Prahlad (12 years old) and Raman's (11 years old) letter to General Secretary of the Soviet Union, Mikhail Gorbachev.
The true story of Prahlad and Raman's letter to General Secretary of the Soviet Union, Mikhail Gorbachev, April 25th 1986.
Prahlad and Raman - "For a long time now we have wanted to visit your country, but we are a little bit scared about the things we have heard about Russia. We have heard some terrible things about what is happening there to the parents of Hare Krishna children. They must be strong devotees of Krishna to be punished just because they are following a religion that they feel is right, and put into labour camps and hospitals, and still be keeping their beliefs. We don't think you would like it if you were punished for a belief you have." (Extract from Gurukula school boy's Prahlad and Raman's letter to General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev April 25th 1986)
Back in April 1983, the Krishna children met Princess Diana and Prince Charles in the Brisbane Mall, handing them a bouquet of flowers, a garland and some children's books about Krishna, for Prince William.
The photo of one young Gurukula boy, Prahlad, handing Princess Diana the books, appeared all over the world, including the front page of the London Times.
That photograph was on my wall, I often glanced at it thinking that when these kids can express themselves the media will experience something new, original and appealing.
In 1986, the media had been greatly interested in the Hare Krishna Movement, however, we needed a new angle to maintain this interest and obviously, the answer was with the kids.
Preparations were enthusiastically underway to celebrate the 500th Anniversary of Lord Chaitanya.
Through the media we wanted to inform everyone who Lord Chaitanya is. One morning, while reading the Brisbane Telegraph, our desire was becoming a reality.
We had found a section called 'On This Day', describing significant world events.
To devotees, the 26th of March 1986 was a great world event, being Lord Chaitanya's appearance anniversary. Our idea was to contact all television and newspaper networks informing them of this date.
Coloured paintings of Lord Chaitanya and Nityananda, the six Goswamis, and His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada were pasted on a large A-5 sheet of paper and sent to 'The Today Show', 'Good Morning Australia', and major Australian newspapers.
We included a short history of ISKCON (The International Society for Krishna Consciousness).
Some journalists rang to question our dates as the Encyclopedia Britannica said the 500th Anniversary was in 1985. The answer was simple; some establish age from birth, others from conception.
Two days before the anniversary, we arranged with the Brisbane City Council for children from the Gurukula to perform in the City Square on the 26th of March.
At first the Council said no, because we were Hare Krishna devotees, however, they changed their minds after they were told that children wanted to also celebrate “The International Year Of Peace’’ that was in the same year as Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s 500th anniversary.
On Lord Chaitanya's appearance day, we watched 'The Today Show' run a two minute segment on Lord Chaitanya. Later that morning, we found a 'On This Day' article in the "Daily Mirror Newspaper".
We then drove to Brisbane so the children could perform at King George Square in the City Centre. Plays about Lord Chaitanya's pastimes were performed and bhajans (songs) sung to a large lunch-time crowd. The Courier Mail and Daily Sun Newspapers did favourable articles, while the 0-10 Television network did a three minute segment.
All this auspicious interest in the Hare Krishna Movement laid the groundwork for what was to come.
The eldest of the children was twelve-year-old Prahlad, who had been involved in many articles. In fact, in June 1980, he was the six-year-old boy singing in the river on the Sixty Minutes' program. Most people remember this, remarking how appealing the boy was.
Now, six years later he was leading the other children in an invasion of lounge-rooms throughout the Nation - via the television set.
Prahlad had reached the age where he could impress the media with his Hare Krishna life-style. It was easy to impress others through the convictions of a child but being a devotee made him extra special.
This was illustrated in an interview with Chris Houghton from 'The Australian Newspaper’' The flagship newspaper of Rupert Murdoch's News Limited in Australia.
The feature wasn't printed, however, her husband was so enthused with her convictions from Prahlad's association, he stayed at the farm for one week.
The day after Lord Chaitanya's appearance anniversary, the children performed again at Cavill Avenue in Surfers Paradise.
This time they erected a four and a half metre statue of Lord Chaitanya and danced around it. The "Gold Coast Bulletin" published an article.
While there, many onlookers questioned us about India's history. In devotee circles, Gandhi was no Mahatma, he was considered a politician among the saints.
Prabhupada once explained Gandhi never really understood the essence of Hinduism. He also was once a follower of Gandhi until he met his Spiritual Master, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Prabhupada.
From that meeting he realised that human society should learn how to become free from the influences of the material energy and not exploit it or try to be comfortable in it.
Freeing India from British rule was a material consideration; mankind needed freedom on the spiritual level, that is real freedom. However, for preaching, especially in India, devotees would glorify Gandhi.
The fact is it was Lord Chaitanya who organised India's first civil disobedience movement in the 16th Century.
The following article about His work in this world was read to the crowd by an Indian Gentleman Dr. Suresh a local Doctor and congregational member from Mullumbimby NSW who spent the day with us.
However, I did not like his comparison between Lord Chaitanya and Gandhi. The fact is Prabhupada wrote to Gandhi warning him to give up Politics as it could endanger his life. Gandhi ignored Prabhupada's warning.
As we know, eventually Gandhi was assassinated on 30th January 1948 by a Hindu just after India was divided into India and the two Pakistan's. This young Hindu assasssin believed Gandhi was giving too many concessions away to the Muslim leadership in an attempt to keep India as one nation.
Many Hindus never agreed with Gandhi as they also wanted their own Hindu Nation because originally Islam was a violent invading force from Saudi Arabia and Persia (Iran) in the 9th Century AD that forcefully converted millions of Hindus to Islam.
They did this by going house to house to holding in one hand the Quran and in the other hand a sword saying ''choose one''
And often those who chose to remain a Hindu were beaten or killed.
Islam was never part of the original Vedic culture of the Indian sub continent called Bharat-varsa, it was a violent invading destructive force.
Even the word Hindu is not a Vedic word either, it originated outside of India from both the invading Armies of Alexander the great in 326 BC and Islam in the 9th Century AD who both mispronounced the worshippers of Vishnu in the Indus valley in what is now Pakistan pronouncing Indus as Hindu.
Sri Chaitanya was born on Dol Purnima 500 years ago. (from the Calcutta Telegraph Daily Newspaper.)
This article reveals the mood of the time, 1986 and how the majority in India greatly respected Gandhi even though devotees had a more informed view thanks to Srila Prabhupada.
From the Calcutta Telegraph Daily Newspaper -
''Chaitanya Mahaprabhu was the nation's first Mahatma. Born 500 years ago, the day was February 18, 1486 AD.
As the moon looked down on the auspicious occasion of Dol Purnima, there was born to Jagannath Mishra of Nabadwip his eighth son.
Jagannath's wife, Sachi devi, had carried the baby for fourteen months, so the folklore goes. And, when he finally arrived, she named him Nemai in deference to the belief that the God of Death would not dare to come near someone who got his name from that bitterest of leaves - neem.
Nemai's grandfather, Nilamber Chakraborty, was a renowned astrologer; he proclaimed that the infant, who had the signs of Narayana on his hands and feet, would one day conquer the world.
Immediately, Nemai was given another name: Bishwambhar which means ''the supreme spirit''.
Jagannath Mishra had come to Nabadwip from his native Sri hatta for higher studies, but stayed on. But he did not make much scholastic progress and survived working as a priest in the village.
Not much is known about his other seven sons; only that the eldest, Bishwaroop, left home early in his youth to seek sainthood, the others must have all died early.
So when Nemai was born, Sachi devi's joy knew no bounds. But, Jagannath was sceptical; the loss of his other sons had made him fatalistic. He knew that even Nemai would not be with his family for long.
He belonged to the wider world outside. Bengal, in the early 16th Century, was a mess of religious obscurantism.
The Muslim rulers were not famous for their tolerance, nor did their casts Hindu subjects display much generosity of spirit.
Buddhism was buried deep, the fanaticism of Islam was overbearing and the commercialisation of the Hindu religion had driven the common man to desperation and fear. There was a general spate of newfound Gods and Goddesses; it was another story that they served only to fill the coffers of the Brahmin priests rather than provide solace to the poor.
Society was regimented; the compartments created far too many problems for the people to be at peace with themselves.
Nemai was born in a Bengal devoid of love and searching for the love of His life. As he grew up, he proved himself to be as good a theologian and pundit as anyone those days.
Before he had even crossed his teens, the entire village looked up to him as one learned in the Scriptures and art of exposition. He was tall and fair; with long flowing hair curling behind his shoulders, and bright, sharp eyes. There was no doubt that here was a man among men.
Earlier, when he was barely a boy, his father passed away. Nemai went to Gaya for the "pindadan'' ceremony. On his return and after this first encounter with Death, he was a changed man. There was a new sobriety in him; the first signs of sannyas were obvious.
Later, when he was around eighteen years of age, Nemai married Ballabhacarya's daughter, Lakshmipriya.
Soon, as was the tradition in those days, Nemai was away in East Bengal (now Bangladesh) on a tour to boost his fame in learning and knowledge of the Scriptures. While he was away on his "Digvijay", Lakshmipriya died of snake bite. A contemporary couplet goes that the "venom of Prabhu's absence is what really killed her". It was this second encounter with death that truly transformed him.
Nemai remarried when he was twenty-one years old. This time, the bride was Sanatan Bipra's beautiful daughter, Bishupriya. Nemai soon became drawn to the beauty of "Vaishnava dharma" and, along with some friends, could be seen at the village squares singing and chanting "Hare Krishna, Hare Rama".
The home of Sribas Pandit was the group's meeting place; the strains of choral songs filled the air with new tranquillity. It was at this time that Nemai met Prabhu Nityananda at Nandan Acaryas residence.
It seemed as if Balarama had met Sri Krishna; when Nityananda, elder by twelve years, embraced Nemai, those near them knew that here was a fusion of two great souls who would change the world.
Much before his meeting with Prabhu Nityananda, Nemai had done something that was to prove his revolutionary zeal and love for freedom. Bengal was at that time ruled by Hussein Shah and Nabadwip by Moulana Sirajuddin, who was better known as Chand Kaji.
In keeping with the times, Kaji issued a decree banning choral songs, kirtans and the utterance of "Hare Krishna, Hare Rama.
The followers of "Vaishnava dharma" were trying to forge a way to overcome the religious morbidity and bankruptcy of the times. But their leader, Advaita Acharya of Nabadwip, knew that though their thoughts were noble, their means were meagre.
Their voices were either banned or drowned by the stupid clamour of Gods, Goddesses and their creators. If ever a Messiah was needed, it was now.
Every demand throws up a leader; almost as if he was destined to do this, Nemai rallied the saner elements of his village and defied the Kaji.
The group of devotees resolved it would march to the Kaji's palace, singing and dancing all the way. They would also carry cymbals, and for those who did not have a pair, "even utensils would do".
Nemai also directed that they would not budge under force, not until they were dead, at least.
It was a beautiful scene; the anger, the music, the religious conviction in that great march to the Kaji's residence provides the first true signs of Nemai as a leader of men.
The Kaji's garden was badly mauled; even as they had "Hare Krishna" on their lips, Nemai's followers did not forget to teach the Muslim dictator a lesson he would not forget for long years to come.
The torches in their hands burnt brightly as the Kaji came out and met the deputation. Then, as the Kaji dropped his head and acquiesced, the crowd rejoiced in its victory. This was one of the first successful civil disobedience movements in the country.
Exactly a year after he met Nityananda, Nemai left home to take his religion of love to all the people. For the one year in between he kept himself indoors. Obviously, breaking the bonds of family life was not easy even for a person like Nemai.
While initiating him into sannyas Keshab Bharati gave him the epithet "Sri Krishna Chaitanya"; the idea was to convey the fusion of Krishna and Radharani's love for each other in the one body of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu.
He was to stay a sannyasi for the next twenty-three years, five months and two days till his death in Puri at age 48 in 1534, AD.
Since then the legend has grown all over the World especially since the mid 1960s when His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada introduced Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu to the Western World.
There was never any conscious effort on the part of Mahaprabhu Chaitanya to project himself as a religious leader; indeed, throughout his travels covering almost the entire land, he preferred to go it alone. Some of his followers felt hurt by this.
When a leader leaves his men behind, the feeling is one of despair, Sri Chaitanya's greatness lies in the fact that he never let his followers despair. He successfully impressed upon them the need for the leader to stay away as much as possible from his men; only the alienation of the self can produce true doctrine. The doctrine went thus. Devotion and salvation are the essence of life. Those who love the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krishna become something of the Great personality and devotee themselves.
Only by loving the Krishna can you love his creations.
The world then is not one of ambitions and hatred, of material and sorrow, but of joy and love in the service of Lord Krishna.
There is no need for temples and mosques, of churches and synagogues. Love this life by singing the holy names of the Lord Krishna, therein lies salvation.
