International Cultic Studies Association
 Department: Group Report - Hare Krishna

Vol. 1, No. 1, 2001

Hare Krishna: news articles 1984

ISKCON in the News Articles from the Cult Observer 1984-1999  

1984 

June 

Krishna Assets (p. 7) Robin George and her mother, Marcia, can collect $9.7 million in damages, awarded them in June from the Hare Krishnas for Robin's kidnapping and brainwashing in 1974, from any company newly formed by the sect. Superior Court Judge James A. Jackman ruled in Santa Ana, California, on April 27, that the Krishnas had fraudulently formed "alter ego" corporations in an effort to conceal assets and prevent a complete settlement payoff.

Krishna at the Airport (p. 26-27) Regulation in effect since 1980 requiring registration, proof of affiliation, and limitation to eight 48-hour permitted locations have dramatically reduced solicitations at Washington D.C.'s National "port, once the scene of repeated complaints from travelers of harassment by groups such as the Hare Krishnas. Permits may allow requests for donations or only distribution of literature, and canvassers are required to stay away from ticket lines and refrain from following people. A Krishna public affairs director denied that the rules forced his group's move, and said that they now stress mailings, and prefer canvassing door-to-door and at universities and public monuments. Groups still frequenting the airport include the nondenominational Pocket Testament League and Lyndon LaRouche's International Caucus of Labor Committees.

Zoning (p. 8) The Hawaii Supreme Court has declined to review a case involving a zoning ordinance prohibiting more than five unrelated persons from occupying a house. It thereby affirmed a trial court's injunction barring the Hare Krishnas from using a house as a residence even though it was also used as a church. 

September 

ISKCON (p.20) According to the London Daily Express for May 22, actress Hayley Mills, daughter of Sir John Mills, joined the Hare Krishnas shortly after her recent breakup with a close friend. 

In 1979 ISKCON purchased Croome Court, an 18th Century mansion with parks designed by the famous landscape gardener Capability Brown, for L300,000. The Birmingham Evening Mail and the Worcester Evening News for June 7 report that the property, extensively restored, is being offered for sale at L750,000 by the Krishnas, who are moving their headquarters to Watford. 

Krishna Bombed (p.16) Two bombs exploded at a suburban Philadelphia Hare Krishna complex on June 17 damaging a stairway and shattering numerous windows. The bombs, consisting of mason jars filled with gasoline, were sparked by small batteries. Local Krishna officials said they knew of no motive for the attack, but added that the group has attracted "self-declared enemies" whose views were "anti-cult." Neither the Krishnas nor other observers suspects that the bombs were set by the group's neighbors, whose complaints about early morning chanting and Krishna invitations to local children to attend free dinners, moved the Krishnas some time ago to make their rituals quieter and to curtail certain community activities. 

Krishna Return Child (p. 17) A Canadian child abducted by her father three years ago to live among the Hare Krishnas was returned to her mother in late June. Julie Chapados, 11, rejoined her mother Carol in Laval, Quebec, while her father, Marcel Servant, is being held in nearby Montreal to face kidnapping charges. 

Throughout Mrs. Chapados's long search for her daughter, the Krishnas denied any knowledge of Julie's whereabouts, and at one point said that her father was no longer with the group. But police reported that when they identified Mr. Servant in Calgary, Alberta, he was driving a van registered to the Krishnas and carrying a passenger who is a member of the organization. Authorities also said that Julie was, in fact, living at a Krishna Center near Calgary, and that the Krishnas arranged to deliver her to local social workers on the advice of their Toronto attorney, who had been contacted by police following her father's arrest. The arresting officer told the Montreal Sunday Express that he thought the Krishnas were accomplices to kidnapping after the fact, "But who could we charge? To prove it against one person, that's the point. I don't think we could do that."

Mrs. Chapados told the press that she was especially grateful for help given in her efforts to find Julie by Mike Kropveld, head of Montreal's Hillel Cult Project.

