© 1998 VNN
| WORLD December 1, 1998 VNN2587 See Related VNN Stories Dr. Ramesh Protests BY DR. RAMESH BANGALORE, INDIA, Dec 1 (VNN) — 16th Nov 1998 To The GBC members, This has reference to a letter sent to all GBC members by a section of the congregation devotees complaining against Madhu Pandit Prabhu, the President of Bangalore centre. (that letter said): Last month was an unprecedented one. We saw the boldest presentation of proxy-initiation theory by temple inmates. Your tryst with Dr.Ramesh was novel. You gave him TFO, told him it was an authorized GBC document and made him swear on Sri Krishna Balarama that he would not reveal this to anybody. He promptly revealed it to us. Since Dayaram Prabhu was in Bangalore at that time we took Dr.Ramesh straight to him. Dayaram Pr explained to him many times emphatically that the TFO was an unauthorized document and not to be given by the Temple President to anybody. Other Temple inmates by their. . . . Dr R: I am a life member and donor of ISKCON Bangalore. I received an anonymous letter with many derogatory remarks about our President, His Grace Madhu Pandit Prabhu. We also heard rumors being spread that our President has embezzled temple funds. On Sunday 18th October, myself and another donor Mr. Chandran approached Madhu Pandit Prabhu as we were disturbed by this anonymous letter. In a letter dated 6th November by a few congregation to the GBC members, my name appears in the first para. Therein they have misrepresented that Madhu Pandit Prabhu had made me swear by Krishna Balaram that I would not tell anyone that he has given the final order to us. This is concocted and may be clarified with Doyaram Prabhu to whom I spoke as to what exactly I spoke. Madhu Pandit Prabhu is a gentleman and stands by the truth that these documents were given to me in the context explained below. No promises were taken by me as alleged in the letter. Neither did he say it was authorized GBC document as alleged in that letter. On the contrary he said these were against the present GBC stand but the papers that he read to us from it was ISKCON documents. Also I asked Doyaram Prabhu how the very people who were objecting to me having received these documents were in possession of the same and were all familiar with it. This was not understandable to me. What really happened is that when we approached him with the anonymous letter he explained to us that he was actively taking up the cause of some reforms in ISKCON which included some philosophical difference with His Holiness Jayapataka Maharaj. Because of this some of his disciples in the congregation are spreading these rumors against the temple leaders. Then we wanted to know about the issue and he explained his viewpoints about some controversy, which we did not quite follow. So I insisted for some documentary evidence. He then read from many printed transcripts of Srila Prabhupada's conversations and also a few letters of Srila Prabhupada. We insisted on a copy of this letter and other documents. He said that the conversations and letters that he was reading were part of a document which was banned by the GBC and that he would copy only the ISKCON papers in that and give us. We insisted that we would do the copying. Accordingly he gave us the booklet saying that it should not be given to anyone but returned after copying the conversations and Srila Prabhupada's letter. He also told us that Srila Prabhupada appointed officiating acaryas and not acaryas. He also very clearly told that he does not fully agree with that paper because according to it the gurus are merely priests. But he said he has benefited by the ISKCON documents complied in the Final Order. I am pained that I have been dragged into this controversy by people with vested interests. We understand that ISKCON is a spiritual organization with intelligent people. We feel that stopping people from reading any material does not give a sense of openness of the movement. The GBC may proclaim that it does not accept certain views but should not prevent reading materials which are basically Srila Prabhupada's conversations and letters. Frankly speaking we have not read cover to cover the Final Order except for copying the pages which are ISKCON documents. If I knew that this matter would be politicized by these people who took me to Doyaram then I would have explained the circumstances to Doyaram Prabhu also. Instead they simply asked me in his presence if the Final Order was given to me by the President to which I said yes. I am shocked with the rest of the stories created around this incident. One the way back after meeting Doyaram Prabhu, Naraharai Chaitanya Dasa and Vibhava Krishna dasa ( who has sent the letter to the GBC) also got into my car. In the car Narahari Chaitanaya told me that our President has misappropriated temple funds and made properties in their name in Mysore farm. Then I asked him whether anything else was there. To which they replied that there were properties in Kerala also. I asked them whether they had any proof to which they replied that they have found this out through a driver who was working before in ISKCON. I told them that unless there is documentary evidence to this they should not spread such things. I said if they have evidence I will join the to question the president. Now I understand that all these things were done with the motivations to make us lose our faith in the temple leaders. I was shocked to hear such a thing from a senior congregation person like him. I am shocked that these devotees are indulging in these kind of low things. Further I would like to clarify that the letter to the GBC is written as if the entire congregation is speaking those things in the letter. We are also congregation devotees and do not endorse their ideas of having another branch, which is not under the main temple especially under leadership of people whose motivations are questionable. There are hundreds of similar minded congregation devotees like us who would like to speak up at the right time and opportunity. Yours sincerely 1.Dr.Ramesh M.B.B.S, M.D Professor & H.O.D. of Medicine Maruti Dental College, Bangalore-76 2. N.R.Chandran Dharmadhikari of ISKCON Director, GMC Bank Ltd. and Executive Member of Federation of Karnataka Chambers of Commerce and industry See Related VNN Stories This story URL: http://vaishnava-news-network.org/world/WD9812/WD01-2587.html |
