Report from Adridharana: How Dayaram attacked the Kolkata devotees and took over the temple

Dayaram with 200 Mayapur devotees to storm the Calcutta temple

From: Adri Dharan (das) ACBSP (Calcutta)
Date: 11-Sep-00 05:16
To: ICC (Indian Continental Committee) [2826]
Subject: Mumbai Bureau planning bloodbath
(Text COM:3532784)
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We have just been informed by our undercover agents in Mayapura, close to Dayarama leading disiple of JPS, of the following plan. Dayarama plans to fly to Mumbai in the next few days to obtain as many signatures of the bureau members as possible, who are in agreement with his plan to use 200 devotees to storm the Calcutta temple and Gurusadaya Road properties. The plan has been given the green light by the GBC in the USA, and the aim is to get the some Bureau members’ assent as well. Though the bureau signatures will have no legal effect, they will be used after the occupation to be used as evidence that the action was not taken unilaterally. 

Please be warned we have at least 6 licensed gunman besides other arrangments at each property, and the local press and Police have been informed of the attack from Mayapura, and our plans of defence. We will defend both properties, the deities and the devotees with our life. The gunman are licensed to use force to repel any attack. We do not see what will be gained from this action, except that there will be the needless loss of devotee’s lives. This is a final warning to both the ICC and the GBC, that if they wish to avert this catastrophe, they need to call Dayarama off. He will not take any action unless he has approval from at least a handful of bureau members.

Otherwise they will have blood on their hands. Because please be rest assured that the days when such goonda tactics could work in ISKCON are over. Yes, with JPS on the run, and the GBC having no joy in the courts, it is clear that the GBC are now getting desparate. But unless Dayarama’s hired hands are prepared to lay down their lives, such an action will not work – our gunman will see to that. We are prepared and ready. We do not fear such an attack – and make this plea only to avoid unnecessary bloodshed. Either Dayarama’s thugs will have to kill us, or they will be shot – either way it will such a public relations disaster, that any resulting occupation, even if it were happen, which is highly unlikely – would be meaningless. But your agreement will be there for the world to see.

You have been warned.
IRM

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Text COM:3538819 (28 lines)
From: Pancaratna (das) ACBSP (Mayapur – IN)
Date: 13-Sep-00 00:57
To: ICC (Indian Continental Committee) [2831]
Reference: Text COM:3532784 by Adri Dharan (das) ACBSP (Calcutta)
Subject: Bureau planning bloodbath

Dear Adridharan prabhu,
Dandavad. Prabhupada kijaya!

I am totally shocked that you could consider killing devotees to protect your position as the temple president of Calcutta ISKCON. I cannot find any way to justify such an agressive response. Of course, I would deplore any use of physical force by any party. But to consider killing devotees whatever the provocation (short of a violent, life-threatening attack) is unthinkable to me.

You state: “We will defend both properties, the deities and the devotees with our life.” Defend against what? The only issue here is your position as the president of the center and the policy regarding intiations for the residents of the center. Do you believe that your antagonists pose any physical threat to the property? That they would harm the Deities or the devotees? And if the devotees really feel threatened they can simply leave. Is their attachment to a particular service worth taking someones life?

Please give up this horror.

Your servant,
Pancaratna das
(Text COM:3538819)

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Dear Pancaratna Prabhu,
PAMHO AGTSP

I think you taken leave of your senses.

1) Mayapura wants to bring 200 devotees to FORCIBLY and VIOLENTLY and ILLEGALLY take over the temple properties, and all you can do is to tell ME to give up DEFENDING myself?

2) Any sane man would try and PREVENT the situation by writing to the would be AGGRESSORS and making sure that such an act of aggression does not even take place. If you did THAT then you would not even NEED to write to me since NOTHING would happen.

3) The fact that you have NOT done this, and instead wrote to ME and asked me to give up plans of DEFENCE, can only mean two things:

a) The occupation is going to go ahead; b) And you agree with such an occupation;

Think about it. If there was to be NO violent occupation, then WHAT is there for you to write to me to ‘GIVE UP’ – NOTHING is going to happen. And WHY wouldn’t you write FIRST to those who would INITIATE this sequence of events. Why aren’t you asking THEM to ‘give up’ the horror of violent aggression which ALONE can set off any violence?

4) Also I simply stated that death will result on BOTH sides – which is obvious when there is a violent confrontation – so instead of asking ONE side to give up defending itself – why NOT AVOID boodshed on BOTH sides by asking the aggressors to not take violent action in the first place?

5) Where are your priorities? Why aren’t you horrified that such an action of illegal violent occupation is even being contemplated – or do you believe in goonda culture and Violence as long as it comes from Mayapura?

