09/23/1998 - 2267 ...(See Related VNN Stories)

Is Anyone Home?

USA (VNN) - by Gupta Das

Dear Swami B.A. Paramadvaiti:

Thank you for your recent VNN posting in the form of a letter-warningrelayed from Srila Bhakti Pramod Puri Maharaj in Jagannath Puri regardingthe increasing consequences of Vaishnava-aparadha on the rise among thedevotees throughout ISKCON.

But I wonder, is anyone home? Is anyone really listening?

In Los Angeles, the Temple is now trying to evict Ram Parashar, a wonderfuldevotee and strict follower of Srila Prabhupada -- not even for being tardywith rent, mind you -- but merely because he strongly believes that SrilaPrabhupada may have well wanted a ritvik system of initiation to continueafter His disappearance.

That lawsuit -- entitled ISKCON of So Cal Inc vs. Ram Parashar -- ispresently scheduled for a public trial in open court on Friday, September25, 1998.

But does anyone realize that Ram Parashar and his entire family have beendutifully attending the entire Los Angeles Temple morning program for yearsnow? Does anyone realize that over a dozen of the most influential Indiansupporters and ISKCON life-members in Southern California have written toSvavasa Prabhu in protest over this unfair eviction of an entirely gentleBrahmin devotee, to no avail ? Does anyone realize that many of those sameISKCON supporters and life-members have personally phoned or e-mailedBadrinarayan Prabhu and pled for his intervention in this matter, to noavail ?

Is anyone home?

And what will be the direct result of this legal action ? Either anhonest, strict and gentle Brahmin devotee, his children and pregnant wifewill be summarily and forcefully kicked out of his Temple apartment, or, theTemple will be held subject to the Los Angeles Rent Stabilization Ordinancewhich result could then well domino into an eventual loss of tax exemptionsfor Temple owned real property.

This case should not be in court. If anyone of any influence in ISKCON ishome -- please -- pick up the phone and intervene before more devotees areoffended and ISKCON is weakened yet again.

Gupta das
Joseph Fedorowsky
OXFORD LAW FIRM
Attorney for Ram Parashar
lawyer@oxfordlaw.com

(Editor's Note: An online petition regarding Ram Parashar has been posted here.)(See Related VNN Stories)