Mayapur Gurukuli Complaint Letter and Response 10 30 24

Always Remember:

You came from here.

Background

The Co-directors of ISKCON Mayapur, wanted to solve the issues faced by the Bhaktivedanta Academy.

The following was the brief of the need.

Conduct interviews with BA (Bhaktivedanta Academy) Gurukula divisional head, council members, teachers and staff and Co-Directors to gather the following information:

Objectives:

* The way the council operates and the decision-making process

* The council's functioning

* Divisional head's functioning

* Organizational structure (departments in the division) Investigate specific complaints received in writing such as:

* Adult education and yajña course organization

* Why the letter of XXXX was not reported timely

On the basis of the above investigation Enquiry Panel is requested to prepare the report to the co-directors and propose necessary actions as the way forward in organizing or restructuring of the BA management.

Enquiry Panel

The Enquiry panel consisted of volunteers: Shreejeeva Das, Radhika Nagara Das and Vraja Vinoda Syama Dasa. Brief introduction to the panel members are available in Annexure1.

Interviews done

Over a timeframe of 3-4 weeks (From Feb 2024) - 24 zoom interviews were done by the panel with 23 respondents. Each interview spanned about 60-180 minutes. Video and audio recording was done for nearly all interviews. These recordings will remain in the custody of the Enquiry panel for reasons of confidentiality of the information shared. In additional to these interviews, some other relevant respondents were met in person in Mayapur.

ZOOM Interviews were done with the following:

Sl.no

Name

Role

1 Priti Vardhana Swami Division head, Council member, Teacher

2 Subheksana Dasa Co-Director

3 Tapana Misra Das Co-Director

4 Hrdaya Chaitanya Das Co-Director

5 Nitai Madhva Dasa Principal BA Gurukula, Council Member

6 Kamalesh Krishna Das International CPT in-charge

7 Navin Krishna Das Previous Enquiry Committee member

8 Ghanashayam Das CPT in-charge in Mayapur

9 Sitarama Dasa Council member

10 Simha bhatta Das Council member

11 Yaduraj Dasa Council member, Asrama teacher

12 Baladeva Prana Dasa Council member, Teacher, Gurukula graduate

13 Jananivas Dasa Academic head, teacher

14 Krsna Chandra Dasa Asrama teacher, Gurukula graduate

15 Prananatha Das Ex-council member, Ex-Academic head, Ex-teacher

16 Ex-Gurukuli Ex-Gurukuli

17 Ex-Gurukuli  Ex-Gurukuli who submitted the letter

18 Ajitananda Das Ex-Teacher

19 Vagisha Dasa Ex-Teacher for Sanskrit and Mantras

20 Haladhara Nitai Dasa Teacher

21 Samba Dasa Teacher

22 Krsna Chaitanya Dasa Teacher, Gurukula graduate

23 Narottama Vilas Dasa Teacher, Gurukula graduate

The Bhaktivedanta Academy Landscape

* The Bhaktivedanta Academy (BA) has four (4) departments

o Gurukula - Teaching vedic studies for boys from age 5 onwards

o Adult education - with classes done in the Rupanuga Vidyapita, a location different from Gurukula campus

o Varnasrama college - currently closed

o Agriculture - currently outsourced to Goshala

* Gurukula Management

o Is being managed by Nitai Madhava Das as the Principal

o The Principal reports to the Gurukula management council

o The council reports to the Divisional Head (Priti Vardhana Swami)

o Divisional Head reports to the Co-Directors

o Co-Directors report to the Mayapur Executive Board (MEB)

* Gurukula Management Council

o Gurukula council consists of: Priti Vardhana Swami (Divisional Head), Sitaram Das (Fundraiser), Nitai Madhava Das (Principal), Baladeva Dasa (Ex- Principal), Yaduraj Das (Ashram teacher) and Simha Bhatta Das (Parent representative)

o The academic head, Prananatha Das, was also a member until April/May 2023. He was also a teacher and recently moved out of Mayapur