6) And how can the ‘devotees be innocent’ when they are planning to tale illegal and violent action? Your defintion of ‘innocent devotees’ are those who get together in a large Violent mob and through violence drive others out? Mayapura has had a long history of Violence as everyone knows. Do you really want me to get into what JPS and his henchman have done over the years to REAL ‘innocent devotees’?

7) Mayapura has many Guns for protection – do you really think that if I came with devotees to take over – they would also leave and not be ‘attached to their service’? Please wake up and get your priorities right. THEY can keep guns for protection. THEY can occupy us by force and violence. But the moment I talk of self-defence you are all ‘horrified’, and state that we should simply leave and not be ‘attached’. Please wake up. Do you think they were going to come with flower garlands? Devotees in Mayapura make violent threats against me all the time – and you know it.

As I stated to begin with – if 200 violent blood-thirsty goondas are not planning to come at all – then you have nothing to worry about. So you would be better off making sure it does not happen – because the days when such goonda tactics ruled ISKCON are over. We are supposed to be a spiritual movement and you are more horrifed that someone should try and DEFEND themselves AGAINST such goonda tactics than the fact that such a tactic may even be contemplated in the first place.

No wonder such a goonda culture flourishes in ISKCON.

ys, adri

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Devotees Arrested In Temple Tussle

FROM THE TIMES OF INDIA AND OTHER NEWS MEDIA
INDIA, Apr 30 — BY MADHUMITA BHATTACHARYYA

Calcutta, April, 28: The factional feud at Iskcon took a decisive turn on Saturday morning with the arrest of 72 devotees. A dozen policemen from the Shakespeare Sarani thana rounded up the devotees, who had been camping both outside and inside the Albert Road temple since Friday, on charges of “unlawful assembly, rioting and assault”. On Friday afternoon, the dispute had come to a head, with over 80 devotees trying to unseat city Iskcon president Adridharana Das, who has been “suspended” by the Iskcon Bureau, the Mumbai-based administrative body of the Society. After clashes broke out, the police had arrested seven devotees who were later released on bail.

Police had called a meeting between the factions at 10 am. Dayaram Das, one of the devotees appointed by the Iskcon Bureau to take control of the temple, arrived at the police station at the scheduled time, but Adridharana failed to keep the appointment.

“Around 10.30 am, when we saw the crowd was still there, we decided to enter the temple, fearing bloodshed might occur at any moment,” said Prosanta Banerjee, additional commissioner (II), south division. Adridharana said: “The police scaled the walls, and went to every corner of the building, pulling out everyone.” Banerjee was one of the four officers injured in the ensuing tussle.

But Dayaram and the handful of those who have not been arrested are crying foul over the police action. “When devotees were engaged in kirtan within the temple, a posse of policemen suddenly entered and dragged them out and arrested them,” according to Dayaram. “It is our temple… We cannot be refused admission. Adri has been suspended, but he refuses to accept the decision taken by our Bureau,” he said. His fellow disciples are being held at the Lalbazar lockup and are due to be produced in court on Sunday. “They have arrested everyone, except for the one man who no longer has a right to be inside the premises: Adridharana Das,” Dayaram said. The Bureau had suspended Adridharana last month on charges of “embezzlement of money”.

Officer-in-charge, Shakespeare Sarani police station S. R. Ray, however, stressed that they intervened simply to maintain law and order. “We are not concerned with their internal problems, which is a civil issue,” explained Ray.

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>From Indian Newspapers
Saturday April 28, 10:45 PM

ISKCON devotees and monks held after clash Kolkata,

Apr 28 (PTI) Police arrested 72 devotees and monks of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) who went on the rampage and clashed inside its Kolkata temple office Saturday.

An Assistant Commissioner of police and four constables were injured while trying to separate the warring sadhus. Some monks and devotees were also injured and furniture was damaged in the clash over “an old dispute”, police said.

Later, 72 devotees and monks were arrested from the temple office on the charge of unlawful assembly, they said.

About 150 devotees and monks of ISKCON’s Mayapur temple in Nadia district of West Bengal arrived here Friday night and tried to “evict the outsiders” in the ISKCON’s Albert Road temple office. This led to heated exchanges and scuffles, police said.

Though the nature of the “dispute” was not known, police said tension had been brewing in the premises since Friday night. The arrested were lodged in the city police lock-up.

A strong police contingent has been posted in front of the ISKCON temple office as a precautionary measure. PTI PB PC PKA NNG BJB SDG PTI NNNN

ZCZC .JAMMU

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Saturday April 28, 3:22 AM

Faction feud fuels Iskcon coup bid By Madhumita Bhattacharyya

Calcutta, April, 27: Faction feud fuelled a coup attempt in the normally-serene Iskcon Temple on Friday. Around 50 devotees of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness entered the Albert Road temple late in the afternoon, in an attempt to oust Adridharana Das, president of Iskcon, Calcutta. Five from among the challengers and two defenders were arrested when the confrontation took a violent turn.

