

> > premises in their occupation.

> >

> >

> >

> >

> > 7.. Recently, the trust had filed ejectment suits in the Small Cause

> > Court

> > on false ground against all the tenants, including me. Even thereafter,

> they

> > continued their pressure tactics and almost all the tenants, except me

and

> > two

> > others, left their premises after taking meagre compensation and went to

> > reside

> > elsewhere.

> >

> >

> >

> >

> > 8.. If the trustees say that they do have ample space. I think

there's

> > nothing religious about the Iskcon movement, what the movement has done

is

> > taken a branch of mainstream Hinduism and converted it into a

Vaishnavite

> > cult

> > - with mega business interests.

> >

> >

> >

> >

> > 9.. Immoral and illegal activities are also reported to be going on

in

> > the

> > temple. There were lot of lady devotees in the temple in the beginning

and

> > rumors were there that illegal and immoral goings on, were there. There

> were

> > various incidences of such immoral activities which went unheeded

because

> of

> > the influence and money power of the management.

> >

> >

> >

> >

> > 10.. The management takes advantage of the contacts they have with

> > ministers and government officials who visit the Hare Krishna temple.

> >

> >

> >

> >

> > 11.. Any visitor to the Iskcon temple can see this and many a

resident

> > in

> > Juhu has been heard describing the temple complex as a nuisance in an

> > otherwise

> > one-time quit residencial suburb. The Iskcon temple premises at Juhu

have

> > become a tourist attraction and busloads of outstation people turn up to

> see

> > the sights of the temple as well as eat out here -- the temple caters to

> > creature comforts as much as to spiritual comforts. All for a price of

> > course

> > the temple complex houses a hotel cum restaurant where members can stay

> for

> > two

> > days at time free of charge, member have this facility when they travel

> > abroad

> > too.

> >

> >

> >

> >

> > 12.. For several reasons the Iskcon organization has also become

> popular

> > with a certain section of the Indian business community .It boasts of

> > several

> > big time business houses like the Hindujas and Mahindras as their

patrons

> > ,and

> > according to their preaching their founder Shri Bhaktivedanta Swami

Prabhu

> > Pada

> > preached "Simple living and high thinking" today's gurus preach "opulent

> > living

> > and ambitious thinking."

> >

> >

> >

> >

> > 13.. I have in my occupation and possession the premises admg.

carpet

> > area

> > 600 sq.ft. plus mezzanine floor having carpet area of 300 sq.ft. I am

also

> > in

> > use of the surrounding open space adjacent to my premises which

admeasures

> > about l500 sq.ft. The rent of my premises is RS. 35/- per month which is

> the

> > old rent and I am paying the same to the trust regularly. The management

> is

> > now

> > taking help of anti social elements to coerce me to leave the said

> premises

> > and

> > render me shelter-less. Some of the incidents which they have adopted

are

> as

> > stated below :-

> >

> >

> >

> > a) The trust has erected a godown adjoining my premises and have dumped

> iron

> > articles and other junk and they shift and remove the said iron articles

> and

> > old utensils from the godown, even at late nights in order to disturb

the

> > sleep

> > and peace of my family members.

> >

> >

> >

> >

> > 1.. They also dump old articles or rubbish surrounding my house.

> >

> >

> >

> >

> > 2.. They have erected a school next to my house and allow the cars

of

> > the

> > parents of the students and the school buses and the buses of tourists

> > 3visiting the temple to be parked near the entrance of my house so as to

> > create

> > nuisance to me and obstruct moving of my vehicle (a four wheeler). They

> also

> > rent out the hall of the school building for marriages and other

programs

> > and

> > parties and allow the visitors to collect and park their cars in front

of

> my

> > house causing me and my family members disturbance and nuisance

> >

> >

> >

> >

> > 3.. When the postman or the courier services man come to deliver

> letters

> > to

> > me they prevent them from coming to my premises to deliver the mail

> telling

> > them that I am not residing in the temple.

> >

> >

> >

> >

> > 4.. Many time they also stopped my guests and visitors from bringing

> > and/or

> > parking their cars near my house.

> >

> >

> >

> >

> > 5.. The trust management has also threatened me that "if you did not

> > vacate

> > the said premises in my possession ,they would not hesitate to make me

> > follow

> > 'DILIP MALHOTRA' who was killed by the hirelings of the Iskcon as stated

> > above.

> > The trust authorities have not spared even my wife who is all alone at

> home

> > They harass her through their hirelings.