* Adult Education

o Managed by Haladhara Nitai Dasa

o The Yajña course was led by Krsna Chaitanya Das

The build-up to the issue

Event 1: The discomfort in the council

* In October 2022, the new council1 was formed under the direction of Subheksana Dasa (Co-Director) which introduced Sitaram Das into the Gurukula System

* The first council had the following members

o Divisional head- HH BA Priti Vardhan Swami Maharaj

o Principal- Baladeva Sriman Das

o Ashram head- Yaduraj Das

o Academic Head- Prananatha Das

o Fund-raising -Sitaram Das

o Parent Representative- Simha Bhatta Das

* The resolution related to Anirdesya Vapu Das came into the public domain and Gurukula faced some public flak

* Baladeva Das expressed his interest in stepping down as a Principal for various reasons

1 The council was referred to as Gurukula Council and BA Council which leads to confusion in the future events.

* It was decided by the council and Subheksana Das that from January 2023, Nitai Madhava Das would be the Principal and would be included in the council

* Nitai Madhava Das, Sitaram Das, Yaduraj Das - know each other well from a long time. Along with them Baladeva Das also clicked well and they started steering the Gurukula management well

* The council took swift decisions with an intention to improve the educational facilities and experience of the children studying in the Gurukula

* In the course of these council meetings and with general interactions with other teachers and managers, it was felt by a few that Sitaram Das came across as authoritarian in his dealings

* There were conflicts between those who were happy with Sitaram Das (Nitai Madhava Das and Yaduraja Das) and those who did not like the new dynamics with him (Krsna Chaitanya Das, Haladhar Nitai Das, Prananath Das, Simha Bhatta Das)

* For the reasons thereof, Prananath Das excluded himself from the council. Priti Vardhan Swami had also reduced his participation in the council meetings and was operating more selectively.

* Baladeva Das was working well with Nitai Madhava Das, Sitarama Das and Yaduraja Das until Nitai Madhava Das reported the ex-gurukuli letter to the Co-Directors in Nov 2023

Event 2: The battle of methods

The previous management was operating Gurukula with a plan. They wanted the boys to be able to take up austerity and become good and mature devotees. Puja, Yajña, Cooking and Go-seva were the methods of primary focus in the Gurukula education. This is what made them different from the other educational systems. The Mayapur community prides itself with the sight of these Gurukula boys - from varied nationalities, chanting the mantras and performing deity worship and yajña activities.

Post the incidents related to Anirdesya Vapu Das, the new management was primarily overseen by the council. This council slowly attempted to emphasise more on the temple program within the Gurukula through Bhagavatam classes, book distribution, etc., which was the program recommended by Srila Prabhupada for adults.

Sitaram Das openly claimed that the emphasis on Puja, Yajña and Cooking should be reduced. Those who were a part of the previous system saw these steps as an attempt to "change the fabric" of the Gurukula by the new management.

Event 3: The fire of Yajña

Teaching Yajña for Adults is a course, which is part of the Adult Education program run by Krsna Chaitanya Das and Haladhar Nitai Das. This program takes place at the Rupanuga Vidyapita (near Goshala)

* Krsna Chaitanya Das created a course with an agenda of training 108 yajña purohits for the TOVP temple opening in 2026 by the inspiration of Braja Vilas Das

* The program was announced and courses were conducted with the permission and blessings of Priti Vardhan Swami, starting December 2022

* The course used teachers such as Narottama Vilas Das and Nimai from the Gurukula

* The council took objection to this - sighting the reason that the teachers are supposed to be engaging the boys at Gurukula. Also that the decision about the course was taken without the knowledge of the council

* Krsna Chaitanya Das and Haladhar Nitai Das say that the Gurukula council had nothing to do with the yajña course and hence their permission was not needed. While the new management said that the Gurukula council was for the entire Bhaktivedanta Academy including Adult Education Department.