The Nemai of earlier years was different from the new Sri Chaitanya. Nemai was a debutante, sprightly, proud in his knowledge of existence.
Chaitanya on the other hand was enraptured in the loving affection and exchanges of Radha and Krishna, whom He was the combination of, and no less proud of his existence but much nearer to his devotees.
The effort to be one in purpose is the final striving - to always be the servant of the servant of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. In other words, the best way to please God is by pleasing His bonafide devotees.
When a man considers this world as a bubble, an illusion, then Yamaraj the demigod of Death has no power over him.
This is not a negation of the here and now, but an understanding that everything around us is temporary and in a state of constant decay.
So sing the name of Lord Krishna that is the only route to salvation in this Kali-yuga.
Chroniclers say that during the one year that Nemai stayed indoors before taking up sannyas, he went through what can now only be termed as "fits".
One moment laughing, the other weeping, and yet sometime later, rolling on the floor or meditating as He was experiencing the combined love that Radha and Krishna have for each other.
Sri Chaitanya is considered by his followers to be the Golden avatar, the combination of Radha and Krishna appearing in the Kali-yuga.
The Bhagavad-gita, while speaking of the avatars through the Satya, Treta, Dwapara and Kali-yugas, mentions that "He who will arrive in Kali-yuga will have the name of Krishna on his lips. He will be golden and will be followed everywhere by the best among men."
Even the Puranas teach that the only route to salvation during Kali-yuga is the chanting of the holy names of the Lord and Lord Chaitanya chanted the Hare Krishna Maha mantra and that is the example we follow.
Sri Chaitanya was never a religious reformer; what he tried was to help break away from the obscurantist methods of the leaders of religion.
The concept of groups of men and women doing the rounds chanting the name of the Lord to the music of cymbals has, through the last 500 years successfully brought disparate elements together as no amount of dialogues and persuasion have.
There is not much religion in this; if there is anything, it is the single-minded devotion and love for human beings, the representatives of the Creator on the earth.
If it is a religion, it is one of love. The Vedas, all through the ages, were the sole privilege of the three upper Varnas and these people saw to it that it stayed that way. Until Sri Chaitanya came. He took the Vedas, brought the simplest slokas out of them and with his magic, transformed them into the eternal.
"Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare".
Now literates and illiterates alike, men and women together found a new expression. Brahmins and Sudras sang together. Their cymbals struck in unison.
What else was joy, if it was not this? Sri Chaitanya was also one of the foremost in this land of ours to raise his voice against the evils of untouchability.
In a society torn by the violence among communities, he had the strength and conviction to adopt many Muslims and Sudras among his disciples. Perhaps the most famous of them is Hari das.
The Mahaprabhu faced no mean opposition from the Brahmins for his allegiance to this disciple of his. He nursed the sick Haridas, fed him when he was shunned and carried his dead body till the earth and air took over. It is this relationship between Guru and disciple that marks one of the most significant and meaningful stages of Sri Chaitanya's life.
Recently, since the 1960s the West has become enamoured of the Bhakti movement. The International Society for Krishna Consciousness has flourished abroad.
Millions of Prabhupada's Books and Back To Godhead magazines have been distributed all over the World.
This is not unnatural considering the dilemmas of the West. The time has now come to give oneself up to the Call of Lord Krishna.
"There is no prayer. The true devotee does not know what to ask for, what he really wants. He can only repeat the name of the Lord".
The popularity of the ISKCON (The International Society for Krishna Consciousness) in the West can also be traced to an extent to the universal appeal of Vaishnava Dharma spread by Srila Prabhupada.
The congregational chanting of Hare Krishna by ISKCON is now on the Streets of major Cities around the World,
This dancing on the streets chanting Hare Krishna is beyond any rigid meditations and closer to the western psyche.
The total involvement, the long hours of dancing-chanting are refreshingly playful; even if the philosophy of this almost yogic Krishna trance so induced is not quite understood, the sheer enjoyment of the experience is enough. The frills of this Puja were always alien to the West.
The world has had too many Vietnams, far too many ambitions and too much bloodshed. But, the citizens of this world can easily access the chanting of Hare Krishna.
Generally life at birth is unknown, so also is death at the end. Only during the intervening period do we revel in it, our reality, our world to see. If this world is all we have - a fragment of the timeless eternity - let us not destroy it with our own hands. It is time now the chanting of Hare Krishna made the obvious choice and sense to all. It is time it took over.
This chanting Hare Krishna is the true religion of love.
Around this time a devotee came back from India with a tape of an Indian movie about the life of Lord Chaitanya made in 1959, everyone went to the school library and watched the film with its English subtitles.
We all found this movie created an even more auspicious atmosphere for the 500th Anniversary celebrations.
At the school, a favourite time for all the children was watching the ABC program 'Behind The News' which focused on world events.
One such documentary on religion concerned three young girls (ten years of age) and their story about visions of the Mother Mary at Fatima, Portugal in 1917.
The convictions of the children attracted hundreds of journalists and over one hundred thousand people to await the vision of the Holy Madonna who said God would never abandon them.
The enormous crowd also seemed to see the Sun grow in enormous size and appear to touch the Earth in a white blinding light.
The program was impressive religiously, and most importantly, it concreted the conviction of how children will attracted so much attention to their message in Fatima.
This documentary firmly planted the idea in me that children are the best way to convince others because the Krishna kids are genuine and firmly believe their faith and convictions in Srila Prabhupada’s teachings WILL change the World.
Many of us prayed to Lord Chaitanya knowing the time was now right to engage these Krishna children in His unfolding wonderful plan of reawakening the spirituality of human society (and hopefully our own as well).
The spiritual convictions many of us had at this time was fascinating and very strong, beyond questioning or doubts.
It seemed everything else was put aside due to what we were being trained up for at this time and what would soon unfold in almost all the living rooms in homes in Australians and New Zealanders.
It was almost as if we were being pushed in a very basic way in a direction where something very, very big and special was waiting, you could feel it, it was in the air.
Krishna was soon going to be give us all a the great gift of preaching to millions that even great devotees and Acharyas of the past could only dream of. And the Krishna children would lead the way to whatever it is.
This is how I thought after watching that film. We had no idea what the Lord's plan for us was. All we personally desired and prayed for was-
“Please Lord use us in your wonderful plan”.
It seemed for many, God's justice is not just black or white, everyone just wanted to see this project successful regardless of our faults and whatever past mistakes we had made.
Often the Lord works in mysterious ways to achieve HIS goals. Maybe He was giving us all a chance to do something for Krishna that we will never forget and remember to our last breath on this world.
After all Lord Chaitanya is Patita Pavana which means the deliver of the most fallen. Regardless of variegated opinions of how to preach, we maintained the conviction and faith that something wonderful would soon happen, and no-one COULD stop us or even attempted to stop us.
There was something very special and powerful in the air, far more important than any faults ISKCON was experiencing during these early pioneering years.
Srila Prabhupada - "O good soul, does not a thing, applied therapeutically, cure a disease which was caused by that very same thing? Thus when all a man's activities are dedicated to the service of the Lord, those very activities which caused his perpetual bondage become the destroyer of the tree of work." (Srimad-Bhagavatam, Canto I, Chapter 5, Texts 33, 34.)
Those who thoroughly read and understand Prabhupada's books will also understand the Lords often causeless mercy that will melt their cold hearts and the pride of being puffed up with (Jnan) knowledgeable of just rules and regulations without understanding “the Lords amazing warm mercy”.
This famous poem sums up my mentality -
“It's not the critic that counts, nor the man who points out how the strong man stumbled, or whether the doer of the deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena; whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly, who errs and often comes up short again and again; who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, and spends himself in a worthy cause. And who, if at best in the end, knows the triumph of higher treatment and high achievements and who at worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his soul shall never be with those cold and timid ones who know neither victory nor defeat”(Theodore Roosevelt President Of The United States From 1901-1912)
Srila Prabhupada had left us so much book knowledge, but the movement was heading into a serious crisis.
Obviously, real acceptance must penetrate into the heart, and not just be bandied around in the mind.
Academically, some devotees were well educated, but not all however, to survive in spiritual life requires Spiritual knowledge to be accepted through the heart and ''acted upon'' and NOT just on the mental platform of just knowing texts and slokas without proper realizations.
Sadly many devotees, including myself, were often on that mental platform not fully understanding the deep meanings of the texts and slokas we rambled off.
Genuine pure devotees are very rare in the world.
One day soon, I thought, these children would be on 'Behind The News' with their message to the world based on realizations and NOT imitation.
It was obvious to every devotee on the farm, we wanted to use the children for preaching to the media. I loved being with them, even though deep in my heart I felt totally unqualified to be with the any devotee.
However, I DID believe it was Prabhupada and Krishna giving us a chance, an opportunity to preach to the world.
So for whatever the reason, we were preaching the message of Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and that was our mission.
We had the strong determination to engage these young devotees simplicity and innocence to spread Srila Prabhupada's Movement movement. In fact, I was convinced that as long as that simplicity and desire to preach remained uncontaminated and pure, then the Lord would bestow upon us (even me) a gift beyond our wildest dreams. That is as long as we passed the many tests that would eventually come our way.
After all it is Maya's duty to test us all with temptations just to see if it was Krishna we really wanted.
As soon as you successfully preach about Krishna, then Maya's duty is to test every devotee to see if it is service to Krishna we all want.
As we became more successful, we WERE greatly tested to see if it was serving Krishna’s devotees in the Soviet Union we really wanted to achieve.
At the time I never really fully understood this.
So, it was not long after all the devotees had returned from the Mayapur festival in India, everyone was discussing the most talked about topic of the festival; ''The Hare Krishna devotees being persecuted in the Soviet Union for their religious beliefs''.
One of the devotees handed me a copy of 'Amnesty International News'.
On the front page was a story about one Hare Krishna devotee, Anotoli Pinyayev.
AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL
Australian Newsletter.
USSR: Crackdown on Hare Krishna Movement -
At least thirty one Soviet members of the Hare Krishna Movement have been prosecuted for practising their religion, according to reports AI has received since 1981.
Hare Krishna is a mystical Indian religion which advocates non violence and preaches the illusory nature of material things. Most were given sentences of up to five years' imprisonment on a charge of "anti-social religious activity".
However, five were ruled unfit to stand trial and were confined against their will to psychiatric hospitals for indefinite periods.
One of the five, is thirty five year old Anatoli Pinyayev, reported to have been the first Soviet convert to Hare Krishna.
He met foreign evangelists of the Hare Krishna Movement while working as a technician in Moscow State University in 1971, including the founder of ISKCON His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, and then spent five years travelling throughout the USSR preaching the principles of the religion.
He was arrested in 1982 and ordered by a court to be forcibly confined to a special psychiatric hospital.
Anatoli Pinyayev is currently held in Sychovka special psychiatric hospital in Smolensk region, where repeated treatment with the antipsychotic drug, Haloperidol, is said to have undermined his health.
People who have visited him say his body has swollen, he suffers from facial convulsions, and is mentally lethargic.
Freedom of conscience is proclaimed as a fundamental human right by the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which the USSR is party.
There is no evidence to suggest that Anatoli Pinyayev, or the other imprisoned followers of Hare Krishna, have used or incited violence in support of their beliefs, and ''Amnesty International'' has adopted them as prisoners of conscience.
I then showed all the kids, some didn't even know where the Soviet Union was on the map, The discussions continued.
Apparently, it was decided at Mayapur that the foremost important preaching project was to help free all Soviet Hare Krishnas.
One morning Prahlad came to my office and said:
"Gaura, you know so many people in the media. Why can't we engage them to help free the Soviet Hare Krishnas?”
It was then becoming obvious to me that Krishna had a plan for us and we would help bring attention to the plight of Hare Krishna devotees in the Soviet Union.
Having no idea 'in what way the media could be used' I said:
"As this is your idea, how are we going to use the media?"
The boy thought about it, but had no answer.
On Wednesday 23rd April, 1986, Prahlad and his friends discussed the situation in the Soviet Union. We had many good contacts in the media, but how can they be engaged? In the meantime, Tripadi das (Sydney Hare Krishna PR man) was arranging a demonstration at the Soviet Consulate in Sydney.
After hearing that news, young Raman suggested:
"Can all us kids go down to that demonstration? It's a good excuse to get away from boring school (laughing)”.
Thinking carefully about what he said, it gave me an idea -
“Let's have all you kids make the central plea in our demonstration in Sydney. All the children can offer flowers and be seen asking the Soviet authorities to free the parents of Soviet children in Russia - fantastic idea!”
I then rang Pratapana dasa and told him of the idea. He thought it was great, and supported our preaching endeavours.
From the TV News we learnt there was also a girl in the United States who wrote a letter to Mr. Gorbachev and the Soviet girl who wrote a letter to Mr. Reagan and we could do the same thing, by getting our kids to do something and attract heaps of media attention.
