Original Source: http://prabhupadvision.com/?page_id=734
VRINDAVAN, INDIA, Apr 30 (VNN) — […] The resolution states that the ultimate management authority of ISKCON Vrindavan will be the Vrindavan Executive Board, initially including HH Radhanatha Swami, HH Gopal Krishna Goswami, Ravindra Svarupa dasa, Sesa dasa, Bhima dasa, HH Kadamba Kanana Swami, Radha Krishna dasa, and Braja Bihari dasa. Bhima Prabhu is the first chairman of the board.
Then there will be three co-presidents, Mahaman dasa, Devakinandan dasa, and Brihat Mridunga dasa. These three presidents along with the principal of the Gurukula, Ananda Vrindavan devi dasi, and the director of the MVT, Dhananjaya dasa, and Regional Secretary, Deena Bandhu dasa will form the Administrative Council of the temple. […]
August 3, 2010 – When the above new management of ISKCON Vrndavan was established it marked the beginning of a reign of terror on the inhabitants of the ISKCON Devotional Community.
This new management was hell bent on downsizing the number of devotees in the Temple to create a ‘tabula rasa’ so they could build it up again to suit their needs.
At this time Braja Bihari, his wife Ananda Vrndavan and their Ashram Director Vinod Bihari were also in power and they had great influence on the new V.E.B.
Their dream and plan was to possess the whole of the Gurukul building and turn it into their own private secular school. The Gurukul enjoyed great success in removing the Temple from the building up unto the point of Aindra Prabhu’s ashram.
Braja Bihari, an initial member of the Vrindavan Executive Board (VEB), knowing the public nature of holding such a position, withdrew into the background and exerted his power and influence through his people on the VEB and his wife as the principal of the Gurukul. All of whom repeatedly made moves to have Aindra and his 24 hour Kirtan Party removed from the Gurukul building.
Over the years that they held sway, they caused a great deal of undue suffering and distress to Aindra Prabhu, who was deeply concerned for the future of his 24 Hour Kirtan Program and his beloved Deities.
I got involved shortly after the VEB and the Gurukul began to exert pressure on Aindra Prabhu in 2002, after coming back from a visit to Australia. It was then that I was approached by Aindra prabhu, who was in a very distressed state and near to tears. He explained the situation to me and asked for my help to deal with the new management and the Gurukul and their threat to have him evicted.
Looking at my dear friend in such a state I vowed to help him in any way that I could. It was that day that I made an agreement before RadhaShyamasundar with Aindra that he must remain doing his seva and that I would deal with the authorities. I did not want his bhajan disturbed by him having to deal with such nonsense.
Please note that it took at least until 2009 to weaken the Gurukul’s hold on the Temple management. However, when Aindra Prabhu’s book was close to being finished, the VEB threatened that if Aindra Prabhu published his book they would kick him out of not only the Temple, but also ISKCON.
I promised to Aindra prabhu that I would take issue with this undue threatening behaviour with the various devotees involved in this threat. I intend to make good on this promise now that Aindra prabhu can no longer be hurt by their behaviour and abuse of power.
Following is an account of my struggle to weaken the ‘hostile takeover’ stratagem of this new regime and the Gurukula authorities in order to protect Aindra and his Deities from being ruthlessly evicted from their home.
Aindra Prabhu singing Bhajans, Kirtan
Dear Maharaja’s and Prabhu’s of ‘Corporate’ ISKCON
The purpose of this document is to record my attempts at discussing the managerial crisis in which the GBC has placed us in ISKCON Vrndavana.
I have worked in the secular world professionally in the areas of Substance Abuse and Juvenile Justice. Having this training and experience I would first like to posit the following concept in relationship to the managerial situation within ISKCON in order to set the stage for this document·
The ‘dysfunctional family’ concept is particularly relevant when attempting to understand the position of the rank and file devotee within ISKCON. The study that I will present is a situation where the father of the family is a violent alcoholic. The father is termed ‘the abuser’ and his family all fall into to the category of ‘enablers’ for they enable him to not face his problem. They are all in the process of denial.
In this case the father uses mainly mental and physical force in order to coerce compliancy from his wife and children. He does possess some good qualities, but unfortunately due to being trapped in denial of his problem, he chiefly uses them to ‘emotionally blackmail’ his family members by making them feel guilty for his behaviour.
This takes the form of either blaming them as being the cause of his problems or claiming that he is helpless to change. Whichever method he uses it usually proves effective in restraining them from going to authorities outside the family or using force to make him seek help or to leave the family. In this manner, he holds his family within a cycle of use/abuse and misuse and is in the illusion that he can escape being held responsible for his violence and addiction.
The wife uses socioeconomic rationalizations to justify staying in the relationship and is therefore not willing to take her children and leave him. Fear of his violence also stays her from seeking outside legal and/or professional help. Fearing disturbing him, she cleans up after his assaults on her and their children so that he does not see the mess and subsequently becomes either remorseful or more violent. His children for the same reasons hide their injuries and suffering.
The children suffer the most in this situation for by growing up in such a dysfunctional family they end up learning life skills that are also based on the – use/misuse and abuse principal. As adults their relationships suffer as they fail to discern how to properly treat their spouses. They also ‘see’ their spouses as objects to use/misuse and if they are particularly damaged, to abuse. They also tend to use/misuse and abuse drugs and alcohol etc as part of the addictive mentality that they have grown accustomed to in their families.
Here within ISKCON we are seeing a very similar situation. We have had a considerable history of violence and abuse by the leadership of our movement directed against the rank and file devotee. Our children within our Gurukula’s stand testimony to this.
As you read on you will see how whole Yatras can be held under the sway of abusive leadership where there is no accountability for the rank and file devotee. Whenever there is a meeting it’s like the ‘drunkard’ standing at the bar and muttering ‘she deserved it and if she speaks up again I will do far worse!’ There is no capacity for him to sincerely ‘hear’ from his wife and children.
It is important to note that I at first attempted to deal with this at a philosophical level and when that failed to evoke a response I became increasingly more practically straight forward.
If you are reading this and are thinking that I am being too heavy, please think again. How much effort have devotees used in the past in order to be heard? How many devotees have fallen by the wayside after unsuccessfully pushing for reform?
Examine your own heart and see how you may react to criticism, even though it may be constructive and for your own good. If you are feeling threatened or defensive then it is highly likely, in the light of our problems, that you have something to hide. If you are being disturbed by my straightforwardness and seeming lack of respect then I am sorry for I do not see the point of being sentimental about such important matters.
If you really want to protect devotees then listen to what we are saying. Don’t think that we are against you. Don’t think that we have nothing good to say. Don’t treat us as if we are unintelligent.
You have accepted the position so now take the responsibility that goes with it. Responsibility means to ‘respond’ and be ‘accountable’. If you think about it, you mainly hear from the rank and file devotee due to your inappropriate and/or lack of response to their suffering.
Because there is no accountability process and you mainly see us as ‘the enemy’ you stand only to suffer and make us all suffer along with you. You must develop the courage and integrity to listen to us and help us, instead of trying to ignore or smash us.
The drunkard, who has the courage to admit that he has a problem with addiction, and is willing to undergo treatment, is able to view ‘in a better light’ his family, friends and counsellors, who have tried to point out his problems and help him. He now sees them as his true friends and not his enemies…
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