A Few Eye-Witness Accounts of ISKCON Dhanurdara's "Auschwitz for Kids"

[PADA: Some ex-kulis have told PADA that their experience in the GBC's gurukula school system was like "Auschwitz for kids." More than a few of them told me they had contemplated suicide. More than a few of them have committed suicide. More than a few of them said to us -- thanks to our efforts to address the issue, that saved them from suicide. It is amazing that so many people have just ignored PADA, if not berated and harassed us, if not threatened to kill us, when we tried to bring these "gurukula student" problems to the attention of the society starting around 1979-1980. 

Worse! Lots of senior devotees, including leaders and rank and file, have said PADA is "speaking garbage, lies, stools" and so on, self evidently not having much concern for the plight of the society's children -- either back in the day or even nowadays. 

That simply means -- a whole lot of people are therefore complicit in acquiescing, empowering, enabling and thereby co-making the "Auschwitz for kids" process by omission or commission. Anyway, below are a few eye-witness testimonies. Maybe all this is not "PADA lies," maybe there has been a big problem, and the society's denial / suppression / harassing / threatening has been enabling and empowering this problem. 

Worse, after being so badly mistreated, and horrifically, the society as a whole then blamed the children victims for "being fringies who are not following the principles." OK rubbing salt into their wounds. No wonder then that a number of these victims ran off to eat meat, take drugs, go bonkers, criticize the religion, or die untimely. And they are still being neglected, ignored, disregarded and cast off now -- almost as much as they were then. As more than a few victims have testified to PADA "we are the best examples of "varna-sankara" (unwanted children) maybe anywhere on the face of this earth."

I am glad to have been at least trying to fix this issue, either with some success or maybe not, because I do believe that the people who allowed / encouraged / enabled / empowered this regime will meet some karmic fate at some point. As we all know, anyone who beats a Vaishnava has to go into the stone rollers at Yama's planet. 

And lets not forget how many of these children were emotionally, psychologically, and / or physically abused, mis-educated, and then tossed out into the world with little or no assist from their society. Then we wonder why some of them feel suicide is the best solution? Some of them tell me simply seeing people like Radhanath, Dhanurdara etc. gives them PTSD stress, but who cares? They already know, almost no one gives a hoot about them or their experiences and feelings.

As for those who beat Vaishnava children, or who enable that process, well lets say, its going to be a very bumpy ride indeed. As for those who tried to suppress us over the years, to enable this process, they are part of the Auschwitz regime direct or de facto. I do hope some people will do the right thing and try to make amends to these victims now, before its too late and they leave this planet with no absolving process then available -- other than what happens on Yama's planet. 

I know a lot of parents were pretty much overwhelmed by learning their kids had been victimized, but they could have and should have called the cops and pressed charges, if for no other reason than to show their children how this issue has to be dealt with. It is astonishing to any outside observer how these levels of abuse could have gone on without being checked, and that some of the perps are walking around being worshiped as God's successors, being buried in samadhis and so on -- now as we speak. 

(angel108b@yahoo.com)

ys pd]

KT: Hare Krishna my dear prabhus. 

I am the mother of a son who was horrifically abused in Vrindaban gurukula — personally by Dhanurdhar and indirectly by him sanctioning the cruelty of other abusers and pedophiles. After many many years I just reread The description of the things they did to my son that were truly monstrous and sickening.

Additionally, I worked in the legal office with Amarendra prabhu during the time that the declarations of abuse were submitted and I was the one who opened them. As far as I know, I am one of only two people that ever actually read all the descriptions of the abuse in Vrindaban. 

And of course, Dhanurdhar’s name came up over and over again, and the unbelievably cruel things he did were described by person after person. But the most heartbreaking part of that service were the phone calls I answered from the desperately in pain petitioners. Many times they whispered thru tears that they were going to tell me things they had never told another human being about the terrible things that were done to them. 

Others would tell me they were contemplating suicide. 

And then despite my best efforts to be there for him, we lost our dear Ananda. That breaks my heart to this day. I spent so many hours listening to their pain, desperation and anger that at times I had to stay all night at the office to finish my work. But how could anyone with a heart and an equally damaged child, not talk to them for as long as they needed. I tell you all this because I want to explain why I am so committed to doing anything I can to prevent the travesty of the of them having to see Dhanurdhar sitting on a Vyasasan being worshipped as good as God.

BG: Why has no one ever had Dhanurdara arrested? Then he would be on probation and he would be restricted from associating with children, or with the society.

BW: While in my second year at BSIG (10 years old) my mother’s authorities neglected to pay my school tuition, even though she was a full-time teacher at the Los Angeles Gurukul for many years prior. As a single mother with a long blooped husband, I guess she had no real pull, and I had no real advocate. 