* Krsna Chaitanya Das and Haladhar Nitai Das mentioned that they had the blessings of two Co-directors for this course

Enquiry committee notes: Sitaram Das has provided email communication evidence that he was trying to be cooperative with the Yajña team. The following facts explained why the Yajña team did not see the council and Sitaram Das as their authority for the Yajña course:

1. There was no clarity of the role of council from the Divisional head and Co-Directors

2. There was a strain in the relationship between the two sides

3. The Yajña team had the blessings and support of Priti Vardhan Swami (the Divisional Head)

* As an offshoot of Event 3 - there was also a traditional upanayanam ceremony conducted by the yajña team for one of the Yajña student's son. This was objected by the council saying they do not conduct this caste based upanayanam at ISKCON but somehow Krsna Chaitanya Das and Haladhar Nitai Das went ahead and conducted it after getting last minute permission from Priti Vardhan Swami, sighting academic interest of learning Yajña.

Enquiry committee notes: There was no clear line of authority in both cases. The adult education team in charge of the yajña course acted under the authority of the Co-directors and the Divisional Head. The council felt left out in a decision that affects the Gurukula. The Divisional Head and the council were not functioning together. The distance between the factions increased and gives rise to dislike and lack of trust.

* Subheksana Das, the Co-Director, initially asked the Gurukula council to not allow the Yajña course but did not clearly communicate the objection to the Yajña team. This surely backfired with both the teams having trust issues with Subheksana Das.

The Gurukula council found all these events and altercations stressful. Nitai Madhava Das sighted management non-cooperation as a key reason and put in his resignation on November 29, 2023. He indented to return to Mumbai.

Event 4: Disclosing the Ex-Gurukuli's letter

A WhatsApp message was sent in April 2022 by a former Gurukula student. During his tenure (2007-2017), he had many good experiences. However, he also went through sexual abuse by older boys and boys of his age. (Annexure 2: Ex-Gurukuli letter, names redacted)

The crux of the letter is as follows:

* He had wonderful positive experiences for 10 years of his Gurukula life. However, his message focused on the negatives.

* Because of these negatives, he will never send his son to this Gurukula or recommend it to someone

* There were many instances of abuse that happened between the boys. Some of it was forced and some of it consensual.

* He and his friends counted roughly 22 boys in those 10 years that they knew had some form of sexual interaction with other boys

* Most of these incidences were before the boys hit puberty.

* He terms these instances as "Horny teen syndrome."

* Most of these cases were known to the management.

* The boys who went through such experiences needed more care and the Gurukula had to do more to prevent these things from happening again, than just advice the boys.

Enquiry committee notes: The Ex-gurukuli clarified to the committee that the message was a personal message which was intended to those who knew the Gurukula from the inside, who cared like him to ensure that the boys had a good experience.

It was noted that the management knew these incidences well. What did they do? The Ex-gurukuli states that they were reported to the "CPT". Whenever such incidents were reported, someone from the "CPT" would come and give a lecture on how these things were bad.

The surprising element in these statements is that the local CPT and international CPO say that nothing in that period was reported by the management of Gurukula. It appears that the Gurukula management tried to address the situation on their own without the help of any qualified CPT

* His main point of writing this message was to implore the management to close the ashram - because no matter how much supervision is there, once the lights are off at night, there is a high risk of abuse

* The ex-gurukuli's intention was to impress that the Gurukula teachers were not doing their job to take care of the children as these things kept happening now and then. He did not intend the letter to be reported to anyone. All the devotees he sent the letter to reacted in a positive way. He does not want the letter to go public even now.

* The letter was sent in April 2022 via WhatsApp message to: Priti Vardhan Swami (Divisional head); Madhav Gauranga Das (then the Dean of Gurukula); Baladeva Das (then the Principal); Sri Gaur Das (then the Teacher); Krsna Chaitanya Das (Teacher); Yaduraj Das (Teacher)

Enquiry Committee notes: When we enquired Priti Vardhana Swami, his response was that he did not think that the Ex-Gurukuli wanted it to be reported

Madhava Gauranga Das (then the Dean of the Gurukula) said he did not report the letter officially but that he spoke to Subheksana Das, who was the co-director for the Gurukula

Baladeva Das (then the Principal) mentioned that it was up to higher authorities in the Gurukula to report it. He mentioned that he informed Subheksana Das about the letter around Nov 2022-Jan 2023.

