GBC Fail To Drive Ritvik Leaders Out of Indian Temples Again…

The GBC have issued an expulsion notice for the second time to remove Adridharan Prabhu as the Temple President of ISKCON Calcutta, a post he has held for over 20 years. However, they have failed. Instead the court has stayed this notice and stated that ‘no further step

As we reported in the previous newsletter, the GBC have issued an expulsion notice for the second time to remove me as the Temple President of Calcutta, a post I have held for over 20 years. Their plan was as follows:

1. The courts close in Calcutta on September 28th for the holiday season. They do not open again until November 15th.
2. We receive the expulsion notice from the GBC on September 19th. This leaves us only *7 working days* before the courts close.
3. The expulsion notice is 500 pages long so that it will take us many days to wade through it and draft a reply, suitable for filing in court.
4. The GBC then filed a ‘caveat’ with the Calcutta High court. This means that even after we manage to wade through the 500 page document, and draft a response, we have to allow at *least 4 days* just for the response to reach the opposing party.
5. THEN, only after all this has happened, can we even apply for a hearing in court, to get the expulsion notice stayed.
6. And we only have 7 working days to get all this concluded – which of course makes it impossible for us to get the expulsion notice stayed by the court before it closes for 6 weeks.
7. Then once the expulsion has taken effect, the Indian Bureau (which is the actual legal entity that controls all of the properties of ISKCON in India), orchestrated by Gopal Krishna Swami, passes a vote confirming the expulsion.
8. And just to make sure this all takes effect, Mayapura has 200 hired thugs ready to forcefully take-over the Temple. This is a very sneaky and fool-proof plan, right? WRONG. On September, 28th, at the end of the day just as the courts were closing for 6 weeks, by some miraculous mercy of Krishna, the High Court was pleased to give an order that stays the expulsion notice!!!

The GBC’s plan which is set out in the following note from Ravindra Svarupa is now in shreds:

“Accordingly, I have sent a Show Cause Notice to you at the temple at 3C Albert Road. Federal Express confirms that the notice was received at the front desk of the Albert Road ISKCON temple at 12:40 PM on 19 September 2000 and signed for by “Bikash.” (In addition, Gopal Krishna Goswami reports that you told Jasomatinandan Prabhu that you had received the Notice.)

As stated in the Show Cause Notice, you have an opportunity to reply. Your written reply should reach us no later than fifteen days (4 October, 2000) after your receipt of the notice.”
(Ravindra Svarupa dasa, Chairman, GBC, 21/9/00, COM Message:3561619)

Instead the court has stayed this notice and stated that ‘no further step in the matter would be taken’.

Rather it has called a case hearing in December, wherein we have filed for a motion that will ensure that the GBC can not take such an action like this ***ever again, against anyone***.

The last expulsion notice was issued on February 14th, 1999, and then was rescinded by the GBC themselves on the 27TH March,1999, following the filing of our court case against the entire GBC and all ISKCON Gurus. Thus the GBC’s last attempt at expulsion survived a mere 41 days. This time we received the ‘show of cause’ notice of expulsion on the 19th September, and it was stayed on September 28th. This means that they have even beaten their previous record in that this time the expulsion was stayed in just 9 days! The GBC have made one last desperate throw of the dice and scored another classic ‘own goal’. Their last move at expulsion was so disastrous that they had to rescind the expulsion notice themselves! This time all their expulsion notice has achieved is the following:

• Further alienated the Indian Yatra, who had yet to recover from the consequences of their first expulsion attempt
• Wasted precious time and resources putting together a lengthy expulsion notice
• Provided evidence of their aggressive and combative stance, which will ensure that they have no credibility left for any future ‘peace’ efforts
• Given the green light for JUSTIFIED retaliatory DEFENSIVE measures to be taken by the IRM

So as usual the GBC’s malevolent and fiendish plot has failed and back-fired. The stay order and the motion we have filed are just the beginning. This is just the first of many motions that will be filed. Please look out for the details of even more far-reaching suits that will be filed, in future newsletters.

Your comments, questions and feedback are appreciated. Please write to me atadri@cwcom.net

Your Servant, Adridharan das