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WORLD September 6, 1999 VNN4671 Related VNN Stories Cult Of Love Torn Asunder By Internal Feuding FROM THE TELEGRAPH INDIA, Sep 6 (VNN) — BY MADHUSHREE C. BHOWMIK Calcutta, Sept. 1 The translucent gleam of marble that swathes the sprawling Krishna temple off Minto Park masks the serious dissension's within the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (Iskcon). Overlooking a pond on Albert Road, the temple has become the focal point of a theological crisis in the society as two groups of devotees take on each other, challenging the founder's "will". The debate has now moved from the prayer mat to the court. This week, Calcutta High Court, in an interim order, ruled that six senior members of the organisation, including the head of the Calcutta temple, Adri Dharan Das, who were suspended in March, would continue to remain members of Iskcon. Curbs have been imposed on initiation of novices which can now be carried out only with the permission of the court. Iskcon is wracked by dissension between its Calcutta and Mayapur chapters. The Calcutta temple houses the international office of the London-based Iskcon Reform Group, and the Mayapur centre, Iskcon's "global spiritual headquarters", is also the seat of the organisation's apex body, the Governing Body Council. The dispute has taken an ugly turn with the recent publication of Someone has murdered me, a book based on, according to the reformists, transcripts of speeches of Iskcon's founder, Srila Prabhupada. The book alleges that Prabhupada, who died in the US in November 1977, was poisoned. The reformists, led by Adri Dharan Das, have challenged the council's exclusive right to initiate disciples as an "independent authority" The council is a 30-member body with 11 spiritual gurus, empowered with initiation rights. The reformists want to do away with the system of multiple gurus and restore the founder's writ. "We want the council to induct recruits on behalf of the founder, Srila Prabhupada, as per the rittwik (executing authority) system, " said Satwik Das, vice-president of the Calcutta temple. An angry council has charged Calcutta temple authorities with preaching "deviant" philosophy and undermining its authority. "The rittwik system is no longer applicable as the founder is dead. For Prabhupada himself said any disciple can be a guru in his own right if he possesses exemplary spiritual traits, " said Dayaram Das, co-director of Mayapur temple. The reformists were warned by Mayapur and asked to operate within council parametersl. But the dispute has spilled over. A three-member Governing Body Council panel was appointed to review the conduct of the reformers and "place them on probation before suspending and expelling them". The reform movement, initiated in the United States in 1989-1990 by three senior devotees, gained momentum last year with the formation of the group in London. The movement is headed by Adri Dharan Das, president of the Bangalore temple Madhu Pandit Das, Satwik Das and two other senior devotees. The group has also launched its own website. The reformists challenged the Governing Body Council's power to initiate disciples. The movement was started, said Satwik Das, because "the council deviated from the founder's will and instead of establishing a system of representatives of acharyas, they have become self-anointed gurus with sole rights of initiation. They have initiated a system, which is destroying the very essence of the institution. Let there be no gurus as so many gurus have fallen over the years". The debate has since intensified with Mayapur charging the Calcutta temple with misuse of funds and the society's 22 Gurusaday Road property. It is difficult to foresee a reconciliation. Most devotees say a solution may be attempted only next year when members of the Governing Body Council from all over the world meet in Mayapur to debate on the issue. Related VNN Stories  Comment on this storyContact VNN about this storySend this story to a friend
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