Press Trust of India / Bangalore September 02, 2011, 15:01 IST
Iskcon Bangalore today said it is interested to thrash out ‘differences’ with Iskcon Mumbai and resolve ownership and property disputes.
“Our offer for peace is always open and that we are ready to discuss the issue at length,” International Society for Krishna Consciousness (Iskcon Bangalore) President Madhu Pandit Dasa said in statement here. Iskcon Bangalore has invited three representatives of Iskcon Mumbai to visit the centre here to discuss the differences, he said, adding, there was no truth in the Mumbai branch’s claim of inviting him for discussion.
Clarifying on the controversy between the centres, he argued that the origin of the dispute was not property related but was related to succession to the ‘Acharya Peetha’ after the death of the founding Acharya Srila Prabhupada.
He said he was willing to settle all disputes and even accede control over the Bangalore centre if Iskcon Mumbai agreed to follow Srila Prabhupada’s teachings, including his direction to appoint ‘ritviks’ (priests). Dasa alleged that Iskcon Mumbai violated Iskcon Law which prevents devotees from taking part in posthumous ritvik initiation ceremonies.
The Supreme Court in June had asked the counsel appearing for both Bangalore and Mumbai centres to thrash out their differences over property dispute. It allowed Iskcon Bangalore to continue with day-to-day management of the centre but restrained it from taking any policy decisions, including creation of any financial liability.
source: Business Standard
In his “ISKCON and Varnasrama-Dharma: A Mission Unfulfilled” article (http://www.dandavats.com/?p=3462), Ravindra Svarupa Dasa said, “ISKCON has no brain.” He sounds a little frustrated. He also says that he has his own prescription for implementing varnasrama-dharma within ISKCON, but he’s afraid to say what it is for fear of being flamed by his GBC godbrothers like Harikesa was when he stuck his neck out back in 1981. (“Oh, no! My disciples might lose faith!”)
If only they would stop trying to be “gurus like Srila Prabhupada!”
Because of this obvious conflict of interest, they are unable to administer ISKCON properly for fear of being severely criticized by their fellow GBC men in front of their “disciples.” If they would simply stop being gurus in any way, shape or form, and have brahminically inclined devotees who are not on the GBC perform initiations on behalf of Srila Prabhupada (ritvik), then the problem would be solved once and for all. Srila Prabhupada already established such a precedent by appointing Bhavananda, who was not on the GBC at the time, to be a “ritvik representative of the Acharya.”
Ys, Ptd