Hindu Dharmic organizations have increasingly come under attack from several quarters. Recently, Maneka Gandhi targeted ISKCON (International Society for Krishna Consciousness) by making false and unsubstantiated claims about the organization. ISKCON’s National Spokesperson Yudhistir Govinda Das refuted the allegations and shared an official statement on the matter.

Maneka Gandhi peddles lies about ISKCON

On September 26, ISKCON strongly denied claims made by Member of Parliament (MP) Maneka Gandhi. They said her accusations were unsubstantiated and untrue. ISKCON used social media (SM) platform X to put out an official statement, where they reiterated their dedication to taking good care of cows and bulls. They made it clear that they don’t sell these animals to butchers.

The organization’s spokesperson Yudhistir Govinda Das said, “We are responding to the false things said by Smt. Maneka Gandhi. ISKCON has been working hard to protect and care for cows and bulls, not only in India but all over the world. Our cows and bulls are taken care of for their whole lives, and we don’t sell them to butchers”. They mentioned that they saw a video where Maneka Gandhi accused them but her claims are untrue.

In their official statement, ISKCON also talked about how they run many places where cows are kept and looked after, even ones saved from being killed for meat. They also pointed out that they do this in countries where people eat beef as a staple food.

They said, “ISKCON has been leading the way in taking care of cows in places where beef is common. In India, we run over 60 places where cows and bulls are protected, and we give them special care throughout their lives. Many of these cows were found abandoned, hurt, or saved from being killed”.

ISKCON also stressed that they work to encourage people to worship cows and teach farmers how to take good care of them. They added, “Recently, ISKCON has started programs to train farmers and families in the countryside to look after cows better, like people used to do in the past. Some of our cow shelters have received recognition and praise for their great care of cows from the government and cow shelter organizations”.

ISKCON was surprised by what Maneka Gandhi said about them. They also shared a letter from a veterinarian to show that their Anantapur Goshala (the cow shelter about which Gandhi made the remarks) takes good care of bulls and non-milking cows, in contrast to what Gandhi claimed in her video.

All these statements from ISKCON were made because of videos on social media where the MP accused the organization of being a big fraud. In her video, she said that ISKCON gets government help for its cow shelters but that when she visited one of them in Anantapur, she didn’t see any non-milking cows or calves. She also claimed that ISKCON had sold non-milking cows to butchers, suggesting that they might have sold more cows for meat than anyone else. Her video was used by Islamists and other Hinduphobes to attack ISKCON.

The spiritual organization has not only condemned Gandhi’s unfounded remarks but also sent a defamation notice for levelling completely unfounded allegations.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Maneka Gandhi has received a legal notice asking for Rs 100 crore because of her negative comments about the spiritual organization. This notice was sent two days after Gandhi called ISKCON the “biggest cheat” in the country and claimed that they were selling cows to butchers from their cowsheds.

After refuting the MP’s claims and emphasizing that they don’t sell cows, ISKCON has now taken legal action and sent the notice to Maneka Gandhi, saying her accusations are untrue and have hurt their reputation. They expressed their sadness at the damaging things said by the BJP leader.

Radharamn Das, Vice-President of ISKCON Kolkata, said, “Today, we sent a Rs 100 crore defamation notice to Maneka Gandhi because she made completely false accusations against ISKCON. People who support ISKCON from around the world are very upset by these false and harmful claims. We will do everything we can to get justice and stop this untrue propaganda against ISKCON”.

The legal notice also mentioned that there’s no evidence that Maneka Gandhi ever visited ISKCON’s cowshed in Andhra Pradesh’s Anantapur. It suggested that she made these comments on purpose to harm the organization’s reputation. The legal notice asks Maneka Gandhi to take back her remarks, issue an unconditional apology, promise not to make such comments in the future, and publish her apology in newspapers and on social media. The organization warned of legal action and said that they would sue her for Rs 100 crore for defamation if she failed to comply.

Other Hindu Dharmic organizations that were targeted

The ISKCON-Maneka Gandhi saga reminds us of how BAPS Akshardham was targeted with false and coerced casteist allegations in America. BAPS in America was charged with human trafficking and the use of forced labour on its construction site in America in May 2021. However, it later emerged that those allegations were untrue.

In May 2021, Indian workers in the US filed a lawsuit alleging human trafficking and forced labour while working at the Swaminarayan temple in New Jersey’s Robbinsville. They claimed they were confined and paid as low as USD 1 for their labour. Subsequently, the FBI raided the temple. BAPS, which oversees the temple, stated that volunteers worldwide contribute through seva (service) and regularly interact with visitors and their families. They highlighted that artisans arrived on 20-year R-1 visas approved by the federal government and that all temple construction projects underwent regular inspections. BAPS denied all allegations and stressed their commitment to safety.

