God we trust party

On one occasion, when Balavanta was running for State Congress prior to the Mayor's race, the entire male population of the Atlanta temple, including Balavanta, was in jail over the weekend. When the police came to arrest them, the devotees had quickly entered the Chrysler Center ' a place where hippies gathered ' to distribute prasadam according to plan. Determined to rid the streets of the nuisance devotees, the police adopted a ruse. In a friendly manner they said, "Actually we made a mistake. You're free to sing on the street as long as you don't block the flow of pedestrian traffic." Thinking they had won the battle, the kirtan party resumed chanting at their favorite corner. Instantaneously, riot troops appeared from all directions and everyone was arrested and put in jail. Balavanta wrote Prabhupada about the incident seeking advice how to handle these situations. "Prabhupada gave this advice: You may get some relief in this connection if you can approach very carefully some leading members of the city government, or big, big men of the town, and convince them by your words and behavior that our devotees are not in any way unworthy persons, that in fact they have left their lives of criminals to try to turn others away from being criminals, and that if simply we get a little facility we can render immense service to the cause of law and order. Like that. If you are sincere and cool-headed, they will appreciate after some time. And if only one of such big, big leaders understands the real fact, that is sufficient to stop all further cases of police attacks." [Letter to Balavanta - December 13, 1972]

Following that advice, Balavanta approached a prominent Atlanta attorney to explain the religious significance of the sankirtan movement and ask for legal assistance. The man appreciated Balavanta's presentation and spoke to the mayor and the police chief on the devotees' behalf. From that point on, devotees had less of a problem with the police and they could see that Prabhupada's instruction was perfect. While the mayor's race is going on in Atlanta, Srila Prabhupada arrives in New York. His servant, Srutakirti, calls Atlanta to say that Prabhupada wants Balavanta to come and see him. "Srila Prabhupada says you should come directly to the Brooklyn temple." Prabhupada wants to talk to Balavanta about the mayor's race. He has been getting good reports and is pleased with the program. At the meeting, Prabhupada asks Balavanta, "So, do you like our philosophy?" "Yes, Srila Prabhupada." "You like to preach this philosophy?" "Yes, Prabhupada." "Then you must learn this philosophy." When Prabhupada flies to Los Angeles the next day, Balavanta accompanies him. On the plane they formulate an idea for the "In God we Trust Party" to run for political posts.

Srila Prabhupada sees Balavanta's endeavor as a good opportunity for preaching. ISKCON could get a lot of exposure and be taken seriously. This preaching program can reach a different class of people than students and hippies. As a result, a lot of devotees now want to get involved. Prabhupada continues instructing how to do this kind of preaching. As for political speaking, first of all, don't go so much into the details of the affairs. Our message is that people should elect pure God conscious leaders, that is our main statement. We cannot go into details. As a side touch you can speak on inflation. Yes, inflation is due to paper currency. As for land ownership, in the Vedic civilization the land was given to the people for cultivation not for ownership, and a tax was collected which was 25% of the person's income. The land belonged to the state and the man would cultivate it and pay 25% to the state. If he has no income then he doesn't have to pay. If he doesn't pay tax he may be disowned of the land. One cannot get land from the government unless he agrees to produce something and if everyone produces food then there is no scarcity. At least he has his own food produced by himself. Now people are educated as sudras. They are going to work to produce what is not urgently needed by society. The actual social structure should be that the first intelligent class, the brahmanas should be for studying and educating people for God Consciousness. They are the gurus of all other classes. They second class, the ksatriyas give protection from dangers and they can distribute the land. The third class vaisyas are for producing. So after the first, second and third class, the remaining should help the upper three classes, then everyone will be employed. As for speaking this knowledge effectively, that requires a little experience. The more you are experienced then you will be able to give examples. Your work in America with the In God We Trust Party is very inspiring to me. If anywhere they will take seriously the principles of Bhagavad-gita As It Is, that will be America. We are getting good response and being taken seriously as I have seen in the reports from Amarendra there is even prospect that we may capture some post. I have written a letter to Rupanuga Maharaja and you may get information from him on the importance of our men themselves following the brahminical regulative principles, lest in the midst of political work you forget the aim of life which is to remember Krishna. So go on as you are doing enthusiastically and give me information.

With Prabhupada giving his approval for this manner of preaching, Amarendra decides to run for Congress in Gainesville, Florida. Rupanuga, Ravindra Swarupa, Bala Krishna, and other temple leaders come to Gainesville to help Amarendra with his run for office, and to help develop a process and a platform. Running for office can develop into a dynamic preaching vehicle and things appear to be going well. Soon this political preaching mood catches on in other centers. Sesha: I was a brahmacari for the In God we Trust party. Rupanuga was a sannyasi at that time heading up the party in Washington, DC. All the political programs were under the In God We Trust banner. A lot of devotees were coming to get a look at the IGWT party and how it worked. Bala Krishna came from Canada and devotees were coming from all over because this was becoming a big thing. I also worked on Amarendra's campaign for office in Gainesville. I worked on the campaign with Balabhadra, from Atlanta, going door to door in all the black neighborhoods dressed as karmis. Amarendra did well in the black neighborhoods, and then we headed back up to Washington. When we regrouped in DC, we were printing and distributing a newspaper called The New World Harmonist.