Observations on Vrndavan goshallas, installment1

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COM: Hare Krsna dasi (Brunswick, Maine - USA)

 

 

>[Text 2149515 from COM]

>

>These are very serious charges which -- if they are true -- point to

>fundamental

>problems of mismanagement which are certain to have grave consequences if

they

>are not corrected and proper public atonement is not made for the offenses

>already committed.

>

>This seems to warrent the establishment of an outside investigation team,

as

>outlined in the Minimum Cow Protection Standards presented by the Ministry

of

>Cow Protection and Agriculture.

>

>Who is the GBC for Mayapura? Who is the GBC for Vrndavana?

>

>your servant,

>

>Hare Krsna dasi

 

Dear Hare Krsna Prabhu,

 

PAMHO. AGTSP.

 

Yes, you are right. This is serious and needs further research. We have

received several reports that things may not be right at the Vrndavana

Goshalla. So we asked a member of ISCOWP to take a look since she lives in

India and sometimes visits Vrndavana. She did so and wrote the following

letter after which we wrote a letter to Pancagauda Prabhu whoom we knew to

be the

vice president there. I believe she visited the Goshalla in December, if not

before, and after receiving her letter snail mail we wrote to Pancagauda

Prabhu.

Following is that communication. There has been more communication since

which I will submit to the conference in installments. Whatever the cow

conference participants can offer as help will be highly appreciated.

 

Your servant,

Chayadevi

 

>

 

iscowp <iscowp (AT) ovnet (DOT) com>

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<Gopal.Krsna.Goswami (AT) com (DOT) bbt.se> ; Ravindra.Svarupa.ACBSP (AT) com (DOT) bbt.se

<Ravindra.Svarupa.ACBSP (AT) com (DOT) bbt.se> ; Sesa.ACBSP (AT) com (DOT) bbt.se

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<105042.3447 (AT) com (DOT) bbt.se> <Pancagauda.ACBSP (AT) com (DOT) bbt.se>

Monday, January 04, 1999 8:53 PM

Vrndavana Goshalla?

 

 

>Dear Pancaguada Prabhu,

>

>PAMHO. AGTSP.

>

>In the last year we have received reports from various devotees that cows

from the Vrndavana Goshalla are being sold and/or given to those who can not

be relied upon to protect them. It is not until we received this letter have

we chosen to write you as we personally know the source and there are claims

of persons who can verify the information. Obviously we have not given their

names herewith to protect them at this time. We remember how you were very

concerned about our oxen in North Carolina and now that you are the vice

president of Vrndavana we felt you would be the most likely person to write.

>

>The great concern is that the Vrndavana Goshalla continues to breed when

there is not enough land, so little land that the cows are not grazing. This

puts the pressure of too many cows and therefore the rational to get rid of

them. The breeding seems to be because of the desire for milk. We are not in

the milk producing business, i.e. commercial dairy, but in the cow

protection business.

>

>The Minimum Cow Protection Standards recently sent to you forbids these

actions.

>

>We are most interested to hear from Vrndavana the amount of cows, land,

plans for Goshalla operation in the future, and statement about the current

situation. To hear these reports about the ISKCON goshalla in Vrndavana,

the most sacred place on Earth to the Viasnavas is extremely frightening,

since the sinful reactions will be abundant and come quickly.

>

>Please find the following letter. I am looking forward to your early

response.

>

>Your servant,

>Balabhadra das

>ISKCON Minister for Cow Protection and Agriculture

>

>Dear Balabhadra and Chayadevi prabhus

>

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

>

>I have just returned from Vrindaban and I enquired about the selling of

bulls to the Muslims. Nobody recalls that that directly took place but

admit that indirectly that must have been the result of selling or donating

bulls to local farmers, when they no longer had any use for them. This was

a general practice before Kadamba Kanana was Temple president, when Kesi

Daman was in charge of the Goshalla. Kadamba Kanana did not allow animals

to go out. I asked Kesi Damam, whom I happened to meet in the Goshalla, and

he denied selling bulls to the locals, and someone else of good repute said

he did sell to Muslims. Anyway the end result is there.

>

>This is all about ten years ago, but there is a recent event which is a

great shame to Vrindaban Goshalla and to the Society. Some say it took

place a year ago and others six months ago, there is smeone reliable who can

provide all the names of the people, of the animals and all necesary proof.

30 calves, at least one good bull and six cows with their calves, who were

giving less milk were donated to the temple chowkidars by Ganapati. The

Vrindaban Guest house-in-charge (Krsna Balarama) and authorised by Bhakti

Vrn Govinda Maharaj ( formerly Ayodhapti, , , "Food for Life"- famous).

These chowkidars have their land and village in Bihar, a long way from

Vrindaban and (the same person as quoted in the first paragraph) saw the

cows being beaten and shoved into a truck... they didn't want to go. The

Chowkidars are likely to be meat eaters..... not cow of course but not the

kind of people to care much for cow protection. And furthermore one good

bull which was sent away, had previoosuly some years back been given to a

man in Kosi, which is still in Braj, but far from Vrindaban, I'm not sure

how far exactly, and he had broken his chain there and run all the way back

to Vrindaban in the night and in the morning he was at the Goshalla gates.

>

>Prabhu this is too much that again they sent this bull away.... to Bihar

from were he cannot come back. Please do investigate this cow abuse at

Vrindaban Goshalla and please do ask them to bring some animals back at

least or again and again they will do this. It is also said NanaNandan who

lives at the Goshalla and caries out orders of the others, also pushes out

animals quietly for 500 Rs. bribe.

>

>The present Goshalla in charge is Prem Kishore prabhu and all this happened

before he came to Vrindaban. He was formerly Kasiram das, and Prem Kishore

is his sannyas name, and now he is grhasta. He is very good and will not

let any animals go from the goshalla and he is doing his best to care for

the cows but with great difficulty. I asked him to bring back those animals

but he dare not even say anthing to Ganapati and all will be afraid of the

chowkidars. Then what?

>

>Again this will go on. It is not cow protection at all there. It is like

a commercial dairy.... there is great pressure to supply milk, milk, milk

and get profit. Although he knows Indian breeds should be kept, Prem

Kishore has purchased 2 Holsteins for the Goshalla who give 18 litres a day,

as milk was required and as a result of inbreeding the herd was not doing

well, and he wasn't able to purchase a good Indian cow. But this expediency

will not help, and these Holstein calves will pose a problem economically

and cross breeding would be a mistake.

>

>There will problems for sure. He says he will keep the bull calves. But

they dont have any grazing land there. I pledged one lace rupees towards

land if I can be sure they will buy it. Prem Kishore wants to get on the

cow conference so I'm sending his some money for the modem, whatever that

is. Then you will really be able to help him as required. If you write to

Vrindaban send it registered. Mail is not getting there. Gopal Krsna

Maharaj is GBC all these years and is ultimatly responsible, but doesn't

want to get involved. I remember once running into him at the Guruvayor

Temple in South India, where he was planning to buy an elephant for Krsna

Balarama Mandir. He never did thank goodness, but he should see that the

poor cows are protected there, and that they have enough land to graze on.

Devotees are spending fortunes on their own homes in Vrindaban. If they wan

t to drink milk they should share in providing for the cows and bulls and

calves.

>

>

>