Hare Krishna insulting to Krishna, Hindu says

This article, "Hare Krishna insulting to Krishna, Hindu says," was published in The Vancouver Sun, September 13, 1977, in Vancouver, Canada.

The B.C. president of the Hare Krishna sect has stated that police violated the group's freedom of religious assembly in Stanley Park last Thanksgiving Day by interrupting a gathering of Krishna devotees. He described the day as a day of serenity because on the Thanksgiving Day he felt people seemed to he in a more spiritual mood. 

It is unwise for the leader tq say that he felt that the day was a special occasion. I have noticed that this group's special day is almost every day and they would gather wherever they find a little room in the city and chant in the Krishna name. 

There is no doubt in my mind that such gatherings by His devotees do constitute a public nuisance. Recently I have noticed that some members of the sect have moved as far as East Vancouver, appearing outside liquor outlets and other stores, forcing people to buy items such as incense and some of their books. 

I am a Hindu. Hindus believe in Krishna as their God. Our religion never taught the Krishna devotees to chant and dance the way the B.C. Hare Krishna groups are performing. 

Further, if one is to pronounce the name Krishna and sing hymns to His name, then one must first have a bath and stay away from unclean places and keep away from meat, etc. Chanting in such places as parks and streets is strictly prohibited by Hindu custom. 

The B.C. Hare Krishna group appear to be singing Hindi hymns in the Krishna name. Apart from the four-line chanting song, hopscotch jumps and the one-tune beating of the Indian drums, they appear ignorant of the Hindi language and customs. 

If the leader or his followers have some knowledge of Hinduism, he should find a place more appropriate for worship than the parks and streets. It is a gross insult to the religion and more to his group.