July 26, 1999  

BY RAVI KRISHNA DAS (IRG MALAYSIA)

We reported earlier how the IRG Malaysian chapter had formed amidst threatening behavior from HH Jayapataka Swami and his disciples (please see previous story -'First IRG Temple in Malaysia formed following Seige'). We had noted at the time that Radha Prana prabhu refused to give in to the threats and the pressure and instead continued preaching Srila Prabhupada's message. However it now seems that HH JPS's disciples have now decided to go a step further in an attempt to prop up their crumbling empire in Malaysia. The following is an eyewitness account of what happened in my home on Friday, July 23rd, in Taeping, Malaysia, and the background that led to it.

On 16 July, H. G. Radha Pran Prabhu, Vice-president of the ISKCON Bukit Mertajam temple conducted a successful preaching programme at a South Indian temple in Taiping. The programme was well attended with more than 400 people enthusiastically participating. During the programme, the local Taeping nama hatta vice-president, Dr Krishnan together with Rajakrishna das and others, stood and observed the programme but did not accept the kind invitation of Radha Pran Prabhu to join in.  Soon after the programme, Dr Krishnan together with the other local disciples and supporters of HH JPS, went to the South Indian temple authorities and told them to not allow Radha Pran Prabhu to conduct programmes within their premises in the future. To justify their request they presented the following false allegations:

1. That Radha Prana Prabhu is an expelled member of ISKCON.

2. That Radha Prana Prabhu swindled 85000 Malysian dollars to purchase a van with which he is going on travelling sankirtan.

Therefore on July 23rd, Radha Pran Prabhu humbly confronted Dr Krishnan and questioned his actions, asking him why he was spreading stories which were not true. However Dr. Krishnan refused to hear anything and simply said that the ISKCON temple in Kuala Lumpur was his sole authority, and that his actions were simply the orders passed to him by the Kuala Lumpur temple. He also warned Radha Pran not to preach in the Taiping area anymore.  Also recently the disciples of HH Jayapataka Swami in the Kuala Lumpur temple had re-styled themselves the 'Tamil Tigers' and stated that they will take all steps necessary to stop to spread of Radha Prana prabhu's preaching in Malasia.

Radha Pran Prabhu then went to the house of another local devotee, H. G. Ravi Krishna das to preach to him. He had brought along an enthusiastic bhakta, Vasudevan, an 18-year-old boy who had been serving as a brahmachari under his guidance for one year. Bhakta Vasudevan, a relative of Rajakrishna das, had wholeheartedly taken that option with the blesssings of his parents and was satisfied working with Radha Pran Prabhu. Suddenly, Rajakrishna das together with his men, namely Bhakta Suresh, Bhakta Siva, and others, numbering 6 in total, all of whom are congregation members of the Taiping nama hatta group, barged into the house. They had clearly come with the aim of a pre-meditated attack since they were all wearing helmets to protect themselves, and special heavy boots. They all launched into a ferocious attack on Radha Prana prabhu, kicking and pounding him viciously. Radha Pran's men headed by Tusta Gauranga das, who tried to protect him, were also given a beating by the attackers. Fortunately, none of them were injured to the degree that Radha Pran was. While beating Radha Pran, Rajakrishna chastised him and rationalised the beating saying that the former had offended Jayapataka Swami by rejecting his position as guru and becoming a ritvik. The attackers also threatened to smash up the van that Radha Pran is using for preaching and travelling sankirtan. They were only stopped from doing fatal damage due to Ravi Krishna Das, the owner of the house, threatening to call the Police, which led the attackers to flee. Still Radha Prana was beaten very badly, with extremely heavy swelling and bruising of his arms and legs, with his left hand suspected of fracture. They also forcibly took away Bhakta Vasudevan, who had been doing valuable service, with the motive of handing him over to Kuala Lumpur temple for "re-training".

The matter is now in hands of the Police, who have sent Radha Pran prabhu for a medical examination.

Rest assured, Radha Prana prabhu remains undettered by the attack, with the attack having only convinced him even more of the need to reinstate Srila Prabhupada's Final Order. And JPS and his thugs must understand that no amount of violence will prevent Srila Prabhupada's desires becoming manifest.

Unfortunately with the Guru empire crumbling all around the world, we see that in a last desperate attempt to hold on, certain Guru followers are resorting to the mafia thuggery of the zonal acarya days. This incident proves that the 'old' 'absolute maha-bhagavata' guru system is more than ever still alive and well, despite the protestations of the ISKCON management that they have 'cleaned up' their house. They should have learned following the assasination of Sulochana that no matter of killings and beating will extinguish the truth, for you can never kill the truth, only the messengers of truth, who will be replaced by hundreds more. This gangster behaviour merely confirms what many devotees are suspecting - that the current ISKCON Guru system has no logic or reasoning behind it, and therefore can only be sustained by violence. Otherwise why not 'fight' Radha Prana prabhu via preaching and argumentation?

It brings to mind an old Chinese proverb - "He who clenches fist, has already lost the argument."

This proverb has never been more true then of the current ISKCON Guru system. These beatings of innocent vaisnavas will not be tolerated by either Krishna, Srila Prabhupada or his devotees.

All glories to the fearless preaching of Radha Prana prabhu!

Very saddening avaishnavic behaviour is becoming visible amongst many disciples of H. H. Jayapataka Swami here in Malaysia. Unable to logically prove with evidence from Srila Prabhupada's books the validity of the present bogus guru system in ISKCON, many have taken to physical violence towards ritvik-oriented devotees as a last ditch effort to save the fast-crumbling Jayapataka Guru Empire in the country. ISKCON is meant for making first class Vaishnava gentlemen out of fallen humanity. Instead what we see today is hoodlum behaviour which even karmis would find hard to emulate. Lightning attacks in typical mafia style are becoming Kali's tool in disrupting philosophical maturity and Prabhupada consciousness within ISKCON. We leave it to the readers to determine the alarming levels of desperation on the part of the fast-wilting bogus guru club within ISKCON. This alone is sufficient to prove that a total overhaul of ISKCON's managerial system is immediately required.  Having presented the incident, it leaves us with little option but to say that ISKCON in many parts of the world is degrading to the level of a mundane mafia organisation. In fact, the only management present in places like Malaysia is sheer thuggery. Srila Prabhupada's vision of creating saints out of sinners has now gone in the reverse with power-hungry "gurus" resorting to anything and everything to preserve their respective zonal empires with their constituent fanatic neophytes, millions in cash, temples and land. Unless something serious is done, many more sincere devotees like Radha Pran Prabhu are going to get hurt in the future. If this is indeed how ISKCON wants to treat Srila Prabhupada's dedicated men, then their commitment to Srila Prabhupada is in serious doubt. Vaishnava aparadha at the grossest level has become the hallmark of ISKCON's "maha-bhagavata" gurus and their men.