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NEWSLETTER No.34 |
Message from Adridharana Dasa, Temple President ISKCON Calcutta
1. GBC Declare All Out War
Last year on the 14th February 1999, the GBC began on a path that shocked
not only the whole Indian Yatra, but also the movement worldwide, when
they voted to expel a number of devotees from the movement. This included
ISKCON Temple Presidents and others who between them had rendered over 150
years service in ISKCON.
They were of course expelled for their belief that Srila Prabhupada and
NOT they, is the Spiritual Master for ISKCON. Our response was immediate
and effective. We filed a case in the Calcutta High Court against the
entire GBC body and all the movement's Gurus, stating that they had not
obeyed Srila Prabhupada's final directive on initiations for the movement.
Immediately, within days of our filing, the GBC backed down. The same
brave souls who had unanimously decided to expel us, decided on 27th March
1999 to rescind their expulsion. Many leading devotees in the
movement severely criticised the action taken by the GBC, adding that the
effect of their actions would damage the preaching, especially in India,
very gravely. This chorus of disapproval was led by stalwart souls such as
Bhima Das, Temple President Bombay, Yasomatinandana Das, Temple President
Ahmedabad, Bhakta Rupa Das, Bureau Member, Rasa-Raja Das, Temple President
Berkley, Pancaratana Das, Chairman of the Indian Continental Committee and
Kadamba Kannana Maharaja, Bureau Member, Devakinandana Das, Bureau Member
and Mahamana Das, Temple President Vrindavana. His Holiness
Jayadvaita Maharaja had also warned the GBC before the expulsion, that the
course of action they were embarking on was disastrous. He subsequently
refused to pay a $500 'war tax' to fight us in the court
case in protest. Many of these same devotees have since then been working
hard to try and being peace to the situation. They have tried to argue
that the main thing is the preaching and the expulsion and the litigation
it leads to is not good for the movement. Even Gopal Krishna Maharaja has
got involved in these efforts. He tried to claim that since the expulsion
had been rescinded, we could now drop our court case.
We however had always maintained that the GBC could and WOULD expel
us at any time, and therefore the GBC could not be trusted. Plus we
pointed out that these court cases were not filed primarily for protection
but to re-instate Srila Prabhupada as the Guru for the movement, just as
he desired. In this way 'peace efforts' have been conducted by these
devotees, who as they saw things, were trying clean up the mess which the
GBC had created. Things seemed to be progressing in that attempts were
made for everyone to work together on the upcoming Kumbha Mela Festival.
From our side we also had not filed many
more cases which we had ready. Being members of the Bureau ourselves, we
had clear-cut access to evidence of severe financial irregularities and
other mis-deeds, and had we filed such cases, the movement would be
completely paralysed.
However all these 'peace efforts' are now in ruins. Having already taken
one unilateral and disastrous expulsion decision, the GBC have now taken
another. Last week we received a *** 500 *** page document from the
GBC Executive Committee, giving a 15 day notice, before expulsion
takes places. Quoting *** 35 *** different GBC 'laws' which they
claim I have violated, they then go onto state:
| "and whereas these
acts complained of and their continues day to day occurrences have
assumed such proportions which has given rise to an urgent situation
as defined under iskcon law no. 5.5.6, ie;
(1) any violation which endangers
iskcon's stability and security locally, nationally, or
internationally which cannot wait for the usual process of
suspension and removal. |
They have given a '15 day' notice
because legally they are forced to do so. The violations complained of are
all related to our belief that Srila Prabhupada is the Guru for ISKCON,
and therefore under these grounds, for a *** second time ***, they
have issued an expulsion notice.
This action makes a mockery of the efforts the various leaders in India,
who were complaining on their internet conference just last week, of the
need to resolve these issues peacefully without "confrontation"
and 'aggressiveness". It seems that just as last time, they have been
kept completely in the dark of these plans, and their input and peace
efforts were treated with the same contempt they received the last time
the GBC took such an unilateral expulsion decision. Even non-Ritvik
leaders in India have now said that following this act of aggression -
"They would be justified in doing whatever they like".
