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WORLD August 26, 1999 VNN4587 Related VNN Stories ISKCON Accuses Its Calcutta Chief Of Misusing Property FROM FINANCIAL EXPRESS- CALCUTTA INDIA, Aug 26 (VNN) — Suman Layak, Calcutta, Aug 20 The International Society for Krishna Consciousness (Iskcon) has accused its Calcutta branch president and office- bearers of defalcation and utilising its property at Calcutta for commercial purpose without the Iskcon Bureau's permission. The bureau is the highest decision-making body of Iskcon in the country. The organisation is on the verge of a split over a theological dispute and the Calcutta high court held the final hearing on this matter on August 12, Judgement has been reserved. The latest dispute concerns Iskcon's property at 22, Gurusaday Road in South Calcutta. Iskcon's directors have complained to the police and the Calcutta Municipal Corporation against its Calcutta branch accusing it of trying to utilise the property for commercial purpose and not accounting for the funds generated. In a July 21 letter to the commissioner of police, Calcutta, a co-director of Iskcon at Mayapur, Dayaram Das, wrote. "sums of money received by them (Calcutta branch) are not being given to Iskcon, nor are accounted for the Iskcon books of accounts except for a very minute percentage" The property, almost 50 cottah of land and a building, was registered in the name of Iskcon, part by part, through the period between 1981 and 1983. A city businessman, Mahadeolall Tulsan, donated the money for acquiring the property. Tenants at the property, including corporates such as ITC Ltd, vacated the premises by 1990. Thereafter, the premises were being used for weddings and other parties, for the ostensible reason of raising funds for building a temple and a guesthouse on the plot. A temporary structure with air-conditioners had been built for the purpose. On July 14, the rath yatra day, the temporary structure used for parties was razed to the ground in a fire. The dispute started when the Iskcon Bureau insisted that the structure be abandoned and construction of the templestarted. According to Iskcon sources at Mayapur, the spiritual headquarter of the organisation, "the Calcutta branch has applied for permission from the corporation and the fire brigade authorities to re-build the pandal against the bureau's wishes." Dayaram Das wrote in his letter that Adridharan Das and Sattvik Das, the president and vice-president, respectively, of the Calcutta branch, had put up the temporary structure in their personal capacity and decorated it with imported carpets and furniture. He requested the commissioner of police to ensure that the president and the vice-president of the Calcutta branch " are not permitted to rebuild the said wedding pandal and /or any other temporary structure, nor carry on any such commercial activities on the Iskcon property" When contacted, the manager of the disputed property, Ashok Shunda, said: "There is no construction taking place now. Whatever will be done will be according to the law." Adridharan Das is out of town at present. Sattvik Das could not be reached despite repeated attempts and assurances from Shunda that he would contact this correspondent. However, sources at the Calcutta branch said, "these are attempts by a section of Iskcon to malign us. It is about power and control and is related to the court case that is going on. The Calcutta branch is trying to keep our founder at the forefront, which is against the interest of some people. That is why they are creating trouble." Sources in both camps said that Iskcon follows a decentralised structure that allows the local presidents a lot of freedom. While Mayapur sources insist that the Calcutta president was misusing the freedom, the Calcutta branch insists that it is on the right side of the law.=end= Related VNN Stories  Comment on this storyContact VNN about this storySend this story to a friend
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