I can see it now, "Krishna Kids write letter to Gorbachev". In fact one of the Kids can even read it at the demonstration in front of the Soviet Consulate to the Television news.
After the telephone call, I couldn't move fast enough. I hastily drove to the boys' Ashram.
Everyone was at the Temple, I found a pen and paper and wrote down some ideas. "How does a twelve-year-old kid think?", I thought. The atmosphere was sharp and exciting. The idea of a letter could springboard our Soviet campaign in Australia added new life to the project.
Eventually the boys arrived back from the Temple. I gave Prahlad what I had written (as he was the eldest and very enthusiastic). He read it over and over, saying: "What's this word mean? I wouldn't write like this, this is not me etc, etc.
Eventually, he changed the letter to suit his writing style - we now had our letter.
The purpose of the letter was to impress the media and hopefully embarrass the Soviets, forcing them to relax their persecution of the Soviet devotees.
As Prahlad 'attempted' to write the letter neatly, I knew that many people would eventually read it. It was simple, clear and straightforward. How can anyone not take notice of the innocence of a child?
The next day, Thursday 24th April, the Srimad Bhagavatam class was dedicated entirely to learning about the Soviet Hare Krishnas.
Yasomatinandana dasa (the Temple President of the Farm New Govardhana) gave the class, reading from the Soviet manual Kirtiraj dasa, the world wide organiser of the “Campaign to free imprisoned Hare Krishna devotees in the USSR”, had sent us.
The article he read was about Anatoli Pinyayev (Ananta Shanti das).
At the end of class he announced that all the older children would be attending the Sydney demonstration (he had arranged it earlier with the Sydney devotees).
Along with the Soviet manual from Kirtiraj, there were brochures, badges and postcards. Demonstrations would be held all over the world.
Ours was set for May 5th 1986 in Sydney out the front of the Soviet Consulate.
Yasomatinandana Dasa was enthusiastic to make this campaign successful, he provided the necessary funds to hire a van for Yumuna Acharya Dasa and myself to take the fifteen children to Sydney.
Yaso was a great one for ideas as long as he was always in control; he suggested we somehow find twenty-five doves and release them out the front of the Soviet Consulate, during the demonstration.
Thursday evening, I wanted a break from all the excitement. 'There was still more we could do,' I thought what else could we do as I tried to relax.
That night Hamish (aspiring young devotee on the farm) and I, saw a reenactment documentary at the Cinema, of the TWA hijacking in 1985 (Delta Force with Chuck Norris).
During the film I couldn't help but think of our new Soviet campaign. The film showed Palestinians hijacking an aeroplane and holding a gun to the pilots head as he gave a press conference from the window of his cockpit.
Everyone was trying to resolve the situation while the American anti-terrorist group prepared to end the hijacking violently. Hamish was caught up in the political argument on the screen and said:
“Everyone, the Palestinians, the Israelis, the Americans, and especially the Russians are all so hypocritical, they all expect world peace while they persecute each other. It's obvious the Palestinians need their own home land, then there is hope for peace. After all, peace like charity, begins at home”.
Looking surprised at what he said, I asked: "What was that?"
He repeated:
"Peace, like charity, begins at home!”
I then laughed and said:
"Thank you. You've just given our project its new motto. We will have that on banners ..... in fact, we will get all the kids wearing a T-shirt with that printed on it.
"Peace, like charity, begins at home” We need professional banners, signs, everything”.
The next morning, Friday 25th April, I rang Tripadi and suggested the ideas. He thought they were great, and arranged the printing of the signs and banners.
Also that morning, Tulsimala dasi, Nadia's wife, wrote a press release from the Soviet manual Kirtiraja had sent us. She was extremely enthusiastic saying:
"This is the beginning of something very, very big. It will contribute to major reforms now taking place in the Soviet Union”.
She wrote:
MR. GORBACHEV SHOULD KNOW THAT -
‘’PEACE, LIKE CHARITY, BEGINS AT HOME’’
‘’AND FREE THE SOVIET HARE KRISHNA'S’’
A CONCISE REPORT ON THE HISTORY AND PERSECUTION OF THE HARE KRISHNA MOVEMENT IN USSR
The situation of the Soviet Hare Krishna devotees has become so critical that whereas previously information was kept confidential, due to concern for their safety, we now realise their plight is so serious that hopefully, publicity will lead to action on their behalf.
The founder of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, Srila Prabhupada, pioneered the preaching in the Soviet Union while on a government supervised, guided tour of Moscow in April, 1971.
At the invitation of G.G. Kotovsky, Professor of the Indian and South Asian Studies Department of the USSR Academy of Sciences, Srila Prabhupada gave extensive talks on the ancient philosophy of Krishna Consciousness.
A young Muscovite, Anatoli Pinyayev, a student of Oriental Philosophy, showed great interest in Srila Prabhupada and the Vedic philosophy he enunciated.
After receiving personal instruction, Anatoli took up the mission of spreading the message of Krishna Consciousness to his fellow countrymen.
He, is now imprisoned in a special psychiatric hospital in Smolensk where he is administered heavy, prolonged doses of the drug, Haloperidol, resulting in a deteriorating physical and mental condition.
There are now two hundred initiated devotees, full time preachers who have taken the Hare Krishna vows of abstinence from intoxication, illicit sex, meat eating and gambling, all of whom are Russian.
Foreign members of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness are not welcome. The last time foreign devotees visited the USSR was in 1980, when the present initiating Spiritual Master for the movement, Srila Harikesa Maharaja, entered on a preaching mission.
The KGB arrested him and his aide, confiscated their passports and air tickets, and held them under house arrest in their hotel. After some deliberation, their belongings were returned and they were deported with a stern warning never to return.
A major Soviet daily newspaper reported the movement's leader "as a long-time agent of the CIA, who used ideological diversion tactics that were anti-social, dangerous to mental well-being and anti-Soviet."
A world-wide campaign to free the Soviet Hare Krishnas has begun.
"This is not an anti-Soviet campaign," says Campaign Leader, Kirtiraj Das of Sweden.
"The Soviet people are very receptive to our books. The populace live structured, regulated lives, unspoilt by rampant Hedonism. They are austere people with an emergent interest in philosophy. They should be granted the basic human right of being able to practise the religion of their choice.
We intend to take a firm stand over this matter as twenty-five devotees are still being held in labour camps, goals and psychiatric hospitals for the crime of being adherents to Hinduism, one of the world's oldest and largest religions."
The Hare Krishna Movement of Australia will take part in the global protest. They will assemble outside the Soviet Consulate and Embassy on 5th May. They will continue their campaign until two demands are met:-
1. That the Soviet authorities release their members and, if those members so desire, allow them to leave the Soviet Union, with their families, to freely practise the religion of their choice.
2. That those members of the Hare Krishna Movement choosing to remain in the Soviet Union, and agreeing to abide by the laws of their country, be permitted to register branches of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness in their respective cities and villages.
And, subsequent to this registration, the members of the congregations be permitted to practise their religious beliefs and ceremonies without intrusion on the part of Soviet authorities and without threat of persecution and imprisonment.
"There is clearly a violation of human rights", said Campaign Spokesman for Australia, Gary Anderson (Gauragopala dasa).
"The most tragic example is that of Olga Kiseleva, 38 years, married and mother of two children aged 4 and 5.
She was imprisoned while pregnant and due to severe conditions of her incarceration, her baby daughter, Marika, whom she was allowed to see for only one hour a day, died at 11 months of age.
The Australian branch of the Campaign to Free the Soviet Hare Krishnas will take this issue to its limits. We will fight relentlessly for the freedom of our Godbrothers and Godsisters in Russia."
On Monday May 5th at 11 am the Australian Hare Krishna devotees will combine flower garlands and make a wreath to be laid at the Russian Consulate in Woollahra, Sydney in memory of Olga's baby, Marika, and to commemorate 1986 as the International Year of Peace, supposedly supported by General Secretary of the USSR Mikhail Gorbachev.
If further details are needed please contact Gary Anderson at the Australian Headquarters of the Hare Krishna Movement, Murwillumbah, NSW. (066)721903, (066)723325 or Tony Foley (02)3562100, (02)3575162.
Friday 'afternoon, I picked up the letter. Prahlad's handwriting was atrocious, more like a four-year-olds than a twelve-year-olds. He must have made five or six attempts. Eventually Raman who helped with ideas for the letter, to write the letter.
Dear Mr. Gorbachev,
We are two boys Prahlad and Raman, aged eleven and twelve, who go to the Hare Krishna school in Australia. Our fathers buy many magazines and newspapers and over the last few months we have tried to understand your views of peace.
For a long time now we have wanted to visit your country, but we are a little bit scared about the things we have heard about Russia. We have heard some terrible things about what is happening there to the parents of Hare Krishna children. They must be strong devotees of Krishna to be punished just because they are following a religion that they feel is right and put into labour camps and hospitals and still be keeping their beliefs.
We don't think you would like it if you were punished for a belief you have. As young boys we are trying very hard to understand what it would be like if we were not allowed to follow our Hare Krishna lifestyle. We were born into the Hare Krishna Movement and are very happy. We would like to come to the Soviet Union and meet other Soviet children, maybe even your children, and show you there is no harm in the Hare Krishna life-style.
Your efforts for peace are great but maybe you don't even know that Soviet Krishnas are not allowed peace.
We are asking to be allowed to come and see you.
Yours faithfully,
Prahlad das (12 years old) and Raman das (11 years old) Friday 25th April 1986.
I couldn't help thinking that in these beginning stages of our campaign, something very wonderful seemed to surround and protect this whole project from selfish desires. And would continue to do so as long as our campaign focused on freeing the Soviet Hare Krishnas.
We still had a long way to go, this was only the very beginning of a 3 year campaign.
We had all now become part of a 500 year old prediction that the chanting of:
"Hare Krishna Hare Krishna
Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama
Rama Rama Hare Hare," will go to every town and village of the world, including every province and Town in the Soviet Union.
That afternoon we arranged the boys T-shirts at the Tweed City Shopping Centre. They read,
'Free The Soviet Hare Krishnas' and 'Mr Gorbachev, Peace Like Charity, Begins At Home'.
On Monday the 29th April, eager to show the boy's letter to a newspaper, we arranged to meet the Education Writer of the Courier Mail, Andrew Geraghty. When Prahlad and Raman spoke with him, their shy simplicity didn't penetrate his educated mind, however, he was sympathetic to the boys' cause.
Prahlad read him the letter, but couldn't answer many of Andrew's questions about Soviet politics and communism, only saying with deep emotion that Hare Krishna devotees were being persecuted for their religious beliefs.
As we left the Courier Mail building, he kindly showed the boys the printing presses in the basement of the building. The boys found the tour fascinating, being most impressed by an enormous giant printing press with a capacity to print 460,000 newspapers daily (Courier Mail).
Andrew told the boys:
"By getting one article, that's how many people it would reach."
Then added,
"The journey of a thousand miles always begins with one small step. Keep trying boys, because you don't know where this will take you, nor how much good you both may achieve, by never giving up.
Remember boys, always be positive. If you build your dream of freeing devotees like Anatoli Pinyayev, then your dream will encourage you to pursue their freedom.
''Build your dreams and your dreams will build you!"
Tears welled in my eyes as he said those amazing words, because it was Srila Prabhupada's dream that his devotees would one day be singing and dancing on the streets of Moscow and Leningrad.
This advice “Build your dreams and your dreams will build you” would stay with us throughout the entire campaign.
In an attempt to further help, Andrew concluded:
"Both you boys should relax when speaking to journalists, just be yourselves, show that you care about your people in the USSR, and your sincerity will shine through and do the rest”.
That evening, Friday the 29th of April, I went up to the boy's Ashrama and listened to the short-wave radio, belonging to Prahlad's father.
Eventually, I tuned into Voice Of America and heard some startling news - the announcer said:
"From all indications from US satellites, there has been an explosion in one of the Soviet Union's nuclear reactors. Soviet authorities are evacuating hundreds of thousands of people from Pripyat and Chernobyl in Ukraine. There is fear also for the city of Kiev, however, Soviet authorities are not saying anything to the international community at this stage”.
The next day I bought the newspaper, and there was not even a mention of it, I couldn't understand how Voice of America could report such a serious thing and the world press not mention it. Obviously, everyone is waiting for the Soviets to explain what's going on. Also there was no mention of the interview the children had with Andrew Geraghty.
At first I doubted whether the media would show interest, after all, it had already been done by American and Soviet children. The only chance of making the boys' letter interesting was obvious; the boys would present it to the Soviet Consulate on Monday.
That afternoon I saw Bruce Devine (photographer) in town and had photographs developed, showing devotees wearing the 'Free The Soviet Hare Krishnas' T shirts.
