Africa.world247.net, Mauritius, January 26, 2011 — A common Hindu front, comprising the Mauritius Sanatan Dharma Temples Federation, Hindu House, Kranti, Ram Sena, Arya Sabha, Mauritius Andhra Maha Sabha, Mauritius Marathi Mandali Federation and Gahlot Rajput Maha Sabha, has joined the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) in voicing their objection against the proposed opening of a McDonald’s restaurant just a few metres from the ISKCON centre. The new restaurant is slated to open next month.
The Hindu front held a press conference on Tuesday. “We are a tolerant society. We are not against development in the country but there is a limit to everything,” said Srinjay Das, secretary of ISKCON.
According to Das, the most important point for objection is the smell of food items made from beef and poultry. “This will bother the devotees who are vegetarian,” he said, adding that cow protection is a fundamental Hindu religious principle.
“The restaurant that proposes to start operations immediately next door to ISKCON is considered a symbol of cow slaughter. It is a prominent visual representative of the exact opposite of what we preach,” said Das.
ISKCON is working on a mega project where a new temple will be built. “This temple will be next to the new McDonald’s restaurant and only 34 metres will separate the two buildings. We are only asking that the new restaurant be relocated inside the food court,” he said.
Veerendra Ramdhun, chairman of the Hindu House, did not mince words and said that if needed they will stage a demonstration.
“McDonald’s is playing with the credibility of ISKCON and this is unacceptable,” he said. For Ajeet Gopal of Kranti, this press conference was only the first step and he is hoping that the management of McDonald’s will go back on its decision.
Das confirmed that the management of McDonald’s contacted them on January 24 and he will announce new developments on January 26.
Nilesh Dabysing, the marketing manager of Foresite the company in charge of the renovation works at Jumbo said they have followed all the procedures to obtain a permit for construction. An investigation is on.
A senior officer at McDonald’s said that they are waiting for the authorities to take a decision.
ISKCON CENTRE is for the vegan devotees to perform their religious duties free from the smell of cooked and uncooked meat of animals. Is not smelling part of eating? Good smell has good effect and bad smell has bad effect. Devotees can be affected by the bad smell of any type of meat at ISKCON CENTRE. Relocation of McDONALD restaurant would be highly appreciated. Also, a respect to HINDU DHARMA ! d.s.c.
While I can sympathise with any sincere devotee affected by this situation. Look at the facts here. McDONALD’s are only there to make money, doing business. They will be happy to sell veg if they make bigger profits doing so. What this means is that the so-called Hindus visiting the ISKCON centre like to take a big mac, tea, coffee etc., while visiting the ISKCON centre. What does it say about the preaching going on at the ISKCON centre?
In London McDonald’s opened a store about 100 meters from Bhaktivedanta Manor and they do big business with the so-called Hindus visiting there. It is even staffed by so-called Hindus. Let’s face it “HINDU DHARMA” for most so-called Hindus means anything goes, in this case down their throat.
hindu dharma has karma yoga and bhakti yoga………both help union with supreme being. For so=called hindus anything goes down their throat. so=called hindus who take the big mac and then visit the sacred religoious ISKCON CENTRE must be totally ignorant of the NOBLE PRINCIPLES of HINDU DHARMA. usually religious hindu devotees go to the temples with sweets and vegetable food to offer to the deity and then they eat them as pradad, but who are these SO=CALLED HINDUS who visit ISKCON CENTRE after having the BIG MAC? Is big mac the prasad for these so=called hindus and so to visit the ISKCON CENTRE? The meat smell is considered as a pollutant by the hindu devotees.Is not the meat smell pollutant fracting the human rights of the hindu devotees who perform their KARMA YOGA and BHAKTI YOGA of HINDU DHARMA? Why not use technological gadget to trap the pollutant meat smell completely MC Do?
The Bible says ….thou shall not kill……the bible says ….you do not live with bread alone……….why kill animals? ……..do we live with Mc Do meat alone? Our acts ( karma) ought to be performed in conformity to HINDU DHARMA.
In the temples the prasads served to the Hindu devotees are sweets and vegetable foods….not meat of animals which have unacceptable meat smell. When Hindu Dharma says when meat is forbidden why should we eat it? Hindu Dharma gives the Hindus their identity.
To consume meat or to enjoy meat smell in temples are contrary to the noble principles of Hindu Dharma. Meat smell is the evidence that disturb the Hindu devotees.
If the Mc Do does not completely trap the meat smell by technological gadgets using appropriate filters, then the evidence of meat smell can be used by ISKCON CENTRE if they are involved in any court cases against Mc Do. God give the Hindu devotees their daily bread, prasad , what do YOU mean by ……thou shall not kill? qou vadis?