BY: SUN EDITORS
Dec 3, CANADA (SUN) — In yesterday's edition of the Sun we ran an article submitted by Rosaphilia (now deleted) entitled "Kapindra Swami needs Assistance". The poster was informing readers that the Swami was preaching in Tennessee and required clothing and financial assistance for his efforts. While we found the article a little amusing (especially the description of the color range of saffron the Swami preferred), it seemed to have been written in a simple and endearing mood by someone genuinely concerned about a godbrother's welfare.
This morning we were informed by Sriman Mrigendra das that the call for help was a fraud. Mrigendra prabhu was kind enough to phone Kapindra immediately out of concern, only to be told that no such unfortunate state of affairs existed for the Swami. Consequently, Mrigendra dasa wrote the following:
Dear Rocana Prabhu,
I just got off the phone with Kapindra Swami. Earlier this morning I
had read the story you posted December 2, 2007, entitled "Kapindra
Swami needs Assistance". He told me that he is not hungry, cold or
lonely and does not know of any "Rosapriya" the reputed author of the
article. He would like you to post corrections but it is somewhat
difficult for him to email you as he would need to go into the nearest
town and use the computer at the public library. He would like you to
call him at the phone number that you posted in the story -- (423)
921-8571 and I suggest that in order for you to post the corrections
today you would probably want to call him immediately so that you
would be able to mitigate any damages.
I am surprised that you posted a story such as this without calling
him to confirm any of the facts as it is considered defamatory to
publish something that accuses someone of being poor or destitute. I
am not writing to you as Kapindra's attorney and he did not request
that I write to you. I am writing this to help you and to help him.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Defamation.
Further, I believe publishing the statement that Kapindra Swami is an
"old guy" is also offensive. As you know, Srila Prabhupada often
quoted Chaitanya Mahaprabhu saying that it is very important for
devotees to follow Vaishnava Etiquette. Respect should be used in
addressing a senior Vaishnava, what to speak of when referring to
someone who is actually renounced.
Best wishes and Hare Krishna.
Mrigendra das
Harvey Mechanic
Attorney at Law
Los Angeles, CA 90034
P.S. I would like my letter to you posted if you don't mind, as I would hope that it would help to educate devotees in general.
We appreciate the follow-up, the advice, and the opportunity to comment on this situation from the perspective of the "editor's hotseat".
First, it's interesting to consider the seriousness of the apparent attack perpetrated by the poster Rosaphilia (rosaphilia@webtv.net). The poster is unknown to us, although the New York identifiers associated with his email address made sense, considering how much time Kapindra Swami spent in New York. We assumed it was an old friend, writing on the Swami's behalf. This was not surprising, given the fact that the Swami has, in the past, put out calls himself for financial support and assistance with his preaching activities. In fact, he's made such direct contacts with us personally in years past regarding his New York prasadam distribution activities.
We have never had trouble with the poster 'Rosaphilia' before, so we had no reason to distrust the message. It now appears that the poster either has an axe to grind with the Swami or with the Sun, or is perhaps simply one of the myriad crazed personalities afoot on the planet today. Perhaps our readers would like to email him/her and inquire, letting the poster know how annoying it is to be deceived and to have our time and attention wasted by such nonsense.
It is also possible, of course, that 'Rosaphilia' sent us this submission as part of a general disinformation campaign designed to cause the Sun editor's embarrassment by posting an article in good faith, only to find out that it's entirely bogus. This has happened on a few occasions in the past, and we try to remain on guard against such attacks on our credibility. In fact, we're currently monitoring a series of postings coming out of Vrindavan that have the markings of a disinformation campaign, aimed at another individual through the agency of the Sun. We have rejected the content, at least for the time being, and are now fact-checking to try and discover who's zooming who.
While we appreciate Mrigendra das's good advice about being careful of defamation charges for publishing news that someone is poor or destitute, frankly in this context we are not overly concerned that the Swami would seek retribution against the Sun for such an unintended error. What Vaisnava would do such a thing?
As we clearly state in our submission policy, it is simply not possible for us to fact-check every article before publishing it. Like all the devotee news sites, we receive a steady stream of articles calling for help for devotees who need everything from hospice care to a sankirtana van or a new liver. If we waited until there was time and resources to fact-check each plea for help before publishing, we would be unable to assist anyone, what to speak of publish news and commentary on a daily basis. So, this is simply the reality of facilitating a non-profit free press. It's often a thankless task, but somebody's got to do it. We have to accept the risks in order to reap the personal benefits of having an opportunity to serve the devotees and our Spiritual Master each day.
In closing, we extend our apologies to Kapindra Swami, and will certainly attempt to make personal contact with him. And we remind those who engage in disinformation tactics that they serve no one by such rascal activities. Please don't waste our time, or your own. Spend it instead trying to think of Krsna.
