10/13/1998 - 2354 ...(See Related VNN Stories)

Candlelight Vigil in LA

LA, USA (VNN) - Los Angeles, Sunday, October 11, 1998.

The Los Angeles Temple on Sunday night was the scene of a candlelight vigilwhich was held to show community support for Ram and Sunanda Parashar andtheir family over the recent tragic loss of their eight and a half month oldunborn child. Some devotees believe the family's loss was the result of too much stress on Sunanda due to an eviction by ISKCON authorities who flatly refused theIndian community's request for a moratorium on pending legal action until atleast after Sunanda had delivered her child.

The LA Temple President, Svavas, the GBC Badrinarayan and their lawyerAmarendra are now under fire from the Indian community for pushing forwardthe Parashar eviction. Many community leaders are outraged that these menrejected even a short moratorium on the eviction action in order to amicablydiscuss the situation and instead opted for legal action against Ram evenwhile his wife was eight months pregnant.

On the sidewalk directly across from the Los Angeles Hare Krishna Temple,supporters lit candles in front of the apartment building where theParashars reside. Posters were carried which read "Love and Support forSunanda Parashar," "Prabhupada says to PROTECT women and children," and"Support Ram Parashar and his family."

Then, in a resounding kirtan led by Nara Narayana Prabhu, the assembleddevotees followed a candle lit procession into the apartment building whereRam and his family reside. Although huddled directly across the street fromthe Parashar residence, none of the Temple authorities would join in thevigil.

All of the assembled devotees then flooded into Ram's home and continued theHare Nama kirtan to a roaring crescendo after each took a turn leading thekirtan while Ram continued to consol his wife, Sunanda, who sat weeping atthe foot of their home altar. After the kirtan ended, devotees offeredtheir respects and condolences to Ram, Sunanda, and other family membersover the untimely loss of their child.

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