ISKCON vs Radha Damodar Mandir

Srila Prabhupada at Radha Damodar Mandir

Jun 27, 2011 — VRINDAVAN, INDIA (SUN) — The writing of this notice to the devotees has been a long time waiting. Due to the mercy of Sri Sri Radha Damodar and now having email and Internet access, I am able to send out this information for the contemplation of sincere and thoughtful devotees.

Since past five years the court case in India, ISKCON vs Radha Damodar Mandir has been going on. The case originally filed by ISKCON is primarily to solve the question as to who is the legal owner/proprietor of the rooms at Radha Damodar Mandir known as "Srila Prabhupada's Bhajan Kutir".

As you know, Srila Prabhupada resided in these rooms for several years before he went to America and established ISKCON. In Srila Prabhupada's own words, it was by the mercy of Radha Damodar that he was successful in the West.

A few months before the disappearance of Srila Prabhupada in 1977 the worship in Prabhupada's bhajan kutir began, and after Srila Prabhupada's disappearance, ISKCON continued paying rent to Radha Damodar Mandir and the puja of Srila Prabhupada continued.

During the years that followed there were sometimes stressful situations that developed between myself and the ISKCON leaders and GBC in Vrindavana. Srila Prabhupada had always considered me like a son when I was growing up and he had great love for me, my father Shree Gorachand Goswami, my mother Srimati Durgadevya, my wife Tarulata Goswami, and my children in later years. My next to last son, Krishna Balaram, was named by Srila Prabhupada a few weeks before he was born. I went to see Srila Prabhupada a few days before his departure and he showed me the same love that he had always done. After his disappearance it seemed that his great love for my family had gone unnoticed by his disciples and we were soon regarded with great distrust and dislike.

For two years, ISKCON stopped paying the monthly rent for Srila Prabhupada's bhajan kutir, and this began to put more stress on the relationship between Radha Damodar Mandir and ISKCON. Over the next years the relationship did not improve. Finally in 2006 quarreling broke out between the Radha Damodara sevites and ISKCON sevites. The police in Vrindavana were called in to calm the situation and Srila Prabhupada's bhajan kutir was locked by police for one year.

During that one year, ISKCON filed a case in the courts against Radha Damodar Mandir to claim that they owned the bhajan kutir rooms and not Radha Damodara Mandir. At the end of the first year the court made a temporary ruling that the rooms of Srila Prabhupada's bhajan kutir be opened and the courts ordered that ISKCON and Radha Damodar Mandir should share the puja in the bhajan kutir equally. One month for Radha Damodar sevites, who started first, and one month to be followed by ISKCON sevites.

First, I want the devotees to know that the court case is not to determine who will do the seva-puja of Srila Prabhupada, but it is to determine who owns the rooms of the bhajan kutir at Radha Damodar Mandir. There is no doubt that in the end, the courts will rule that Radha Damodar Mandir owns the rooms, as they have been a part of the Mandir for almost 450 years.

ISKCON has no legal documents to show that they own the bhajan kutir rooms, and so due to fear that all will be lost, they continue to drag out the court case, month by month. The case is now running five years.

I have given this matter much thought and I am sure, as I am sure my readers are also, that Srila Prabhupada would not be happy with court cases between devotees of Lord Krishna, and especially court cases between ISKCON and Radha Damodar Mandir. With this consideration I have for the past three years tried to effect a reasonable compromise between ISKCON and the Radha Damodar Mandir, wherein Radha Damadar Mandir is the sole owner of said rooms and that the reasonable rents be paid monthly by ISKCON, both now and into the future, and ISKCON would eternally be given the right of seva-puja in Srila Prabhupada's bhajan kutir.

Since last three years the GBCs, HH Gopal Krsna Goswamiji, HH Radhanatha Swamiji and HG Bheema Prabhuji and Panchagauda Prabhuji have met with me to hear my proposal for a compromise. Each time they agree and say, "Yes, yes, now we will do it and stop this fighting."

