Jayapataka arranged for Sattvic to be jailed

Sattvic prabhu jailed by GBC arrangement


From PADA Newsletter Mar. 14, 2000


Dear Puranjana,

It all started just a few weeks ago on February 22. I was surprised to hear that the Calcutta temple vice president, Sattvic Prabhu was in prison. The charge was/is visa fraud. I was told by an "informant" that there were four people responsible for his arrest: JPS, Dayaram das, Satyadhana das and one other devotee with a name like Banu something.

Anyway, this is where I witnessed the confusion and bewilderment of JPS's followers, because some of them couldn't understand why devotees would maliciously act this way towards other devotees. Especially, since one of the perpetrators was JPS himself. I could sense the confusion some of his devotees were experiencing, trying to come to grips with this act of agression towards Sattvic Prabhu, who happens to be close friends with some of these devotees and well known in the region for his many years of solid service to Srila Prabhupada's mission.

This informant told me that Sattvic Prabhu was thrown into the most abominable prison environment in Calcutta, amidst the thieves and murderers. The food and water were not fresh and the devotees had to bring him clean food and water from the outside. After some days there, he was moved to a better prison and now, as of two days ago, he has been released by a court judge with the condition that he not leave Calcutta.

Despite being in such conditions, Sattvic prabhu was said to be in good spirits, I was told that he was getting the others in his cell to have kirtan with him. One rather mystical aspect to this situation was that one night in that prison he had a dream where Srila Prabhupada came to him and said: "These men have ruined everything!" I hope Sattvic prabhu can tell more about his dream in the future.

Apparently, just one day before his arrest, Sattvic was traveling to Mayapur, and upon arriving there, he had a run in with Dayaram das. Their cars met face to face in the road and they each got out, the sitiuation was tense, Sattvic was reportedly trying to tell Dayaram that he (dayaram) should not take all the legal wranglings on a personal level. At that point, Dayaram das said, "You've brought this courtcase upon us, now you will see the fun begin very soon," and the next day Sattvic was arrested.

One irony is, just a few days ago, I read on the net somewhere, one GBC devotee had written an article about how there was a new spirit of love, trust, cooperation, forgiveness and basically no more aggression, which was universally approved of and resolved by the GBC this year in Mayapur ...and having devotees arrested and placed into dangerous jails full of murderers and violent criminals, with inedible food and undrinkable water, and trying to disturb or even halt their many years of service to Krishna --if not have them attacked physically (which could occur in a dangerous prison), is the GBC's idea of loving exchanges in the holy dhama?

The arrest was based on alleged visa fraud, seems that Sattvic prabhu, who is an Italian national has been in India on a student visa for the last 18 years. The devotees in Mayapur knew this, evidently Bhavananda das (Vishnupada?!?) helped him get the visa in the first place. Their reasoning was, how is it that he is now Vice President if he's here on a student visa? In the hearing that occured just a few days ago, the judge was not impressed and said that it's normal for students to move up into managerial positions and he released Sattvic prabhu. I wasn't told why the judge ordered Sattvic to not leave Calcutta.

The devotees in Mayapura are trying in anyway they can to undermine the ISKCON Calcutta temple, and bascially destroy Srila Prabhupada's preaching temple program there, and they are really foaming at the mouth to get Adridharan Prabhu, but he is much to sophisticated for them. Mayapura temple was funded in large part from Calcutta temple for many years, now that funding has come to an end. Until Mayapur implements the representive of the Acharya system that Srila Prabhupada instituted, they will have no support from ISKCON Calcutta temple. With their coffers drying up, they are turning to desperate measures. Hopefully they will surrender to Srila Prabhupada's desires on initiations within ISKCON soon.

ys, Govinda das

 


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