Jul 24, 2010 — ORISSA (SUN) — To get an idea of the extent of the devastation the Vedanta Mining Company is causing to the Dongria Kondh tribe in the Nyam Giri Mountains in Orissa, you can view this moving video clip.
Mr. Anil Agrawal, the owner of the Vedanta Mining company, is a patron of the Bhaktivedanta Manor and one of the main donors for the recently opened Krishna Avanti School. How does ISKCON justify endorsing such demoniac activities, by accepting money which was earned at the cost of human lives?
Would it not be nice if ISKCON used its influence to discourage or stop these atrocities, rather than endeavouring to secure this blood money to further some project or another, thus silently approving of the activities carried out to earn it?
The following is a letter written by Jambavan das, an English gurukuli, to the Euro GBC representative inquiring about ISKCON’s relationship with Vedanta Resources Plc. As would be expected, the Euro GBC has not replied.
The Euro GBC are the ISKCON Governing Body Commission for the Eurozone. They are responsible for ISKCON policy in this area and are based in Radhadesh, Belgium. I’ve written this letter to them to find out ISKCON’s position with regard to the destruction of tribal land, especially considering that Anil Agarwal is a very influential member of the London ISKCON community. I am waiting for a response, which will be published here.
Dear Dina Dayal,
What is the official ISKCON position in regards to Vedanta Resources’ exploitation and displacement of the Dongria Kondh tribe in Orissa, and the mining of their sacred mountain for Bauxite (aluminium ore)?
Anil Agarwal, the owner of Vedanta Resources, is an influential and rich member of the ISKCON community in London, and has his name on the logo of the Krishna Avanti school.
Does the GBC find it acceptable that ISKCON schools are being built using money that comes from the exploitation and displacement of Indian tribal people?
As a concerned devotee, and a member of the ISKCON community, I look forward to hearing ISKCON and the GBC’s official statement in this regard. Please find attached several websites with reference material.
Thanks,
Jambavan
The situation in Orrisa is not surprising. This kind of association and struggle is going on more and more around the world. Everyone has their story about their struggle in this Kali Yuga. We give the Dongria Kondh tribe in the Nyam Giri Mountains in Orissa our support.
Let me remind you that ISKCON has destroyed the lives of thousands of devotees since Nov. of 1977. Countless millions of ordinary people have never heard the holy name, taken prasadam or even held a Bhagavad Gita As It Is ( original ). Many cities are devoid of the original temples, many have closed or become as ISKCON planned, community centres. Where is the local support of any senior Srila Prabhupada disciples, where is the support for new devotees who want to study seriously in temple from Srila Prabhupada, where is the access to his original books, where are the prasadam lines for the great cities of North America, where are the daily book distribution groups, why is their only one temple in any given city ( community centre ) where are the daily Hari Nam groups and where is the weekend Friday and Saturday night teaching programmes with sumptuous prasadam?
Any local preaching centres are very well intended but they are simply recruiting stations for new members for ISKCON gurus. Where is contact with the Chinese community, the Jamaican community, the Greek community, the Italian community, the mayor, the police chief, the fire department, hospitals, youth shelters, or even food banks? That contact does not exist the only main contact indicates sectarianism. Good for business.
So it is expected that companies concerned with profit only would be attracted to anyone else who may be interested in profit only especially when you see their track record. Plundering begets plundering. We are not at all surprised at any possible ISKCON connection in favour of Vedanta Mining company and their work.
Discriptions of the demonic nature can be applied by using one’s intelligence and ISKCON should remember that there is no honour amoung thieves.
Chapter 16. The Divine And Demoniac Natures
TEXT 7
pravrttim ca nivrttim ca
jana na vidur asurah
na saucam napi cacaro
na satyam tesu vidyate
SYNONYMS
pravrttim–proper action; ca–also; nivrttim–improper action; ca–and; janah–persons; na–never; viduh–know; asurah–demoniac qualities; na–never; saucam–cleanliness; na–nor; api–also; ca–and; acarah–behavior; na–never; satyam–truth; tesu–in them; vidyate–there is.