October

 Krishnaland Planned (p. 15) 

The Hare Krishna movement plans to build a "Temple of Understanding," 20 times larger than the Palace of Gold already in place in the hills of West Virginia, as part of an extensive "Krishnaland" complex there. Srila Bhaktipada, the first American Krishna disciple and founder of the Palace of Gold, unveiled the plans to Krishna followers from the East Indian professional community of Columbus, Ohio, during the city's first Hari Nam festival earlier this year. The temple, as long as three football fields and 148 feet tall at its highest point, will include visitor facilities, a theater, a planetarium and formal gardens, and will cost about $25 million, with the Krishnas doing most of the work themselves. "You can worship God under a tree," said Bhaktipada, -[But] nobody visits you if you sit under a tree." He added that construction is expected to begin next year and take five to ten years to complete, but "if someone ... wants to donate a large amount of money, it will go faster." The Columbus (Ohio) Dispatch, 8/5/84

Krishnas on the Mall  (p. 10) The food is free and the tents, colorful, but a parent from a local chapter of the Citizens Freedom Foundation said students should beware before they accept anything from Hare Krishnas, who are in Madison with their "Festival of India" on the Library Mall. 

The parent, who was interviewed under the condition that she not be identified, said despite the Krishnas' claim that they are in town to sell paintings and hand out free food, they are on campus only to recruit what she labels as "slaves" for the group. 

"They're told to be there, when and where to go, what to do and when to do it and how to do it," she said. "They cannot think. They are just literally robots. They are programmed."

Janakinath das, curator of the Museum of Vedic Culture and emcee for the event, said the accusations of brainwashing and mind control are unfounded. 

"People can charge, but our business here is not to proselytize. In fact, the Hare Krishna movement has never been found to be a proselytizing, brainwashing group, only we’ve been advertised like that," he said. 

The parent said Krishnas are looking for a particular type of student. "They're looking for the very naive young person who is probably a loner, probably at a low point in their life, probably having a little trouble adjusting to school, a person who is open to new ideas, very intelligent, idealistic, inquisitive, and a little insecure." 

The parent said she was on the mail today handing out literature from the CFF on cults and how to avoid them, The CFF is a non-profit nationwide organization that provides education on the behavior of cults and provides emotional support for families who have a member involved in a cult. 

Roger Howard, University Assistant Dean of Students, said the University has not informed students of the alleged dangers of the Krishna group because there have been no substantial problems of students being entrapped by Krishnas. "We have had no evidence that significant numbers of students are being harassed by cults, ' 

Howard said that if students are concerned about cults like the Hare Krishnas, they can call the Campus Ministry or listen to a Campus Assistance Center tape which deals with cults on campus. 

Some scenes at the event differed little from an afternoon with Sister Pat. In many places, students debated and asked questions of Krishnas on their basic beliefs, and often found that their questions were subverted or left unanswered. 

"He avoids all the answers," said Joel Chechak, an exasperated debater. "They turn your questions around completely." 

The Krishna contention that a man is in every way superior to a woman was another belief that raised some ire among the listeners. 

One Krishna told a woman that if a man were reincarnated and came back as a woman, he would have taken a step backward. 

A Krishna woman expressed her adherence to this tenet. 

"Well, it's true to a certain extent. In this age, everything is topsy-turvey. So it's like you might have women that have more qualities than men. You might have women that are less intelligent than men. But as a rule, usually, women are less intelligent," she said. 

As a way of expressing their purity, Krishnas are also vegetarians and are offering free samples of such dishes as poppers, urhd beans, chick peas, and other vegetarian dishes from Vedic culture, which Krishna adherents claim began some 5000 years ago. 

The Festival of India will move to Chicago after its close tonight at 7 p.m., then will be at the University of Illinois at Champaign. Janakinath das estimated the cost of the three stops at around $10,000. 

Janakinath das also estimated the number of monastic members of the Hare Krishnas to be 10,000. Monastic Krishnas wear the familiar orange gowns and shaved heads. He equates the monastics to Catholicism's monks. 

The bill for the three stops will be picked up by contributions from the Hare Krishna's 200,000 supporting members, among them Alfred Ford, great grandson of Henry Ford, the Detroit automobile mogul.  The story is reprinted with permission, from the Sept. 20, 1984 issue of the University of Wisconsin (Madison) Daily Cardinal. 

 Rock Star Shuns Krishnas (p. 11) The London Standard for September 13 reports that British rock musician Boy George, who had been friendly with devotees of the Hare Krishna movement over the past five years, said that he finally lost patience with the group when he realized that "all they wanted to do was get me into pictures with them for publicity purposes. That kind of thing makes me see red."  