We do not need to say much. We only need to state that our warning that
the GBC could not be trusted and their decision to rescind the expulsion
was meaningless, has been proven correct. And that any calls for restraint
on our part are also now meaningless in the face of this act of
provocation. It seems that the GBC are now determined not just to go to
war with us, but also with a large part of the Indian Yatra, who were
still busy dealing with the previous GBC actions, before being landed with
this current bombshell.
1 week before he mailed the expulsion document to us, Ravindra Svarupa,
the GBC chairman, sent me the following note:
| "I have received
reliable reports that you have not been in the ISKCON Calcutta
temple on Albert Road for the last two months. Your whereabouts are
unknown. No one in the temple seems to knows where you are--what
your present address or telephone number are. Could you please send
me your current address and telephone number? Please also kindly let
me know your schedule for the next three or four weeks." (Ravindra Svarupa, GBC Chairman, 8/9/00) |
The GBC's actions are based therefore on
the idea that I have been 'missing in action'. This itself stemmed from a
false rape case that had been filed by the JPS camp, specifically to
implicate me. Therefore a *500* page document listing 35 violations
is sent just days before the courts close in India for many weeks for the
holiday season. In the meantime Dayarama, Jayapataka Swami's right hand
man who runs Mayapura, in anticipation of this expulsion notice has been
planning to storm the temple and seize the property. He has ALREADY
begun offering devotees the position of "Vice Temple
President" of Calcutta!
This expulsion notice just issued by the GBC is the last piece of the
jigsaw that ties all these events together, and the plan is now
clear ...
Thus our recent discovery of Mayapur's plan
to illegally storm the Calcutta temple with 200 thugs, after having been
given the 'green light' by the GBC in the USA to do so, was not a
coincidence or a bluff. And the expulsion notice following on from the
false rape case is also no coincidence. The length of the expulsion notice
at 500 pages, would indicate that this document was being worked on for
probably around 1-2 months, which would be shortly after the false rape
case and the incarceration of the innocent Suresvara.
Such 'dirty tricks' are a last desperate throw of the dice by a crumbling
regime. As the GBC chairman himself stated, the movement is
'disintegrating'. They are facing a $400 million lawsuit. And like any
cult in the throes of a 'meltdown', in sheer desperation - they cook up a
false rape case, issue another expulsion notice and ready thugs to
illegally seize the temple!
To say that as usual the GBC have severely mis-calculated, would have to
be a gross under-statement!
The world is completely different to how they planned it..
We can only promise that these acts of
gangsterism from the GBC will not succeed, just as they have failed
previously. Already the first part of their plan has fallen apart with
Jayapataka Swami on the run from the Police.
Our responses will be as always, swift and effective. Please look out for
details in our next newsletter.
We just wanted to make it clear to everyone, WHO AGAIN has been the
aggressor and fired the first shot. However if its a war the GBC
want, then its a war they will get!
2. Jayapataka
Swami 'Fugitive Watch' Update
The reaction to our last newsletter, where we reported the false rape
case, and the subsequent abscondment of Jayapataka Swami, one of the
accused in the suicide case, has been spectacular. We asked devotees to
keep us informed of Jayapataka Swami's movement, and boy have you done
that! In an unprecedented act of co-operation and unity over the disgust
felt at the death of an innocent vaisnava, ISKCON temples and devotees
from all over the world, most of whom do not even accept the Ritvik
position, have inundated us with messages of support in our campaign for
justice and also with sightings of the fugitive, Jayapataka Swami. He has
been seen in Mauritius, the USA, Malaysia, temporarily in Hong Kong, then
Australia, and we have now had 2 independent sightings of him in Korea!
The Indian Yatra has also not been slow to act following our revelations.