The Co-director for the Gurukula (Subheksana Das), the Divisional head (Priti Vardhana Swami), and the Gurukula Dean (Madhava Gauranga Das) knew about the letter. However, we understand that at the time the Gurukula leadership received the letter, Madhava Gauranga Das was the main person taking decisions and directing the Gurukula.

In Jan 2023, two ZOOM meetings were conducted between the Divisional Head, the Gurukula council and Navin Krishna Das (who was conducting a study on child abuse in Gurukulas). The topic of child abuse at the Gurukula was discussed in depth. During those meetings, those who had received the letter in April '22 (Priti Vardhana Swami, Baladeva das and Yaduraj Das) did not mention it. Nitai Madhava Das and Sitaram Das were also in that meeting.

Nitai Madhava Das claims that he and Sitaram Das were not aware of the letter till November 28, 2023. Baladeva Das and Prananatha Das claim that this letter was discussed during council meetings while Sitaram Das was present. Also, Baladeva Das says that he updated about this letter to Nitai Madhava Das when he handed over the role of the Principal to him in Jan 2023

The timing of disclosing this letter by Nitai Madhava Das and submitting his resignation does beg the question - what was his motivation?

The rift between the two factions became ripe, as soon as this letter was disclosed to the Co- directors and others in the management. It was seen by some as an attempt to tar the image of Priti Vardhana Swami and put him out of his role.

Circumstances under which the letter was disclosed to the Co-Directors

* Nitai Madhava Das submits his resignation on November 29, 2023.

* His resignation was accepted by Priti Vardhan Swami on November 30, 2023

* Nitai Madhava Das reported this letter to the Co-Directors on November 29, 2023 - a day after he received it from Baladeva Das by WhatsApp

* However, Baladeva Das recalls that this letter was discussed with Nitai Madhava Das a before Nitai Madhava Das became the Principal (around Nov - Dec 2022)

* The next day, Sitaram Das, writes on an email loop that Nitai Madhava Das's resignation should be kept on hold

Complaints and counter complaints

With all these events culminating into a dispute, there were many letters written and counters offered by both the groups.

The council claims (non-exhaustive list):

* Priti Vardhana Swami, the Divisional head is not on ground for discussion and advice

* Krsna Chaitanya Das and Haladhar Nitai Das are not cooperating

* Subheksana Das is communicating directly to the Yajña team, without keeping the council in the loop

* There are many operational considerations such as:

o Why should the small boys go to the temple at 4:30 am to light the lamps, unsupervised?

o Why should the Yajña be done in the main hall? Why not shift that to a different place and have the SB class in the main hall?

o Why should the boys cook all the time, when there are not enough bigger boys who can handle fire? Why can't we get the someone else to cook?

o The boys are not able to handle the deities at Gurukula - why can't we reduce the standards?

Complaints against the council (non-exhaustive list)

* The council's decisions are taken by only one person- Sitaram Das

* Why should the Gurukula council be involved in the decisions related to Yajña which is done by the Adult education department?

* Gurukula Standards are dropping under the council

* Why should Sitaram das who has no training in education be involved in decision making regarding the functioning of the educational aspect of the Gurukula?

* Why are they trying to change the fabric of Gurukula - by not focusing on Puja, Yajña and Cooking?

* Sitaram Das is trying to overtake the management by having all the teachers on his pay-roll - as now as he has increased the salaries multi-fold

* His sons get special treatment by Nitai Madhava Das and Yaduraj Das

Findings

Disclaimer: The findings are based on the information found in many interviews. The committee discussions were done with an open mind and with all possibilities in sight. The committee though, might not be able to produce a recording or a transcript or a statement from any particular interview which would have led us to the conclusions, but the committee believes that the findings are true.

Previous management of Gurukula

Many students had a great experience at the Gurukula. They developed strong friendships, learned discipline, austerity, cleanliness, sadhana, yajña, and deity worship. They were fully engaged in various activities including cleaning, cooking, Go-seva, etc., There are many positives that the management and teachers need to be congratulated for. However, this report is not for glorifying the achievements but mainly focused on identifying issues, for the Co-Directors to address.

