07/04/98 - 1897 (see also VNN story# 1026)

BBTI Suppresses Bhagavat-Gita CD-ROM

England (VNN) - VNN has learned that the BBTI is prohibiting the distribution of the "Multimedia Bhagavat-Gita As It Is" on CD-ROM produced by Krishna Software.

In a previous story (VNN story# 1026) VNN reported the release of the CD-ROM of Srila Prabhupada's Bhagavat-Gita As It Is, which took 2 years to produce. The CD-ROM contains the entire book with Sanskrit, Roman transliteration, word-for-word meanings, translations, and purports, about 30 hours of audio (lectures, bhajans, and narrations), about 200 pictures, video clips, background information about various activities in Krishna consciousness and the philosophy, and a brief biography on Srila Prabhupada and his books.

Appearently the BBTI has allowed 500 copies to be sold but does not permit under threat of legal action for more CD-ROMs of this Bhagavat-Gita CD-ROM to be distributed.

Sources have told VNN that the BBTI had announced plans to produce their own Bhagavat-Gita As It Is CD-ROM and this was given as the reason why this Bhagavat-Gita CD-ROM could not be sold. VNN could not learn of any BBTI production of such a CD-ROM in progress at the time of this writing. As usual, BBTI was not available for comment.

Even ISKCON supporters have come out condemming the suppression of this CD-ROM as evidenced in the following letters:

(from COM)
">>> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>>> Welcome to the BBT Online Newsletter No. 1
>>> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>
>>Please remove me from this mailing list.
>>
>>I do not wish to hear news of the BBT unless they allow Virender Dayal's BG
>>CD to be distributed. I predicted at the time that happened that there would
>>be trouble for the BBT ahead, and now I see that this is the case.
>>
>>I am a fan of Srila Prabhupada's books, but not of the BBT.
>>
>>Your servant,
>>Vipramukhya Swami"

Another letter states:

"> Welcome to the BBT Online Newsletter No. 1

Please remove me from this mailing list. As long as the BBT does not allow distribution of Virendra Dayal's BG-CD I want nothing to do with the BBT management. It seems to me the BBT wishes to control the whole world at the expense of squashing the people who want to work with you. It's no wonder that Krsna has sent law suits and court cases to the BBT. I'm not surprised. I don't support those cases, but I'm not surprised to see them as a
reaction.

W. B. from COM"
(end letters)

In the meantime the public is prevented from getting Srila Prabhupada's Bhagavat-Gita on CD-ROM in a multimedia format that is gaining more and more popularity.

Many people are asking why?