They have made it clear that someone is lying, and that someone must
resign. Having reviewed our water-tight evidence, they have called for the
JPS camp to issue a written response. The process is being spear-headed by
Bhima Das, who is the secretary of the Bureau - which is the legal entity
that controls all the ISKCON properties in India. He stated on the Indian
leader's conference:
| "Dear Dayaram
Prabhu One devotee who had taken shelter in our temple has committed
suicide. You and Jayapataka Swami are saying he is guilty and Adri
Dharan is saying he is innocent. Not only that but Adri Dharan has
been named in the FIR (Official Allegation) as sending this
lady who was allegedly raped to the alleged rapist. Now what is your side of the story? We must come to the bottom of this and the person who is lying in this case should resign. Jayapataka Swami has already given a statement that the devotee is guilty so he should also state how he came to that conclusion." (Bhima Das, 18/9/00, COM Message 3552288) |
Jayapataka Swami has also tried to claim that he is not a fugitive:
| "By the way I am
not on the run. I am doing my normal preaching tour as every
year." (Jayapataka Swami, 15/9/00, Com Message 3547427) |
We therefore asked him, that since this
was just 'normal preaching', WHAT was the 'normal' date for this 'normal'
preaching tour to end, and when would be the 'normal' date on which he
would re-enter India, since there were many interested parties who would
be interested to meet him on his return.
Please keep those sightings and information reports coming in. The Police
need to be aware when he is likely to try and re-enter India, if at all he
does. Thank you very much.
3. Jayapataka
Swami Makes More False Statements
Jayapataka, beleaguered and on the run, has however attempted a pathetic
defence of his position by releasing a lengthy statement to CHAKRA,
claiming his innocence. Having proven our case in the previous newsletter
in a water-tight manner through independent witness corroboration, medical
reports, court documents etc. etc., JPS would need nothing less than the
release of some yet unseen solid and substantial evidence to counter this
mountain of evidence. In fact he produces not ONE shred of evidence in
reply. Rather his statement relies solely on extracts from 2 *newspaper
articles*, padded out with attacks on me and the Ritvik position, which do
not even have any relevance to the specifics of the case Thus his defence
to our mountain of documented evidence is nothing more than 3rd hand
reports in the newspapers!! Hardly evidence! And the fact that in this
hour of urgency he can not forward any evidence, but rather tries to dodge
the issue by scraping the bottom of the barrel by relying only on 3rd hand
reports from newspapers, will only *FURTHER* convince many neutral
observers of his guilt. We will now show how his statement is just nothing
but a smokescreen to cover-up the fact that he has no evidence to counter
the water-tight case we have presented. His statements shall be enclosed
in speech marks, thus " ":
| "There is no arrest warrant against me or anyone else." |
FACT: Yet newspaper reports state different:
"WARRANTS OUT FOR 8 ISKCON MONKS"
The case of the Iskcon monk's suicide took a dramatic turn on Wednesday with the court ordering the police to arrest 8 monks of the order."
(The Telegraph, 10 august 2000)
1) This proves that the newspaper reports
are unreliable and have no bearing on the actual facts of this case. Just
this fact alone destroys the whole of JPS's supposed 'defence', since he
presents nothing but 2 newspaper reports to try and defend his corner, and
this is why we make this point right at the beginning. Thus in order to
determine the actual TRUTH of this matter the newspaper articles which JPS
relies on have no role to play, and we need instead to see some DOCUMENTED
FACTS, like we have presented. Not the 3rd hand accounts and speculation
from journalists.
2) This shows that JPS is a hypocrite since he is happy to rest his whole
defence on newspaper reports when it suits him, even though he knows they
contain many inaccuracies.
3) We never claimed that there were any 'arrest warrants' out on him -
only that the Police have a court order that prevents him from leaving the
country due the seriousness of the case and his role in it.
| "Contrary to what Adri Dharan das, the self-styled President of the ritvikism rebel group based in Calcutta, may think, I have not descended to the level of utilizing the suffering of an innocent woman to make some points against him in the ongoing battle with the ritviks. I have nothing to do with the alleged rape case of the late Suresvara dasa." |
FACT: This is what he said on July 24th publicly on the internet:
| "Meanwhile his own
devotee raped a devotees widow and although he knows he had sex with
her" [...] How can we cover up a rape? That would also be
abetting the crime, I believe. If Adri wanted to he had enough time
to settle something out of court with the woman before it went to
the court.[...] He has been bribing left and right. [...] As far as
I am concerned Yasomati nandana and Adri are now totally
discredited. to use an innocent women who is a rape victim as a pawn
in ritvik politics is ridiculous and sinful. Adri didn't have to
send this woman to Suresvara who was several kilometres away in a
secluded place to get her Rs.2000 stipend. Adri knew that Suresvara
had previously fallen down with some woman and after that took
allegedly took the woman to his own building for reasons best known
to him. [..] Everyone knows Suresvara das had sex with the woman.
