Russell Emmerson | The Advertiser | November 25, 2011 — UNIVERSAL love and understanding has its limits, even for the Hare Krishna movement.
And those limits allegedly include two harmoniums, two small deities and a set of shoes worn by Srila Prabhupada, the founder-instructor of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness.
The South Australian chapter of the global Krishna movement, colloquially known as Hare Krishnas, has hit back at claims it unfairly dismissed its former head, lodging a list of missing property it says was “part of the discussion”.
Documents lodged with the Adelaide Magistrates Court list two pages of items the society says went “missing from the temple since the … departure” of Vivienne Kharel, formerly the head of the Adelaide Temple, was made redundant as part of an organisational review.
They include spiritual items: a silver offering set (plate, 10 bowls, two cups and two spoons), handwritten religious scores and personal items connected to one of the movement’s founders.
They also include more mundane and abstract items: computers (one functioning, another damaged); receipt books; 10 years of archives and information about the movement’s volunteers, its residents and sponsored devotees.
Court documents also allege the temple’s accounts were not kept in a professional manner.
National secretary Andrew Marsh – who is president of the Melbourne temple, one of the organisation’s largest in the world – said banking statements had been returned but the society had not received the remainder of the items it had listed in its documents.
“To observe some of these anomalies where it looks like … things are missing, that was very distressing and difficult to deal with,” he said.
“(Now) our mortgage payments are being made, we don’t owe anything for electricity, water, telephone, things are looking up.
“We have old members coming back.”
Mrs Kharel, who could not be contacted, has said she was unfairly removed from the position and is seeking declarations she was unfairly removed from the position.
The matter appeared before the Magistrates Court yesterday and was adjourned.
source: http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/hare-krishna-claim-in-court/story-e6frea6u-1226205393448
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