After agreeing they go away and nothing happens, or to make matters worse, they file additional papers in the court, which are usually full of lies and fabrications on the issue. This is done just to drag on the case, but it escapes any intelligent and sincere devotee to understand why they are coming to me with compromise and then going away and doing just the opposite. What is their purpose and how is Srila Prabhupada pleased by such behavior, we cannot understand.

Our humble appeal to all devotees in and out of ISKCON is that they should send letters to and request HH Gopal Krsna Goswami, HH Radhanatha Swami and HG Bheema Prabhu and Panchagauda Prabhu to meet with me (Nirmal Chandra Goswami) and settle a compromise once and for all on the issue of Srila Prabhupada's rooms at Radha Damodar Mandir.

Failure to find a compromise means that the case will drag on for another 10 years, at which time the court limitations and tolerance will force the case to a conclusion. In conclusion it is not expected that ISKCON can win the case. But my readers may wonder why I am then asking for compromise when I know Radha Damodar Mandir will win the case?

My answer is simple. I know that Srila Prabhupada is not happy with the court case or with the way in which his children are representing the case. If Srila Prabhupada were here today he would immediately send his GBC man to settle the matter to my satisfaction. Srila Prabhupada out of his love for the devotees at Radha Damodar Mandir would not rest peacefully until this was done.

My humble dandavat pranams to all the devotees.

To contact me directly on this matter please email to my son Krishna Balaram Goswami at the following: goswami.kb@gmail.com.

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ISKCON Mumbai and their Gurus greed for Property

ISKCON Mumbai and their Gurus greed for Property, By Virupaksha Dasa (ISKCON Bangalore, India)

 

Why is Iskcon Mumbai in a hurry to occupy the temple on Hare Krishna Hill? Why are they so desperate that they are not even conscious of dharma or adharma? The court has already given the order in their favor and the temple is not going anywhere from the hill… The authorities at the HK Hill are fully ready and willing to abide by the orders of the Hon’ble High Court, then why such restlessness that, what to talk about spiritualists, does not even befit an ordinary gentleman. Are they really spiritualists or are they even worse than a worldly being? It has got nothing to do with hurry or restlessness but is an undercover plot for siege.

Everyday they are threatening the authorities at the Hare Krishna Hill that they will walk in and occupy the temple. Varada Krishna and his party very well know that chances of staying the High Court judgment are very high. So before the matter goes to the Supreme Court and a ‘maintain status quo’ order comes from there, they want to enter into the premises and settle down here. To this effect they formed a supervisory committee, which was thoroughly bogus. The committee was led by none other the gallant heroes from Mumbai management, Varada Krishna Dasa and Doyarama Dasa. Doyaram is already well known for his chivalrous activities in Calcutta, of getting goons into the temple, thrashing the devotees, physically occupying the offices and then manipulating the vouchers and putting a false criminal case against the then president, Adhridharan Dasa. Here also they planned to do a similar thing that by entering as a supervisory committee they will get control over all the accounts and vouchers. Then they manipulate them and file an embezzlement case against Madhu Pandita Prabhu. But somehow Lord willing it didn’t work out this time, as it had against Adhridharan Prabhu by getting him arrested. Even when this bogus supervisory committee wanted to visit the temple the information was of the same was first given to the media than to the authorities on the HK Hill to create unrest among the management and the devotees on the HK Hill and make them victims of mental harassment apart from the planned conspiracy. And of course also to gain cheap popularity and sympathy from the masses.

Now they are afraid that if the case gets admitted in the Supreme Court and Iskcon Bangalore gets the stay order then they will have no chance to ever step on this Hare Krishna Hill. They know very well that once the case goes to the Supreme Court that their most cherished dream of enjoying the property of Srila Prabhupada will be delayed and they cannot tolerate that. So before the stay order comes from the Supreme Court they somehow or the other want to physically land up on Hare Krishna Hill, which is not happening. And which will never happen also for all the offenses they have committed against Their Lordships Sri Sri Radha Krishna-Chandra, pure devotee Srila Prabhupada and vaishnavas who are sincere followers of Srila Prabhupada. Frustrated they are with their own futile mundane attempts thus they have resorted to cheap stunts of calling ill names to the HK Hill devotees. Blaming them of false charges, and what not. They utter ‘fraud’ and ‘property’ more number of times than they utter ‘Hare Krishna’. Krishna only knows, whether they remember the Hare Krishna Maha-mantra also or not.

