Vrindavan Dasa – USA: By way of further clarification of the statements previously made in the article, “Braj Bihari’s Goshala Scam“, I can say that I was standing on the first floor of the Gurukul building and witnessed the whole fanfare of Dhanurdhar Swami’s arrival. I was standing there with a friend who was serving in the Gurukul at the time. My friend who witnessed the event and many others spoke up for many years, but does not wish to be involved at this moment. Braj Bihari has bad mouthed him all over ISKCON and even went to the length of sabotaging a service he was doing in the public sector.
Did you know that there was a riot by temple brahmachari’s in the early 2000’s after they got a court order to stop the temple from kicking them out. They also conducted a hunger strike. This was all widely published on local and national TV and newspapers all over India. They tried to get the story and photos published on Chakra and other sites but nobody would publish it. This is history and one that the V.E.B caused and will never admit to.
I would be surprised if the Vrindavan Child Protection Unit has record of an event that happened in a classroom while the teacher was present. This event entailed a bunch of boys fondling each other in the back of the classroom in the early 2000’s. Just sit back and think of this… Can you imagine this happening in your classroom when you were at school? Many parents know this, the school knows this, Braj Bihari knows this, but who else does? How bad does it have to be for boys to feel comfortable enough to do such a thing in a classroom full of students as well as the teacher?
As for Braj Bihari’s wife’s unpaid role proving that he is not expressing his capitalistic tendencies, well surely this is a rather simplistic excuse and one not worth responding to.
Why don’t you try and ask for the records of the V.E.B over the last year? I guarantee that they will not give them to you, and if they did they would not give the unedited version. Ask the V.E.B if the Gurukul building and land has not been gifted to the Gurukul. Ask them if the Gurukul (building and land) is no longer directly under ISKCON and is not, in fact, an independent trust. If they say no, then request to see the ownership documents.
In a recent letter in the Sun one writer said that the boys only use the Goshal to play, but how true is this? Go see for yourself how much land is used by the Gurukul and how much land lies in waste for the Goshal is not allowed to crop it, for it belongs to the Gurukul. The V.E.B determine the use of the Goshal land and not the Goshal or as it originally was, determined by the temple.
The V.I.H.E was originally in the Gurukul building and it was moved to the Goshal at the beginning of the Gurkul takeover of the Goshal. Now that the community of devotees pressured the Gurukul not to move the cows off their land the V.I.H.E still remains. V.I.H.E is still under Braj Bihari and his guru, Bhurijan Das.
The land that the temple would have to raise money themselves to buy was situated over on the other side of the Yamuna and miles away from the Goshal and temple. The Goshal land and the Gurukul building and land are probably worth in excess of 4 million US. They are both prime real estate properties and are now no longer under Srila Prabhupada’s ISKCON.
Just ask Braj Bihari how many ISKCON boys are in the gurukul and how many are Indian boys. Then ask how many of the day school academic classes are not from the Government system. There are, in fact, none. The day school boys who are ISKCON children only do government academic subjects. The boys have hardly any time to study Shastra and learn Vaishnava arts for they have too much homework. This school is nothing but a business. There are so many similar ‘English medium’ schools all over India.
You have to live here to see the V.E.B in action. They are here only once a year for a few days and all that time they are either meeting, with Braj Bihari facilitating them, or hanging out with him. We have not known anyone from the community who has been approached by the V.E.B members for their opinion or advice. As for the V.E.B members, just look at Sesa das. His connection to Braj Bihari is public record. Just check the “about us” of ISKCON Resolve / M.E.D / V.E.B / Gurukul Trust, etc.
All that I or the other devotees say in this “upsurge” of allegations regarding Braj Bihari may or may not be believed, may or may not be believable, but, surely there are grounds for an investigation. Where there is smoke there is surely fire!
But one thing for sure, is that an investigation is absolutely essential. What is also absolutely essential is that any investigation must be both thorough and conducted by qualified devotees who are independent of the institution.
Due to the importance of the role(s) that Braj Bihari has within ISKCON and the claimed influence he has with the institution, it is probably necessary that a private investigating agency be appointed.
This investigation should be independent of whether or not Braj Bihari resigns or stays, since the claims are regarding both Braj Bihari himself and the nepotistic network he has installed within corporate ISKCON.
In response to the recent letter from Payonidhi dasa:
Dear Payonidhi prabhu, Wow, you must be right. I mean, you actually spoke to Braj Bihari and so you know the truth now. Are you related to Rohini devi dasi? (No offence to her).
It is irrelevant if a child or an adult speaks up about an issue. In this case so many devotees are speaking up.
Issues usually have a history, and so does this one concerning Braj Bihari’s character and philosophy.
Please don’t think, even for a moment, that this upsurge of opinions and information about Braj Bihari that devotees who are writing have not spent many years being thwarted by Braj Bihari himself, institutional ISKCON and individual devotees – who mean well, but who either lack the intellectual capacity or courage to do the right thing.
This ‘upsurge’ that was triggered by Jagadeesh prabhu’s article was the first time that I had the courage to speak up in the public forum.
Your qualification for ‘knowing’ what is happening in Vrindavan is simply not good enough. So many devotees come and go and yet have no idea what is actually happening here. I won’t even credit the fact that you spoke to Braj Bihari with a reply.
Payonidhi prabhu please don’t be offended by what I have said, but do yourself a favor and do your homework before writing next time.
Your servant,
Vrindavan Das