> >

> >

> >

> >

> > 6.. On 10th April, 2001, the temple people namely 1)Devkinandan Das,

> > 2)Brajhari Prabhu, 3)Saryogya, 4)Pancharatna, 5)Radhakrishna along with

> > 50-60

> > persons gathered near my house in a threatening posture and removed and

> took

> > away about 18-20 small flower plants in earthen pots kept around my

house

> > and

> > lying there for the last many years and broke the same and threatened my

> > wife

> > that they would make me another "Dilip Malhotra" if I failed to vacate

the

> > said

> > tenanted premises forthwith'. I longed a police complaint about the said

> > incident on 10 April 2001 with the local police station at Juhu ,Mumbai.

> >

> >

> >

> > I also like to mention here that some time ago I had complained to

Iskcon

> > Authorities about the bad condition of the roof of the premises which

was

> > eaten

> > away by termites and requested them to repair the roof. But they did not

> pay

> > any attention for about 5 years and in the year 1989 on my complaint the

> > Municipal Corporation called upon the Trust Authorities to carry out

> repairs

> > to

> > the roof and they falsely informed the Municipal Corporation that they

> have

> > already carried out repairs to the roof of my house although they did

not

> > carry

> > out any repairs which fact was brought to the notice of Municipal

> > Authorities

> > by me, that the trust authorities falsely informed them about the

repairs

> > being

> > carved although infect they did not carry out any repairs. Thereupon I

was

> > granted permission to carry out the said repairs to the roof . However

> when

> > I

> > started the repair work the Trust Authorities managed to get a stop work

> > notice

> > from the Municipal Corporation.

> >

> >

> >

> > During the year 1992, I had obtained permission from the B.M.C for

repair

> > work

> > of my premises on the strength of the permission granted by the trust

> > authorities, which I carried out at my own cost. However when the repair

> > work

> > was in progress the Trust Authorities dishonestly and suddenly managed

to

> > bring

> > a stop work notice from the B.M.C and to demolish the construction work

> with

> > an

> > ulterior motive and hence I was compelled to rush to court to obtain

Stay

> > Order

> > and obtain an injunction from the City Civil Court, Mumbai, in a Suit

no.

> > 4022

> > of 1992. Although the trust failed a suit against me for eviction in the

> > court

> > of Small Cause, Bombay bearing RAE No. 719 of 1998. and the same is

> pending,

> > they kept up and continued their harassing tactics to compel me to

vacate

> > the

> > said premises without due process of law.

> >

> >

> > Recently I was threatened by 1) Devkinandan Das, 2) Brajhari Prabhu, 3)

> > Saryogya, 4)Pancharatna, 5)Radhakrishna and others of the Hare Krishna

> > Temple

> > Trust that I would be driven away by the Trust following the due process

> of

> > law

> > and that they would demolish my garden near my house and with such an

> > ulterior

> > motive dismantled the water supply to my premises and/or diverted the

> water

> > supply to some other place and thus I am deprived of sufficient water

> > supply.

> > On account of heavy load of electricity consumed by the Trust

Authorities,

> > electric supply to my premises is also badly affected. Very often there

is

> > fluctuation in electric supply and the lights go off often . After I

often

> .

> > After I obtained injunction , for some time the Trust Authorities were

> quiet

> > but since recently the Trust Authorities have started a campaign of

> > harassment

> > to me and threats were given to me and my family members of dire

> > consequences

> > if I did not vacate the said premises in my occupation.

> >

> >

> >

> > Under the circumstances I am under great fear for my life and

apprehension

> > that

> > my life and the lives of my family members are in danger at the hands of

> the

> > anti social elements/hirelings of the Iskcom management and that at any

> time

> > they are likely to throw me out of my premises. I and my wife are

> suffering

> > acute mental agony and torture. I have registered various complaints

about

> > the

> > above threats with the local police Authority but those complaints fell

on

> > deaf

> > ears due to the influence of the Hare Krishna Mandir management with the

> > police

> > and High officials of the Government and even ministers.

> >

> >

> >

> > I, therefore pray that you will very kindly look into the above matter

and

> > prevail upon and persuade the Trust Authorities not to take law into

their

> > own

> > hands and refrain from adopting such coercive and high handed tactics

> > adopted

> > by them against me to throw me out of my premises without due process of

> > law. I

> > shall be deeply grateful.

> >

> >

> >

> > Yours faithfully,

> >

> >

> > Sanjay Raut

> >

>