A few devotees from outside had entered the temple earlier, while a group of around 50 came in around 4 pm, armed with sticks, said D. Sengupta, additional officer-in-charge, Shakespeare Sarani police station. When we arrived on the spot, the two factions were fighting it out in front of the temple.

Trouble at the temple has been brewing for some time. Das had filed a case against over 70 gurus over a year ago, alleging that their authority was contrary to the legally binding directives of Srila Prabhupada, rightfully the sole initiating guru for Iskcon. The case is now being heard at Calcutta High Court.

Friday’s revolt, led by followers of Jayapataka Swami and Bhakti Charu Swami, was in accordance with a recent Governing Body Commission directive divesting Das, accused of corruption, of his powers, The Commission, constituting 32 Iskcon gurus, had passed a resolution on March 2, by which Das is no longer president.

The Commission, alleges Das, who is also chairman of the Iskcon Revival Movement, comprises gurus who have unauthorisedly… set themselves up as new initiating gurus… siphoning off donations and followers… We have finally summoned the courage to question this illegal system, by which gurus are elected as spiritual leaders. I have filed a case against these gurus. It is under their instructions that these disciples have come today to attack the temple, said Das, amidst an atmosphere of tension. Das, president of over 20 years, appointed by Prabhupada himself, claimed he has received weekly death threats since filing the case.

The Calcutta-based rival devotees, who don’t reside at the temple, were still there late on Friday evening, with the police keeping a close eye on the proceedings. We are devotees and we have every right to be here, said Pulak Mukherjee, a sanyasi. We are simply trying to implement the order of the Commission, which operates on the guidelines set by Prabhupada. We will not leave the temple till Das steps down.

According to Mukherjee, the Governing Body had decided to remove Das as he had been hiring out the Gurusaday Road premises as well as the Albert Road guest house, without depositing the proceeds, which runs into lakhs of rupees daily, in the Iskcon account. Das claims that as the matter is sub judice, the disciples cannot challenge his authority without a court order.

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The Times of India News Service
Sunday, 29th April

Fife ISKCON monks injured in group clash

KOLKATA: In an unprecedented incident, five International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) monks on Friday afternoon were injured in a group clash over the right of the ISKCON temple on Albert Road.

According to ISKCON sources, the incident occurred at 4.45 pm when some monks were prevented from entering the temple.

A posse of police led by the officer-in-charge of Shakespeare police station Satyaranjan Roy rushed to the spot. Initially the police force had to remain as an idle spectator to the ongoing clash because the force could not enter the temple as the gates were closed.

Later, police arrested seven persons(including four monks) and put them in the lock up in the Shakespeare PS. Though the OC said that the incident had resulted because of an inner conflicts of the ISKCON, the organisation co-ordinator alleged that police did not arrest the monk who had masterminded the attack on them.

The OC said that the police had no other option left but to arrest the warring monks. Going to the Shakespeare PS it was seen that all the monks were languishing in the lock up.

As the monks felt thirsty, Advocate Debabrata Banerjee, the lawyer of the monks sought permission from the police officials to buy mineral water for them. As the permission was granted, the monks looked cheerful.

However, some monks told this newspaper that they felt scared because the persons with whom they fought for the entry into the temple were ” rowdies” and were kept in the same lock up. Banerjee said that he was hopeful of bailing out the monks within Friday night

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Dayaram wants to storm the Iskcon Bangalore temple again on 11th Jun. 2011

From: Dayaram Dasa
To: Sri Madhu Pandit Das,
President ISKCON,
Hare Krishna Hill, Rajaji Nagar,
Bangalore.

Dear Madhu Pandit Das

Hare Krishna. Please accept my humble obeisance. All Glories to Srila Prabhupada.

Sub: The Supervisory committee

Ref: Letter dt. 25th May, 2011 by the General Secretary of the Bureau.

During the course of proceedings in the Supreme Court on 6th June, 2011, in which you were personally present, the topic about the Supervisory committee was discussed and their Lordships orally observed that the supervisory committee should continue as it was constituted on 25th May, 2011 and the order of status Quo is as on 6th June, 2011.

Therefore it was decided that the members of the Supervisory committee will visit the temple/branch premises tomorrow i.e. 11th Jun. 2011 at 10.00am. to carry out their duties as per the Bureau resolution dt. 25th May, 2011.

You are personally requested to inform all the other office bearers, as well as, inmates of the Branch / Temple to make sure that no unlawful assembly, as well as, no obstruction is created in smooth functioning of the Supervisory Committee.

Kindly take note of this and make appropriate arrangements as required by the Bureau Resolution dated 25th May, 2011. We have already informed the police authorities about this.

Thank you very much
Hare Krishna.
Yours Sincerely

Dayaram Dasa
Chairman
Supervisory Committee

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