As a non-payer, I was informed I didn’t get to use the Dhobi, get any new clothes, a trunk, lock or any of the basic supplies issued to returning students. The rest of that year, I was purposely passed over for Maha Prasad, couldn’t leave the grounds, and was barred from the many field trips. 

Luckily, I had a reputation of being a little feisty and couldn’t be groomed by sexual deviants like Sastra and Niragadev though I would routinely get caned for not showing due respect and eye rolling when these people told me of their authority over me. Things definitely took a turn for the worse after Adesh pushed me down the stairs on the way to Guru Puja, and I snapped my collarbone. 

I spent a week or two in the Mathura hospital where patients would keep me up at night coughing and gasping with Tuberculosis. I was finally released when the doctor reset some bones and wrapped me in an upper body caste that held my arm against my body for three months. I didn’t have pain medication, and boy was it ever the most excruciating pain. The sweat and heat pickled my body, it itched in my cast uncontrollably, and I dropped so much weight that my eyes sunk in to my skull and I would routinely get delirious. 

I begged Krishna to take me, and I fantasized about having my limbs tied like Vishnujana and thrown into the Yamuna so I could return BTG and be liberated. As I was cut off, I didn’t get any perks during the Vrindavan festival, when the 12 Gurus and many Sanyasis and big wigs would show up and be showered with adoration from fellow students along with personal attention and sumptuous feasting. 

To his credit Ramesvara recognized me in Krishna Balaram Mandir made me follow him to his room, and could see the sorry state I was in. He was furious! He summoned Dhanudhar and chewed him anew one and immediately arranged for my tuition. Post haste my situation changed, but Principal Dhanudhar was absolutely the orchestrator of everything at BSIG and is culpable for everyone under him and everything that happened.

RM: That is truly horrifying.

GD: So effed up. Love ya.

VC: I’m so sorry for what you went thru. I guess husband’s tuition was never paid either. Husband has really closed his mind off to the torture you guys went thru. The little I hear it’s so horrifying.

DS: I lived on the top floor of the Vrindavan gurukula building, reserved for temple brahmacharis. From up there we could hear the sounds of beatings, crying, various sounds of human torment and terror. But the mood from the management was to mind our own business, keep our mouth shut, don't get involved, don't talk about it -- or we would be kicked out.

So us temple brahmacharis lived up there in our little world, and down below us the schoolboys were being tortured and abused. We just had to live with it. And it was disgusting seeing characters like Niragadeva parading around, speaking and acting as "gay" as possible. And as mean as possible too. Constant harshness to those poor boys.

If only we could change history. Those of us observing from the sidelines that "something was off" really had no idea of the extent until decades later when the interviews came out. But in real time, what if a single tortured boy came up the stairwell and asked us to help? What if us older guys went storming down there and challenged the abusers "What the hell is going on here?" We just had no idea. And no one told us a thing. And the boys were under a gag order too. Just as they are today in Mayapur, they have to sign the gag order to be admitted.

VC: What an idiot I decided to read his resignation letter.

BD: Iskcon has turned into shitcon and every single leader is responsible. That is right, every single leader, even your pure guru is no better then a worm in stool if he is not standing up and outraged.

BB: Haribol. Poor Sanaka dude! He got mind fu**ed by the GBC. The GBC always make people feel like they are the demons when they report the bad things going on. Now this poor Sanaka guy has self doubt about "naming names" and "making offense to so many people." Yea, code for "offense" to the GBC people. We can't name the names of the bad guys, its an offense because the bad guys are the GBC.

Children are getting a beat down, beaten to a pulp, teeth knocked out, molested, starving and worse. And we are worried about "being too offensive" pointing out this? They told me the same thing, one finger is pointing at them and the rest of your fingers point to you, you are the problem. You are an offender prabhu.

Yea, my one finger is pointing to them, and the rest are pointing at me for being worried about making offense when we know how children were being beat down. This poor Sanaka guy has been drinking their kool aid, but its true he did more than most. We should point out beating children to a pulp is a bad thing or all our fingers are pointing at us for not helping. I wish I had done more myself, at least I know its not offense when I curse these people.

These children were screaming in pain from Vrndavana gurukula ashram while being beaten to a pulp. And a lot of people nearby heard them screaming, and they did nothing. They were afraid of naming names and making offense. So when they are being beat down someday and they are screaming in pain, no one will help them either. Karma will come back to bite their a**. This is really bad when we are worried about making offense for protecting children. This is too much kool aid and we should know that. That's why I do not associate with them, they will mind fu** you.

[PADA: Well yup.]