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WORLD  Comment on this storyAbout the AuthorOther Stories by this Author 2 Response From 20/20 Producer BY RAGHUNATHA ANUDASA USA, Dec 30 (VNN) — Dear Raghunatha Anudasa, Thank you for your email letter expressing your views about our 20/20 segment on the Hare Krishna society. As you may imagine, it's quite a challenge to tell a complex story that spanned many years in a 15 minute report. I can only begin to understand the difficulties you and your friends faced as children of Hare Krishna. By no means did we believe that there weren't positive things going on at the time.. but the story had a particular focus and we kept within that framework. I am confident, however, that the details we reported were fair and accurate. As far as particular memories of former students, we can only report that these experiences are what they are saying they remember. After spending hours with the students, I can only tell you that I believed they were being truthful. The video that you referred to that you believe shows you was obtained from NBC News Archives 30 Rockefeller Plaza 280E New York, NY 10112 You may want to contact them directly. I know that you and your school mates have lots you want to say about your experiences at Krishna schools. I hope you get many opportunities. If 20/20 embarks on an update to the Hare Krishna story, I would be happy to contact you concerning your thoughts on the subject. Yours truly, Michael Pressman Producer, ABC News 20/20 -----Original Message----- Subject: Re: 20/20 Condemned Our Childhoods to Shame Dear Mr. Pressman: Thank you for your letter. The tone of your letter seems to demonstrate the sense of respect with which you approached our story. Your offer to include me in any follow up segments demonstrates the lengths to which you have considered in trying to accommodate this moving tale--fairly. Thank you. I appreciate these gestures very, very much as will many other friends who I will share your letter with. Yes, there is a "but" in this thanks however. Its a request actually. We request some short follow up statement on your show concerning Jagadish. Even just a sentence or two. If there is a follow up show, that will be terrific, but we need something on the public record now. Something such as: "We had some students write in concerning our show 'Childhood's of Shame' wherein Mr. Hickley was shown. They wanted it stated for the record that his 'opinions' on Prabhupada or anything else is viewed as insulting to his victims and though the show was generally well received by many of the Krsna kids, some took issue with referring to their life as Childhoods of Shame--for which we opologize." These two sentences would be a noble act and offer some satisfaction for a great many of us from an otherwise difficult childhood journey. Thank you again for your time both in doing the show and your follow up letter to me. Please feel free to let me know if there is anything I could do to help in any future efforts you decide upon. Yours truly, Raghunatha Anudasa Subj: RE: 20/20 Condemned Our Childhoods to Shame Date:12/15/00 9:08:29 AM Pacific Standard Time From:Michael.Pressman@abc.com (Pressman, Michael) To:Anudasa@aol.com ('Anudasa@aol.com') Dear Raghunatha Anudasa, Thanks again for your note. I have passed along your request to the appropriate executives here. If the letter is read or published, I'll let you know. Yours truly, Michael Pressman Here's a letter to a Kuli. Defending Prabhupada More then "Conditioning" This mystery writer is probably some devotee pretending to be guru-kuli. People should write me directly next time and not anonymously. They write: "I think some of you people are so conditioned into defending SP, that you are trying desperately to overlook, if not AGAIN say that our abuse was either 1. Justified as our karma; 2. exagerated; 3. just plain did not happen." > Actually, there is a 4th reason: not allowing Jagadish to hide his guilt (of promoting and protecting severe abusers) behind the mantle of Prabhupada. Nor do I want these monster teachers to hide their criminal abuse behind Indian culture. If you had actually read my letter to Turley, you would know this. If you were not mislead by Jagadish's propaganda of blaming Prabhupada, you would be allowed to see Jagadish's role more clearly--which would leave you as disgusted with Jagadish as I am. I only hope the courts don't overlook Jagadish's role as you have. This is one of my primary concerns. You asked where I was when you were being abused? So I ask: where you were when I spent 80% of my effort trying to expose all these abuses when kulis were not interested in discussing it, devotees would not hear of it and the GBC condemned me as the lone voice on the issue? Where were you when I was spending 50% of all my money on printing and distributing the material (ISKCON Youth Veterans) for exposing the abuse of all my friends? I told of all my friends hardships, not just my own abuse which was severe. Where were you when I was dealing with devotee, GBC and guru condemnation for being "monkey's" simply because of the reunions? I even faced gurukuli apathy in starting these reunion forums which have lead to finding our identity as a community? Again, costing me hundreds of dollars, lots of time and effort and little appreciate by way of cash or tangible help from either kulis or devotees. As soon as there was money offered by ISKCON--every other gkuli was employed in the number of projects but me. Where were you then? Where were you when we where bullying the GBC to create new organizations to fight child abuse in the movement--and succeeded? I spent about $8,000 dollars in two years when my income was hardly $7,000 a year. Did you bother to give even $70 dollars for the cause then or now? Where were you 10 years ago when I stood alone for this cause with no other prospects but great personal financial lost, condemnation from the GBC and isolation from uninterested devotees and kulis? You like most of my friends where getting an education, starting families, making money. I put all these things on hold so these issues about us would finally be heard. Today, I stand alone, once again, with no career, no formal education, no money and no family. What I see is someone jumping in now that it is highly fashionable to condemn the movement, when they can receive high profile media attention, when they have powerful attorney's to back them up, a sympathetic audience among the devotees, a large group of kulis to support their ideas and hundreds of millions of dollars to cash in on. Yet, I have none of these advantages in my position and still I speak out against the abusers, by name, date, place and in accordance with other witnesses. I now do this concerning Prabhupada's role as much as I did in presenting the other people of our guru-kula past. Devotees respond with some kind words or mumble how I am simply feeding Turley with information. Such warning fail to recognize the importance of creating consensus. Others insist I should do more to defend Prabhupada. Yet, these same devotees will not offer so much as $25 dollars though I now have $5,000 on my credit cards and 8 months of my life spent on these issues. Devotees spend their time and money on everything but this. The GBC is mute to all my efforts while they spend tens of thousands dollars for legal posturing, but nothing on clarifying the issues of Prabhupada's role. Gurukulis who do support me are so shy to say anything in public while younger kulis who know little of Jagadish or Prabhupada condemn me for sharing my first hand accounts of both. Now for the final insult, I have to hear some kuli (or devotee pretending to be a guru-kuli) tell me that I do all of this out of "conditioning." I'll take their opinion seriously when they have committed 3 years, full time and about $13,000 of their out-of-pocket money to this cause. Until then, they are blowing hot air like the rest of those on both sides of the issue. Turley has put his money where his mouth is. Devotees should consider doing the same much as the writer who sent me the letter. I have followed my words with financial commitment--everything I have plus all my remaining credit. Nirmal dedicated his money. Manu did the same. So has Anuttama and Turley. Besides them, everyone else is just entertaining themselves. Here's where I'm getting at. There are 2,000 kulis. If we each threw in just $35 a month, we would have $800,000 a year. With that, we could buy ourselves large community properties, produce our story as a movie, get a boat to sail the world, hire a small force to shake down our abusers or what ever we decided we wanted. Some kulis will have $, some won't, but on average, it is possible. If 500 devotees pitched in just $35 a month, we would have $200,000 a year to do things with. This personifies what I'm getting at: consensus and financial commitment--even if it be small. Until then, if your not ready to take action, then at least be more appreciative of the sacrifices made by others for the cause you are now cashing in on. Raghunatha Anudasa About the Author Other Stories by this AuthorRelated VNN StoriesComment on this storyContact VNN about this storySend this story to a friend
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