I then drove to the Gold Coast and did an article with the Brisbane Telegraph. After the Courier Mail interview, both boys were enthusiastic; they would enthuse other children in the school by telling them about the enormous printing press, Raman added to the excitement by saying:
"So many people can be reached through the newspaper. I didn't understand until I saw that machine."
The next day, May 1st 1986, the Chernobyl disaster was reported through the world media after the Soviets admitted there was a disaster. There were pictures of the empty town of Chernobyl in Ukraine shown on the front page of the Australian, and the Soviet authorities stating that the situation is under control. This also was the day
''The Soviet Australian Campaign to help free the Hare Krishna's in Russia' was initiated in the media''.
The press release and conversation at the beginning of the week had convinced Australia's top religious writer, James S. Murray, to write a feature article.
HARE KRISHNA VICTIMS OF SOVIET WRATH
By its outrageous denial of religious freedom, the Equal Opportunities Board of NSW has really put itself into the category of persecutor, though it may seem mild in comparison with some bureaucracies in other parts of the world.
But by its denial of the right of a property owner to refuse the use of premises owned by him to a couple living in a relationship which offended his conscience, it has taken the well-worn path of persecutor.
It is ironical, therefore, that the Hare Krishna movement - ISKCON - feels constrained to picket Soviet embassies all over the world on May 5th in order to publicise the USSR's discriminatory policy against Hare Krishna devotees.
While I personally view some of the Hare Krishna Movement's beliefs and practices as quaint, and their claim to be inheritors of ancient Vedic religion as questionable, their sincerity and extensive social welfare work are significant.
In the context of the Soviet Union, such extrovert behaviour was almost certain to attract opposition, exploding like a bright star in what is often a drab environment.
Now, the vegetarianism practised by Hare Krishna devotees is described officially as ''damaging to one's physical and mental well-being", along with the repetitive chanting of God's holy names.
The movement has brought KGB investigation and has led to interrogations, raids on meetings, physical violence and the eventual confinement of Krishna devotees in labour camps, psychiatric hospitals and prisons.
The authenticated material supporting ISKCON's claims is impressive. Until now, ISKCON has kept its evidence confidential, in the hope that representations to the Soviet Government would succeed, and out of a fear that publicity would only put their members at risk.
"There are now 200 initiated devotees, full-time preachers who have taken the vow of abstinence from intoxication, illicit sex, meat eating and gambling, all of whom are Russian,° says the ISKCON statement.
Hardly a prescription for persecution, and even commendable in a country where excessive drinking is as bad as our own, and where meat eating is a limited activity.
One of these religious dissidents is a young Muscovite Anatoli Pinyayev, a student of Oriental philosophy who showed his first interest in the movement when Srila Prabhupada, ISKCON's originator, visited the Soviet Union in 1971.
For his eventual involvement in "spreading the word", an offence in itself, Anatoli is now imprisoned in a special psychiatric hospital in Smolensk, where he is administered heavy, prolonged doses of the drug Haloperidol, resulting in a deteriorating physical and mental condition.
Twenty-five other documented cases offer similar, or even more intolerable treatment of members of ISKCON. But the Soviet authorities have tried to implicate the movement with CIA operations.
The world-wide ISKCON campaign to free their Soviet members is "not an anti-Soviet campaign" says Kirtiraj Das, who is coordinating the protests from Sweden.
"The Soviet people are very receptive to our books, the populace live structured regulated lives unspoilt by rampant hedonism. They are an austere people with an emergent interest in philosophy. They should be granted the human right ... to practise the religion of their choice."
Such freedoms are always restricted by pure Marxist-Leninist ideologies. And the very mention of books is anathema. They suffer from the same fear the Church once displayed: that freedom to read what you wish is dangerous. Yet they attack religious faith as obscurantist and reactionary.
On Monday, in Canberra and Sydney, Hare Krishna devotees, their children with them, will peacefully demonstrate outside the Soviet offices. Wearing flower garlands.
They will lay a wreath at the entrance to the Soviet Embassy in memory of an 11-month-old baby, a child of Olga Kiseleva, born while Olga was already in prison.
She remains separated from her husband and their two other children for the offence of obeying her conscience and wanting to chant the holy names of God. (For Newsprint Article See P.40 Information Index).
The article had become a further press release to all the media. Being enthusiastic, the boys wanted to add a comment about the Chernobyl disaster to their letter they were sending to Gorbachev, and eventually added:
PS - We have just heard about the nuclear disaster in Russia and feel very sad so many people in your country have lost their lives."
That day we had another article; Mallika dasi shown putting a 'Free The Soviet Hare Krishnas' badge on her mother.
"Mallika, fourteen, pins a protest badge on her mother, Janani, watched by Aravinda, twelve months, at the Hare Krishna World at Eungella, near Murwillumbah.
The badge is part of the Krishna protest over the imprisonment of sect members in the USSR.
Local devotees, including thirty primary school children, will lay a protest flower, wreath, outside the Russian Consulate in Sydney on Monday."
On Saturday 3rd May, we all left for Sydney.
The 'Australian' enthused everyone. As the children heard more from the large Soviet Manual sent by Kirtiraja, they seemed to relate more to the death of the young baby girl, Marika, who died after being separated from her mother Olga Kiseleva (Premavati devi dasi).
"Olga was charged under Article #227, Part 1, of the Criminal Code of the RSFSR Soviet Constitution for organising and leading an illegal religious group, translating religious literature and being in contact with foreign agents.
The trial was held from the 27th of January to the 2nd February 1984 at the Oktyabrsky District Court in Moscow. It has been reported that no one was permitted to attend her trial, not even her husband Rein Metsniin.
During the trial the judge expressed his opinion that vegetarianism was equal to insanity. Olga was sentenced to 4 years in a corrective labour camp of ordinary regime.
The farm where she and her family lived was also confiscated. Her release was scheduled for the 29th August 1988. She was imprisoned in the isolation ward of the Matrosskaya Tishina St. Prison in Moscow.
Later, she was taken to the maternity hospital in a police car with bars on the windows. Her third daughter, Marika, was born on the 27th of February, 1984.
She was imprisoned while pregnant and due to severe conditions of her incarceration, her baby daughter, Marika, whom she was allowed to see for only one hour a day, died at 11 months of age.
The Australian branch of the Campaign to Free the Soviet Hare Krishnas will take this issue to its limits. We will fight relentlessly for the freedom of our Godbrothers and Godsisters in Russia."
On Monday May 5th at 11 am the Australian Hare Krishna devotees will combine flower garlands and make a wreath to be laid at the Russian Consulate in Woollahra, Sydney in memory of Olga's baby, Marika, and to commemorate 1986 as the International Year of Peace, supposedly supported by General Secretary of the USSR Mikhail Gorbachev.
If further details are needed please contact Gary Anderson at the Australian Headquarters of the Hare Krishna Movement, Murwillumbah, NSW. (066)721903, (066)723325 or Tony Foley (02)3562100, (02)3575162.
Friday 'afternoon, I picked up the letter. Prahlad's handwriting was atrocious, more like a four-year-olds than a twelve-year-olds. He must have made five or six attempts. Eventually Raman who helped with ideas for the letter, to write the letter.
Dear Mr. Gorbachev,
We are two boys Prahlad and Raman, aged eleven and twelve, who go to the Hare Krishna school in Australia. Our fathers buy many magazines and newspapers and over the last few months we have tried to understand your views of peace.
For a long time now we have wanted to visit your country, but we are a little bit scared about the things we have heard about Russia. We have heard some terrible things about what is happening there to the parents of Hare Krishna children. They must be strong devotees of Krishna to be punished just because they are following a religion that they feel is right and put into labour camps and hospitals and still be keeping their beliefs.
We don't think you would like it if you were punished for a belief you have. As young boys we are trying very hard to understand what it would be like if we were not allowed to follow our Hare Krishna lifestyle. We were born into the Hare Krishna Movement and are very happy. We would like to come to the Soviet Union and meet other Soviet children, maybe even your children, and show you there is no harm in the Hare Krishna life-style.
Your efforts for peace are great but maybe you don't even know that Soviet Krishnas are not allowed peace.
We are asking to be allowed to come and see you.
Yours faithfully,
Prahlad das (12 years old) and Raman das (11 years old) Friday 25th April 1986.
I couldn't help thinking that in these beginning stages of our campaign, something very wonderful seemed to surround and protect this whole project from selfish desires. And would continue to do so as long as our campaign focused on freeing the Soviet Hare Krishnas.
We still had a long way to go, this was only the very beginning of a 3 year campaign.
We had all now become part of a 500 year old prediction that the chanting of:
"Hare Krishna Hare Krishna
Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama
Rama Rama Hare Hare," will go to every town and village of the world, including every province and Town in the Soviet Union.
That afternoon we arranged the boys T-shirts at the Tweed City Shopping Centre. They read,
'Free The Soviet Hare Krishnas' and 'Mr Gorbachev, Peace Like Charity, Begins At Home'.
On Monday the 29th April, eager to show the boy's letter to a newspaper, we arranged to meet the Education Writer of the Courier Mail, Andrew Geraghty. When Prahlad and Raman spoke with him, their shy simplicity didn't penetrate his educated mind, however, he was sympathetic to the boys' cause.
Prahlad read him the letter, but couldn't answer many of Andrew's questions about Soviet politics and communism, only saying with deep emotion that Hare Krishna devotees were being persecuted for their religious beliefs.
As we left the Courier Mail building, he kindly showed the boys the printing presses in the basement of the building. The boys found the tour fascinating, being most impressed by an enormous giant printing press with a capacity to print 460,000 newspapers daily (Courier Mail).
Andrew told the boys:
"By getting one article, that's how many people it would reach."
Then added,
"The journey of a thousand miles always begins with one small step. Keep trying boys, because you don't know where this will take you, nor how much good you both may achieve, by never giving up.
Remember boys, always be positive. If you build your dream of freeing devotees like Anatoli Pinyayev, then your dream will encourage you to pursue their freedom.
''Build your dreams and your dreams will build you!"
Tears welled in my eyes as he said those amazing words, because it was Srila Prabhupada's dream that his devotees would one day be singing and dancing on the streets of Moscow and Leningrad.
This advice “Build your dreams and your dreams will build you” would stay with us throughout the entire campaign.
In an attempt to further help, Andrew concluded:
"Both you boys should relax when speaking to journalists, just be yourselves, show that you care about your people in the USSR, and your sincerity will shine through and do the rest”.
That evening, Friday the 29th of April, I went up to the boy's Ashrama and listened to the short-wave radio, belonging to Prahlad's father.
Eventually, I tuned into Voice Of America and heard some startling news - the announcer said:
"From all indications from US satellites, there has been an explosion in one of the Soviet Union's nuclear reactors. Soviet authorities are evacuating hundreds of thousands of people from Pripyat and Chernobyl in Ukraine. There is fear also for the city of Kiev, however, Soviet authorities are not saying anything to the international community at this stage”.
The next day I bought the newspaper, and there was not even a mention of it, I couldn't understand how Voice of America could report such a serious thing and the world press not mention it. Obviously, everyone is waiting for the Soviets to explain what's going on. Also there was no mention of the interview the children had with Andrew Geraghty.
At first I doubted whether the media would show interest, after all, it had already been done by American and Soviet children. The only chance of making the boys' letter interesting was obvious; the boys would present it to the Soviet Consulate on Monday.
That afternoon I saw Bruce Devine (photographer) in town and had photographs developed, showing devotees wearing the 'Free The Soviet Hare Krishnas' T shirts.
I then drove to the Gold Coast and did an article with the Brisbane Telegraph. After the Courier Mail interview, both boys were enthusiastic; they would enthuse other children in the school by telling them about the enormous printing press, Raman added to the excitement by saying:
"So many people can be reached through the newspaper. I didn't understand until I saw that machine."
The next day, May 1st 1986, the Chernobyl disaster was reported through the world media after the Soviets admitted there was a disaster. There were pictures of the empty town of Chernobyl in Ukraine shown on the front page of the Australian, and the Soviet authorities stating that the situation is under control. This also was the day
''The Soviet Australian Campaign to help free the Hare Krishna's in Russia' was initiated in the media''.
The press release and conversation at the beginning of the week had convinced Australia's top religious writer, James S. Murray, to write a feature article.
HARE KRISHNA VICTIMS OF SOVIET WRATH
By its outrageous denial of religious freedom, the Equal Opportunities Board of NSW has really put itself into the category of persecutor, though it may seem mild in comparison with some bureaucracies in other parts of the world.
But by its denial of the right of a property owner to refuse the use of premises owned by him to a couple living in a relationship which offended his conscience, it has taken the well-worn path of persecutor.
It is ironical, therefore, that the Hare Krishna movement - ISKCON - feels constrained to picket Soviet embassies all over the world on May 5th in order to publicise the USSR's discriminatory policy against Hare Krishna devotees.
