World call for GBC resignation

September 18, 2000   VNN6260 VNN - WORLD  

Direction Of Management For An Elected GBC

BY URDHVAGA DAS

USA, Sep 18 (VNN) — PETITION

To all Iskcon devotees world wide temple-presidents, Sannyasis

Dear maharajas, prabhus, matas and didis. Please accept my respectful obeisances. All Glories To Srila Prabhupada.

As an initiated disciple of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada and as a member of the International Society for Krishna consciousness, I herewith call upon all devotees world wide to reject Iskcons bogus GBC/Guru leadership and elect a new Governing Body Commission as outlined by Srila Prabhupada in his DIRECTION OF MANAGEMENT FOR AN ELECTED GBC.

“Importanly, the GBC was to be elected from the body of temple presidents.”

He created the DIRECTION OF MANAGEMENT, which was signed, witnessed and notarized. This document created the GBC, and gave the EXACT DIRECTION AS TO HOW THE GBC SHOULD ACT ...Importanly, the GBC was to be ELECTED FROM THE BODY OF TEMPLE PRESIDENTS. The Temple presidents were instructed to hold elections every three years, and either re-elect existing GBC members, or elect new ones from a ballot of candidates chosen from the body of Temple Presidents.

Srila Prabhupada also wrote several letters stating that the temple presidents were to be elected by vote by the congregations of the individual temples, and that the GBC would have practically no AUTHORITY over the individual temples.

The devotees who live in ISKCON temples should be educated so that they understand the full extent of their constitutional powers. By the constitution of the ISKCON temple corporations, the members have the legal right to elect a new leadership. This is a little-known fact, but it is a law.

They also have the right to vote to impeach that leadership if they lose their qualification as leaders. Legally, they have voted to accept the appointed leaders by failing to vote them out. That is, unless the members assert their right to vote it is assumed they wish to follow the appointed system.

Because the GBC assumed dictatorial powers NOT PROVIDED in the DIRECTION OF MANAGEMENT, they were in a position to "cover up" crimes committed by each other, and to terrorize the temple presidents by threatening to "kick them out" for insubordination. Since they were not authorized to do either of the above, we can see that their pattern of abuse followed the typical pattern of abuse in "rogue states" and other dictatorships and oligarchies that ARE NOT ANSWERABLE TO THE PUBLIC. It would have been almost impossible for the molestations of the children in the Gurukulas to have taken place if Srila Prabhupada's DIRECTION OF MANAGEMENT had been followed.

The only thing that can be said in our (congregational member's) favour is that the GBC VERY CAREFULLY HID THE TEXT OF THE DIRECTION OF MANAGEMENT UNTIL THE 1990'S. (Over twenty years!) So that NO CONGREGATIONAL MEMBER OF ISKCON REALIZED TO WHAT DEGREE THEY WERE (AND SITLL ARE) BEING RIPPED OFF!

The devotees should assert their rights under the law, at least in the United States, and immediately hold elections to force the GBC to resign as managers and trustees of all ISKCON properties. This is the only chance to save Srila Prabhupada's legacy from total destruction. If after the prosecution and defense presentations in the court, where all the details of the GBCs' intransigence will become public knowledge, the jury finds the defendants culpable, and if they did not resign when the case first began, this arrogant attitude will influence the judge and jury to increase the penalty.

A similar thing happened in the case the Turley firm recently won against the Catholic Church. None of the church leaders who covered up the abuse resigned, and partly because of this insolence the damages were in the tens of millions of dollars for only two victims. The ISKCON case may ultimately have over 1,000 victims. The GBC resignations will save ISKCON millions of dollars and win support from the court and all right-thinking people.

Srila Prabhupada: "Yes. This was the system, that one must retire. Just like at the present moment, although people are asking the president that 'You retire, you resign,' he is not resigning, obstinate. Because he knows, 'This is the first and last chance. I am not going to be elected again. So stick to the post and take as much money as possible.' That's all." [Lecture, 12/17/73 LA]

The GBC will not resign, they will stick to their posts and take money from Srila Prabhupada as long as they possibly can. Now the consequences of their actions threaten to destroy the entire ISKCON society.

Therefore the only chance to protect Srila Prabhupada's reputation is a general rebellion by vote of the members of ISKCON against the GBC. They have frustrated Srila Prabhupada's orders by mismanagement, by changing his books, by preaching bogus philosophy, and in countless other ways. They have driven away thousands of Srila Prabhupada's disciples and they have failed to maintain his institution. Now they deserve to be impeached.

As explained by Dasanudas, the member ship of any nonprofit religious corporation has the legal right to remove its leaders because nonprofit corporations are institutions meant to serve the needs of the community.

Therefore, a constituent assembly consisting of the current members of ISKCON (past and present Srila Prabhupada's disciples) should now come forward and do the needful, even another lawsuit if necessary, for electing a new GBC body.

There should be an organized petition presented to the GBC stating our demands for attaining the goal of an elected GBC as Srila Prabhupada outlined in his Direction of Management for the GBC.

Please contact Harinamdas at harinam@ilhawaii.net. He will send you the PETITION FOR CARRYING OUT SRILA PRABHUPADA'S DIRECTION OF MANAGEMENT FOR AN ELECTED GBC (GOVERNING BOARD COMMISSION OF THE INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY FOR KRISHNA CONSCIOUSNESS)

Urdhvaga das,
in the service of Srila Prabhupada

For the Petition and SRILA PRABHUPADA'S DIRECTION OF MANAGEMENT please write to:

Harinam das, at: harinam@ilhawaii.net

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