International Cultic Studies Association
 Department: Group Report - Hare Krishna

Vol. 1, No. 1, 2001

Hare Krishna: news articles 1984

ISKCON in the News Articles from the Cult Observer 1984-1999  

1984 

June 

Krishna Assets (p. 7) Robin George and her mother, Marcia, can collect $9.7 million in damages, awarded them in June from the Hare Krishnas for Robin's kidnapping and brainwashing in 1974, from any company newly formed by the sect. Superior Court Judge James A. Jackman ruled in Santa Ana, California, on April 27, that the Krishnas had fraudulently formed "alter ego" corporations in an effort to conceal assets and prevent a complete settlement payoff.

Krishna at the Airport (p. 26-27) Regulation in effect since 1980 requiring registration, proof of affiliation, and limitation to eight 48-hour permitted locations have dramatically reduced solicitations at Washington D.C.'s National "port, once the scene of repeated complaints from travelers of harassment by groups such as the Hare Krishnas. Permits may allow requests for donations or only distribution of literature, and canvassers are required to stay away from ticket lines and refrain from following people. A Krishna public affairs director denied that the rules forced his group's move, and said that they now stress mailings, and prefer canvassing door-to-door and at universities and public monuments. Groups still frequenting the airport include the nondenominational Pocket Testament League and Lyndon LaRouche's International Caucus of Labor Committees.

Zoning (p. 8) The Hawaii Supreme Court has declined to review a case involving a zoning ordinance prohibiting more than five unrelated persons from occupying a house. It thereby affirmed a trial court's injunction barring the Hare Krishnas from using a house as a residence even though it was also used as a church. 

September 

ISKCON (p.20) According to the London Daily Express for May 22, actress Hayley Mills, daughter of Sir John Mills, joined the Hare Krishnas shortly after her recent breakup with a close friend. 

In 1979 ISKCON purchased Croome Court, an 18th Century mansion with parks designed by the famous landscape gardener Capability Brown, for L300,000. The Birmingham Evening Mail and the Worcester Evening News for June 7 report that the property, extensively restored, is being offered for sale at L750,000 by the Krishnas, who are moving their headquarters to Watford. 

Krishna Bombed (p.16) Two bombs exploded at a suburban Philadelphia Hare Krishna complex on June 17 damaging a stairway and shattering numerous windows. The bombs, consisting of mason jars filled with gasoline, were sparked by small batteries. Local Krishna officials said they knew of no motive for the attack, but added that the group has attracted "self-declared enemies" whose views were "anti-cult." Neither the Krishnas nor other observers suspects that the bombs were set by the group's neighbors, whose complaints about early morning chanting and Krishna invitations to local children to attend free dinners, moved the Krishnas some time ago to make their rituals quieter and to curtail certain community activities. 

Krishna Return Child (p. 17) A Canadian child abducted by her father three years ago to live among the Hare Krishnas was returned to her mother in late June. Julie Chapados, 11, rejoined her mother Carol in Laval, Quebec, while her father, Marcel Servant, is being held in nearby Montreal to face kidnapping charges. 

Throughout Mrs. Chapados's long search for her daughter, the Krishnas denied any knowledge of Julie's whereabouts, and at one point said that her father was no longer with the group. But police reported that when they identified Mr. Servant in Calgary, Alberta, he was driving a van registered to the Krishnas and carrying a passenger who is a member of the organization. Authorities also said that Julie was, in fact, living at a Krishna Center near Calgary, and that the Krishnas arranged to deliver her to local social workers on the advice of their Toronto attorney, who had been contacted by police following her father's arrest. The arresting officer told the Montreal Sunday Express that he thought the Krishnas were accomplices to kidnapping after the fact, "But who could we charge? To prove it against one person, that's the point. I don't think we could do that."

Mrs. Chapados told the press that she was especially grateful for help given in her efforts to find Julie by Mike Kropveld, head of Montreal's Hillel Cult Project.

