Deena Bandhu's version of what really happened

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Letter COM:2818736 (130 lines)

Shyamasundara (das) ACBSP (Sylva, NC - USA)

30-Nov-99 07:16

Yadu-srestha (das) PVS (Melbourne - AU) [2001]

Deena Bandhu's version of what really happened

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The members of the astrology forum you moderate may be interested in the

following.

 

 

 

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Deena Bandhu's version of what really happened

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This is what happened in Vrindavan

By Deena Bandhu dasa

 

When I was in Alachua this past Spring for my daughter's wedding, my

godsister Sunita mentioned to me how she was disgusted how Parvati and a

very few mataji's disturbed the atmosphere of the Kartik festival. She said

it was so foolish to think that the Lord cannot see you in the back. On the

way back to Vrindavan when I passed through London, this same topic came up.

I was talking with a few Matajis of non-Indian descent, one of whom was part

of the delegation of matajis that had successfully requested Mahaman for

better facilities at Mangal Artik Darshan, the others being young women's

activists. They also complained to me that a certain few women unnecessarily

disturbed the atmosphere at Kartik in Vrindavan. True to their complaints,

it was Parvati and a small band that sparked the trouble again this year.

Actually I was very happy with the progress made this year by the women in a

most peaceful and responsible manner. But just one or two uncultured women

practically destroyed all the progress made by responsible matajis like

Mother Kusha and others. In fact my Godsister Mother Radha Kund, wife of

Jasomatinandan and senior most woman in the Indian Yatra said, "This whole

incident could have been avoided if the women had behaved themselves

properly. I believe we should have the women attend classes on proper

behavior." In reality the vast majority of vaishnavas and vaishnavis behaved

themselves in a most civilized and vaishnava manner and everyone enjoyed a

very ecstatic Kartik festival.

 

Last year a party of women headed by a senior Godsister, Mother Kusha, asked

Mahaman for better darshan facilities for the women at Mangal Artik since at

festival time it becomes quite crowded and the women are way in the back. It

was mutually agreed that the sannyasis and men would be allowed to offer

their dandavats at all the three altars and that after the ghee lamp was

offered the men would leave the Radhashyamsundar altar to the women. The

meeting was very cordial and Mahaman acted as the gentleman that he actually

is. From the very beginning, Parvati and a few others never honored this

agreement and stood in front of the RS altar from before the curtain was

opened making it difficult for the sannyasis to offer their dandavats.

 

Again this year as the Kartik festival became more crowded, several

sannyasis arrived and experienced this difficulty, including HH Giriraj

Maharaj, Lokanath Maharaj, Radha Govinda Maharaj, and Sridhar Maharaj. I

understand that Mahaman again met with Mother Kusha and others and they

mutually agreed upon the following year's arrangement. When it was announced

after Mangal Artik the next day, immediately Parvati began to verbally abuse

Mahaman. So we see the first instance of abuse, though not physical was from

Parvati. The next morning she firmly planted herself blocking HH Giriraj

Maharaj and others from offering their obeisances to RS. In fact she began

pushing innocent women in their way. So again the first instance of

manhandling of women was by Parvati herself.

HH Giriraj and Lokanath Maharaj complained very forcefully to Mahaman that

such outrageous behavior and disrespect of authority cannot be tolerated.

Right or wrong Mahaman and his management team decided to go back to the

system as has been in place for more that 25 years from the time of Srila

Prabhuada, men in front and women behind. So Aindra moved his 24 hr kirtan

party in front of RS altar from before Mangal Artik and many other

brahmacaris joined him.

 

When Parvati saw this she pushed and shoved her way through the men to the

front of the altar. Again we see the manhandling was initiated by Parvati

against the men, and the men taken by surprise from behind naturally reacted

without being aware who was pushing or shoving from behind. The next

morning, seeing Parvati coming, they locked arms while she did her best to

push through them. Failing which she left by the side door and entered RS

altar from the door by the pujari room entrance and planted herself on the

altar railing pushing the men aside. Not one of the men touched her in any

way, knowing that there is no way to control such a misbehaved and

uncultured person.

 

On that day, next to me there was a small pocket of 3 young women in between

the men. One of them kicked the brahmacari in front of her in the legs from

behind. When he angrily whirled around, her two friends grabbed her both

arms and pulled her through the men to the back where the women were

standing. When I mentioned this to Vaishnava das, he told that many of the

brahmacaris were complaining of being pinched and kicked from behind. Even

he told me that some women had kept a video camera hidden and pushed and

shoved a 16 year old boy trying to get him to react so they could film the

alleged manhandling of women. Luckily he understood their motive.

 

Parvati and her cohourts immediately began an e-mail campaign of distortion

and outright lies. Much to the surprise of the management here, Bir Krishna

Maharaj sent by e-mail what was alleged to be a directive of the Executive

Committee of the GBC. Surprise I say because our own GBC Gopal Krishna

Maharaj is the vice chairman of the EC and we were in daily contact with him

by phone and he never even mentioned the incident what to speak of any

directive. And even more surprising was that such an edict be sent out

without first verifying with the temple management or even having the

courtesy to ask them what was the actual situation. When Parvati and her

cohorts began to photocopy the alleged directive and circulate it, the

temple management posted and circulated their own announcement that they had

never received any such directive signed by the members of the EC and for

the reasons given above doubted that such a directive existed.

 

In any event Radhanath Swami arrived with 800 devotees from Mumbai and the

next day the temple was so crowded even most of the men were unable to

approach the front of the altars what to speak of women. Gopal Krishna

arrived also and a meeting was held including senior men and women. Everyone

agreed that they would meet only if Parvati, who had shown such outrageous

misbehavior and flagrant disrespect of the temple authorities, was not

invited. The meeting thus went off in a very cordial and respectful manner

and it was concluded that in view of the immense crowd that there was indeed

a difficulty for the women to take darshan. It was pointed out that the

women have exclusive darshan of RS altar during the Guru Puja Kirtan,

sandhya artik, and Damodarastakam. It was also pointed out in Bhaktivedanta

Manor, the men pay their obeisances in front of all the altars and move to

the right side and the ladies occupy the left side of the temple room.

Therefore it was mutually agreed to that the men would offer obeisances in

front of all the altars and then occupy the right half of the temple room

including RS altar where they have no darshan at any of the other major

periods, and the women would occupy the left side of the temple room. This

would be in effect at least for the duration of the festival and later

subject to review.

 

Let it be known that to this date, Parvati, in obstinate defiance of the

management, plants herself in front of the men at the RS altar.

 

Vaishnava dasanudas,

Deena Bandhu dasa

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