While I personally view some of the Hare Krishna Movement's beliefs and practices as quaint, and their claim to be inheritors of ancient Vedic religion as questionable, their sincerity and extensive social welfare work are significant.
In the context of the Soviet Union, such extrovert behaviour was almost certain to attract opposition, exploding like a bright star in what is often a drab environment.
Now, the vegetarianism practised by Hare Krishna devotees is described officially as ''damaging to one's physical and mental well-being", along with the repetitive chanting of God's holy names.
The movement has brought KGB investigation and has led to interrogations, raids on meetings, physical violence and the eventual confinement of Krishna devotees in labour camps, psychiatric hospitals and prisons.
The authenticated material supporting ISKCON's claims is impressive. Until now, ISKCON has kept its evidence confidential, in the hope that representations to the Soviet Government would succeed, and out of a fear that publicity would only put their members at risk.
"There are now 200 initiated devotees, full-time preachers who have taken the vow of abstinence from intoxication, illicit sex, meat eating and gambling, all of whom are Russian,° says the ISKCON statement.
Hardly a prescription for persecution, and even commendable in a country where excessive drinking is as bad as our own, and where meat eating is a limited activity.
One of these religious dissidents is a young Muscovite Anatoli Pinyayev, a student of Oriental philosophy who showed his first interest in the movement when Srila Prabhupada, ISKCON's originator, visited the Soviet Union in 1971.
For his eventual involvement in "spreading the word", an offence in itself, Anatoli is now imprisoned in a special psychiatric hospital in Smolensk, where he is administered heavy, prolonged doses of the drug Haloperidol, resulting in a deteriorating physical and mental condition.
Twenty-five other documented cases offer similar, or even more intolerable treatment of members of ISKCON. But the Soviet authorities have tried to implicate the movement with CIA operations.
The world-wide ISKCON campaign to free their Soviet members is "not an anti-Soviet campaign" says Kirtiraj Das, who is coordinating the protests from Sweden.
"The Soviet people are very receptive to our books, the populace live structured regulated lives unspoilt by rampant hedonism. They are an austere people with an emergent interest in philosophy. They should be granted the human right ... to practise the religion of their choice."
Such freedoms are always restricted by pure Marxist-Leninist ideologies. And the very mention of books is anathema. They suffer from the same fear the Church once displayed: that freedom to read what you wish is dangerous. Yet they attack religious faith as obscurantist and reactionary.
On Monday, in Canberra and Sydney, Hare Krishna devotees, their children with them, will peacefully demonstrate outside the Soviet offices. Wearing flower garlands.
They will lay a wreath at the entrance to the Soviet Embassy in memory of an 11-month-old baby, a child of Olga Kiseleva, born while Olga was already in prison.
She remains separated from her husband and their two other children for the offence of obeying her conscience and wanting to chant the holy names of God. (For Newsprint Article See P.40 Information Index).
The article had become a further press release to all the media. Being enthusiastic, the boys wanted to add a comment about the Chernobyl disaster to their letter they were sending to Gorbachev, and eventually added:
PS - We have just heard about the nuclear disaster in Russia and feel very sad so many people in your country have lost their lives."
That day we had another article; Mallika dasi shown putting a 'Free The Soviet Hare Krishnas' badge on her mother.
"Mallika, fourteen, pins a protest badge on her mother, Janani, watched by Aravinda, twelve months, at the Hare Krishna World at Eungella, near Murwillumbah.
The badge is part of the Krishna protest over the imprisonment of sect members in the USSR.
Local devotees, including thirty primary school children, will lay a protest flower, wreath, outside the Russian Consulate in Sydney on Monday."
On Saturday 3rd May, we all left for Sydney.
The 'Australian' enthused everyone. As the children heard more from the large Soviet Manual sent by Kirtiraja, they seemed to relate more to the death of the young baby girl, Marika, who died after being separated from her mother Olga Kiseleva (Premavati devi dasi).
"Olga was charged under Article #227, Part 1, of the Criminal Code of the RSFSR Soviet Constitution for organising and leading an illegal religious group, translating religious literature and being in contact with foreign agents.
The trial was held from the 27th of January to the 2nd February 1984 at the Oktyabrsky District Court in Moscow. It has been reported that no one was permitted to attend her trial, not even her husband Rein Metsniin.
During the trial the judge expressed his opinion that vegetarianism was equal to insanity. Olga was sentenced to 4 years in a corrective labour camp of ordinary regime.
The farm where she and her family lived was also confiscated. Her release was scheduled for the 29th August 1988. She was imprisoned in the isolation ward of the Matrosskaya Tishina St. Prison in Moscow.
Later, she was taken to the maternity hospital in a police car with bars on the windows. Her third daughter, Marika, was born on the 27th of February, 1984.
Following the birth they were returned to the prison in the same car. The baby was born with a heart condition and had difficulty moving her arms.
Olga and her daughter were then moved to a special labour camp for imprisoned mothers with children. Olga had the opportunity to see her new born daughter for only one hour a day. There was a period of quarantine in the children's department of the labour camp, and for that period of time, Olga was not able to see her daughter for even that one hour daily. No explanation was ever given as to why the quarantine was instituted.
ON THE 9th JANUARY 1985, MARIKA DIED AT THE AGE OF ELEVEN MONTHS.
After the death of her baby, Olga was able to see her only once, to certify that Marika was indeed her child. One of the other prisoners who was working in the children's department, later reported that she had seen Olga's daughter the day before her death.
The child had been standing up and appeared to be in perfect physical health. Her death remains a mystery”.
As these stories were read to the children, I was fascinated that nine to twelve year-olds were emotionally moved by these reports. Most children don't even care what is going on outside their own backyard, not to mention the Soviet Union, but as they heard more about a country that doesn't allow people to hear about Krishna, the more they became concerned, and began to understand more about the world outside their own.
The morning of Monday 5th of May 1986 was a little cold and cloudy in Sydney, as if it would rain at any time.
Tripadi had arranged all the banners and placards, and the media were reminded again over the telephone that the Hare Krishna devotees will be demonstrating out the front of the Soviet Consulate in Sydney.
At 10 am Pratapana arranged a meeting of all the devotees; we discussed our plan and again extracts were read out of the Soviet manual to inform devotees what is happening to those attempting to practise the religion of their choice in Russia.
We were concerned that the time wasn't suitable for our demonstration due to the Chernobyl disaster that happened a week earlier but only now picked up by the media. The Chernobyl disaster now was being reported as a catastrophic nuclear accident, previously the Soviets attempted to cover it up. It actually occurred on 25–26 April 1986 at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant near the town of Pripyat in northern Ukrainian approximately 104 kilometres north of the City of Kiev.
As each day progressed, the reports of the disaster became worse. Obviously, there were far more serious things going on in the USSR, than the imprisonment of a few Hare Krishnas, as far as the media were concerned.
By 11 am, eighty devotees had congregated at the Soviet Consulate and the twenty-five doves had also arrived, but only one reporter from the Sydney Mirror had turned up. Tripadi and I became anxious and thought the Chernobyl disaster would consume all the news.
Then to our surprise Channel 10, 7, 9, and finally SBS, who were also filming for the ABC, arrived, followed by photographers from the Australian Newspaper, Sydney Morning Herald, The Melbourne Age, Melbourne Sun, etc.
Even photographers from the magazines ''Simple Living'', ''Australiasian Post'' and ''People'', turned up.
I said to Tripadi:
"Soon everyone's going to know about the baby girl Marika dying in a Soviet prison camp”.
Pratapana then stopped the chanting, led by Ramai Swami and spoke:
"We are here today because people in the Soviet Union are being persecuted for their religious beliefs. In these releases we are now handing out (Tripadi handed out information) on cases of persecution, it is described how they put Hare Krishna devotees in psychiatric hospitals, because the authorities there consider everyone who doesn't follow the Communist system to be mad. They inject the imprisoned devotees with all kinds of drugs meant to make them 'sane' or destroy their faith or religious choice.
We, therefore, believe this to be a crime against, not only the Hare Krishnas, but a crime against humanity. Today, all over the world, out the front of every Soviet Embassy and Consulate, demonstrations like this are taking place and will continue until our people are free. Even our children have been greatly moved by this. This young twelve-year-old boy is Prahlad, he would like to read you a letter he is sending, today, to Mr. Gorbachev."
As Prahlad moved to the front, all the photographers, journalists and T.V. crews shuffled in closer to hear.
Prahlad began reading the letter to the media -
"Dear Mr. Gorbachev,
We are two boys Prahlad and Raman, aged eleven and twelve, who go to the Hare Krishna school in Australia. Our fathers buy many magazines and newspapers and over the last few months we have tried to understand your views of peace.
For a long time now we have wanted to visit your country but we are a little bit scared about the things we have heard about Russia. We have heard some terrible things about what is happening there to the parents of Hare Krishna children.
They must be strong devotees of Krishna to be punished just because they are following a religion that they feel is right and put into labour camps and hospitals and still be keeping their beliefs.
We don't think you would like it if you were punished for a belief you have.
As young boys we are trying very hard to understand what it would be like if we were not allowed to follow our Hare Krishna lifestyle.
We were born into the Hare Krishna Movement and are very happy. We would like to come to the Soviet Union and meet other Soviet children, maybe even your children, and show you there is no harm in the Hare Krishna life-style.
Your efforts for peace are great but maybe you don't even know that Soviet Krishnas are not allowed peace. We are asking to be allowed to come and see you.
Yours faithfully,
Prahlad das and Raman das."
"PS - We have just heard about the nuclear disaster in the Soviet Union and feel very sad so many people in your country have lost their lives."
As he read, his simplistic, innocent, squeaky voice impressed everyone. Dressed in dhoti, telak and a freshly shaven head, Prahlad had obviously been impressive. Tears welled in my eyes as he continued reading. What made this more amazing is, even some of the journalists were emotionally moved by this boy's simple plea. One of the women journalists was wiping tears from her eyes with her handkerchief.
Hearing all this from a child had won the hearts of many journalists, including the well respected Alan Gill, the religious writer for the Sydney Morning Herald who asked me to bring Prahlad to his office after the demonstration. After the letter was read, the children then released the twenty-five white doves.
This became yet another spectacle for the cameras. Soviet KGB agents were filming everything and mingling with the crowd. As the chanting continued, two girls, Kalindi and Prahladananda dasi left a wreath of flowers at the front gate of the Soviet Consulate in remembrance of Marika.
After the demonstration Tripadi sent out a telex over the Inter Tel wire service, all in Capital letters. There was no internet in those day of 1986, this is how Telegrams and Teletexs went out through the phone lines.
O.T.C. INTER TEL
A Complete Public Message Service
ATTENTION MEDIA NET FILER NO.2288 HARE KRISHNA PUBLIC RELATIONS AUSTRALIA WIDE DISTRIBUTION ALL OUTLETS.
HEADLINE.
KRISHNA BABY DIES IN RUSSIAN JAIL.
CHILDREN PROTEST OUTSIDE SOVIET CONSULATE MONDAY 11 AM MAY 5TH AT 11 AM.
TODAY 60 CHILDREN AND MOTHERS FROM HARE KRISHNA SCHOOL AT MURWILLUMBAH DEMONSTRATED OUTSIDE THE RUSSIAN CONSULATE WOOLLAHRA SYDNEY.
DURING THE DEMONSTRATION THE CHILDREN LAID A WREATH COMMEMORATING THE DEATH OF AN 11 MONTH OLD HARE KRISHNA BABY GIRL MARIKA KISELEVA.
MARIKA DIED IN MOSCOW'S MATROSSKAYA PRISON AFTER BEING ABLE TO SEE HER MOTHER FOR ONLY ONE HOUR A DAY.
HER MOTHER OLGA KISELEVA MOTHER OF 2 WAS IMPRISONED WHILE PREGNANT, HER ONLY CRIME WAS THAT SHE WAS A HARE KRISHNA.
THE SCHOOL CHILDREN RELEASED 25 WHITE DOVES AS A TRIBUTE TO THE 25 DEVOTEES WHO ARE CURRENTLY SERVING LONG PRISON SENTENCES IN RUSSIAN JAILS FOR THEIR BELIEFS.
THE CONSULATE ADMINISTRATION DECLINED AN INVITATION TO GREET THE CHILDREN PROTESTING AT THE FRONT GATE.
TWO SCHOOLBOYS PRAHLAD AGED 12 AND RAMAN AGED 11 READ ALOUD A LETTER WRITTEN TO MR GORBACHEV ASKING THAT THEY BE INVITED TO VISIT RUSSIA.
THEY REQUESTED TO MEET MR AND MRS GORBACHEV AND HIS CHILDREN AND SHOW THEM THAT THEY ARE HAPPY LOVING CHILDREN WHO DON'T WANT THEIR HARE KRISHNA PARENTS PUT IN JAIL FOR THEIR BELIEFS.
THE BOYS WILL NOW MAIL THE LETTER TO MR GORBACHEV.