We found some areas of concerns in the way Gurukula had been previously operated:

* Lack of protection of children:

o Poor transparency

o Poor cooperation with the CPO. Abuses not reported in the boy's school and as it's known many abuses that took place in the girl's school also went unreported

* Poor academics:

o Some students were not able to read basic English even after reaching grade seven

o Academics were discouraged

o No stable and established curriculum - changing and experimenting

o Insufficient tertiary education. Some students remained at the Gurukula for the last few years for the sake of graduation but not learning anything significant

* Too much emphasis on subjects that may not suit everyone. For example: Sanskrit was taught daily but hardly anyone learnt more than the basic

* There was a fine line between teaching austerity and neglecting the children when the ashram was operating. Most children had to rise at 2 am and sometimes a teacher would use a bucket of cold water to wake them up. When a student complained to Priti Vardhana Swami about it, his reply was: "It is your duty to get up".

* A separatist, sectarian culture. This elitist attitude did percolate to the boys. Some more, some less. But overall, there was a superiority complex in the school ethos.

* The Gurukula mostly operated independently of ISKCON - Financially and otherwise. Taking fees in cash, Operating through different Trusts, Non accountability of the spendings being a few of the anomalies.

* Distancing children from their parents.

o Children's contact with their parents was restricted. Parents influence on their children was not appreciated. For many years, children were allowed to see their parents for 45 minutes a week strictly. (a bell would ring and they would have to leave them immediately)

o Parents' inputs to their children's education were ignored (they were literally told: "Our way or the High way")

Enquiry committee notes: Many of the above mentioned issues were rectified. With closing of the ashram, most of the problems above mentioned were eradicated.

The Academics have also improved, and the credit goes to Prananath Das - who has done commendable work.

Since the time Nitai Madhava Das has become the principle, the Local CPO and International CPT have appreciated the openness and a mood of cooperation that was never experienced before.

It is commendable to note that Sitaram Das is an expert fundraiser and has arranged about Rs. 1.3 Cr till date and continues to raise about 2.5 Lakhs per month.

Yaduraj Das seems to have done well with taking care of small children.

Baladeva Das is an asset with his knowledge on Gurukula and the dealing with the children's problems and parent relations

Current Management

Council

* Council has 3 members who are close with each other and hence form a nice team (Sitaram Das, Nitai Madhava Das and Yaduraj Das)

* Within these 3, Sitaram Das is a heavy weight and hence there is the propensity and possibility of him controlling the direction of the decision of the other two

* The council has 2 more members - Baladeva Das (the former Principal) and Simha Bhatta Das (Parent representative - currently not so actively involved)

* Baladeva Das has a strained relationship with Sitaram Das, Nitai Madhava Das and Yaduraj Das since the time Nitai Madhava Das disclosed the ex-gurukuli letter to the Co-directors

* Nitai Madhava Das and Yaduraj Das - both seem to be dedicated and sincere Divisional Head

* Priti Vardhana Swami is an exemplary sadhu. He has captured the hearts of many students, who like him a lot and look up to him as a Siksa guru

* He was the main person and has been in the Gurukula longer than anyone else (since 1993)

* However, it seems that it is not in his nature to be a manager and Divisional Head

* A few aspects that came to our notice:

o He was not available on the ground for discussions or decisions with the council

o He did not report the ex-gurukuli letter to the CPT - and assumably all the other cases of child abuse mentioned in the ex-gurukuli letter in the timespan of 2007-2017

¦ However, It is important to reiterate here that Madhava Gauranga Das was the Dean who was seen to be autocratic in his dealings

o He did not reveal any of the child abuse cases to the investigation team led by Navin Krsna Das

The Yajña Course

* The managerial structure of Gurukula is - There is a Co-Director, there is a divisional head and there is a council since October 2022

* In the case of the Yajña course, it was evident that the three entities were not on the same page

* Previously the approvals regarding adult education topics were taken by the divisional head and the dean

* Krishna Chaitanya Das did not take the Gurukula council into the picture because he received the approval of the divisional head and had the blessings of two Co-Directors