October

 Krishnaland Planned (p. 15) 

The Hare Krishna movement plans to build a "Temple of Understanding," 20 times larger than the Palace of Gold already in place in the hills of West Virginia, as part of an extensive "Krishnaland" complex there. Srila Bhaktipada, the first American Krishna disciple and founder of the Palace of Gold, unveiled the plans to Krishna followers from the East Indian professional community of Columbus, Ohio, during the city's first Hari Nam festival earlier this year. The temple, as long as three football fields and 148 feet tall at its highest point, will include visitor facilities, a theater, a planetarium and formal gardens, and will cost about $25 million, with the Krishnas doing most of the work themselves. "You can worship God under a tree," said Bhaktipada, -[But] nobody visits you if you sit under a tree." He added that construction is expected to begin next year and take five to ten years to complete, but "if someone ... wants to donate a large amount of money, it will go faster." The Columbus (Ohio) Dispatch, 8/5/84

Krishnas on the Mall  (p. 10) The food is free and the tents, colorful, but a parent from a local chapter of the Citizens Freedom Foundation said students should beware before they accept anything from Hare Krishnas, who are in Madison with their "Festival of India" on the Library Mall. 

The parent, who was interviewed under the condition that she not be identified, said despite the Krishnas' claim that they are in town to sell paintings and hand out free food, they are on campus only to recruit what she labels as "slaves" for the group. 

"They're told to be there, when and where to go, what to do and when to do it and how to do it," she said. "They cannot think. They are just literally robots. They are programmed."

Janakinath das, curator of the Museum of Vedic Culture and emcee for the event, said the accusations of brainwashing and mind control are unfounded. 

"People can charge, but our business here is not to proselytize. In fact, the Hare Krishna movement has never been found to be a proselytizing, brainwashing group, only we’ve been advertised like that," he said. 

The parent said Krishnas are looking for a particular type of student. "They're looking for the very naive young person who is probably a loner, probably at a low point in their life, probably having a little trouble adjusting to school, a person who is open to new ideas, very intelligent, idealistic, inquisitive, and a little insecure." 

The parent said she was on the mail today handing out literature from the CFF on cults and how to avoid them, The CFF is a non-profit nationwide organization that provides education on the behavior of cults and provides emotional support for families who have a member involved in a cult. 

Roger Howard, University Assistant Dean of Students, said the University has not informed students of the alleged dangers of the Krishna group because there have been no substantial problems of students being entrapped by Krishnas. "We have had no evidence that significant numbers of students are being harassed by cults, ' 

Howard said that if students are concerned about cults like the Hare Krishnas, they can call the Campus Ministry or listen to a Campus Assistance Center tape which deals with cults on campus. 

Some scenes at the event differed little from an afternoon with Sister Pat. In many places, students debated and asked questions of Krishnas on their basic beliefs, and often found that their questions were subverted or left unanswered. 

"He avoids all the answers," said Joel Chechak, an exasperated debater. "They turn your questions around completely." 

The Krishna contention that a man is in every way superior to a woman was another belief that raised some ire among the listeners. 

One Krishna told a woman that if a man were reincarnated and came back as a woman, he would have taken a step backward. 

A Krishna woman expressed her adherence to this tenet. 

"Well, it's true to a certain extent. In this age, everything is topsy-turvey. So it's like you might have women that have more qualities than men. You might have women that are less intelligent than men. But as a rule, usually, women are less intelligent," she said. 

As a way of expressing their purity, Krishnas are also vegetarians and are offering free samples of such dishes as poppers, urhd beans, chick peas, and other vegetarian dishes from Vedic culture, which Krishna adherents claim began some 5000 years ago. 

The Festival of India will move to Chicago after its close tonight at 7 p.m., then will be at the University of Illinois at Champaign. Janakinath das estimated the cost of the three stops at around $10,000. 

Janakinath das also estimated the number of monastic members of the Hare Krishnas to be 10,000. Monastic Krishnas wear the familiar orange gowns and shaved heads. He equates the monastics to Catholicism's monks. 

The bill for the three stops will be picked up by contributions from the Hare Krishna's 200,000 supporting members, among them Alfred Ford, great grandson of Henry Ford, the Detroit automobile mogul.  The story is reprinted with permission, from the Sept. 20, 1984 issue of the University of Wisconsin (Madison) Daily Cardinal. 

 Rock Star Shuns Krishnas (p. 11) The London Standard for September 13 reports that British rock musician Boy George, who had been friendly with devotees of the Hare Krishna movement over the past five years, said that he finally lost patience with the group when he realized that "all they wanted to do was get me into pictures with them for publicity purposes. That kind of thing makes me see red."  

