Update

[Guest guest]

Dear Maharaja

 

Please accept our humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.

 

We are urgently awaiting a draft reply which we can send to the Home Office

Minister, who had received a letter from the Kazaakh Embassy in London.

 

We can take matters up after we receive your input.

 

Your fallen servant

 

Romapada Dasa

-

"(Bhakti Bhrnga) Govinda Swami" <Govinda.Swami (AT) pamho (DOT) net>

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Thursday, June 01, 2006 6:59 AM

Update

 

 

> Dear All,

>

> Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.

>

> Since I last communicated with you all there has been no change on our

> situation here in Kazakhstan.

>

> On Wednesday 24 May there was an ordered television report. I will

> attach a transcript of the interview. In the interview a government

> officer

> described us as "wolves in sheeps clothing."

>

> A team of devotees from Europe and America has pulled together to discuss

> strategy for the Kazakhstan campaign.

>

> The team consists of Anuttama Prabhu, Saunaka Rsi prabhu, Gauri and

> Romapada Prabhus, Sivarama Maharaja, and myself. We have been having

> discussions to develop our presentation for government agencies,

> religious,

> and human rights organisations.

>

> AT THIS MOMENT THERE IS AN IMPORTANT WAY IN WHICH YOU CAN HELP US:

>

> Kazakhstan wishes to become the Chairman of OSCE in 2009. Thus the Kazakh

> government is hosting an OSCE conference in Kazakhstan on June 12-13,

> 2006.

>

> Prior to the event we want to create an international awareness of our

> issue

> so that it will be discussed during this important conference.

>

> PLEASE HELP WITH THE FOLLOWING POINTS:

>

> 1. We are requesting that you look at the three documents that I will

> attach.

>

> a. Appeal letter

> b. Chronology

> c. Legal Injustice Brief

>

> 2. Next we are requesting that you will fax and email those three

> documents

> to Vienna, Austria to the OSCE Ambassador who represents your country.

>

> 3. We are also requesting you to fax and email these documents to the OSCE

> offices in your respective countries. I have attached a list of member

> nations of OSCE. You will have to search their email and fax address

> within

> your country. Then please send it to the appropriate person.

>

> 4. The next step will take place on June 6, 2006 when we request that you

> please fax and email the same package to different officers in the Kazakh

> government, Their names and addresses are as follows:

>

> Abykaev Nurtay Abykayevich, Chairman of the Parliament's Senate

> Fax +7 3172 333892

>

> Tokayev Kasymzhomart Kemelevich, Minister of Foreign Affairs

> Fax +7 3172 720293

>

> Muhamedzhanov Ural Baygunsovich, Chairman of the Parliament's Majlis

> Fax +7 3172 243532

>

> We hope that this attention will bring the Kazakh government to the

> point of helping us to peacefully resolve the issue with our project here

> in

> Kazakhstan.

>

> With affectionate regards,

>

> BB Govinda Swami

[Guest guest]

Dear Romapada Prabhu,

 

Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.

 

Hare Krishna !!

 

Here is the reply I have written and faxed to Ambassador Indrissov.

 

I pray that you are well.

 

With affectionate regards,

 

BB Govinda Swami

 

.............................................................................

 

June 2, 2006

 

Dear Ambassador Idrissov,

 

I would like to thank you for sending me the copy of the letter which you

have sent to the Baroness Flather and Mr. Tony McNulty.

 

I would also like to express my appreciation that you have consulted

the appropriate bodies in Kazakhstan regarding the issue at hand with the

Society for Krishna Consciousness in Kazakhstan.

 

The matter of the gardening society is a delicate issue which does bring

up the point of religious intolerance being shown by the local government

officials.

 

There are over 250 plots in this particular area and 66 of these plots

have been acquired by the members of the SKC. They legally acquired plots

which had buildings already existing upon them.They made improvements to the

buildings, cleaned their garden areas, and in general brought beauty and

order to the area.

 

Their situation is the same as the other plot owners in the area. But, only

the members of the SKC have been singled out for destruction of properties

and confiscation of land.

 

We agree whole heartedly that in all nations there are codes and regulations

of construction and corrective measures offered if there are discrepancies

in the following of standard procedure.

 

But in the case of the SKC members there has been no warning from the

architecture department or any other administrative body. There has been no

administrative cases filed and no corrective measures offered. Rather,

contrary to the laws and procedures of Kazakhstan, with less than 12 hours

warning, bulldozers arrived and destruction and confiscation has been

offered as the solution to the issue.

 

Furthermore, as many times as our members have applied to the government

for acts of privatisation of their land plots, they have been refused.

 

The other day I was speaking to the chairman of the horticultural area and

asked him if he felt that the activity of the SKC infringed upon the rights

of other agricultural land users in the area. His reply was quite to the

contrary. He stated that since the members of the SKC have been in the area

they have brought beauty, cleanliness, and order to the area.

 

We may also add that since the SKC's presence in the area there have been

consistent negative television reports given by officers of the government.

 

Recently Ms. Ryskul Zhunipaeyeva stated on Kazakh Television that that the

Krishna religion is not accepted even in India and that such sects take true

Kazakhs away from Islam. This last week Mr. Anatoli Portnyagin, an officer

of the Almaty Oblast land committee, stated that the Krishna followers are

"wolves in sheep's clothing."

 

Such statements from government officials, plus actions which do no comply

with the laws of Kazakhstan bring forth the question of religious

intolerance and the failure of the rule of the law.

 

The SKC members have created something truly beautiful in the area of

Karasai Rayon. They use their lands for agriculture, teach people how to

better their live by yogic practices, and conduct their humanitarian food

program. It deeply pains them, and Hindus throughout the world, that such a

large amount of pressure is being applied to such a small minority religious

group by the authorities of your country.

 

The members of the SKC are committed to dialogue. They are ready to sit,

discuss, and find solid solutions to the issues. But they really feel that

destruction of the faithful's homes is not the proper way to resolve the

issue.

 

We again thank you for looking into the issue. We humbly request that you

will communicate to the officials in Kazakhstan that there is another side

of the issue.

 

With best regards,

 

BB Govinda Swami, International Society for Krishna Consciousness