Not Following ISKCON Law

[Guest guest]

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Dear Maharajas and Prabhus,/Subcommittee One: Finance/Property

 

PAMHO. AGTSP.

 

To no avail, we have repeatedly tried to develop communication with the

authorities in charge of the Spanish farm in regards to the sale of this farm.

According to this ISKCON Law, this ministry is be consulted with before the

sale of an ISKCON Farm as in the case of the sale of the Spanish farm. Also

Standards 8 & 13 have to be addressed before the sale of both the Inisrath and

New Vrajamandala are approved to be sold. Since this Ministry has not been

communicated with on these issues, it is understood that ISKCON Law 507 has

been transgressed.

 

It would be a positive program to communicate with this Ministry in this

regard. We are looking forward to your communication.

 

Your servant,

Balabhadra das

ISKCON Ministry for Cow Protection and Agriculture

 

 

ISKCON Law 507 Minimum Cow Protection Standards

 

ISKCON Law 507, Section 1 Standard 8

 

In Category "Not Allowed:"

Selling or exchanging land used by cows except where the cows will directly

benefit or such sales will directly benefit or such sales will increase the

assets of the cows.

 

ISKCON Law 507, Section 3, Standard 13

In category "Not Allowed:"

 

1) Land base

a) Selling lands for the sake of generating cash flow to deal with non-capitol

expenditures. This is strictly forbidden except in emergency situations and

then only after approval by the Minister of Cow Protection and Agriculture and

the approval of the GBC.

 

ISKCON Law 507, Section 3 Standard 13

In category "Not Allowed:"

Selling land currently used by cows that decreases the over all land base

available to the cows.

 

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Visit us on the WEB at : http://www.iscowp.com

[Guest guest]

Dear Pragosh Prabhu,

 

PAMHO. AGTSP.

 

> > The Ministry is unfunded and a volunteer effort. Difficult to do much.

> > Interest is there, facility is not.

>

> Having served in ISKCON for 20 years I can very much empathise with this

> problem. >

 

In addition I work a night job to pay our personal bills. I leave the farm

at 4:30PM and returns at 2:30 AM. I start the work day on our farm at 8:00,

9:00AM. We have 27 cows and oxen that we are protecting on our farm. Having

reclaimed an old farm with no livable housing, we have had to virtually

start from scratch by building housing for ourselves and the cows-still in

the process. We have run ISCOWP for the last 11 years,which is more locally

concerned, from which we have not yet taken any salary. Our son lives here

but he works full time to support his family. Our daughter works full time

and goes to school full time. This leaves just myself and my wife to do the

daily grunt work, both in our fifties.

 

I find it interesting to note that we face the same difficulties as many of

the ISKCON farms we serve if not more difficulties in some cases.

 

<I have been financially supporting a private devotee cow project

for many years here in Ireland as well as contributing to the upkeep of the

cows on Inis Rath. I am not in the business of neglecting cows!>

 

We commend you in your devotional activities towards the cows.

 

<As it happens NVM in Spain is not going to be sold and as far as Inis Rath

is concerned nothing will happen in this regard for at least a year and more

likely three.>

 

Does this mean it is still up for consideration to be sold? What was the

decision at the meetings?

 

<The lady (Mother Ananda Maya) who looks after the cows on Inis Rath is not

so enthusiastic to send anymore reports, on the basis that she feels other

than collecting reports your ministry shows very little interest, if any,

throughout the rest of the year. I hasten to add that those are her words,

not mine and I suggest you communicate with her directly because short of

doing the reports myself (which is impractial because I live 2 hours away),

I don't see that there is anything else I can do.>

 

We have made many attempts at communication. She was originally on the

conference and very friendly. She had many complaints about the situation

there, mostly that the devotees were not very conscious of the cows and not

understanding what she was doing. Her letters were very long expressing

frustration and complaints. We had some nice communication (at least I

thought so). I think she did expect us to do more but as I described above I

described to her. Her communication just stopped. Just a month ago we sent a

personal letter in the mail with copies of the standards and Cow report

form. Unfortuantely her stance has produced the disturbed interaction we are

having now. It has been more than a year we have inquired of her as to the

welfare of the cows. No response. Therefore if something good has happened

since hearing mainly complaints, we do not know nor can we recognize it. She

painted a picture of very little support and appreciation of what she was

doing. Hopefully that has changed. But if there is no reports, no

information forthcoming which is required by ISKCON Law, the atmosphere is

created for devotees to suspect anything.