[...] She was promised 2 lakhs stipend for her maintenance and
instead it was reduced to 2000 per month and when she begged to get
it from the lady cashier in the Calcutta temple Adri refused and
sent her to this lusty devotee who not only harassed her but forced
her to satisfy his carnal desires before giving her the Rs.2000
stipend. This is rape by coercion and Adri knows it is true, yet
still he is spending up to a lakh to hire top lawyers to
unsuccessfully get a bail for the devotee but he couldn't give the
pension he promised the lady. So this kind of criminal activity gets
condoned in the name of good communications. [..] .[...] It is clear
that it is a genuine case." (Jayapataka Swami, 24/7/00) |
If he has 'nothing to do' with the rape case, then why has he taken it upon himself to give the alleged details of what happened on the day of the alleged event, and HOW does he know that "it is clear that it is a genuine case"?
| "I left India prior to this alleged order being made for a Rathayatra in Malaysia." |
FACT: But he left AFTER the appearance of HIS name in the suicide diary was made PUBLIC on August 3rd - which is what we claimed. The order was not made until the 7th August. Once he knew that he had been named, he knew it was only a matter of time before he would be picked up for questioning, and thus he fled.
| "I am not fleeing or hiding from anyone and there is no reason to do so. I will soon return to India and deal with the legal matters pending." |
Well why doesn't he state HOW soon this 'soon' is going to be and WHEN he will return. If it is an organised 'normal' tour as he has claimed, he will know his schedule and when he intends to return.
| "In any case the matter had already gone to the police and the courts would decide who is innocent or guilty. It was not something I needed to even consider." |
FACT: Please refer to JPS's statement reproduced above:
If the Police and courts would decide that who is innocent and guilty then why has he taken it upon himself to state that "it is clear that it is a genuine case" and accuse both Suresvara and myself?
If it wasn't something he "needed to even consider" then why did he go public with comments just reproduced above, where he claims to give chapter and verse about what he claims happened, and then pronounce Surevsara and myself guilty?
| "My only public
complaint was why Adri Dharan das also didn't at least give the lady
the benefit of the doubt rather then taking the one-sided position
that she was lying and Suresvara das was telling the truth? That is the context of the quote which Adri has published." |
FACT: I KNEW she was lying, because her case rested on stating that I had sent her to get raped, and yet I had never even MET her on that day, as dozens of witnesses can testify. Yet JPS, DID adopt the one-sided position that the lady was telling the truth and that Suresvara was lying, whilst at the same time claiming he had "nothing to do with the case". A one-sided position which Suresvara claimed in his diary led to him taking his life.
| "What is strange is how Adri Dharan das states that it is a suicide and somehow the suicide victim named me and 7 others as abettors in his suicide. This includes the alleged rape victim." |
FACT: It is the PRISON authorities who have filed the 'abatement to suicide case' - NOT ME.
| "The fact is that semen was found on the clothes of the lady. That is why Suresvara wasn't granted bail. Why would the Judge keep him in jail if he wasn't having some evidence against him? I don't know so many fine details of the case and it doesn't seem like something that VNN or Chakra can adjudicate. We have been told that the semen has been sent for DNA testing." |
FACT: Here we will show that JPS is a straight-forward liar. He claims that 'semen has been SENT for DNA testing'. Yet on July 24th he claimed:
| "Still the devotee is in jail as the forensic reports showed HIS SEMEN POSITIVE on the women's body [...] the devotee was found to have HIS semen on the woman" (Jayapataka Swami, 24/7/00) |
So first he claims that the forensic reports showed that the semen tested POSITIVE as belonging to Suresvara. NOW he claims that such a test has not even been done and we do not know whose semen it is. It is CLEAR THAT HE IS MAKING THIS UP AS HE GOES ALONG. The REAL FACT is that no Police reports or court transcripts have to date even made any mention of any semen. On the contrary the FSL test that looks for semen inside the woman's body came back NEGATIVE. And bail for rape cases are almost as difficult to get as for Murder, due to the seriousness of the offence.