Adult Education Course

* Adult education courses (sastra caksus) were established for engaging Anirdesya Vapu Das as a teacher as he was restricted from teaching children

* The courses were designed by Anirdesya Vapu Das and lack any affiliation and hence could have flexible standards

* The course coordinator and head of this department Haladhar Nitai Das, agreed that he was in touch with Anirdesya Vapu Das and took counsel on how to run the Adult Education Course in December 2023

* Some of the teachers had informal classes with Anirdesya Vapu Das till almost the end of 2022

* We question if the Sastra Caksus course should be endorsed by the Gurukula

Ex-Gurukuli Letter

* The Ex-Gurukuli's letter, even though was in possession of many teachers and managers, including the Divisional head, Priti Vardhana Swami, it was not duly reported to the CPO/CPT - this is a serious issue

* The Co-director, Subheksana Das, was also aware of such a letter, but he did not take action in the right direction. It should be said that he expressed to the committee that he did not know about the letter till Nov 2023. However, both Madhava Gauranga Das and Baladeva Das had informed him

* Sitaram Das and Nitai Madhava Das claim that they did not know the content of this letter until November 28, 2023. However, it is plausible they knew about it much before - as claimed both by Baladeva Das and Prananath Das. Adding to this, Yaduraj Das was one of the recipients of the original message. Considering his closeness with Sitaram Das and Nitai Madhava Das - it would be questioned how did they not know about it.

* Navin Krishna Das, leading the 'Review of Safeguarding and Child Protection' enquiry had two meetings with Priti Vardhana Swami (Divisional head) and the Gurukula council in Jan 2023. In these meetings, Priti Vardhana Swami, Baladeva Das and Yaduraj Das were present. None of them mentioned the letter.

The Dilemma - To have or not to have an ashram

Traditionally the Gurukula had focussed on developing an ashram for boys to provide an experience wherein they could learn austerity, discipline and self-reliance. Ashram was one of the core attractions of the Gurukula.

Enquiry Committee Notes: We have received feedback regarding this topic from co-directors, the Gurukula leadership and the graduates. It is prudent to say that, if there is an ashrama at all, it should only be for boys of age 18+. The risk of sexual abuse would be significantly reduced along with other problems such as poor sleep, lack of proper physical and emotional care and distance from parents. The fabric of the Gurukula could and should be developed without an ashram.

Consider the larger picture There are three layers of issues Layer 1 - The immediate issue

1. Council: The composition of the council, the clash between members and the divisional head

2. The Yajña course: The way it was approached, the approvals sought, the approvals not sought, the varying views of the council and the divisional head

Layer 2 - The intermediate issue

1. The Divisional Head not doing his duty

2. A dysfunctional line of authority

3. History of unreported child abuse cases

Layer 3: The Core issue: Lacks of clarity on Srila Prabhupada's vision of Gurukula

The two factions have their own "truths" and "beliefs" on what is the best way to run the Gurukula.

On one side - There has been a system of what students are taught and how that is taught from the time the Gurukula was established by Anirdesya Vapu Das. The corner stones of this method seems to be Puja, Yajña, Cooking and Go-seva.

On the other side - Sitaram Das, Nitai Madhava Das and Yaduraj Das are introducing changes that are altering the established fabric of the Gurukula.

Recommendations:

Enquiry committee implores the management of ISKCON Mayapur to consider the following rational:

1. The leadership of Mayapur should commission a panel to conduct an in-depth study of Srila Prabhupada's vision on Gurukula - in order to prepare a document explaining how Srila Prabhupada would want the Mayapur Gurukula to function

2. The objectives of the Gurukula should be based on that vision

3. The goals and mission statement of the management should be drawn based on these objectives

4. The operations of the council should be focused on fulfilling these goals and mission statements

Immediate action points

* Gurukula Management

o The Co-Directors can identify a new Divisional Head who should be an on grounds person and empower him to act as such

o The Co-Directors may decide in discussion with Priti Vardhana Swami on his involvement with the Gurukula

o Nitai Madhava Das is deemed to be dedicated to the cause of the Gurukula -

Committee recommends that he continue in his role as the Principal

o The Co-Directors should empower the Principal and provide clarity in his role, jurisdiction and responsibilities

o Prananath Das should be invited back into the Gurukula to develop the academics

o Ashrama should remain closed - An expert panel could recommend the criteria for reopening the ashram (what age group, student teacher ratio etc.)