International Cultic Studies Association
 Department: Group Report - Hare Krishna

Vol. 1, No. 1, 2001

Hare Krishna: news articles 1984

ISKCON in the News Articles from the Cult Observer 1984-1999  

1984 

June 

Krishna Assets (p. 7) Robin George and her mother, Marcia, can collect $9.7 million in damages, awarded them in June from the Hare Krishnas for Robin's kidnapping and brainwashing in 1974, from any company newly formed by the sect. Superior Court Judge James A. Jackman ruled in Santa Ana, California, on April 27, that the Krishnas had fraudulently formed "alter ego" corporations in an effort to conceal assets and prevent a complete settlement payoff.

Krishna at the Airport (p. 26-27) Regulation in effect since 1980 requiring registration, proof of affiliation, and limitation to eight 48-hour permitted locations have dramatically reduced solicitations at Washington D.C.'s National "port, once the scene of repeated complaints from travelers of harassment by groups such as the Hare Krishnas. Permits may allow requests for donations or only distribution of literature, and canvassers are required to stay away from ticket lines and refrain from following people. A Krishna public affairs director denied that the rules forced his group's move, and said that they now stress mailings, and prefer canvassing door-to-door and at universities and public monuments. Groups still frequenting the airport include the nondenominational Pocket Testament League and Lyndon LaRouche's International Caucus of Labor Committees.

Zoning (p. 8) The Hawaii Supreme Court has declined to review a case involving a zoning ordinance prohibiting more than five unrelated persons from occupying a house. It thereby affirmed a trial court's injunction barring the Hare Krishnas from using a house as a residence even though it was also used as a church. 

September 

ISKCON (p.20) According to the London Daily Express for May 22, actress Hayley Mills, daughter of Sir John Mills, joined the Hare Krishnas shortly after her recent breakup with a close friend. 

In 1979 ISKCON purchased Croome Court, an 18th Century mansion with parks designed by the famous landscape gardener Capability Brown, for L300,000. The Birmingham Evening Mail and the Worcester Evening News for June 7 report that the property, extensively restored, is being offered for sale at L750,000 by the Krishnas, who are moving their headquarters to Watford. 

Krishna Bombed (p.16) Two bombs exploded at a suburban Philadelphia Hare Krishna complex on June 17 damaging a stairway and shattering numerous windows. The bombs, consisting of mason jars filled with gasoline, were sparked by small batteries. Local Krishna officials said they knew of no motive for the attack, but added that the group has attracted "self-declared enemies" whose views were "anti-cult." Neither the Krishnas nor other observers suspects that the bombs were set by the group's neighbors, whose complaints about early morning chanting and Krishna invitations to local children to attend free dinners, moved the Krishnas some time ago to make their rituals quieter and to curtail certain community activities. 

Krishna Return Child (p. 17) A Canadian child abducted by her father three years ago to live among the Hare Krishnas was returned to her mother in late June. Julie Chapados, 11, rejoined her mother Carol in Laval, Quebec, while her father, Marcel Servant, is being held in nearby Montreal to face kidnapping charges. 

Throughout Mrs. Chapados's long search for her daughter, the Krishnas denied any knowledge of Julie's whereabouts, and at one point said that her father was no longer with the group. But police reported that when they identified Mr. Servant in Calgary, Alberta, he was driving a van registered to the Krishnas and carrying a passenger who is a member of the organization. Authorities also said that Julie was, in fact, living at a Krishna Center near Calgary, and that the Krishnas arranged to deliver her to local social workers on the advice of their Toronto attorney, who had been contacted by police following her father's arrest. The arresting officer told the Montreal Sunday Express that he thought the Krishnas were accomplices to kidnapping after the fact, "But who could we charge? To prove it against one person, that's the point. I don't think we could do that."

Mrs. Chapados told the press that she was especially grateful for help given in her efforts to find Julie by Mike Kropveld, head of Montreal's Hillel Cult Project.

