Dear Vedasaar Prabhu, Hare Krishna. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.
I met you once in Mayapura, three years ago just before the lockdown in 2020. I was with Basu Ghosh Prabhu at the land office, where we met you, and you also treated us to pizza. I remember we talked about many issues at length, and we seemed to have much in common in our thinking and views.
But given my happy memory of that meeting and my sense of being “on the same page” with you on many issues, I was very surprised that in your “coming out” letter as an abuse victim of ex-BVPS’s gurukula, you accused Bhakti Vikasa Swami of “supporting and encouraging” child abuse before an audience of senior ISKCON leaders. Why did you publicly malign Maharaja when he literally had nothing to do with your mistreatment or your other classmates’ mistreatment?
You said that he had stayed as ex-BVPS’s gurukula “many times”, but he says he only stayed there twice, and no more than that. You grossly exaggerated Maharaja’s association with BVPS to make Maharaja guilty by association. Why?
As far as Maharaja being “an outspoken supporter since the early 2000s” of ex-BVPS, what has he actually said to make you think that? You don’t quote anything Maharaja says, you just make that claim, and I guess we’re supposed to believe it on account of your new-found celebrity-victim status? But it sounds more like another gross exaggeration if it’s not an outright fabrication.
What is worse is you speak at length about GBCs, gurus and sannyasis that you approached to tell them about your abuse yet got ignored or blackballed by them. And you lament how on account of them you were denied opportunities for service and your reputation had been harmed on account of it. And you won’t give their names. But with BVKS, who out of all of them had the least to do with either ex-BVPS or the institutional affairs of ISKCON, or your own personal circumstances, you had to name him. As if he has more to do with your suffering than all the other GBC officers, gurus and sannyasis who you approached and who blackballed you. Why should the rest of anything you have said be taken seriously?
Moreover, it’s just your opinion that Bhakti Vikasa Maharaja is “over-stating the importance of one or two quotes of Srila Prabhupada” in favor of corporal punishment of children. Nor is Maharaja, as you say, “discarding all the other, far more numerous quotes where he unequivocally forbids it.” Again, you don’t quote anything Maharaja actually says to back up your claim. It’s just your opinion.
And finally, this statement of yours is just sleazy and vindictive:
“He has now opened his own Gurukula in Salem, India. I am deeply concerned for the well being of the children there. I cannot help but wonder how many of them are getting beaten. In an environment of violence other kinds of abuse also begin to flourish.”
For years, Maharaja has been inviting leaders to visit his farm communities and gurukula projects. And if you were so concerned for the well-being of the children at his gurukulas, why didn’t you take a trip there to meet them–even if as a covert dirt-digging mission? You aren’t “deeply concerned for the well being of the children”, you have a grudge against Maharaja that has nothing at all to do with anyone’s children, and you are trying to leverage your celebrity-victim status to get back at him.
I don’t know why you chose to publicly malign Bhakti Vikasa Maharaja when by your own admission there are other, more culpable ISKCON leaders who you could have come out publicly against yet chose not to name. But at least we know that whatever your reason, it has absolutely nothing to do with any child’s welfare.
Krishna Kirti dasa
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On 22 February 2023, Vedasaar wrote:
Reading this someone might ask, “How is it possible for so many leaders to have visited the ashram, been served by the boys, and not be aware that something was very wrong?”
Over the years I developed a personal relationship with many of these Sannyasis, Gurus and GBCs. When it became known that I had spoken out against BVP Swami and the abuse in the Mayapur Gurukula, most of these leaders, whom I had served as a kid, stopped communicating with me. To this day, the vast majority of these relationships have never recovered. And there are many other kids like me, with similar experiences – speaking up and being cut out.
Even worse, my character was defamed by the people close to BVP Swami in the upper levels of ISKCON management, to prevent me from being given future service within ISKCON. This has been confirmed for me personally by three separate GBC members. That reputation has also never recovered.
I would like to make a side note with regards to Bhakti Vikash Swami. Although I’ve chosen not to share most names publicly in this letter he must be mentioned as he is supporting and encouraging abuse to continue. He stayed at the Gurukula many times and he has been an outspoken supporter of BVP Swami at least since the early 2000s. More specifically, he has defended the use of corporal punishment as an acceptable form of discipline for children. He has gone on record to really over-state the importance of the one or two quotes where Srila Prabhupada spoke of corporal punishment, discarding all the other, far more numerous quotes where he unequivocally forbids it.
He has now opened his own Gurukula in Salem, India. I am deeply concerned for the well being of the children there. I cannot help but wonder how many of them are getting beaten. In an environment of violence other kinds of abuse also begin to flourish.
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Unfortunately the internet facilitates anyone to spew whatever emotional opinions one may have without realizing how it can expose their immaturity, unprofessional or vindictive nature. It appears that the reward of global attention-getting has become more important for some individuals... AT ANY COST,.. then the Brahmanical quality of a truly equipoised evaluation of ALL the relevant facts in a given situation. No SANE person knowingly supports pedophilia or ANY type of child abuse yet those are the broad-sweeping allegations that get immediately thrown by self appointed vigilante leaders of lynch-mob-mentality followers and that is a disgrace. It fuels unresolved prejudice and revenge in weak minded individuals who are not sober enough to patiently measure ALL the evidence with an unbias eye. There are so many wounded souls who are susceptible to this type of ignorant propaganda it fully explains what fueled the absurd poison conspiracy for 20 years based on nothing but pure fraud and clever deception!