| "It is suspicious that he would write all the names of all the persons who have been representing ISKCON GBC in court as conspirators against him in an alleged rape case unless the names were supplied by the ritvik leaders." |
This is ludicrous. Now JPS is claiming that it is 'suspicious' that Suresvara would name people who were all known to him such as the persons who filed the rape case against him, and the persons who have been trying to discredit me from the start. Suresvara even states in his diary that the real purpose of the false rape case was to get ME, and not him.
| "So although Sattvik das claims he is a silent spectator the newspapers confirm he is the one who petitioned that I should not leave India after I had already left." |
FACT:
Sattvik has never claimed he is a 'silent spectator'. WHERE has he ever claimed that? This is another famous JPS fabrication. How can he be a 'silent spectator' when a fellow devotee that he has worked shoulder to shoulder with for many years is now dead?
Who petitions the court is not the issue. The order itself was given by the JUDGE - or is JPS claiming that the JUDGE is also a member of the IRM?
| "We had agreed in Vrindavan that we would keep things on a gentlemanly level and not get into public personal attacks. This hasn't been followed by them." |
FACT: On July 24th it was
JAYAPATAKA who pronounced Suresvara and myself Guilty. Whereas it is the
Prison authorities, not me, who has filed the abatement to suicide case.
CONCLUSION
We invite the readers to weigh up the mountain of evidence we presented in
our last newsletter, with the NO EVIDENCE that JPS has presented here, and
the clear LIES and FABRICATIONS he has added to cover-up his lack of
evidence. JPS has failed to successfully challenge even ONE detail of our
original report. Though this statement of JPS was meant to aid his
'defence', it has only further CONFIRMED his guilt.
Thank you for taking the time to read this
newsletter, and please keep your letters, and e-mail addresses of other
devotees who should be added to our list, flowing in. A hard copy of our
main position paper 'The Final Order' is
available on request.
All other IRM papers can be accessed through the EDITORIAL SECTION of the
IRM website at http://farsight.members.beeb.net
or http://come.to/irm
If you
would like to receive any of the back issues of the Newsletter please let
me know.
No 1. Invitation to Srila Prabhupada's Vyasa
Puja
No 2. GBC Lose First Round of Court Case
No 3. The Story VNN Refused to Publish
No 4. Poison Theorists Accuse Adri of
Complicity
No 5. Iskcon Continues to Promote Child
Abusers
No 6. Invitation to Malaysia
No 7. United World Body Formed
No 8. Does Srila Prabhupada Support Poisoning
Theory?
No 9. PADA Attacks IRM Position
No 10. PADA Continues to Present False
Evidence
No 11. GBC Funded Video says Ritvik
Spiritual
No 12. Child Rapist Selected by Gurus to Defend
their Legitimacy
No 13. GBC Facing Perjury Charge in Calcutta
High Court
No 14. Sahajiyism Makes a Comeback in Iskcon.
No 15. Govt. Minister Inaugurates Bangalore
Rathayatra
No 16. Iskcon Calcutta Triumphs Following Arson
Attack
No 17. Fighting Lies with Truth Not More Lies
No 18. GBC Resolutions Continue to Provide
Laughter
No 19. Indian Leaders Endorse IRM Position
That GBC Confused
No 20. Convicted Child Abuser Officially
'Returns' To Parampara
No 21. GBC Chairman Admits ISKCON
'Disintegrating'
No 22. Krishna Confirms ISKCON Re-Birth
No 23. Hare Krishna Explosion Begins In New
York as IRM Temple Opens
No 24. IRM Launches Media Campaign
to Defend Srila Prabhupada
No 25. GBC Teaches That 'Living Gurus' NOT
Required
No 26. BBT Admits Books Changed To Fit GBC
Philosophy
No 27. Big Breakthrough For Krishna In
Singapore
No 28. Bangalore Tops World Book
Distribution
No 29. City
of New York to Honour Srila Prabhupada
No 30. Gurukula Lawsuit Special - The Facts
No 31. BBC Glorifies Srila Prabhupada to
the World
No 32. Harinama Revived in World Famous Times
Square
No 33. ISKCON Guru on Run From Police -
Suicide Case Special
Your comments, questions and feedback are appreciated. Please write to me at adri@cwcom.net
Your Servant, Adridharan das