Banging on their deceitful scheme of infiltrating the temple administration on HK Hill through the bogus supervisory committee, before the expiry of the 6 weeks time, Honorable Justice Kedambady Jagannatha Shetty, Former Judge of High Court of Karnataka gave his legal opinion saying: “The question is whether the Decree Holder could execute the decree even before the expiry of the appeal period. The answer is that Decree Holder cannot execute the decree before the expiry period of appeal under Article 136 of the Constitution of India.” Further the opinion says, “As such the very act of Iskcon Mumbai, under the guise of constituting Supervisory Committee and interfering with the management and day to day work of ISKCON Bangalore is not only illegal but also unjust.” 

The entire dispute is based on the Guru issue, where the devotees on the Hare Krishna Hill accept Srila Prabhupada as the sole Diksha Guru of Iskcon based on Srila Prabhupada’s written directive issued on July 9th 1977. This very order is unbearable for the power hungry bogus gurus of Iskcon, of whom Jaya Pataka Swami is the prime figure. They are so envious of Srila Prabhupada that anyone who is following his orders becomes an eyesore for them. They are burning with the unfulfilled desire of thwarting the mission of Srila Prabhupada and establish the unchallenged reign of bogus gurus, in which they can nicely exploit the property and followers of Srila Prabhupada for their own personal aggrandizement. This is very well evident from the shameless statements of Doyarama Dasa in the media where he hasn’t uttered a single word other than connected to property. “We want property… we want property” had been his slogan from the day one. On the contrary Madhu Pandit Prabhu and Chanchalapathi Prabhu had been pleading, “We want service to Sri Sri Radha Krishna-Chandra and Srila Prabhupada.” Has this service word come even once on the lips of VKD or DRD??? Even to make a show in public they haven’t uttered it once. This clearly indicates what their modus operandi is. How much hardcore greed is to occupy and enjoy this property blazing within their hearts is very clearly visible. On the other hand, in the television, before lakhs of people Chanchalapathi Prabhu has declared that if GBC agrees to pass a resolution that Srila Prabhupada will be the Sole Diksha Guru of Iskcon and anybody not following this will be thrown out of Iskcon, he himself along with MPP is ready give up all property, post, etc. and will render vessel washing service in Iskcon. Its very clear that how envious JPS and his party are of Srila Prabhupada that they can’t stand even the thought of Srila Prabhupada being worshiped in Iskcon as Guru and taking control of all the property, activities and followers of his own mission.

Varada Krishna Dasa and Doyarama Dasa are nothing more than the attack dogs of Jaya Pataka Swami instituted for the displacing Madhu Pandit Prabhu, for the only reason that he had blatantly refused to accept the Swami as his guru. This opposition stole away the chance of his being the ‘Lord’ of Iskcon Bangalore, sidelining the divine position of Srila Prabhupada. Unable to bend them and unable to bear this humiliation, he plotted to expel Madhu Pandit Prabhu and Chanchalapati Prabhu from Iskcon society. A similar thing had happened in Mayapur when Yahsomati Nandan Prabhu sternly opposed the Zonal Acharya system. JPS sent his goons with sticks to fetch YNPrabhu and forced him to fall at the Swami’s feet and beg forgiveness while massaging the latter’s feet. Such inhuman and brutal behavior with a Vaishnava shouts of his saintliness. No wonder… one who can betray his own spiritual master can go down to any extent to satisfy his own senses and whims.

We pray to Lord Krishna and his pure devotee Srila Prabhupada that these people come out their guru aparadha and become sane devotees.

Hare Krishna.

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