ISKCON will end up like the Catholic Church, with its futile apologists such as Krishna Kirti. Some of us with some education (I hold a PhD in humanities and religious studies) will easily recognize his familiar cherry-picking approach to debated issues, with deliberately remaining blind for everything that does not fit his argumentation. KK's shallow scholasticism has been going on like this since the early 90s.
So, you couldn't do math, huh?
Well, KK did math (statistics) and look at him. No heart, no emotions. Ruthless. I lived in Mayapur and personally known Vedasar. A great, gentle, honest person. KK somehow didn't notice the bulk of the testimony. He was only interested in the BVKS reference. This is what I call official apologist.
So, here is a concept that even the innumerate can understand: justice should not be governed or ruled by emotions. So-called "justice" that is ruled by emotions is a "lynch mob". I think it's a good thing that KK has focused on this. BVKS is his guru, after all. Why shouldn't a disciple defend his guru?
Also, u hve faith in Vedasaar because u know him. But what about BVKS and his disciples and other godbrothers who care close to him? Doesn't their character witness deserve at least as much regard as you give your own self?
Vedasaar never shared his history with BVKS, who visited ex-BVPS gurukula only twice, not "many times" as VS says. Yet VS says there were many other gurus and sannyasis he shared his ordeal with, yet they distanced themselves from him and ruined his reputation. So, why is he going after BVKS and not all these others? How come?
Thre is something not right about his story. But if you are too overly concerned with your emotions, I can understand why u think those details arent imporent.
Put aside your emotions and think about this a bit. Try to think of the matter beyond the circle of your immediate friends or tribe.
Putting aside the BVKS issue here, even the slightest possibility that at least something in Vedasar's testimony might be true would prevent a normally emphatic person from using the phrase "milking the victimhood". We are talking about the possibility of multiple and systematic sexual assaults over the course of many years. Even a mere possibility would make a normally emphatic person think twice about his approach. And yes, prabhu, we are not impersonalists, so emotions do count. And as for justice, correct me if I'm wrong, but it is in the hands of the state and municipal institutions. Has anyone reported fBVP or any other alleged perpetrator to the police? I don't seem to remember that.
My heart goes to Vedasara Prabhu. Thank you for being fearless!
Lack of empathy and compassion bleeds my heart.
i am really shocked that after reading such a heart breaking testimony, with all the pain, desperation, helplessness, fear, solitude it conveys, with all the trauma and courage that was needed to bring it out in public, not A SINGLE WORD of compassion has come out of your pen. a child has been brutalized in most horrible ways, in a place that was supposed to be a safe shelter and a "spiritual" place, by people who were supposed to "protect" him and came out to be his nightmares, and you, who are supposedly following a path aimed at love for God, are not showing at least respect for all these sufferings, what to say of empathy and undestanding! SHAME!
you dare to accuse him of "milking victimhood", and instead of reassuring with sound arguments that no abuse are possible in BVKS's school you criticize and offend him.
What's in your heart? i wonder
Prema Kanda das
If this is to be dismissed as baseless allegation then his allegations against BVKS Maharaja is equally baseless as well...
What is the intention behind naming some of the abusers but masking the names of quite a few?
Is it not allowing the room for these unnamed abusers to conveniently play the victim card later on as well?
If Vedasaar claims that over the years there has been a so-called notorious hierarchy or pecking order in regards to the sexual abuse, it's hard to believe or give benefit of doubt that he or the unamed personnel were never abusers themselves (by force or by choice).
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My point is that it is hard to believe that Vedasaar and sanaka rsi and others playing victim cards have never victimized others? That suspicions is only strengthened by him masking the name of some of his abusers.
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Okay...if you are more sober and intelligent then pease ask vedasaar to call out the names if all....why is he masking some and exposing some
....
Also, why all these years he never ever once reached out to Bhakti Vikasa Swami Maharaja to express his concern for child protection but now use the opportunity to exploit to his advantage?
I don't know what the fuss is about corporal punishment. I'm saying this because when I was growing up in 6th grade I had the experience of going to a public school in Albuquerque, New Mexico. At that time corporal punishment was allowed and I must say it was the most well-behaved school I ever attended in my entire life. I think the reason was so successful is because the entire society backed this up. of course now, since society is being feminized, boys will no longer be reprimanded physically which in my humble opinion, will only make them tougher. But now they are just going to be continuously emasculated over time as women get more and more power. We see that pretty obviously all around us. Except for countries where men can be men.
You are all #%*^ idiots!! Veda has released an extremely traumatic statement of what happened and you have no sympathy?? Instead, you are suspecting him and Sanaka (who were children!! They are VICTIMS) and acting defensive of your “guru” who is a culprit himself. Who cares if it was only twice, once is more than enough. Grow some balls. You are part of the problem.