Update on Bhaktivedanta Manor's anti-truth campaign

Update on Bhaktivedanta Manor's anti-truth campaign

Winter 2003/4

Readers of our last issue will no doubt vividly recall the letters sent by Gauri Das, the Temple President of Bhaktivedanta Manor (the headquarters of ISKCON in the UK), to Life Members and IRM members with various false and bizarre claims about the IRM, including an insinuation that we somehow controlled BBC programming and that the IRM consisted of just three or four people!
This campaign by the management of Bhaktivedanta Manor to suppress the truth at all costs has now been taken up by its Director of Communications, a Mr. Henry Dom (Haridhama Das). This is an official email sent from his office to ISKCON members throughout the UK:

From: Hari-dhama (das)
MG (Director of UK Communications)
Date: 1 Dec 2003
Subject: URGENT global message

RITVIK STATEMENT

The Ritvik group regrettably continues their smear campaign against ISKCON.
A "Back to Prabhupada" magazine is currently being circulated. Its content is malicious and motivated

Their questionable action necessitates a legal response from ISKCON. To respond publicly and privately at this stage to their crusade would compromise our case. A further statement will follow suit."

Issued on behalf of the UK Yatra by Haridhama dasa of the ISKCON UK National

Communications Department

(NCD)

The above 'RITVIK STATEMENT' was nothing but a bluff. No legal case has been filed against the IRM over its publication of Back to Prabhupada, nor is it likely there ever will be one since the magazine contains nothing but truth and documented facts. One dissatisfied congregational devotee wrote to Haridhama Das with the following observation:

From: “visnurata das”
To: “Hari-dhama (das)”
Date: Tue, 2 Dec 2003
Subject: Re: Concern
Dear Prabhu
PAMHO. AGTSP.

Surely the maliciousness you mentioned in your Ritvik statement was caused by the 250 Mayapur devotees who attacked the Calcutta temple, according to the newspaper reports in the ritvik's

Haridhama Das' reply (below) proves he had not even bothered to read the very magazine he was being paid by Bhaktivedanta Manor to 'smear':

From: “Hari-dhama (das)”
To: “visnurata das”
Date: Tue, 2 Dec 2003
Subject: Concern

The maliciousness I am referring to is in relation to the content of the magazine. I am not aware of the connection with the Calcutta temple.

Anyone who actually read, or even skimmed, the contents of the first issue of Back to Prabhupada would know that on page 14 were two easily visible newspaper reports - one from The Asian Age, the other from The Times of India, describing in graphic detail the assault on the ISKCON IRM Calcutta temple by the "250 Mayapur devotees" referred to above. We wonder how happy Patrons of Bhaktivedanta Manor would be if they knew that their hard earned donations were being used to pay for such blatant disinformation as this?

Young Hindus who visit Bhaktivedanta Manor are encouraged to join the Temple's 'Pandava Sena' youth group. Below is an email sent by the Chairman of the Pandava Sena to all its members on the issue of the IRM and Back To Prabhupada:

From: “iskconps”
To: Pandava Sena
Date: Tue, 17 Feb 2004
Subject: maggots

Hare Krishna
I’m sorry to have to repeat myself, but the maggots just won't go away!
So please, please, please!, is anyone contacts you, emails you, or stops you in the street, trying to tell you about how ISKCON has got the philosophy wrong about the Guru Parampara, ignore them. Including that magazine "Back to Prabhupada"!!! We will have a training course for those of you who wish to attend on a Sunday morning soon (if you would like to know more and we encourage that you do!).
Till then, avoid maggots, not good for the stomach,

In your service
Sandipan Krsna Dasa

We wonder how happy Patrons and supporters of Bhaktivedanta Manor would be to learn that their own children were being programmed with this type of cultic and intolerant behaviour? We can add this to the statements made by Manor President, Gauri Das, who said on BBC radio last year that accepting Srila Prabhupada as the Diksa Guru of ISKCON was tantamount to preaching "atheism", and that people who supported the idea were like "barking dogs"!

One thing we learn from history is that no amount of inflammatory language, threats, bans, violence or censorship has ever prevented people from getting to the truth eventually. This will particularly be the case with a movement whose very purpose and founding principle is to bring light and truth to humanity at large.
We can only pray that the management of Bhaktivedanta Manor will one day decide to change course and live by such principles. Satyam vijayate - the truth is always victorious!