 

As I said the plan to move is still in the 'thinking' stage, as soon as I

have hard info on the new location I will let you know.>

 

<As there is no definite proposal to sell and re-locate, your comment was at

best premature.>

 

This is a little confusing to me. If you have a proposal before the GBC to

acquire permission to sell ISKCON property, it seems to me the plan has gone

well beyond the "thinking" stage and there defintely was a "definite

proposal". And if they said yes, then what?

 

ISKCON Law 507 Standard 3

"NOt Allowed"

Selling lands for the sake of generating cash flow to deal with non-capitol

expenditures. This is strictly forbidden except in emergency situations and

then only after approval by the Minister of Cow Protection and Agriculture

and the approval of the GBC.

 

One question many would have is, exactly why is the farm being sold, also

what are the facts or

business plan, etc. The cow reports would have provided most of this

information.

 

<I was simply making the point that from a PR point of view the

ministry is often seen in a negative light by the very devotees it is

intended to serve - those working hard serving Krsna's cows. Whatever horror

stories have happened in relation to cow protection in ISKCON shouldn't be

considered the standard for all devotees serving in this area. The ones I

know, who are doing this service, do it out of love for the cows, not to

inflict suffering on them.>

 

Unfortunately without reports forthcoming we can not just assume that

everything is just fine. There is ISKCON Law established to provide

accountability in the form of cow reports. The ministry is to help. Without

comprehensive reports from the individual farms, the minstry can not even

provide a basic census of cows protected by the society what to speak of

identify any potential problems or being able to show appreciation to those

working so hard in the service of the cows.

 

Thanking you for your concern for the cows. We look forward to hearing from

you.

 

Your servant,

Balabhadra

[Guest guest]

"Pragosh (das) SDG (IRL)" wrote:

 

> > I think too many of us have already been through too many cycles of vague

> > warm assurances and platitudes from authorities making short term

> > decisions based on expediency that have long term negative consequences.

> > Anything less than cold hard facts and properly structured business plans

> > are unacceptable.

>

> And you my friend really steal the show, you have obviously pre-judged the

> situation in accusing us of "short term decisions based on expediency".

 

I have accused you of nothing. I stated the fact that projects have been

gutted and abandoned in the past to the detriment of the cows, and therefore

that danger does have to be considered.

 

> I

> don't know what we have done to evoke such ire and arrogance, I also don't

> know what your authority is to speak to devotees you don't even know in the

> way that you have.

 

Bekieve me, I am not manifesting ire and arrogance. If you were truly my

friend, as you addressed me, you would know that. If you react to my remarks

negatively and defensively, and still don't provide facts or business plan,

then I admit I may be moved to some preliminery judgements.

 

> I can assure you of one thing though, the welfare of the

> cows concerned will not be dependent on your good self or your comments.

>

> Ys Praghosa dasa.

 

Then there should be no difficulty providing facts and a business plan.

[Guest guest]

> For instance we recently raised the

> money to build a brand new goshala at Inis Rath (surely proving that even

> though there is talk of moving we are hardly in the moood of neglecting the

> cows). This facility is a huge improvement and has been much appreciated by

> the cows. If the ministry acknowleged this type of positive development

> rather than appearing like a police force, chastising at every opportunity,

> devotees maybe more inspired to reciprocate.

>

> Your servant, Praghosa dasa.

 

If the requested reports were forthcoming, then perhaps the Ministry would know

about those improvements. You can't simultaneously feel offended that some one

asks for facts, and then condemn them for not knowing them.