A Call to Arms
BY: JANMASTAMI DAS
Jul 01, WEST VIRGINIA, USA (SUN) — Having read Dhira Govinda prabhu's position paper, "Responsibility to Protect Our Children", concerning child abuse and his affirmation of a uniform policy throughout the society, at least for the period 1998-2004, it either speaks to an illusioned perception of uniform compliance or it implies abject duplicity on the part of the speaker. This time period, 1998-2004, contains a large number of unexplained events that were clear violations of ethics and morality, what to speak of "disparaging" to any Vaishnava's resume.
The child abuse at New Vrindaban Community continued long after the filing of the child abuse lawsuit, with a 14 year old being gang raped, over a period of more than two years, by no less than four resident Radhanath disciples. This was discovered after the lawsuit was filed, the perps were secreted out of country like the Bin Ladens after 911, and the victim received a disproportional settlement amount. For far too long now, these perpetrators have been protected by ISKCON's "powers that be" under the guise of "victims right to privacy".
The recent smoke screen verbiage posted by Raghunath das, defending perpetrators right to privacy, failed to convince even the most naive of observers of the innocence of the perps or of their need to be "protected from embarrassment". Identifying sexual deviants and marking them for the local community is a proud time honored tradition, with examples going back to pre-Biblical times. Certainly postings to date have not caused anyone to abandon such a time honored tradition.
Moreover, financial accounting of this time period is long overdue to a congregation nervously wary of what future donations might wind up supporting. This accounting, including the slush fund that was "Children of Krsna, Inc.", with all salaries and bonuses (including real estate deals made during that period), must be made public immediately, as should all management level pay information, to "start the healing".
It isn't only these little waifs sent to us to be protected and raised in a favorable KRSNA conscious atmosphere that were screwed here. Many of us unsuspecting parents were also exploited by persons now claiming to represent a bona fide religion, when many no longer actually do that. We can no longer allow their scams by our silent complicity.
Why was it that it took six months of protestations (all mail and phone attempts at contact unresponded to) before Murlivadaka was no longer touted as "a new addition to the Ramana Reti gurukula staff"?
How has James "Saci pita, Dutchy" Prins, New Vrindaban Community's resident (until recently) child rapist and 600 count indicted child molester, been able to avoid any recriminations for his remorseless behavior? How were he and his wife able to solicit donations as late as two years ago via ISKCON websites (google Dandavats.com, NVC's Radharani Sewing Club). The latter solicited donations all year to make a Gaura Purnima Deity outfit, later deciding to buy one with someone going to India for Gaura Purnima, and "what a surprise!", they were really upset (but not that much) when Sri Sri Radha Vrndaban Chandra's Gaura Purnima outfits got to Them three weeks late, bought off the rack in some package store in India.) How has Laxmimoni used her 1-800 telephone number service over the years? All that paid for by ISKCON child abuse funds?
What happened to all those testimonies from the child abuse lawsuit case? Were they conveniently "lost" as has been reported? If so, by whom? When? Where? Under what circumstances? As parents, we demand to know. As "community, congregational members", we reject the old boy network of cronyism.
How has this all gone on "under the watchful eyes" of both Dhira Givinda and Tamohara prabhus? What recourse of action do we have? And please don't give us the "ISKCON Resolve" bullcrap anymore, either. None of them write back. We Life Members are "MAD AS HELL AND WE'RE NOT GONNA TAKE IT ANYMORE!"
