Bangalore Peace Proposal update (ISKCON) ys pd

Bangalore 1st September, 2011 — We got to know through media sources that ISKCON Mumbai’s Bureau members conducted a press conference today and claimed that they are willing to settle the dispute between ISKCON Bangalore and Mumbai as per the Supreme Courts’ desire. We are sending this clarificatory press release so as to present the actual facts of the matter.

We wish to place on record that ISKCON Bangalore was the first to offer a peace proposal, we had offered peace proposal as early as 4th of February 2009. This peace proposal was given just before City Civil Court pronounced its verdict that ISKCON Bangalore registered in 1978 is an independent society and that ISKCON Mumbai registered in 1971 should not interfere with Bangalore’s affairs.

This proposal was categorically rejected by ISKCON Mumbai. The proposal was sent in writing you can view the same by going to the following link: http://www.iskconbangalore.org/sites/default/files/Krishna-Voice-July-2011.pdf (page 48).
Further, after June 5th 2011 hearing of Supreme Court which instructed both the litigating parties to maintain Status quo and try to resolve the differences peacefully. I went personally to ISKCON Mumbai, and met with Sri Bhima Dasa the member Secretary of Bureau of ISKCON Mumbai, to discuss and work out peace proposal.

Unfortunately Sri Bhima dasa, threatened that if we do not surrender to the ISKCON Guru system, all the ISKCON Bangalore society’s office bearers will be jailed. I was humiliated when a proposal for peace was offered, a patented proof to the fact that ISKCON Mumbai is not really serious about peace.
ISKCON Mumbai’s claim that they have invited me to come for discussion today with all the Bureau members is far from truth as we have not received any such invitation.

These are all eyewash techniques of ISKCON Mumbai which wants to make a farcical show to Supreme Court and to people in general that they have tried to resolve the matters peacefully and that we are not serious about peaceful settlement. It should also be noted here that I too am a member of the ISKCON Mumbai’s govern council or Bureau, but I have not been getting any invitations from them for their meeting and I have got to know from sources that the Bureau has conducted a meeting in Bangalore today and I have not been invited for the same.

In spite of being humiliated time again and they not being serious about peace, ISKCON Bangalore is deeply interested in resolving the differences, amicably settle and focus on constructive endeavors.
We reiterate that our offer for peace is always open and that we are ready to discuss the issue at length. We even now invite 2or 3 representatives of ISKCON Mumbai’s Bureau to come to ISKCON Bangalore’s Radha Krishna Mandir on Hare Krishna Hill Rajajinagar so that proposals can be discussed.

We also wish to openly declare that the origin of this dispute is not property related but it is related to succession to the Acharya peetha after the physical departure of Srila Prabhupada the founder and Acharya of ISKCON. The International governing body has passed the following resolution which has been adopted by ISKCON Mumbai:

The Posthumous Rtvik Doctrine
The doctrine that Srila Prabhupada continues to initiate direct diksha disciples after his departure from this world thro’ officiating priests (rtviks) is a dangerous philosophical deviation. It is totally prohibited in ISKCON. No devotee shall participate in such posthumous rtvik initiation ceremonies in any capacity including acting as rtvik, initiate, assistant, organizer or financier. No ISKCON devotee shall advocate or support its practice.” (ISKCON Law 6.4.7.2)

We are willing to settle and handover the control of ISKCON Bangalore society registered in 1978 if the above ISKCON Law (ISKCON Law 6.4.7.2) is rescinded and it is openly declared that Srila Prabhupada is the only Acharya of ISKCON and that no one else should accept disciples within ISKCON.

Any further discussions on the peace proposal can be worked out provided these facts are first accepted by ISKCON Mumbai. Only based on this first step can any peace or settling of issues can make meaningful progress. We the devotees of ISKCON Bangalore are leading a reform movement within ISKCON against immorality and corruption where unqualified largely western disciples have usurped the position of Acharya, Srila Prabhupada and are making their own disciples, thus creating hundreds of guru camps within the movement.

More than forty of these self made gurus have fallen from grace into immoral activities and have brought great disrepute to the ISKCON movement all over the world. This reform movement is supported by thousands of devotees and disciples from all over the world. Many thousands of disciples of Srila Prabhupada have been hounded out of ISKCON for having said Srila Prabhupada is the only guru of ISKCON by the unauthorized self-made gurus of ISKCON.

They attempted to bribe me earlier by offering to make me a guru in order to kill the reform movement against immorality and corruption in ISKCON. The current attempt is either a drama or another attempt to bribe me with lifelong president-ship of ISKCON Bangalore and thus diverting from the main issue.
What we are requesting is the facility to accept Srila Prabhupada as the sole guru of ISKCON within the institution established by him. This is not possible as long as the draconian law of prohibition is hanging on the head of the devotees of ISKCON. ‘
Yours in service of Lord Krishna,
Madhu Pandit Dasa,
President,
ISKCON Bangalore.