Humble Request to Leaders of Prabhupada’s ISKCON Bangalore

BY MADHAVANANDA DAS
Sept 12, Treasure Coast, Florida — Hare Krishna, I would like to humbly submit the following to leaders of Prabhupada’s ISKCON Bangalore: The first thing is that I completely support the Bangalore devotees in establishing Srila Prabhupada as the sole Diksa Guru for ISKCON.

It is a glorious yatra which inspires hope for Prabhupadanuga devotees around the world. Bangalore’s success shows that Srila Prabhupada is pleased and that they are doing the right thing, especially by accepting him as their diksa guru.

There is one point that I humbly submit: I have seen all of the news videos from Bangalore on the current conflict. In these interviews with ISKCON Bangalore temple leaders have several times given the argument that there is a problem because foreigners, or “American guru’s” have taken over ISKCON.

In one interview it was stated by Madhu Pandit prabhu something to the effect that he was in disagreement with the GBC because it was mostly composed of foreigners. It appears as if this argument is being given to appeal to the Indian public’s sentiment of being Indian.

I would like to point out that the issue at hand has nothing to do with being Indian, American or any other nationality. It is simply a matter that Srila Prabhupada did not authorize anyone whatsoever to take up the post of diksa guru in ISKCON.

There are just as well many Indian men who have taken the position of diksa guru in ISKCON, who are acting as GBC, and who are opposed to the ritvik system. Indians as well as Americans, Europeans, etc., all who have opposed the ritvik system are responsible for disobeying Srila Prabhupada’s instructions. So I do not see what the argument of “foreigners” or “American Guru’s” running ISKCON has to do with the issue.

Srila Prabhupada established an “International Society”, intended to be composed of leaders of various nationalities throughout the world thus representing a true nonsectarian international society. There would certainly be nothing wrong with having a bonafide GBC composed of devotees from many different nationalities.

I believe that is the ideal that Srila Prabhupada intended. I do not believe that Srila Prabhupada intends for the GBC or ISKCON at whole to be dominated by any particular caste, creed or nationality, whether it be Indian, American or anyone.

Indian devotees in general may have some advantage by taking birth in Bharata Varsa where the Vedic culture is already a way of life. This is why Srila Prabhupada says that Lord Caitanya especially implores Indians to take up this preaching work.

It has been seen to work both ways though: Prabhupada initially gained practically no support from Indian people for many years and it wasn’t until he went to the west that he gained a great following. Western devotees in large joined Srila Prabhupada and helped establish the movement.

Only after that did the Indian people start to catch on with Srila Prabhupada. And then on the other side of the coin, it was many of the same western devotees who derailed the movement after Srila Prabhupada’s departure. And it looks like now it is the Indian devotees in Bangalore especially who are carrying the ball and pushing on the bonafide movement.

Regardless however, it is not about “American devotees”, “western devotees”, Indian devotees” or anything of such. A devotee is a devotee, that’s all. And I hope that what succeeds forward out of Bangalore comes without any such discriminations.

Some of the manpower and financial resources of the Bangalore Yatra may eventually become instrumental in helping push forward the movement outside of India in the western countries and even America where for the most part the ritvik movement is struggling.

If that should happen, and either way, I would like to humbly request Prabhupada’s ISKCON Banglaore leaders to be careful not to create another type of caste society, where one group of devotees looks down on another or makes any of such distinctions.

On the material platform there certainly may be apparent differences between devotees of one nationality to the next, but hopefully this will be transcended so that Prabhupada’s ISKCON will evolve more into a true nonsectarian international society.

I also request the Bangalore leaders that in the future, should the Supreme Court declare your victory, that you hold a celebration and invite all Prabhupadanuga devotees around the world to come together for celebration. Thank you, Hare Krishna.