TRANSLATION
Those who are demoniac do not know what is to be done and what is not to be done. Neither cleanliness nor proper behavior nor truth is found in them.
PURPORT
In every civilized human society there is some set of scriptural rules and regulations which are followed from the beginning, especially among the Aryans, those who adopt the Vedic civilization and who are known as the most advanced civilized people. Those who do not follow the scriptural injunctions are supposed to be demons. Therefore it is stated here that the demons do not know the scriptural rules, nor do they have any inclination to follow them. Most of them do not know them, and even if some of them know, they have no tendency to follow them. They have no faith, nor are they willing to act in terms of the Vedic injunctions. The demons are not clean, either externally or internally. One should always be careful to keep his body clean by bathing, brushing teeth, changing clothes, etc. As far as internal cleanliness is concerned, one should always remember the holy names of God and chant Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. The demons neither like nor follow all these rules for external and internal cleanliness.
As for behavior, there are many rules and regulations guiding human behavior, such as the Manu-samhita, which is the law of the human race. Even up to today, those who are Hindu follow the Manu-samhita. Laws of inheritance and other legalities are derived from this book. Now, in the Manu-samhita, it is clearly stated that a woman should not be given freedom. That does not mean that women are to be kept as slaves, but they are like children. Children are not given freedom, but that does not mean that they are kept as slaves. The demons have now neglected such injunctions, and they think that women should be given as much freedom as men. However, this has not improved the social condition of the world. Actually, a woman should be given protection at every stage of life. She should be given protection by the father in her younger days, by the husband in her youth, and by the grown-up sons in her old age. This is proper social behavior according to the Manu-samhita. But modern education has artificially devised a puffed-up concept of womanly life, and therefore marriage is practically now an imagination in human society. Nor is the moral condition of women very good now. The demons, therefore, do not accept any instruction which is good for society, and because they do not follow the experience of great sages and the rules and regulations laid down by the sages, the social condition of the demoniac people is very miserable.
do not drag iskcon into anil agarwal’s materialistic ambitions. what has iskcon to do with it? prabhupada said even if a theif gives his money for a holy cause, he is purified. and dear hasti gopala prabhu, maybe some individuals in iskcon have an agenda but i assure you that at a lot of places amazing preaching is being carried out. don’t perform the apradha of criticizing all of Iskcon just because of some individuals. it is kali yuga, it is bound to happen that people take undue advantage of pure institutionslike iskcon.
REMEMBER ISKCON IS PRABHUPADA/S PRANA-DHAN, HE NEVER WANTED US TO LEAVE, AT ANY COST
“REMEMBER ISKCON IS PRABHUPADA/S PRANA-DHAN, HE NEVER WANTED US TO LEAVE, AT ANY COST”
Here is something Srila Prabhupada actually does say:
The process of speaking in spiritual circles is to say something upheld by the scriptures. One should at once quote from scriptural authority to back up what he is saying.
Bg 17.15
“prabhupada said even if a theif gives his money for a holy cause, he is purified”
When did he say this?
hari ram dasa says “don’t perform the apradha of criticizing all of Iskcon”
Yet he himself is criticizing hasti gopala prabhu, so hari ram dasa is also apradhi.
The pot calling the kettle black.
Some people will always have a problem with the truth.
Hasti Gopal Prabhu a great, throughly honest and perfect in deed analysis of “ISKCON” decline. While reading it we are remembered how great and immence the gifts of the Acarya, Srila Prabhupada and His glorious ISKCON were! No one can withstand comparision with His Divine Graces accomplishments, on any field of devotional actions He was and remains the Supreme and unsurpassed Master! “ISKCON” bereft of responsible spiritual guidance, rejecting in fact the line of Srila Prabhupadas insructions is obviously gone! Sooner we recognize this sad reality, the sooner we’ll be able to discern the truth from imitation.
Y.s.J.d.