Last 14th of November an istagosthi was held at New Vrajamandala with the presence of EuroGBC’s Praghosa das (SDG), Narakriti das (Checkoslovakia), Syamasundara das (Bhaktivedanta Manor – UK), Kadamba Kanana Swami, Param Gati Swami, Gundica Prabhu, as President of ISKCON Spain, Vedavyasa Prabhu as New Vrajamandala President, and other devotees related to or interested in the farm issues.
The EuroGBC decided that 6 months will be given to the current enthusiasts of the farm. Notice the particular situation: Vedavyasa Prabhu, although New Vrajamandala official Temple President is not living there for this period; he went back to Malaga (being Temple President there as well) after the meetings, and he is to oversee no astray ideas are being implemented in the grace period. (?)
The current committee is very enthusiastic to raise money and manpower, but they face a complex situation. Kadamba Kanan Swami, who a few years ago came to the rescue of New Vrajamandala when it was in danger of being sold, resigned his responsibilities at New Vrajamandala at the time of the meeting. He left the devotees there in such a delicate situation, a split being created by those who were given total power by Maharaj and now are left without standing, to their dismay.
Its not the place, its not the devotees, its the same old leaders that for years have failed and handbraked not only the farm, but the whole of Spain Yatra. How they actually have stopped ISKCON from flourishing is evident, but that is another theme. Now they want to sell the farm in a two-fold operation: restrict the solution to a short 6 months final “opportunity,” and then sell.
It’s a 300 hectare property worth so much laxsmi that I am sure some Prabhus dream of their pie portion in their wildest “Krishna conscious” dreams. Looks like Vedavyasa Prabhu will get half of it, about half million euros for his 3rd unfinished project apart from Malaga and New Vrajamandala. Looks like his courtesy of coming to the farm for 3 months as Temple President and writing a report on selling the farm can yield some pleasant results, at least for him.
And probably the other half is already being sought by other spiritual entrepreneurs, most probably going to the East countries, where Krishna consciousness is more or less expanding nowadays.
In a nutshell, the corporate machinery is doing what they know best, to cut on managerial problems destroying the root “cause”: properties and devotees (especially senior devotees).
There are so many talented devotees here in Spain that could convert New Vrajamandala into a spiritual heaven and material solace, but as usual, the old boys club does not know how and doesn’t allow others to do it either. Blame for problems is always given to grassroots individuals, and whatever success there is, the leaders are quick to get the credit for. Unfortunately their successes are overpowered by their constant failures, like the one we are witnessing at New Vrajamandala.
The team of devotees left with the huge task of recovering the farm has begun to work, but looks like it is at most tolerated for 6 months by the powers that be and friends. Same old story: armchair authorities give responsibilities and day-to-day duties to some individuals, but keep the power in proxy from their email desktop and offices, far away from the battlefield. Like this nothing can be accomplished. Responsibility and power must work together to advance any project.
If after 6 months improvement is not shown, sale of the farm is going to begin.
From the EuroGBC, only Shyamasundara Prabhu has shown a real interest in seeing the project come up successfully, and he is the one that will write the report to the EuroGBC. I have seen it so many times, political decisions taken a priori, with sometimes a timid common sense voice suffocated by the blind majority.
If the current committee of New Vrajamandala does not take a real strong stand in leadership, not depending so much in the saving grace of proxy-EuroGBCs and armchair office authorities, they will be victimized by the old boys club and the farm will be lost, much to the dismay of those who lived a significant part of their devotional career there and helped with tears, blood and sweat on its consolidation in the old years of 24/7 street Sankirtan.
Improvements that the EuroGBC want to have happen in such short period of time are delineated extensively in their meeting notes. There is a long list, not in tune with the help they offer, which is obviously nothing more than graciously watching the ship sink from a safe distance.
All of a sudden and after almost 20 years living his own life apart, Vedavyasa Prabhu ( acbsp) came to “rescue” Málaga temple ( the situation is even worse than before after a year and just ask the regular people why they stop going there) and a few months later, he volunteered to “help” New Vrajamandala farm, going there for a few months. After barely 3 months of “helping” out, he sends a report to the European GBC with a specific plan for the sale of the farm (a 5 million€ property at this moment according with some devotees’ calculation), without consulting any of the residents of the farm or grassroots spanish devotees, not even the swami in charge of the farm, Kadamba Kanana Swami. The deal with the European GBCs is to sale for half the price (see worldwide economic crisis) and half of that goes for his own project in another part of Spain (yes, you read well, temple president for Malaga, for the farm and now wanting to use half of the money to buy land for his newly added project. Neat.
Now, it looks like he has done a good deal to partition the booty with the National spanish council (laxsmi is always needed after all) and probably has a deal with the European GBCs to boost European projects too.
Such spoliation is done by a person that has serious character flaws and problems with money management, during more than 10 years he controlled exclusively all the millions that were pouring over from the sankirtan parties in the early eighties. we have the raw figures, but the expenses documents and details were burned by Veda Vyasa himself, when confronted with us. Then at that time sankirtan leaders wanted some explanation on the accounts after Bhagavan and the local swami fell down. We got no explanation and this fact led many devotees to stop sankirtan and collect Laxmi altogether.
His character is far from amicable, sweet and people minded. He is known among his own godbrothers (e.g. ask Bhakti caru Swami) as a fierce cold hearted fanatic, incapable of developing normal relationships with anyone. Except for his own family, he actually counselled his daughter to take initiation from Puri Maharaja, and she and her husband (puri maharaj disciples too) are taking care of the day to day farm operation now. He is known also to despise Iskcon gurus and GBC, typical of a tamo guna devotee, thinking that he alone is very advanced.
And, the cherry on top, is that he is going to be proposed GBC for Spain. Sounds familiar? Prabhupada ”man” with a power trip?.
A few days ago, an internet group was opened in haste by concerned devotees to inform spanish devotees about the rascal silent operation.
All is going very fast, in a few days, 3, 4 and 5 of next month euro GBCs are coming to the farm to cement the deal. They say they come to consult the residents, but we know by now, how these things go, pre meetings, emails and telephone calls among a few elite authorities suffice to close the deal.
And having said all this, we, spanish devotees deserve it by all these years of silence, individualism and impersonalism. There you see, you have what you deserve after all.
Alea jacta est.