* Gurukula Administration

o The Gurukula must operate under the jurisdiction of the ISKCON Educational Ministry

o Gurukula book of accounts should be audited by an independent Auditor

o All payments to anyone connected to the Gurukula must be routed through ISKCON Mayapur Treasury only

* Child Protection

o The greatest catastrophe is if we do not learn from the previous catastrophe: A thorough CPT enquiry to be done on the standards followed by the management on reporting of CPT cases.

o Special emphasis must be placed on child protection

o Committee recommends a combination of CPO and the international CPT to take this enquiry in great detail

o The enquiry committee, recommends the Co-Directors to inform the international CPT about the details about the circumstances in which ex- gurukuli letter was not reported

* Council

o Co-Directors should provide clarity on the role of council - what they are meant to address and not address

o Have a good mix of qualified and dedicated devotees in the council

o Sitaram Das should be a part of the fundraising team but not a part of the council

* Yajña course

o The Yajña course should be run by the Deity Worship Ministry and operated by the Mayapur Academy

* Shastra Caksu

o It is recommended the BOEX review the course content, teachers, method, etc., to ascertain the future of this course

o Co-Directors should inform the Ministry of Education about Haladhar Nitai Das taking guidance from Anirdesya Vapu Das

* Since there is conflict of interest: Subheksana Das should be kept out of voting by the Co-directors (or MEB) for any decisions related to Gurukula

Om Tat Sat

*****

Annexure1: Introduction of Panel

Shreejeeva Das

Temple President, ISKCON Guwahati. ISKCON India Bureau member. Radhika Nagara Das

Radhika Nagara Das began his journey in Krishna consciousness in 1995 upon meeting devotees in England during his trip to India. He joined the Scottish Yatra in 1996 to become a brahmacari. For twelve years, he tirelessly distributed books all across the North of England, facilitated seven nama hattas, started the Krishna Conscious Society at Leeds and Sheffield Universities, and actively participated in various Hare Krishna festivals. From 2003 to 2008, he served as the sankirtana leader and a member of the Board of Directors of ISKCON Scotland. All the members of his sankirtana party were top book distributors in Europe for most of that time. ISKCON Scotland raised funds for multiple ISKCON projects, including the Mayapur Gurukula.

In 2008, he made a bold move to Mayapur and became a sastric teacher the following year. Since then, he has been actively teaching and coordinating Bhakti-sastri, Bhaktivaibhava, and Bhaktivedanta courses at the Mayapur Institute. Moreover, he served as a member of the Mayapur Institute Board of Directors from 2009 to 2020. He has a Bhaktivaibhava degree and has taken most of the educational courses facilitated in ISKCON Mayapur for the last 15 years.

Before the Covid-19 pandemic, he travelled every year to distribute books in England and to teach Bhakti-sastri and Bhaktivaibhava in the UK, Spain, UAE, Bahrain, Oman, and Kuwait. He has taught at the VIHE and the Instituto de Estudios Bhaktivedanta. In 2021, he took the initiative to start the Spanish branch of the Mayapur TV, which now has weekly classes and interviews with ISKCON leaders. The YouTube channel has gained a considerable following of 3500 people. 

He founded the Academia de Bhakti in 2023, a platform dedicated to teaching Bhakti-sastri and Bhaktivaibhava to Spanish-speaking devotees, demonstrating his unwavering commitment to spreading the message of Krishna consciousness. He is currently living in Mayapur with his family and is coordinating the Bhaktivedanta course at the Mayapur Institute. He is also a trained professional life coach.