CONSULATE OFFICIALS LATER ACKNOWLEDGED THE DEMONSTRATION COMMENTING THAT "THE HARE KRISHNA DEMONSTRATORS WERE VERY PEACEFUL".
THE AUSTRALIAN BRANCH OF THE INTERNATIONAL CAMPAIGN TO FREE THE SOVIET HARE KRISHNAS WILL JOIN WITH BRANCHES WORLD WIDE IN A RELENTLESS FIGHT FOR THE FREEDOM OF ITS FRIENDS IN RUSSIA.
A 75 PAGE REPORT FEATURING PHOTOS OF THE DEVOTEES BEING PERSECUTED IS AVAILABLE ON REQUEST IF ANY FURTHER DETAILS ARE NEEDED.
PLEASE CONTACT PUBLIC RELATIONS OFFICER TONY FOLEY AT THE KINGS CROSS CENTRE ON 02-3562100, 02-3575162 OR GARY ANDERSON AT MURWILLUMBAH ON 066-721903, 066-723325.
Afterwards, Prahlad, Raman and myself went to the Sydney Morning Herald to meet Alan Gill, one of the most respected Journalists in Australia.
In 1985, Gill won a Walkley Award for excellence in journalism.
Whenever important religious leaders came, Pope John Paul II stepping onto the tarmac at Sydney, the Archbishop of Canterbury, Mother Teresa, the Dalai Lama, the Reverend Ian Paisley, or AC Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada back in the early 1970s - Alan Gill was waiting for them. And they always got excellent treatment from a man who knew his subject and was committed to it.
On entering the John Fairfax Building which prints the Sydney Morning Herald, we were all fascinated by a painting on the wall, obviously done back in the 1930's.
Under the painting of two people holding an edition of the Sydney Morning Herald, it read:
"Our editorial management shall be conducted upon principle of candour honesty and honour. We have no wish to mislead, no interest to gratify by unsparing abuse or indiscriminate approbation."
A security guard directed us to the reporters reception area. Eventually Alan came and took us to his desk where a photographer waited.
The first thing Alan asked was:
"Did anyone ring the doorbell at the Soviet Consulate?"
I thought for a moment, thinking of Pratapana and Tripadi, knowing they didn't, and I certainly didn't.
"No," I said, unsure of the situation, "I don't think we did”
Laughing, Alan continues:
"I just rang them and they were going to send someone down to get your requests, no-one important, but at least it's someone, however, according to them no-one rang the doorbell."
“For God sake!", Prahlad smirkishly remarked, then continued,
"You mean we did all that and didn't even ring the doorbell?"
Embarrassed by Prahlad's innocent outburst, I quickly attempted to cover myself.
"We put our requests in their mailbox, they eventually received the information."
Alan Gill adds:
"I think it would have been more impressive if you had been seen by the media presenting them with your letter. Anyway, you're right, they'll get it anyway (laughing)."
I sat there totally embarrassed.
Alan continued:
"Anyway boys, what did you think of the demonstration? Are you happy with the result?"
Prahlad answers first:
"Yeah, a lot of media turned up. I think our message will get through."
Raman adds:
"People will know about what's going on now."
Alan commented:
"Well, I can't promise you anything. As you are all probably well aware, there is a serious crisis presently going on in the Soviet Union now with the nuclear disaster in Ukraine, and I don't know if your story will make it in the newspaper, but I'll try."
For the next half hour, the boys went through the Soviet manual explaining the situation in the Soviet Union.
Alan informed us that under Soviet Reforms of 1977, religious freedom was now allowed, and encouraged the boys to continue their fight.
He then told them how he first met Prabhupada in 1972, and was impressed with 'his theological understanding of Hinduism'.
I then noticed on the wall a framed extract that I read and appreciated:
"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness." - American Declaration of Independence, July 4, 1776.
"Regardless of whether we appreciate American Imperialism around the world, the basic principles of their constitution does support individual freedoms."
Said Alan on noticing what I was reading.
On hearing our conversation, a journalist sitting across from us added:
As Prahlad moved to the front, all the photographers, journalists and T.V. crews shuffled in closer to hear.
Prahlad began reading the letter to the media -
"Dear Mr. Gorbachev,
We are two boys Prahlad and Raman, aged eleven and twelve, who go to the Hare Krishna school in Australia. Our fathers buy many magazines and newspapers and over the last few months we have tried to understand your views of peace.
For a long time now we have wanted to visit your country but we are a little bit scared about the things we have heard about Russia. We have heard some terrible things about what is happening there to the parents of Hare Krishna children.
They must be strong devotees of Krishna to be punished just because they are following a religion that they feel is right and put into labour camps and hospitals and still be keeping their beliefs.
We don't think you would like it if you were punished for a belief you have.
As young boys we are trying very hard to understand what it would be like if we were not allowed to follow our Hare Krishna lifestyle.
We were born into the Hare Krishna Movement and are very happy. We would like to come to the Soviet Union and meet other Soviet children, maybe even your children, and show you there is no harm in the Hare Krishna life-style.
Your efforts for peace are great but maybe you don't even know that Soviet Krishnas are not allowed peace. We are asking to be allowed to come and see you.
Yours faithfully,
Prahlad das and Raman das."
"PS - We have just heard about the nuclear disaster in the Soviet Union and feel very sad so many people in your country have lost their lives."
As he read, his simplistic, innocent, squeaky voice impressed everyone. Dressed in dhoti, telak and a freshly shaven head, Prahlad had obviously been impressive. Tears welled in my eyes as he continued reading. What made this more amazing is, even some of the journalists were emotionally moved by this boy's simple plea. One of the women journalists was wiping tears from her eyes with her handkerchief.
Hearing all this from a child had won the hearts of many journalists, including the well respected Alan Gill, the religious writer for the Sydney Morning Herald who asked me to bring Prahlad to his office after the demonstration. After the letter was read, the children then released the twenty-five white doves.
This became yet another spectacle for the cameras. Soviet KGB agents were filming everything and mingling with the crowd. As the chanting continued, two girls, Kalindi and Prahladananda dasi left a wreath of flowers at the front gate of the Soviet Consulate in remembrance of Marika.
After the demonstration Tripadi sent out a telex over the Inter Tel wire service, all in Capital letters. There was no internet in those day of 1986, this is how Telegrams and Teletexs went out through the phone lines.
O.T.C. INTER TEL
A Complete Public Message Service
ATTENTION MEDIA NET FILER NO.2288 HARE KRISHNA PUBLIC RELATIONS AUSTRALIA WIDE DISTRIBUTION ALL OUTLETS.
HEADLINE.
KRISHNA BABY DIES IN RUSSIAN JAIL.
CHILDREN PROTEST OUTSIDE SOVIET CONSULATE MONDAY 11 AM MAY 5TH AT 11 AM.
TODAY 60 CHILDREN AND MOTHERS FROM HARE KRISHNA SCHOOL AT MURWILLUMBAH DEMONSTRATED OUTSIDE THE RUSSIAN CONSULATE WOOLLAHRA SYDNEY.
DURING THE DEMONSTRATION THE CHILDREN LAID A WREATH COMMEMORATING THE DEATH OF AN 11 MONTH OLD HARE KRISHNA BABY GIRL MARIKA KISELEVA.
MARIKA DIED IN MOSCOW'S MATROSSKAYA PRISON AFTER BEING ABLE TO SEE HER MOTHER FOR ONLY ONE HOUR A DAY.
HER MOTHER OLGA KISELEVA MOTHER OF 2 WAS IMPRISONED WHILE PREGNANT, HER ONLY CRIME WAS THAT SHE WAS A HARE KRISHNA.
THE SCHOOL CHILDREN RELEASED 25 WHITE DOVES AS A TRIBUTE TO THE 25 DEVOTEES WHO ARE CURRENTLY SERVING LONG PRISON SENTENCES IN RUSSIAN JAILS FOR THEIR BELIEFS.
THE CONSULATE ADMINISTRATION DECLINED AN INVITATION TO GREET THE CHILDREN PROTESTING AT THE FRONT GATE.
TWO SCHOOLBOYS PRAHLAD AGED 12 AND RAMAN AGED 11 READ ALOUD A LETTER WRITTEN TO MR GORBACHEV ASKING THAT THEY BE INVITED TO VISIT RUSSIA.
THEY REQUESTED TO MEET MR AND MRS GORBACHEV AND HIS CHILDREN AND SHOW THEM THAT THEY ARE HAPPY LOVING CHILDREN WHO DON'T WANT THEIR HARE KRISHNA PARENTS PUT IN JAIL FOR THEIR BELIEFS.
THE BOYS WILL NOW MAIL THE LETTER TO MR GORBACHEV.
CONSULATE OFFICIALS LATER ACKNOWLEDGED THE DEMONSTRATION COMMENTING THAT "THE HARE KRISHNA DEMONSTRATORS WERE VERY PEACEFUL".
THE AUSTRALIAN BRANCH OF THE INTERNATIONAL CAMPAIGN TO FREE THE SOVIET HARE KRISHNAS WILL JOIN WITH BRANCHES WORLD WIDE IN A RELENTLESS FIGHT FOR THE FREEDOM OF ITS FRIENDS IN RUSSIA.
A 75 PAGE REPORT FEATURING PHOTOS OF THE DEVOTEES BEING PERSECUTED IS AVAILABLE ON REQUEST IF ANY FURTHER DETAILS ARE NEEDED.
PLEASE CONTACT PUBLIC RELATIONS OFFICER TONY FOLEY AT THE KINGS CROSS CENTRE ON 02-3562100, 02-3575162 OR GARY ANDERSON AT MURWILLUMBAH ON 066-721903, 066-723325.
Afterwards, Prahlad, Raman and myself went to the Sydney Morning Herald to meet Alan Gill, one of the most respected Journalists in Australia.
In 1985, Gill won a Walkley Award for excellence in journalism.
Whenever important religious leaders came, Pope John Paul II stepping onto the tarmac at Sydney, the Archbishop of Canterbury, Mother Teresa, the Dalai Lama, the Reverend Ian Paisley, or AC Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada back in the early 1970s - Alan Gill was waiting for them. And they always got excellent treatment from a man who knew his subject and was committed to it.
On entering the John Fairfax Building which prints the Sydney Morning Herald, we were all fascinated by a painting on the wall, obviously done back in the 1930's.
Under the painting of two people holding an edition of the Sydney Morning Herald, it read:
"Our editorial management shall be conducted upon principle of candour honesty and honour. We have no wish to mislead, no interest to gratify by unsparing abuse or indiscriminate approbation."
A security guard directed us to the reporters reception area. Eventually Alan came and took us to his desk where a photographer waited.
The first thing Alan asked was:
"Did anyone ring the doorbell at the Soviet Consulate?"
I thought for a moment, thinking of Pratapana and Tripadi, knowing they didn't, and I certainly didn't.
"No," I said, unsure of the situation, "I don't think we did”
Laughing, Alan continues:
"I just rang them and they were going to send someone down to get your requests, no-one important, but at least it's someone, however, according to them no-one rang the doorbell."
“For God sake!", Prahlad smirkishly remarked, then continued,
"You mean we did all that and didn't even ring the doorbell?"
Embarrassed by Prahlad's innocent outburst, I quickly attempted to cover myself.
"We put our requests in their mailbox, they eventually received the information."
Alan Gill adds:
"I think it would have been more impressive if you had been seen by the media presenting them with your letter. Anyway, you're right, they'll get it anyway (laughing)."
I sat there totally embarrassed.
Alan continued:
"Anyway boys, what did you think of the demonstration? Are you happy with the result?"
Prahlad answers first:
"Yeah, a lot of media turned up. I think our message will get through."
Raman adds:
"People will know about what's going on now."
Alan commented:
"Well, I can't promise you anything. As you are all probably well aware, there is a serious crisis presently going on in the Soviet Union now with the nuclear disaster in Ukraine, and I don't know if your story will make it in the newspaper, but I'll try."
For the next half hour, the boys went through the Soviet manual explaining the situation in the Soviet Union.
Alan informed us that under Soviet Reforms of 1977, religious freedom was now allowed, and encouraged the boys to continue their fight.
He then told them how he first met Prabhupada in 1972, and was impressed with 'his theological understanding of Hinduism'.
I then noticed on the wall a framed extract that I read and appreciated:
"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness." - American Declaration of Independence, July 4, 1776.
"Regardless of whether we appreciate American Imperialism around the world, the basic principles of their constitution does support individual freedoms."
Said Alan on noticing what I was reading.
On hearing our conversation, a journalist sitting across from us added:
“Don't let those words convince you that America has always been the land of the free. Thomas Jefferson eventually signed a proclamation outlawing the religious beliefs of the Sue Indians, ordering their tribes crushed. In those days being religious, or even being a man, meant you must have European ancestry and be white, as a young man Thomas Jefferson owned hundreds of slaves but later in 1784 said slavery was a stain on the new territories and attempted to ban slavery but his proposal failed in a congress by one vote”
We then thanked Alan Gill for his interest and support and left.
