11/06/1998 - 2464

Child Abuse Cover-Up Continues

USA (VNN) - By Gadadhar Dasa

Dear Prabhus:

PAMHO, AGTSP, and Hare Krishna. Here I want to explain why I think I am also directly or indirectly a culprit in child abuse cases that took place in ISKCON.

Around 1984, at least 4 children were physically and sexually abused in Dallas, Oklahoma Farm, and Lake Huntington Gurukul. The parents were either living in Dallas or Houston collecting money to pay for TKG's big blunder, the farm in Oklahoma.

One mother was kicked out by TKG in 1985 with two of her sons who were abused. In 1985 I moved from Houston to Dallas and I did not know any of this. In early 1987, one day I was told by the Dallas temple president Naveen Krishna that the temple pujari/school teacher Gostbihari was given a quick farewell because the police was looking for him for mistreating some children. Upon my inquiry about temple's responsibility I was also told that the lawyers were consulted and it was ok.

What actually took place was that the temple authorities did not want any bad publicity and so they encouraged the child abuser to run away.

Few months later, I was told that a mother who had been thrown out in 1985 had filed a law suit against Dallas and Houston temples, Oklahoma farm, and Lake Huntington Gurukul. I was asked to attend high level meeting with TKG, Balavanta Prabhu (Alachua Lawyer) and Abhirama prabhu flew to attend Dallas meetings, along with Naveen Krishna, Dallas TP.

During the meeting, TKG was pushing for paying off Guruvastak - mother of the two boys who were physically and sexually abused. But Naveen found the insurance papers and thus temple was saved from paying $300,000 asked by Mother Guruvastak.

Please note the following points:

(1) Before we came to this point, I was sent to inform the Indian Congregation in Houston about the law suit and consult with some lawyers. I was told that I was like Rajput Kings who saved temples of North India from Mogul invaders etc.

(2) In high level meeting TKG went through the list of complaints made by mother Guruvastaka, a TKG disciple. TKG denied and ridiculed every thing.

(3) At one point, TKG read a letter written couple of years ago by Gostabihari to TKG saying that he had been abused in the childhood and he had similar tendencies. At that time Balavanta Prabhu said that this letter is a smoking gun and as a lawyer he could not tell what to do with it.

(4) Balavanta Prabhu also explained that during the homosex (anus sex) a big dirty mess takes place when stool and urine come out during orgasm.

(5) Guruvastaka had approached Justice Minister Guru Gauranga and he then had asked TKG to see what he wanted to do. The justice ministry was established only in 1987 during bait and switch years of Guru Reform and it conveniently disappeared one year later.

(6) At the time of this law suit I heard TKG telling Naveen- "You back me up and I back you up so no body will complain. I do not want to waste my time in front of [ISKCON's] Justice Ministry". As I said above, the justice ministry disappeared a year later.

(7) In 1989, Giridhari Swami and Jitarati Prabhu told Naveen in LA Rathayatra that TKG was not chanting his rounds. When Naveen raised this issue, he was kicked out. By this time lot of TKG's mess was cleaned up by Naveen, so TKG did not want Naveen if he was to question TKG's honesty. Naveen was kept for 6 more months when I openly challenged TKG about his dirty deeds.

(8) Around 1989, Gostabihari was caught from his hiding when I think his daughter gave his address in a college scholarship application. he was convicted and jailed for 40 years.

(9) I got involved in ISKCON heavily during 1978 to 1994. In 1978 I raised funds to purchase Houston temple. TKG descended into Houston in 1979 like a demigod and purchased 1400 acre farm in Oklahoma and he was hiding it from us. We came to know more than a year later that temple had purchased such a large farm. These are machinations of TKG.

(10) In 1994 I went on a war path to expose TKG. I went to court to look for any records against ISKCON, I found that actually 3 law suits were filed against Gostabihari and ISKCON Dallas in 1987 for child abuse. In 1987, I was kept in dark by TKG and his gang that actually three child abuse law suits were filed in 1987.

Now coming back to the point of child abuse. Am I a culprit? I can claim that I am innocent because I lived 20+ miles from the temples and I was kept in dark.

However, I am also culprit, because I failed to recognize TKG's lies when he read and ridiculed Guruvastak's complaints. I failed to question in more detail what had happened and how it happened.

To say GBCs were informed about child abuse cases in 1996 is not only a big lie but an unforgivable crime. GBCs and many others new it and covered it up during seventies and henceforward. Many knew it but did not dare to question it or looked the other way.

What we need is a Commission for Truth like the Mandela Government in South Africa which interrogated people and documented human rights abuses.

Judge for your self. Thank you and Hare Krishna.

Your friend and humble servant,
Gadadhar Dasa.