Who the villains of this piece of trickery are is not clear
After much delay and frequent requests, now nearly at the end of Prabhupada's stay in Nellore, the deed of gift for the two parcels of land has finally been produced. But it is a "gift" with many conditions. Scrutiny of the fine print revealed several dubious clauses.
Prabhupada sat at his desk as Gopala Krishna and Mahamsa read out the details. One clause insisted that on the two-acre plot, a temple, a comparative religious studies library, and a meditation hall be built.
Prabhupada shook his head. He said that as far as we are concerned, we have no use for such things. A temple with the Deities of Radha-Krishna is sufficient because They are the only objects of our meditation. Moreover, the Vedic knowledge is complete, so what is the need for comparison?
Other conditions were more explicit. They declared that if the project is not completed within three years, then the land and whatever stands on it will be turned over to another charitable organization, such as a certain mission based in Calcutta.
As for the seven-acre plot of land on which the house and gardens stand, the document stated that if ISKCON did not take possession and utilize it fully within one year of the death of the sisters, then it will also be turned over to "some suitable charitable organization." The same mission in Calcutta was named.
Everyone agreed. It seemed clear there was some kind of plan to have ISKCON begin development of the land. Then by some ploy its timely completion will be prevented, thus giving reason to have it seized and handed over to this Calcutta mission.
It would not be difficult to thwart any building project by somehow or another cutting off the supply of cement, which the government controls and rations.
With this information many pieces of the puzzle now fell into place. This Calcutta mission is also well known as the murgi (chicken) mission because its members keep large chicken farms and are known meat eaters. These two sisters raise chickens and eat meat. This mission also has a consistent formula for the layout of their asramas, a temple, a comparative studies library, and a meditation hall.
Even the planting of the tulasi bushes, which we had taken as a sign of devotion to Krishna, took on new meaning considering these revelations. There are two kinds of tulasi trees, one with green leaves, and one with blue leaves; the green being named after Lord Rama, and the blue after Lord Krishna. Inspecting the garden on our first day here, I had noticed many tulasi bushes planted in an alternating sequence green, blue, green, blue Rama Krishna, Rama Krishna. I also recalled the tulasi bush in the pot that had been trimmed into the shape of a large bird no doubt now that it is a chicken.
There was the murti of Gopala Krishna placed outside, exposed to the elements. And the strange, withdrawn reception we received upon arrival. Now it was obvious to us all that our hosts were definitely not devotees of Krishna.
Analyzing their ulterior motives, Prabhupada pointed out that ISKCON is one of the only organizations in India with the manpower and money to initiate large projects like the one proposed here. People are steadily losing interest in other missions, and this particular Calcutta mission is reportedly experiencing considerable difficulty with dwindling membership and income. It seems clear, therefore, that ISKCON is being set up to give a strong start to the project, only to be removed later by what now has shown itself to be a deceptive legal manoeuvre. Who the villains of this piece of trickery are is not clear, but Srila Prabhupada did say that, being widows, the sisters would have been easy targets for unscrupulous so-called spiritualists with no interest in regulated spiritual practice. Still, he wasn't blaming anyone, but some action must be taken to protect our interest.
Prabhupada decided our course of action. Mahamsa Swami is to meet with the sisters and explain to them that a gift is something given unconditionally; that the donation of land should be in the spirit of Bhagavad-gita 17.20: "That gift which is given out of duty, at the proper time and place, to a worthy person, and without expectation of return, is considered to be charity in the mode of goodness."
He said that if they refuse to give it unconditionally, then we should politely back out and withdraw from the project.
Reference: Transcendental Diary Volume 1 by Hari Sauri Dasa
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