October

 Krishnaland Planned (p. 15) 

The Hare Krishna movement plans to build a "Temple of Understanding," 20 times larger than the Palace of Gold already in place in the hills of West Virginia, as part of an extensive "Krishnaland" complex there. Srila Bhaktipada, the first American Krishna disciple and founder of the Palace of Gold, unveiled the plans to Krishna followers from the East Indian professional community of Columbus, Ohio, during the city's first Hari Nam festival earlier this year. The temple, as long as three football fields and 148 feet tall at its highest point, will include visitor facilities, a theater, a planetarium and formal gardens, and will cost about $25 million, with the Krishnas doing most of the work themselves. "You can worship God under a tree," said Bhaktipada, -[But] nobody visits you if you sit under a tree." He added that construction is expected to begin next year and take five to ten years to complete, but "if someone ... wants to donate a large amount of money, it will go faster." The Columbus (Ohio) Dispatch, 8/5/84

Krishnas on the Mall  (p. 10) The food is free and the tents, colorful, but a parent from a local chapter of the Citizens Freedom Foundation said students should beware before they accept anything from Hare Krishnas, who are in Madison with their "Festival of India" on the Library Mall. 

The parent, who was interviewed under the condition that she not be identified, said despite the Krishnas' claim that they are in town to sell paintings and hand out free food, they are on campus only to recruit what she labels as "slaves" for the group. 

"They're told to be there, when and where to go, what to do and when to do it and how to do it," she said. "They cannot think. They are just literally robots. They are programmed."

Janakinath das, curator of the Museum of Vedic Culture and emcee for the event, said the accusations of brainwashing and mind control are unfounded. 

"People can charge, but our business here is not to proselytize. In fact, the Hare Krishna movement has never been found to be a proselytizing, brainwashing group, only we’ve been advertised like that," he said. 

The parent said Krishnas are looking for a particular type of student. "They're looking for the very naive young person who is probably a loner, probably at a low point in their life, probably having a little trouble adjusting to school, a person who is open to new ideas, very intelligent, idealistic, inquisitive, and a little insecure." 

The parent said she was on the mail today handing out literature from the CFF on cults and how to avoid them, The CFF is a non-profit nationwide organization that provides education on the behavior of cults and provides emotional support for families who have a member involved in a cult. 

Roger Howard, University Assistant Dean of Students, said the University has not informed students of the alleged dangers of the Krishna group because there have been no substantial problems of students being entrapped by Krishnas. "We have had no evidence that significant numbers of students are being harassed by cults, ' 

Howard said that if students are concerned about cults like the Hare Krishnas, they can call the Campus Ministry or listen to a Campus Assistance Center tape which deals with cults on campus. 

Some scenes at the event differed little from an afternoon with Sister Pat. In many places, students debated and asked questions of Krishnas on their basic beliefs, and often found that their questions were subverted or left unanswered. 

"He avoids all the answers," said Joel Chechak, an exasperated debater. "They turn your questions around completely." 

The Krishna contention that a man is in every way superior to a woman was another belief that raised some ire among the listeners. 

One Krishna told a woman that if a man were reincarnated and came back as a woman, he would have taken a step backward. 

A Krishna woman expressed her adherence to this tenet. 

"Well, it's true to a certain extent. In this age, everything is topsy-turvey. So it's like you might have women that have more qualities than men. You might have women that are less intelligent than men. But as a rule, usually, women are less intelligent," she said. 

As a way of expressing their purity, Krishnas are also vegetarians and are offering free samples of such dishes as poppers, urhd beans, chick peas, and other vegetarian dishes from Vedic culture, which Krishna adherents claim began some 5000 years ago. 

The Festival of India will move to Chicago after its close tonight at 7 p.m., then will be at the University of Illinois at Champaign. Janakinath das estimated the cost of the three stops at around $10,000. 

Janakinath das also estimated the number of monastic members of the Hare Krishnas to be 10,000. Monastic Krishnas wear the familiar orange gowns and shaved heads. He equates the monastics to Catholicism's monks. 

The bill for the three stops will be picked up by contributions from the Hare Krishna's 200,000 supporting members, among them Alfred Ford, great grandson of Henry Ford, the Detroit automobile mogul.  The story is reprinted with permission, from the Sept. 20, 1984 issue of the University of Wisconsin (Madison) Daily Cardinal. 

 Rock Star Shuns Krishnas (p. 11) The London Standard for September 13 reports that British rock musician Boy George, who had been friendly with devotees of the Hare Krishna movement over the past five years, said that he finally lost patience with the group when he realized that "all they wanted to do was get me into pictures with them for publicity purposes. That kind of thing makes me see red."  