On the way out, we met a Catholic Priest. Prahlad stared at him while he seemed fascinated by the boys robes, finally Prahlad asked:
"Do the Catholics teach that only the Catholics can go back to God's Kingdom?"
The priest smiles at the boy and replies:
"The Catholic Church teaches that it's possible for anyone Protestant, Mohammed, Hindu, Jew, Buddhist, anyone who does God's will according to his conscience can also enter back into the Kingdom of God”.
Prahlad looked impressed by the priest's comment.
Looking at me the priest continues:
“I'm sixty-eight years of age, I've lived in Europe and travelled South East Asia, and you know, over the years I've learnt a very important lesson."
Looking over at the boys smiling the Priest continues,
"Sometimes we think we have a long, long road ahead of us, even to the extent that it's so long we may never see the end.
Then you start rushing, and you rush here and there, and every time you look up you see the road is no shorter than it was before. Then you stress and you strain, then you start getting frightened and fearful of what the future holds and become exhausted, so much so you can't go another step."
He then lifts up his finger and again continues, attempting to give advice to all of us,
"You must never think of the whole road all at once, you should always think of one step at a time, that's all, just one step at a time, then life becomes fun, it becomes simple and not full of schemes and plans that depend too much on others.
Just learn to make your life simple by giving the best you can, and not what others expect of you. This is important, because then you do your job well and are able to go the full distance of life, and never be tired or out of breath."
Afterwards, curiously, Prahlad asked:
"Could you understand what he meant?"
"Well," I attempted to explain, "I think what he is saying is we should not worry about the future, but do what is right and necessary NOW, according to your own level of commitment. I suppose what he's really saying is that we must just learn to be ourselves, then our future will work out for the better, he is 68 and I am 33, his words are his life time experience.
But sadly most religions today try to become comfortable in this material World because they do not know they are not their material body, whereas devotees of Krishna know it is not our real home ."
Prahlad gives his opinion.
"Um, I suppose it's a bit like the story of Prahlada Maharaj; he told all his school friends to worship God while they were still young, and yes, not make mundane plans for the future in this material world."
“Anyway, we should see it through the eyes of our shastra (scripture) also as you just said because devotees are trained to get out of this decaying temporary material world and go back home back to Godhead’’ I added.
That night we all crowded into the TV room at North Sydney Temple to watch the news. All the networks had shown the stories at length. On Channel 10 the devotees appeared just after the Chernobyl disaster report.
In fact, the entire news was about demonstrations, from the Krishnas, Jews, Ukrainians, and the Chernobyl disaster in the Soviet Union.
The next morning the heading on Page 2 of the Sydney Morning Herald was 'Soviets Face Day of Protests On Chernobyl And Krishnas'.
"About 250 Ukrainian Australians stormed the Sydney office of In tourist yesterday, covering the office with anti-Soviet stickers and hurling questions at the staff about everything from the Chernobyl nuclear reactor disaster to Stalin's brutal collectivisation programs of the 1930s.
An hour earlier, the Soviets had been experiencing a more peaceful demonstration outside the Soviet Consulate as about 80 followers of the Hare Krishna religion released 25 doves to protest against religious persecution.
Freedom of religion is theoretically guaranteed under the Soviet constitution yet official Soviet publications have listed Krishna Consciousness as the third greatest threat to modern Russia. (The other two, in descending order of importance, are Western imperialism and rock and roll music.)
The protest in Sydney coincides with publication of a report - authenticated by non-Krishna sources - of civil rights abuses affecting the Hare Krishna and other minority religions in Russia.
It includes accounts of interrogations, raids on meetings, beatings, and confinements in labour camps, prisons and psychiatric institutions."
The Melbourne Age showed the children releasing the doves (See P.46 Information Index).
These articles we read while driving back to Murwillumbah. We left at 3 am.
On arrival we discovered we were also on the front page of the Daily News and the Gold Coast Bulletin and in the Brisbane Telegraph on May 5th.
CHILDREN JOIN IN KRISHNA PROTEST (Daily News)
Thirteen children from the Hare Krishna Movement's Murwillumbah school joined 150 disciples yesterday in a peaceful demonstration outside the Russian Consulate in Sydney.
The movement's public relations manager in Sydney, Stephen Roberts, said the demonstration was organised to protest the Soviet Union's refusal to recognise the religion or its members in the country.
He said 25 members have been arrested from 1984 with sentences from four to seven years for supporting their beliefs.
The demonstration, which had a Federal police permit, comprised chanting and the presentation of wreaths and banners on the steps of the consulate.
“The campaign will go on until the Hare Krishna Movement is registered in Russia,"
Mr. Roberts said.
“The demonstration was coordinated with other protests organised outside Russian embassies and consulates around the world”.
Mr Roberts said there were 10,000 congregational members living in the Soviet Union.
SECT KIDS TO JOIN GLOBAL PROTEST (Gold Coast Bulletin)
Hare Krishna children from the sect's Tweed Valley commune will take part in a global protest against alleged persecution of the movement's followers in the Soviet Union.
About 30 flower-bearing students from the Hare Krishna school near Murwillumbah will travel to Sydney to join next Monday's protest outside the Russian consulate.
The children will lay a wreath at the consulate in memory of baby Marika Kiseleva, whom the sect says died after being taken from its jailed Krishna mother by Soviet authorities.
The sect says Marika's mother, Olga, 38, is one of 25 Hare Krishna devotees serving long terms in Russian prisons because of their beliefs.
"There is clearly a violation of human rights," said Krishna spokesman Gary Anderson.
"The Australian branch of the Campaign to Free the Soviet Hare Krishnas will take the issue to its limits. We will fight relentlessly for the freedom of our Godbrothers and Godsisters in Russia''.
SECT PLAN FOR VIGIL (Sydney Telegraph)
Members of the Tweed Valley Hare Krishna sect will hold a four hour vigil outside the Russian Consulate in Sydney Today to protest against the persecution of members in the Soviet Union.
The Sydney demonstration will be repeated outside Russian embassies and consulates throughout the world in a bid to highlight the plight of 25 Hare Krishna’s imprisoned by the Russian authorities.
Spokesman for the Tweed group, Mr. Gary Anderson (Gauragopala Dasa), said 60 adults and 30 children had gone to Sydney to plea for the prisoners' release.
He said devotees would use placards and chants to bring home their message to the Russian officials.
Children would lay a wreath on the steps of the Consulate in memory of a Hare Krishna baby who died at 11 months after being separated from its jailed mother, Olga Kiseleva.
Mr. Anderson said the arrests of the Russian Hare Krishnas had been documented by Amnesty International. They were being held in labor camps, jails and psychiatric hospitals. The movement had been outlawed by President Gorbachev who, unlike the Brezhnev regime, saw it as a threat to communism.
"He is quoted as saying the three biggest threats to communism are Western culture, Western rock music and the Hare Krishna movement," Mr. Anderson said.
He said the persecution of sect members was a violation of human rights, and the 45,000 followers throughout the world would fight relentlessly for the release of the Russians and their right to practise freely the religion of their choice.
Enthused to attempt to obtain more coverage on the letter before it was sent to Russia, I took Prahlad and Raman to the Gold Coast Bulletin. I waited in the car while they went in on their own. I wanted to see the result without my being there.
The journalist, Peter Nally, was impressed. The next day the article was mentioned on the front page and the full article was on Page 3.
The Daily News (Tweed Heads-Murwillumbah) and Northern Star (Lismore), printed another article on simpler lines .
Many letters to the Editor praised the boys efforts (most of them written by devotees).
Regardless of who wrote them, they further created more interest among school children.
(Reprinted from the Gold Coast Bulletin, Australia)
Dear Editor,
Those Hare Krishna kids who wrote to Soviet leader Mr. Gorbachev are right. Peace starts at home, and since home is where the heart is, those Russians should examine their own hearts instead of huffing and puffing about nuclear disarmament etc, while at the same time persecuting their minorities - religious and otherwise. Just as in the final analysis a person is judged by what he does rather than by what he says, so will the Russians as a nation be judged.
Richard Lawrence - Broadbeach, Australia.
Dear Editor,
It was a brilliant idea for those two little boys to write a letter. Every great endeavour starts from a small step. It seems the Gold Coast Bulletin attracted even more attention to the issue, as later I also saw the boys read their letter on TV and read an article in Brisbane papers. My mother even saw them on TV in Melbourne. I eagerly wait to read what Mr. Gorbachev says in his return letter!
Mark Tottingham - Surfers Paradise, Australia.
Dear Editor,
I must say the boys' letter to the Soviet leader has helped me realise that many of us Christians shouldn't be narrow-minded. If some belief out of the realm of Christianity has good God loving principles, as the Hare Krishna’s do, then I believe that is also God-sent. I think that as a Christian, I should follow my religion with tolerance.
In fact, it's not even a question of religion, it's a question of free choice. If one wants to follow a certain religion, or even be a communist like Mr. Gorbachev, that's the choice of the individual - and that choice should also be available in Russia. Some of my so-called Christian friends don't like Hare Krishnas. They should read the article that appeared in the Gold Coast Bulletin.
Tracey Miller - Burleigh Heads, Australia.
Teachers were encouraging them to write letters, expressing their views during the International Year Of Peace.
On Saturday 10th May, I rang the Sunday Sun and spoke to Karen Burkman who also worked for Channel 10. She agreed to do an article with the boys and met us at the Gopal's Restaurant at Surfers Paradise.
After speaking to Karen, l requested an attempt to get the boys on Good Morning Australia. She apologised, saying the Sunday Sun would print the story, however, Good Morning Australia would not be interested.
"Your story's getting a bit old now Gary. It will be old news after the Sun covers it." She then encouragingly adds, "However, if you think of something else, give me a ring and let me know."
I pondered over what she said, and knew we would have to think of something else to continue our campaign. I had no idea what we could do. The photographer for the Daily Sun, then took the boys to a mailbox and photographed them sending the letter off to Mr. Gorbachev.
The next day, Sunday 11th May 1986, the final article in the Australian media appeared.
KRISHNA KIDS IN SOVIET PLEA Melbourne Age.
Two Gold Coast Hare Krishna kids have sent Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev a peace letter.
Raman 11, and Prahlad 12, have asked Mr. Gorbachev to let them meet him in Russia in a bid to end what they say is Soviet persecution of Hare Krishnas.
The boys decided to write to Mr. Gorbachev after Amnesty International revealed that 25 Krishna followers are being held in Soviet labor camps.
"For a long time now we have wanted to visit your country' but we are a little bit scared about the things we have heard about Russia." the boys wrote in a letter posted yesterday.
"We have heard some terrible things about what is happening there to the parents of Hare Krishna children.
"They must be strong devotees of Krishna to be punished just because they are following a religion that they feel is right and put into labor camps and hospitals and still be keeping their beliefs.
"We don't think you would like it if you were punished for a belief you have."
The Soviet Union has 10,000 Hare Krishna devotees but the authorities refuse to allow the sect to become a registered religion like Christianity and Judaism.
Prahlad and Raman decided they wanted to do something to help after they'd read of the death of a three-year-old Krishna girl in a forced labor camp.
The boys believe Soviet leaders have misunderstood the Krishna philosophy, and in their letter they ask Mr. Gorbachev for a chance to set the record straight.
"We want to draw as much attention as we can to the situation in Russia," said Prahlad.
This article attracted many to write letters to the farm: (P.O. Box 704 Murwillumbah. 2484
Dear Sir/Madam,
It was appalling to discover that 25 Krishna followers are being held in Soviet labour camps.
I would like to praise the two young Krishna children picture in the article
⁰p"Krishna Kids in Soviet Plea" - Sunday Sun, May 11, 1986, for their independence of spirit and standing up for what they believe in by bringing to light the persecution of some members of their Movement, in Russia.
In this "1986 International Year of Peace", we can only hope that Mr. Gorbachev takes immediate action to release these people.
Over the next two weeks we all pondered over and over what to do. It seemed our Soviet Campaign was over.
Prahlad said:
“With all the media we have just received, somehow we must find a new angle, the media like hearing what children have to say. None of us want to see the Soviet devotees suffer, I want to help them. Isn't there something we can do?"
On the 24th May, Tripadi arrived for a break at New Govardhana. He had a copy of the latest 'ISKCON World Review' (internal Hare Krishna newspaper).
An enormous spread was reported about our campaign in Australia. He then read the editorial and the article to everyone up at the boys ashram.
CHILDREN'S LETTER TO GORBACHEV A PLEA FOR RELIGIOUS FREEDOM
"We share the same biology, regardless of ideology," writes popular composer Sting in his haunting song of potential nuclear disaster, "I Hope the Russians Love Their Children Too."
