Real fighting is now

The latter half of 1976 had seen the first of a series of major battles with aggressively active 'anti-cult' groups in the United States. The Krishna consciousness movement was being lumped-in with other new movements and was being attacked in the courts and press there as a 'psychologically dangerous brainwashing cult'. Whatever happened in America would more than likely surface later in Australia. Consequently, the Australian devotees kept a careful watch on the developing issue. In October, parents of devotees in America hired a District Attorney and created nationwide bad publicity against ISKCON, leading to indictment of two devotees for brainwashing disciples and holding them against their will in the New York temple. Although the charges were absurd, widespread media coverage, even in the Australian press, lead many people to believe that the charges were justified. News of the court case was widely publicised. An article entitled Embattled Krishna Defended on 21 October, summed up the case: The Hare Krishna movement turned to professors and parents of one of its indicted members, on Wednesday, in an effort to dispel charges that it engaged in brainwashing and that two of its members were unlawfully imprisoned. The movement's spokesmen, an American Civil Liberties Union lawyer, and scholars, all declared that Hare Krishna was a recognised branch of Hinduism, whose practices were legitimate and protected by the First Amendment. A California psychiatrist said that far from being 'weird' or 'insane' he found its converts 'astoundingly normal'. The movement, the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, staged a news conference in rebuttal to an indictment brought against two of its officials. Angus Murphy, twenty-two, president of the movement's Manhattan Temple, and Harold Conley, twenty-five, its Supervisor of Women here, were indicted by a Queens? Grand Jury last week on charges of unlawfully imprisoning two members of the saffron-robed sect through 'brainwashing'. Mr. and Mrs. Thomas A. Murphy of New Jersey, Angus Murphy's parents, told reporters that in their visits and contacts with their son and other Krishna members, they have seen no evidence of brainwashing. In a spirit of anti-cult crusade, an assistant attorney general was prosecuting, using all legal and governmental facilities at his disposal. Although civil libertarians were outraged and assured the devotees that the opposition could never win, the implications of the case were fearful nevertheless. The case challenged the very right of the Hare Krishna movement to exist as a bona fide religion, and challenged the right of adult devotees to remain in the movement against the wishes of their parents. Also at issue was whether members of the Hare Krishna movement were members by their own choosing or were being kept in the movement by psychological manipulation, or 'brainwashing'. This battle was to be only one in a series of on-going skirmishes, some of which would be fought on Australian soil. Prabhupada assured the devotees that the eventual outcome would augur well for the devotees, but they would have to be prepared to do battle. In the mood of a general directing his troops, Srila Prabhupada summed up the current scenario in a letter to Tamal Krishna Goswami on 30 October 1976. They are now feeling the weight of this movement. Formerly, they thought 'these people come and go', but now they see we are staying. Now we have set fire. It will go on, it cannot be stopped. You can bring big, big fire brigades but the fire will act. The 'brainwash' books are already there. Even if they stop externally, internally it will go on. Our first-class campaign is book distribution. Go house to house. The real fighting is now. Krishna will give you all protection. So chant Hare Krishna and fight. Prabhupada gave clear directions to Tamal Krishna how to counter the ill-informed claims of the antagonists: Regarding the point about whether our movement is bona fide, you can use the following arguments. Bhagavad-gita has got so many editions. Our books are older than the Bible. In India there are millions of Krishna temples. That the judges and juries read our books and take the opinion of learned scholars and professors. Regarding the second point about the parents? jurisdiction over their children. Here are some suggestions. Do the parents like that their children become hippies? Why don't they stop it? Do the parents like their children to be involved in prostitution and intoxication? Why don't they stop this? When the government takes the children for the draft, neither the parents nor the children like it. This question should be raised. There are so many men over thirty. Are they brainwashed? It may be a minority in your country, but in other places it is the majority. The diamond seller caters to a minority. Why are they allowed to sell? Always when there is something valuable, only a minority will be able to purchase. Our books are not commercial, they are religion and philosophy. As far as the argument, "Krishna consciousness takes away people's initiative", Prabhupada countered that that was not a fact. "No. It is a misunderstanding. We are actually struggling for achievement of the highest goal of life. Otherwise, why are we writing so many books?" Prabhupada also advised that the devotees should collect testimonies from Indian professors that Krishna consciousness was presenting a bona fide system of Vaisnavism. Prabhupada summed up: The fighting has become acute, but if you stick to the regulative principles, Krishna will give you all strength. Whatever is done is by Krishna's mercy. They are afraid that a different culture is conquering over their culture. Param drstva nivartate. That is natural. If someone finds something better, he'll give up the old. It is a fight; do not be afraid. Prabhupada reiterated his strong feelings on the matter in a letter to Ramesvara: "Yes, these attempts to stop our movement will completely fail. It is Krishna's plan for us to become more prominent."