On 13 July 2023, the Pathar Ghadai Sangh (PGS) based in Rajasthan’s Sirohi made a public statement alleging that its artisans were coerced into making false allegations against BAPS (Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha), an organization known for its Hindu temples. PGS is affiliated with Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS). According to PGS, the artisans claimed they were pressured and misled into making allegations against BAPS by advocate Swati Sawant, who threatened police action and imprisonment if they did not comply.

Prabhuram Meena, the general secretary of PGS, signed the release, stating that 12 volunteers were compelled to join as plaintiffs but later expressed a desire to withdraw their complaint. These artisans, who had served in BAPS temples in Bharat and the US for many years, asserted that they had never experienced any discrimination or mistreatment.

The release further revealed that a dozen plaintiffs sought to remove their names from the case with the assistance of advocate Aaditya SB Soni. They had voluntarily withdrawn their claims in court, but the withdrawal had not yet been submitted by their previous attorneys.

HAF’s Suhag Shukla highlighted that BAPS is being targeted not only because it is the largest Hindu temple organization but also due to its Gujarati roots. She believes this targeting is driven by political factors, with efforts to link it to Bharat’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi in an attempt to create controversies within Hindu-American communities.

The hounding of Dharmic organizations like Sadguru Jaggi Vasudev’s Isha Foundation is yet another case in point. That Dravidian parties are anti-Hindu is clear from how AIADMK chief Jayalalitha targeted Parampujya Swami Jayendra Saraswati of Kanchi Matha. Making unsubstantiated allegations, foisting false cases, using pliable people to make serious charges despite lack of proof, and other similar tactics are used by the adharmic state and its vehemently Hinduphobic politicians to target Hindu organizations in a bid to make them toe the line of the political parties and/or Hinduphobic secular state.

To add to the woes of Hindu Samaj, a large section of the judiciary is equally Hindudveshi (Hinduphobic/Hindumisic) if not more. The manner in which it dilly-dallied in Udhayanidhi Stalin’s anti-Hindu hate speech is an apt indicator of where its priorities lie. It isn’t difficult to imagine the response of the same judiciary had a Hindutva leader made a similar speech about Islam or Christianity. Then what hopes of justice do Dharmic organizations knocking on the door of the judiciary have?

Hindu Organizations need to be vocal on Dharmic issues

ISKCON is neither the first, and unfortunately in the present Hinduphobic atmosphere, nor would it be the last Hindu Dharmic organization to be attacked by Hinduphobes. The silence of Dharmic Organizations when Hindu Dharma or other Dharmic Organizations are being attacked only spurs the Hinduphobes to be more nonchalant and open in targeting Hindus, Dharma, and Dharmic Organizations.

Muslim and Christian organizations across Bharat never fail to protest for every obscure anti-Islam and anti-Christian incident anywhere in the world. In contrast, Dharmic organizations in Bharat do not even acknowledge, let alone protest, Hinduphobic incidents within Bharat.

Besides the regular Hinduphobic rants, Hindu Dharmic processions have been repeatedly attacked across the length and breadth of Bharat. We expect organizations like RSS (Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh) and political parties like BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) to speak up against anti-Hindu incidents. Though that is not entirely wrong, we need to go beyond political and social organizations and leave Dharma in the hands of Dharmic organizations whose turf it is.

More than political and social organizations, it is the responsibility of Dharmic organizations irrespective of sampradayas to stand up for Dharma and inspire Hindus to vocalize their concerns. Street power should never be underestimated and protest marches send out a strong message.

Hindu Dharmic organizations must be vocal when it comes to key issues such as rampant conversion, Love/Grooming Jihad, Land Jihad, anti-Hindu hate speech and every other issue that harms Dharma and Hindu Samaj. The importance of creating a Hindu ecosystem and the role of apolitical Dharmic organizations in making an effective Dharmic ecosystem cannot be emphasized enough.

The Mathas and other Dharmic organizations should make it clear that the insult of Hindu Dharma and Hindu deities will not be tolerated at any cost. They must rally Hindus to be vocal because silence is no longer an option and maybe our Dharmic organizations can borrow a leaf from Abrahamic organizations on how to send a strong message to Hindudveshis – be it politicians, Islamists, Evangelists, HINOs or anyone else.

Today Maneka Gandhi has dared to peddle unsubstantiated lies against a Hindu spiritual organization because she was sure she wouldn’t face any repercussions. That ISKCON chose to challenge her and expose her lies is indeed appreciable. However, therein lies an important lesson for Hindu Dharmic organizations – being aggressive and proactive in defending Dharma is not only important but also essential for the survival of Hindu Dharma and organizations in this overwhelmingly Hindudveshi secular state apparatus.

Those defaming Dharma must pay the price – be it politically, socially or legally!