BY ADRIDHARAN DAS
August 13, 1999
In a previous report - "Hari Sauri Distorts Facts" - we had already had seen how one of the two co-directors of Mayapur, Hari Sauri Dasa, (pictured right) had immediately tried to make capital out of the burning down of the pandal belonging to ISKCON Calcutta. He openly admitted that he had an interest in seeing the pandal burn down since he suspected that the funds generated by the pandal were being used to fund the IRM court case against the GBC. Now the other co-director for Mayapura, Dayarama Dasa, has also acted to take advantage from the burning down of the pandal, by secretly writing letters to both the Fire Department and the Police Commisioner, as well as the Govt. of West Bengal imploring them to stop the pandal being rebuilt, and making false malicious allegations. |
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We have managed to obtain his letter to the Fire Department and the Govt.
of West Bengal. It is produced below:
| International Society for Krishna Consciousness Founder-Acharya His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta - Swami Prabhupada 31, Lake Avenue, Calcutta 700 026, Phone : 466-8976 To Sub. : Temporary Structure burned down at ISKCON Premises Dear Sir, Hare Krsna This is to inform you that Adridharan Das (aka Sunil Awabamani) and Sattvik Das (aka Giauni Menegazzo Italian National) both officers of the Calcutta branch of ISKCON, along with some others have put up and are individually responsible for the temporary structure which burned down on 14th July 1999 at 22, Gurusaday Road, Calcutta. They have done so without the authorisation or permission of the ISKCON Bureau, the highest legal authority of ISKCON in India, as is required and provided for in the ISKCON Rules and regulations. They also did not obtain Prior permission from the fire brigade as per statutory requirements. From all points of view, they have acted in a grossly negligent manner. The two above named persons are in fact, renegades who are carrying on litigation against our own institute. They, in their individual capacities, have set up the elaborate and luxurious pandel, replete with air conditioners, sofa sets, imported rugs etc. for the purpose of conducting marriage ceremonies, wedding parties and other commercial functions, allegedly for own personal gain. The said persons are trying and are determined to rebuild the said pandal. We would request your kindness and assistance to please ensure that they are not permitted to rebuild the said wedding pandal and/or any other structure upon the ISKCON property at premises 22, Gurusaday Road, Calcutta. Thanking you very much |
We clearly see here evidence of the 'dirty tricks' that one ISKCON temple is engaging in against another, immediately acting to take advantage of the burning down of the pandal, and trying their best to ensure that the pandal is not rebuilt. (The letter to the Police Commisioner is similar, with the added false allegation that ISKCON Calcutta is fraudulently not declaring all its income from the pandal).
The recent actions of ISKCON Mayapur have clearly revealed that they had a motive to burn down the pandal, since they suspected (wrongly) that the pandal was being used to fund the IRM court case, and their underhand actions in the immediate aftermath of the burning, to try and stop the pandal being rebuilt, merely confirms this motive. However they never planned on us getting a hold of their private malicious letters to the authorities.
Fire Department Supports ISKCON Calcutta
However the letter is so clearly motivated purely by a vendetta against ISKCON Calcutta, that even the Fire department has rebuffed the claims of Daya-Rama prabhu. The Fire Department has replied as follows:
| Government of West Bengal Office of the Divisional Officer "A" Division West Bengal Fire Services 13-D, Mirza Galib Street Calcutta 700 016 From To Sub. : Erection of temporary structures at 22, Gurusaday Road, Calcutta. Reference to this letter dated 27.7.99 addressed to the Director of W.B.F.S. I have been directed to clarify some points in the letter which may kindly be replied early. 1. That when the property belonged to ISKCON, how the unauthorised temporary structures could be erected by others without the consent of the owner of the property specially where the location is at the very prominent place at Calcutta. 2. That when such unauthorised structure were erected by others without the consent of ISKCON, then what legal steps ISKCON took against the force occupation. 3. That, why ISKCON did not inform the matter to police, fire services, etc. about the illegal unauthorised occupation prior to the occurrence of the incidence of fire on 15.7.99. 4. You have reported in this letter that, Sree Adridharan Das and other are re-constructing the similar unauthorised structure at the same place without the permission of ISKCON, then the legal steps such as lodging FIR - written police complaint with the local police station, etc. you have already taken to prevent that illegality. If any such step has been taken, please inform that to this office. Sd/- S K Mukherjee Copy to :- Municipal Affairs (Fire Services). |
As can be seen even the Fire Department has seen through Dayarama's malicious lies. They have made the following pertinent points to him:
- That since the property in question is owned by ISKCON, how could anyone have put up an illegal structure without ISKCON's permission?
- That if such an illegal structure had been put up on ISKCON's property without their authority, what legal steps had ISKCON taken to stop the erection of the structure?
- Why hadn't ISKCON informed all the relevant authorities about these breaches previously?
- Why have they waited until the pandal has been burnt down to do so?
- What legal steps have ISKCON taken now to stop this unauthorised being rebuilt?
In sum the Fire Department has exposed the fact that Dayarama has no basis for these allegations, and that if he did, then he is just as guilty, for he has allowed all these activities to go on until now.
The real truth is as follows:
ISKCON Mayapur was more than happy for this 'unauthorised structure' to function because up until March of this year, ISKCON Calcutta was maintaining ISKCON Mayapur to the tune of almost $10, 000 per month.
Then ISKCON Calcutta took a stance against the bogus Guru system in ISKCON which led Mayapur to terminate an agreement with Calcutta as a consequence of which money flow to Mayapur from Calcutta was checked, and also filed a court case against the GBC for violating Srila Prabhupada's will.
Suddenly thereafter, whilst everyone was busy with world's largest Ratha Yatra, someone goes and burns the pandal down.
Immeditately ISKCON Mayapur announce that the source of the finds for ISKCON Calcutta's court case has been cut off. They also write to various authorities protesting that the structure was illegal and should not be re-built.
This is the same illegal structure that most of the Gurus in India have visited and been entertained in and where they have been fed sumptuous prasadam. The same pandal that was helping to generate money to maintain ISKCON Mayapur. Funny then how whilst that was going on, no one ever complained about it, nor did it ever mysteriously get burnt down.
We will let the readers draw their own conclusions as to what is really going on here, and who was behind the fire.
Further none of the allegations made by Dayarama have any basis in truth.
The activities of the pandal do not need to be sanctioned by the bureau and has been approved by ISKCON for many years, and no one has ever objected that anything improper was going on there. As mentioned most of the bureau members have at some time or other availed themselves of these same 'luxurious' facilities that Dayarama complains about. Indeed all that has happened is that as soon as ISKCON Calcutta acted against the GBC, the pandal gets burnt down, and Dayarama makes up a bunch of lies to stop it getting re-built.
Fortunately, by getting hold of his letter, Dayarama's treachery and deceit has been exposed, and further, in any case, despite Dayarama's best efforts, the pandal is being re-built - with the Fire department's help, who have sent one of their officers to work with ISKCON Calcutta to make sure the pandal is re-built nicely, so as to be more resistant to acts of arson in the future.
The only result is that the naked motive of ISKCON Mayapur in profiting from the burning down of the pandal has been revealed, and Dayarama has been exposed as a barefaced liar.