So it often is that the pure and simple feelings of children serve as the strongest counterpoint in exposing the capacity of ambitious political systems to inflict suffering on innocent people.
In this issue, The ISKCON World Review reports the story of the Australian devotee-children's appeal to soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, to intervene in his government's cruel mistreatment of Soviet citizens wanting to practice Krishna Consciousness.
The letter reveals the children's intuitive grasp of the spiritual unity of all beings, and leaves us with a clear sense of the destructive illusions that cause men to unjustly suppress one another.
Other international petitions and letter-writing campaigns are underway. We heartily encourage you to write to the officials in charge of the prisons, labor camps, and psychiatric hospitals holding Soviet devotees. Send your letters to the Committee to Free Soviet Hare Krishnas, P.O. Box 7030, Laguna Niguel, CA 92677."
AUSTRALIAN DEVOTEES PROTEST IMPRISONMENT OF SOVIET KRISHNAS
Letter to Mikhail Gorbachev and Release of 25 Doves Calls Attention to Soviet Devotees' Plight.
Sydney, Australia - Devotees marched on the Soviet Consulate here May 5, demanding an end to persecution of Hare Krishnas in USSR.
Children from the Murwillumbah Krishna school released 25 doves - one for each devotee imprisoned in Soviet labor camps, prisons and psychiatric hospitals, ISKCON Regional Secretary Chittahari dasa addressed the country's major newspapers and four TV networks about the plight of the Soviet Hare Krishnas.
Prahlad dasa 12 years old, and Raman dasa aged 11 wrote a letter to Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev asking him to halt the persecution of Hare Krishna devotees in the USSR.
The simple yet emotionally powerful letter was so much appreciated by the journalists that six newspapers printed the letter, and three national TV news shows broadcast Prahlad reading it aloud on prime time.
"Our fathers buy many magazines and newspapers, and during the past few months we have tried to understand your views of peace", they told Mr. Gorbachev in the letter.
“For a long time now we have wanted to visit your country, but we are a little bit scared about the things we have heard about Russia.
We have heard some terrible things about what is happening there to the parents of Hare Krishna children.
They must be strong devotees of Krishna to be punished just because they are following a religion that they feel is right and put into labor camps and hospitals, and still be keeping their beliefs. We don't think you would like it if you were punished for a belief you have.
As young boys, we are trying very hard to understand what it would be like if we were not allowed to follow our Hare Krishna lifestyle. We were born into the Hare Krishna Movement and are very happy.
We would like to come to the Soviet Union and meet other Soviet children, maybe even your children, and show you there is no harm in the Hare Krishna lifestyle.
Your efforts for peace are great, but maybe you do not even know that Soviet Hare Krishnas are not allowed peace. We are asking to be allowed to come and see you."
Raman told new reporters that they decided to write the letter when they heard about the 11 month old Hare Krishna baby who died in a Soviet labor camp. Raman was also quoted in the newspapers saying,
"We have been informed the baby was permitted by the Russians only to be with her mother one hour every day. The baby of course died.
He further stated, "I think the Russian leader would order a different attitude towards the Hare Krishna's if he understood our way of life.
"We are not complaining about the Russian way of life, and respect the Russian leader's peace efforts, but we are concerned about what we are informed is a lack of freedom of thought and expression in that country.
We will go on campaigning for Russian leaders to allow Hare Krishnas to either leave Russia unhindered or be allowed to practice their lifestyle and beliefs in Russia without restrictions or persecutions." Raman said.
"We would welcome the chance of saying that to the Russian leader face to face," the boys told reporters.
According to one journalist, a Soviet official in the embassy stated that the Kremlin would hear about this appeal. He acknowledged that the devotees' demonstration was orderly and peaceful and said,
"We now allow religious freedom in our country - that has been so since 1977’’ adding that the devotees need to prove that they are a bonafide religion.
An hour after the protest, an estimated 400 Ukrainian Australians stormed the Soviet tourist office, protesting Soviet inaction during the Chernobyl nuclear disaster.
A headline in the May 6 Sydney Morning Herald read,
"Soviets Face Day of Protests on Chernobyl and Krishnas".
The article included pictures of the Ukrainians rioting and the devotees chanting and holding banners.
The search now had also began to understand our own sense of identity, individuality and a personal relationship with Krishna. At this stage, none of that was realised.
Many still believed 'surrender' meant to do what we are told with our abilities without personal goals and contribution, but that is not what the Spiritual world is like.
The changes in the Soviet Union and our small contribution to try and help free our brothers and sisters in the Soviet Union, opened our eyes to this misunderstanding.
As this campaign gained momentum, we realised we had individual talents we could contribute if encouraged.
For many of us, the attempt to free the Soviet Hare Krishna devotees was also finding our own freedom of self expression to contribute individual abilities and talents in the Krishna’s service.
In this regards Srila Prabhupada says -
"Love is reciprocal, voluntary, good exchange of feeling. Then there is love. Not by force. Krishna does not want to become a lover like that, ‘You love me, otherwise I shall kill you!" July 8, 1976.
Srila Prabhupada explains in "Nectar of Devotion" that just like the Sun is meaningless without the Sun-rays similarly, Krishna is meaningless without His loving devotees.
That relationship is NEVER one-sided it is ALWAYS reciprocal, Prabhupada explained this to his disciples, “if you love me, then I will love you”.
Only a few in Australian ISKCON never encouraged our endeavours preaching to the media in these early pioneering years, everyone knows the next stage of this project would never of happened if we did not hire the talented 20 year old devotee musician Harii Bandhu Dasa known as Havir in our story.
Vrsa Dasa, the Gurukula headmaster at Murwillumbah, Tirthaja Dasa Sankirtan leader who contributed money to help our project happen, and Chittahari dasa involved in Sydney Temple management, helped expand the project after the letter was sent to Mr. Gorbachev.
That is the next chapter of our story.
This history up to May 5th 1986 was only the very early beginnings of our Australian campaign to help free imprisioned Soviet Hare Krishna devotees.
By your aspiring servant Gauragopala Dasa ACBSP.
In this "1986 International Year of Peace", we can only hope that Mr. Gorbachev takes immediate action to release these people.
Over the next two weeks we all pondered over and over what to do. It seemed our Soviet Campaign was over.
Prahlad said:
“With all the media we have just received, somehow we must find a new angle, the media like hearing what children have to say. None of us want to see the Soviet devotees suffer, I want to help them. Isn't there something we can do?"
On the 24th May, Tripadi arrived for a break at New Govardhana. He had a copy of the latest 'ISKCON World Review' (internal Hare Krishna newspaper).
An enormous spread was reported about our campaign in Australia. He then read the editorial and the article to everyone up at the boys ashram.
CHILDREN'S LETTER TO GORBACHEV A PLEA FOR RELIGIOUS FREEDOM
"We share the same biology, regardless of ideology," writes popular composer Sting in his haunting song of potential nuclear disaster, "I Hope the Russians Love Their Children Too."
So it often is that the pure and simple feelings of children serve as the strongest counterpoint in exposing the capacity of ambitious political systems to inflict suffering on innocent people.
In this issue, The ISKCON World Review reports the story of the Australian devotee-children's appeal to soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, to intervene in his government's cruel mistreatment of Soviet citizens wanting to practice Krishna Consciousness.
The letter reveals the children's intuitive grasp of the spiritual unity of all beings, and leaves us with a clear sense of the destructive illusions that cause men to unjustly suppress one another.
Other international petitions and letter-writing campaigns are underway. We heartily encourage you to write to the officials in charge of the prisons, labor camps, and psychiatric hospitals holding Soviet devotees. Send your letters to the Committee to Free Soviet Hare Krishnas, P.O. Box 7030, Laguna Niguel, CA 92677."
AUSTRALIAN DEVOTEES PROTEST IMPRISONMENT OF SOVIET KRISHNAS
Letter to Mikhail Gorbachev and Release of 25 Doves Calls Attention to Soviet Devotees' Plight.
Sydney, Australia - Devotees marched on the Soviet Consulate here May 5, demanding an end to persecution of Hare Krishnas in USSR.
Children from the Murwillumbah Krishna school released 25 doves - one for each devotee imprisoned in Soviet labor camps, prisons and psychiatric hospitals, ISKCON Regional Secretary Chittahari dasa addressed the country's major newspapers and four TV networks about the plight of the Soviet Hare Krishnas.
Prahlad dasa 12 years old, and Raman dasa aged 11 wrote a letter to Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev asking him to halt the persecution of Hare Krishna devotees in the USSR.
The simple yet emotionally powerful letter was so much appreciated by the journalists that six newspapers printed the letter, and three national TV news shows broadcast Prahlad reading it aloud on prime time.
"Our fathers buy many magazines and newspapers, and during the past few months we have tried to understand your views of peace", they told Mr. Gorbachev in the letter.
“For a long time now we have wanted to visit your country, but we are a little bit scared about the things we have heard about Russia.
We have heard some terrible things about what is happening there to the parents of Hare Krishna children.
They must be strong devotees of Krishna to be punished just because they are following a religion that they feel is right and put into labor camps and hospitals, and still be keeping their beliefs. We don't think you would like it if you were punished for a belief you have.
As young boys, we are trying very hard to understand what it would be like if we were not allowed to follow our Hare Krishna lifestyle. We were born into the Hare Krishna Movement and are very happy.
We would like to come to the Soviet Union and meet other Soviet children, maybe even your children, and show you there is no harm in the Hare Krishna lifestyle.
Your efforts for peace are great, but maybe you do not even know that Soviet Hare Krishnas are not allowed peace. We are asking to be allowed to come and see you."
Raman told new reporters that they decided to write the letter when they heard about the 11 month old Hare Krishna baby who died in a Soviet labor camp. Raman was also quoted in the newspapers saying,
"We have been informed the baby was permitted by the Russians only to be with her mother one hour every day. The baby of course died.
He further stated, "I think the Russian leader would order a different attitude towards the Hare Krishna's if he understood our way of life.
"We are not complaining about the Russian way of life, and respect the Russian leader's peace efforts, but we are concerned about what we are informed is a lack of freedom of thought and expression in that country.
We will go on campaigning for Russian leaders to allow Hare Krishnas to either leave Russia unhindered or be allowed to practice their lifestyle and beliefs in Russia without restrictions or persecutions." Raman said.
"We would welcome the chance of saying that to the Russian leader face to face," the boys told reporters.
According to one journalist, a Soviet official in the embassy stated that the Kremlin would hear about this appeal. He acknowledged that the devotees' demonstration was orderly and peaceful and said,
"We now allow religious freedom in our country - that has been so since 1977’’ adding that the devotees need to prove that they are a bonafide religion.
An hour after the protest, an estimated 400 Ukrainian Australians stormed the Soviet tourist office, protesting Soviet inaction during the Chernobyl nuclear disaster.
A headline in the May 6 Sydney Morning Herald read,
"Soviets Face Day of Protests on Chernobyl and Krishnas".
The article included pictures of the Ukrainians rioting and the devotees chanting and holding banners.
The search now had also began to understand our own sense of identity, individuality and a personal relationship with Krishna. At this stage, none of that was realised.
Many still believed 'surrender' meant to do what we are told with our abilities without personal goals and contribution, but that is not what the Spiritual world is like.
The changes in the Soviet Union and our small contribution to try and help free our brothers and sisters in the Soviet Union, opened our eyes to this misunderstanding.
As this campaign gained momentum, we realised we had individual talents we could contribute if encouraged.
For many of us, the attempt to free the Soviet Hare Krishna devotees was also finding our own freedom of self expression to contribute individual abilities and talents in the Krishna’s service.
In this regards Srila Prabhupada says -
"Love is reciprocal, voluntary, good exchange of feeling. Then there is love. Not by force. Krishna does not want to become a lover like that, ‘You love me, otherwise I shall kill you!" July 8, 1976.
Srila Prabhupada explains in "Nectar of Devotion" that just like the Sun is meaningless without the Sun-rays similarly, Krishna is meaningless without His loving devotees.
That relationship is NEVER one-sided it is ALWAYS reciprocal, Prabhupada explained this to his disciples, “if you love me, then I will love you”.
Only a few in Australian ISKCON never encouraged our endeavours preaching to the media in these early pioneering years, everyone knows the next stage of this project would never of happened if we did not hire the talented 20 year old devotee musician Harii Bandhu Dasa known as Havir in our story.
Vrsa Dasa, the Gurukula headmaster at Murwillumbah, Tirthaja Dasa Sankirtan leader who contributed money to help our project happen, and Chittahari dasa involved in Sydney Temple management, helped expand the project after the letter was sent to Mr. Gorbachev.
That is the next chapter of our story.
This history up to May 5th 1986 was only the very early beginnings of our Australian campaign to help free imprisioned Soviet Hare Krishna devotees.
By your aspiring servant Gauragopala Dasa ACBSP.
