By: Madhu Pandit Das
Bangalore 1st September, 2011.
We got to know through media sources
that ISKCON Mumbai’s Bureau members conducted a press conference today
and claimed that they are willing to settle the dispute between ISKCON
Bangalore and Mumbai as per the Supreme Courts’ desire. We are sending
this clarificatory press release so as to present the actual facts of
the matter.
We wish to place on record that ISKCON
Bangalore was the first to offer a peace proposal, we had offered peace
proposal as early as 4th of February 2009. This peace proposal was given
just before City Civil Court pronounced its verdict that ISKCON
Bangalore registered in 1978 is an independent society and that ISKCON
Mumbai registered in 1971 should not interfere with Bangalore’s affairs.
This proposal was categorically rejected by ISKCON Mumbai. The proposal
was sent in writing you can view the same by going to the following
link: http://www.iskcontruth.com/2011/07/krishna-voice-july-2011-special-edition.html
Further, after June 5th 2011 hearing of
Supreme Court which instructed both the litigating parties to maintain
Status quo and try to resolve the differences peacefully. I went
personally to ISKCON Mumbai, and met with Sri Bhima Dasa the member
Secretary of Bureau of ISKCON Mumbai, to discuss and work out peace
proposal. Unfortunately Sri Bhima dasa, threatened that if we do not
surrender to the ISKCON Guru system, all the ISKCON Bangalore society’s
office bearers will be jailed. I was humiliated when a proposal for
peace was offered, a patented proof to the fact that ISKCON Mumbai is
not really serious about peace.
ISKCON Mumbai’s claim that they have
invited me to come for discussion today with all the Bureau members is
far from truth as we have not received any such invitation. These are
all eyewash techniques of ISKCON Mumbai which wants to make a farcical
show to Supreme Court and to people in general that they have tried to
resolve the matters peacefully and that we are not serious about
peaceful settlement.
It should also be noted here that I too
am a member of the ISKCON Mumbai’s govern council or Bureau, but I have
not been getting any invitations from them for their meeting and I have
got to know from sources that the Bureau has conducted a meeting in
Bangalore today and I have not been invited for the same.
In spite of being humiliated time again
and they not being serious about peace, ISKCON Bangalore is deeply
interested in resolving the differences, amicably settle and focus on
constructive endeavors. We reiterate that our offer for peace is always
open and that we are ready to discuss the issue at length. We even now
invite 2or 3 representatives of ISKCON Mumbai’s Bureau to come to ISKCON
Bangalore’s Radha Krishna Mandir on Hare Krishna Hill Rajajinagar so
that proposals can be discussed.
We also wish to openly declare that the
origin of this dispute is not property related but it is related to
succession to the Acharya peetha after the physical departure of Srila
Prabhupada the founder and Acharya of ISKCON. The International
governing body has passed the following resolution which has been
adopted by ISKCON Mumbai:
The Posthumous Rtvik Doctrine
The doctrine that Srila Prabhupada
continues to initiate direct diksha disciples after his departure from
this world thro’ officiating priests (rtviks) is a dangerous
philosophical deviation. It is totally prohibited in ISKCON. No devotee
shall participate in such posthumous rtvik initiation ceremonies in any
capacity including acting as rtvik, initiate, assistant, organizer or
financier. No ISKCON devotee shall advocate or support its practice.”
(ISKCON Law 6.4.7.2)
We are willing to settle and handover
the control of ISKCON Bangalore society registered in 1978 if the above
ISKCON Law (ISKCON Law 6.4.7.2) is rescinded and it is openly declared
that Srila Prabhupada is the only Acharya of ISKCON and that no one else
should accept disciples within ISKCON. Any further discussions on the
peace proposal can be worked out provided these facts are first accepted
by ISKCON Mumbai. Only based on this first step can any peace or
settling of issues can make meaningful progress.
We the devotees of ISKCON Bangalore are
leading a reform movement within ISKCON against immorality and
corruption where unqualified largely western disciples have usurped the
position of Acharya, Srila Prabhupada and are making their own
disciples, thus creating hundreds of guru camps within the movement.
More than forty of these self made gurus have fallen from grace into
immoral activities and have brought great disrepute to the ISKCON
movement all over the world. This reform movement is supported by
thousands of devotees and disciples from all over the world. Many
thousands of disciples of Srila Prabhupada have been hounded out of
ISKCON for having said Srila Prabhupada is the only guru of ISKCON by
the unauthorized self-made gurus of ISKCON.
They attempted to bribe me earlier by
offering to make me a guru in order to kill the reform movement against
immorality and corruption in ISKCON. The current attempt is either a
drama or another attempt to bribe me with lifelong president-ship of
ISKCON Bangalore and thus diverting from the main issue.
What we are requesting is the facility
to accept Srila Prabhupada as the sole guru of ISKCON within the
institution established by him. This is not possible as long as the
draconian law of prohibition is hanging on the head of the devotees of
ISKCON. '
