Aindra – The Fight for his Home
BY: NRSINGHA DAS
Aug 02, 2010 — INDIA (SUN) — From PrabhupadVision.com's Krsnacandra dasa: struggle against the authorities to protect Aindra and his Deities from being ruthlessly evicted from their home.
VRINDAVAN, INDIA, Apr 30 (VNN) — On the day of Lord Balaram's Rasayatra and Lord Krishna's Vasant Rasa, at a very wonderful ceremony here at Srimad Bhagavatam class in Vrindavan in front of Their Lordships Sri Sri Gaura Nitai, Krishna Balaram, Radha Shyamsundar, and Srila Prabhupada, the new administration was officially installed in Vrindavan.
First His Holiness Gopal Krishna Goswami who has served for many many years as GBC in Vrindavan read and explained the GBC resolution regarding Vrindavan Management to the assembled devotees. 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. There will be two vice presidents, Ganapati dasa and Sarvabhauma dasa. He also added that the EC in an amendment to that resolution had also added Bhima Prabhu as another co-president. Then His Holiness gave a very inspiring talk to the assembled devotees inviting them to work together cooperatively to see the fulfillment of the GBC resolution and to increase the glories of ISKCON Vrindavan."
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.
Please read the complete article here.
