With Overseas Secretary Vikram Misri’s current go to to Dhaka setting the stage for a decreasing of tensions between India and Bangladesh over the alleged assaults on minorities and the arrest of Hindu monks, the ISKCON has mentioned that whereas it hopes for a peaceable resolution to the issue, it will slightly let the federal government’s diplomatic channels do their work.
Former ISKCON member Chinmoy Krishna Das’s arrest in Dhaka on November 25 on sedition expenses — for allegedly hoisting ISKCON’s saffron flag over the Bangladesh nationwide flag throughout a rally on October 25 —had strained ties between the 2 nations and triggered protests in India over a bigger “Hindu trigger”. Chatting with The Indian Categorical, Devakinandan Das, Vice-Chairman ISKCON India, mentioned the organisation has been “peacefully and selflessly serving society” world wide for nearly 60 years and in Bangladesh significantly for 50 years. “All we hope for is that our efforts to serve each member of the Bangladeshi society are recognised by all of the stakeholders. We additionally hope that our temples and members are secure from the threats which can be being made by some radicals. All our members there are native residents of Bangladesh, who deeply care for his or her homeland and want to see it as a peaceable, affluent and religiously harmonious society,” Devakinandan Das mentioned.
As for security of ISKCON centres in Bangladesh, he mentioned, the organisation “would slightly let the Indian authorities’s diplomatic channels do their work”.
ISKCON’s India Nation Director and nationwide spokesperson Yudhisthira Govinda Das mentioned the organisation wouldn’t need to be drawn into the Hindu persecution debate or the politics surrounding the arrests. “ISKCON has no political affinity to any political get together and has all the time labored for inter-faith concord. Our companies are open for everybody, no matter their caste, ethnicity, gender, faith and nationality. We collaborate on group tasks with governments in nations the place we’re current,” he mentioned.
On the arrest in Dhaka of the previous ISKCON member and the protests again residence in India, he mentioned, “His rights as a citizen of Bangladesh to peacefully advocate for rights of Hindus and minorities must be recognised and guarded.”
He, nevertheless, was cautious about mentioning what number of monks are trapped in Bangladesh, saying he wanted to “hear the fact from devotees first”. He additionally emphasised that ISKCON wished justice “for all minorities, not simply Hindus”.
Delhi’s efforts underway
Overseas Secy Vikram Misri met his Bangladesh counterpart on November 9 and mentioned the ‘complete gamut of points’ in bilateral ties. He additionally conveyed India’s considerations, particularly on security of minorities.
Whereas admitting that the organisation confronted challenges from radicals in Bangladesh, he was clear concerning the Muhammad Yunus authorities’s efforts to guard ISKCON temples. “The state of affairs is certainly worrisome since lots of our members are receiving threats, a few of our centres have been vandalised. So, we have now been interesting to authorities companies to make sure the security of not simply our 140 temples and devotees however all of the spiritual minority communities in order that an environment of peace and co-existence might be rebuilt within the nation. We must also recognise the Bangladesh authorities’s efforts in offering us safety by way of the military. They instantly confirmed up and managed the state of affairs however the perpetrators are but to be arrested,” mentioned Yudhisthira Das.
On the organisation’s actions in Bangladesh, he mentioned, “Within the Nineteen Seventies, when ISKCON was nonetheless in its early days, Srila Prabhupada, the founder-acharya of ISKCON, noticed the plight of residents in post-war Bangladesh and requested his disciples to assist them. That’s how our food-for-life programme, which fed and continues to feed everybody with none discrimination, began. Aside from our centres, we additionally run faculties, old-age properties, orphanages, medical camps and catastrophe reduction efforts… The founding father of Apple, Steve Jobs, has in his Stanford Graduation tackle recollected how throughout his struggling days he would discuss 7 miles for the one good meal on the Hare Krishna temple… Secular-minded professionals have decision-making powers in our organisational hierarchy.”
On the organisation’s work worldwide, he pointed to how, on the COP28 in Abu Dhabi and at COP29 in Baku, ISKCON was invited to current its system for stopping environmental degradation by way of case research of its eco-farms and inexperienced temples.
“For younger folks, we run de-addiction programmes and workshops on stress and way of life administration,” mentioned Das.
Why do you have to purchase our Subscription?
You need to be the neatest within the room.
You need entry to our award-winning journalism.
You don’t need to be misled and misinformed.
Select your subscription bundle