International Cultic Studies Association
 Department: Group Report - Hare Krishna

Vol. 1, No. 1, 2001

Hare Krishna: news articles 1984

ISKCON in the News Articles from the Cult Observer 1984-1999  

1984 

June 

Krishna Assets (p. 7) Robin George and her mother, Marcia, can collect $9.7 million in damages, awarded them in June from the Hare Krishnas for Robin's kidnapping and brainwashing in 1974, from any company newly formed by the sect. Superior Court Judge James A. Jackman ruled in Santa Ana, California, on April 27, that the Krishnas had fraudulently formed "alter ego" corporations in an effort to conceal assets and prevent a complete settlement payoff.

Krishna at the Airport (p. 26-27) Regulation in effect since 1980 requiring registration, proof of affiliation, and limitation to eight 48-hour permitted locations have dramatically reduced solicitations at Washington D.C.'s National "port, once the scene of repeated complaints from travelers of harassment by groups such as the Hare Krishnas. Permits may allow requests for donations or only distribution of literature, and canvassers are required to stay away from ticket lines and refrain from following people. A Krishna public affairs director denied that the rules forced his group's move, and said that they now stress mailings, and prefer canvassing door-to-door and at universities and public monuments. Groups still frequenting the airport include the nondenominational Pocket Testament League and Lyndon LaRouche's International Caucus of Labor Committees.

Zoning (p. 8) The Hawaii Supreme Court has declined to review a case involving a zoning ordinance prohibiting more than five unrelated persons from occupying a house. It thereby affirmed a trial court's injunction barring the Hare Krishnas from using a house as a residence even though it was also used as a church. 

September 

ISKCON (p.20) According to the London Daily Express for May 22, actress Hayley Mills, daughter of Sir John Mills, joined the Hare Krishnas shortly after her recent breakup with a close friend. 

In 1979 ISKCON purchased Croome Court, an 18th Century mansion with parks designed by the famous landscape gardener Capability Brown, for L300,000. The Birmingham Evening Mail and the Worcester Evening News for June 7 report that the property, extensively restored, is being offered for sale at L750,000 by the Krishnas, who are moving their headquarters to Watford. 

Krishna Bombed (p.16) Two bombs exploded at a suburban Philadelphia Hare Krishna complex on June 17 damaging a stairway and shattering numerous windows. The bombs, consisting of mason jars filled with gasoline, were sparked by small batteries. Local Krishna officials said they knew of no motive for the attack, but added that the group has attracted "self-declared enemies" whose views were "anti-cult." Neither the Krishnas nor other observers suspects that the bombs were set by the group's neighbors, whose complaints about early morning chanting and Krishna invitations to local children to attend free dinners, moved the Krishnas some time ago to make their rituals quieter and to curtail certain community activities. 

Krishna Return Child (p. 17) A Canadian child abducted by her father three years ago to live among the Hare Krishnas was returned to her mother in late June. Julie Chapados, 11, rejoined her mother Carol in Laval, Quebec, while her father, Marcel Servant, is being held in nearby Montreal to face kidnapping charges. 

Throughout Mrs. Chapados's long search for her daughter, the Krishnas denied any knowledge of Julie's whereabouts, and at one point said that her father was no longer with the group. But police reported that when they identified Mr. Servant in Calgary, Alberta, he was driving a van registered to the Krishnas and carrying a passenger who is a member of the organization. Authorities also said that Julie was, in fact, living at a Krishna Center near Calgary, and that the Krishnas arranged to deliver her to local social workers on the advice of their Toronto attorney, who had been contacted by police following her father's arrest. The arresting officer told the Montreal Sunday Express that he thought the Krishnas were accomplices to kidnapping after the fact, "But who could we charge? To prove it against one person, that's the point. I don't think we could do that."

Mrs. Chapados told the press that she was especially grateful for help given in her efforts to find Julie by Mike Kropveld, head of Montreal's Hillel Cult Project.