Vraja Vinoda Syama Dasa

Vraja Vinoda Syama Dasa (Vinod Rao), is practicing in the ISKCON Movement from 2010. He is a disciple of HH Jayapataka Swami. First initiation 2015 and Brahman initiation in 2020. Educationally, has a degree in Engineering and an MBA in Finance and Marketing. He has had many corporate leader positions in Bangalore, Dubai and Mumbai. He retired at from his role fo head HR and Senior Vice President Wealth Management, at a young age of 42.

He got the opportunity to be a full time servant at ISKCON Mayapur in March 2021. Since then he has been serving as in-charge of SRD (Seva Resource Development) and CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility). He also is a part of the TOVP fundraising team.

He has also completed the certificate courses like Bhakti Sastri, TTC and Devotee care. He is currently pursuing his Bhakti Vedanta degree from Mayapur Institute.

End of Annexure1

Annexure 2: Ex-Gurukuli Letter, Names redacted

To the teachers and staff of the gurukul: XXXX speaking. I'm facing a conflict of emotions, on one hand, there is the wonderful experience of gurukul: sadhana, austerity, and friendships are among the many positives that gurukul has to offer. For the most part, I'm happy that I spent 10 years in the school. I really am. However, there is this relentless thought that, from where I'm standing, is over-shadowing all the light and good that I was given. The sexual abuse between children, whether it's amongst kids of the same age, or it's the older boys taking advantage of the young ones. 

XXXX has just gone through counseling and he's taken big steps to make himself happy and comfortable with himself; with who he is and what he's been through. However, in doing so, he's stepped away from Krsna, which is most unfortunate. The details and accounts he shared with me made me realize that when I was there these things, this abuse, became almost normal. "Oh that one and this one did some nonsense." And sure, steps were taken, internally, but I think a lot more could have been done. 

The things that XXXX has been through are outrageous and disgusting. (He's not the only one.) For even one boy in your school to go through the things that he did and not get any help from a professional is truly baffling to me. I'm telling you now, at this point in my life, from where I'm standing, I'd never send my son to gurukul. The sheer amount of abuse that happened when I was in school makes it impossible for me to even recommend the school to another parent. 

I've talked to XXXX, XXXX, and XXXX, and we counted 22 boys (that we know of). There will be more that we don't know of. If I keep asking around, I'd probably find a lot more kids who have been involved in some sort of sexual interaction, either as victims, as perpetrators, or consensually. All three are victims under a certain age as far as I'm concerned. I would think most people that instigated the abuse regret their choice in their adulthood. I know I would. For fuck's sake, I've had someone come into my mosquito net when I was sleeping, I've had older boys manipulate me and take advantage of me, and I've been in willing encounters. 

Please note that most of this happened before I hit puberty or in the beginning stages of puberty. I forgive myself and a lot of the other boys involved. One I still wish would drop dead. I know for a fact that these same things have happened to other boys that I've spoken to. I've locked these memories in a dark room in my mind and I know so many others have done the same. I don't need to tell you guys that that is not the correct way of dealing with trauma and abuse. 

I'll spare you the details of what happened. You know most of them already. What I'm saying is that with all the good, and there is so much good, there's what I'm calling "horny teen syndrome" which is completely out of control. Kids sucking other kids dicks is where I broke. That's where I draw a clear red line. It's one thing if they're awake, but when you've got something like this happening to a sleeping boy or you've got some guy jacking off onto another boy as they sleep... 

There's no fucking way you can convince me putting my kid into your school is worth it. 22 kids, that's a lot. Thank God no teachers were involved (XXXX ?). Here's the bottom line: If there's not a solution, and fast, you'll have another old gurukul situation --- where the boys grow up and aren't happy with what happened to them. And then they remember that even when the teachers did find out, very little energy was put into making

Sure the mental health of these children, of us, was ok. Both immediately, at the time of the incident and further down the track. This stuff doesn't go away in a hurry. I wasn't going to say anything but stuff it, here we are. We have to face the music. This is what it is and something's got to change. As long as there's boys going through puberty "horny teen syndrome" will be there. And as long as that's there the abuse can, and will, continue. I said at the start, I loved gurukul, there was and hopefully is so much good there. But this abuse is a cancer, and I would like to know what you're doing about it. A brother and student, XXXX Das

End of Annexure 2