October

 Krishnaland Planned (p. 15) 

The Hare Krishna movement plans to build a "Temple of Understanding," 20 times larger than the Palace of Gold already in place in the hills of West Virginia, as part of an extensive "Krishnaland" complex there. Srila Bhaktipada, the first American Krishna disciple and founder of the Palace of Gold, unveiled the plans to Krishna followers from the East Indian professional community of Columbus, Ohio, during the city's first Hari Nam festival earlier this year. The temple, as long as three football fields and 148 feet tall at its highest point, will include visitor facilities, a theater, a planetarium and formal gardens, and will cost about $25 million, with the Krishnas doing most of the work themselves. "You can worship God under a tree," said Bhaktipada, -[But] nobody visits you if you sit under a tree." He added that construction is expected to begin next year and take five to ten years to complete, but "if someone ... wants to donate a large amount of money, it will go faster." The Columbus (Ohio) Dispatch, 8/5/84

Krishnas on the Mall  (p. 10) The food is free and the tents, colorful, but a parent from a local chapter of the Citizens Freedom Foundation said students should beware before they accept anything from Hare Krishnas, who are in Madison with their "Festival of India" on the Library Mall. 

The parent, who was interviewed under the condition that she not be identified, said despite the Krishnas' claim that they are in town to sell paintings and hand out free food, they are on campus only to recruit what she labels as "slaves" for the group. 

"They're told to be there, when and where to go, what to do and when to do it and how to do it," she said. "They cannot think. They are just literally robots. They are programmed."

Janakinath das, curator of the Museum of Vedic Culture and emcee for the event, said the accusations of brainwashing and mind control are unfounded. 

"People can charge, but our business here is not to proselytize. In fact, the Hare Krishna movement has never been found to be a proselytizing, brainwashing group, only we’ve been advertised like that," he said. 

The parent said Krishnas are looking for a particular type of student. "They're looking for the very naive young person who is probably a loner, probably at a low point in their life, probably having a little trouble adjusting to school, a person who is open to new ideas, very intelligent, idealistic, inquisitive, and a little insecure." 

The parent said she was on the mail today handing out literature from the CFF on cults and how to avoid them, The CFF is a non-profit nationwide organization that provides education on the behavior of cults and provides emotional support for families who have a member involved in a cult. 

Roger Howard, University Assistant Dean of Students, said the University has not informed students of the alleged dangers of the Krishna group because there have been no substantial problems of students being entrapped by Krishnas. "We have had no evidence that significant numbers of students are being harassed by cults, ' 

Howard said that if students are concerned about cults like the Hare Krishnas, they can call the Campus Ministry or listen to a Campus Assistance Center tape which deals with cults on campus. 

Some scenes at the event differed little from an afternoon with Sister Pat. In many places, students debated and asked questions of Krishnas on their basic beliefs, and often found that their questions were subverted or left unanswered. 

"He avoids all the answers," said Joel Chechak, an exasperated debater. "They turn your questions around completely." 

The Krishna contention that a man is in every way superior to a woman was another belief that raised some ire among the listeners. 

One Krishna told a woman that if a man were reincarnated and came back as a woman, he would have taken a step backward. 

A Krishna woman expressed her adherence to this tenet. 

"Well, it's true to a certain extent. In this age, everything is topsy-turvey. So it's like you might have women that have more qualities than men. You might have women that are less intelligent than men. But as a rule, usually, women are less intelligent," she said. 

As a way of expressing their purity, Krishnas are also vegetarians and are offering free samples of such dishes as poppers, urhd beans, chick peas, and other vegetarian dishes from Vedic culture, which Krishna adherents claim began some 5000 years ago. 

The Festival of India will move to Chicago after its close tonight at 7 p.m., then will be at the University of Illinois at Champaign. Janakinath das estimated the cost of the three stops at around $10,000. 

Janakinath das also estimated the number of monastic members of the Hare Krishnas to be 10,000. Monastic Krishnas wear the familiar orange gowns and shaved heads. He equates the monastics to Catholicism's monks. 

The bill for the three stops will be picked up by contributions from the Hare Krishna's 200,000 supporting members, among them Alfred Ford, great grandson of Henry Ford, the Detroit automobile mogul.  The story is reprinted with permission, from the Sept. 20, 1984 issue of the University of Wisconsin (Madison) Daily Cardinal. 

 Rock Star Shuns Krishnas (p. 11) The London Standard for September 13 reports that British rock musician Boy George, who had been friendly with devotees of the Hare Krishna movement over the past five years, said that he finally lost patience with the group when he realized that "all they wanted to do was get me into pictures with them for publicity purposes. That kind of thing makes me see red."