As you may have read, Damyanti is now in the care of the local council and therefore, in my view, has been failed by the leaders of East London Bhakti Vriksha and the ISKCON London Leadership.
All of the seniors failed to act, failed to investigate and failed to believe that anyone who is in the community, especially someone who is a leader, was capable of any wrongdoing. As usual the burden of proof was then entirely placed onto the referrers, with senior management accepting nothing but damning, indisputable evidence.
It’s rather ironic that our belief system is based on faith, not on hard evidence, yet we need hard indisputable evidence before we believe anything else in this material world. We simply accept the stories that devotees provide in defence, even though their actions clearly show other motives. We fail to be objective, we place devotees on pedestals and we therefore come to the conclusion that they cannot do any wrong and their explanation is all that is needed.
A petition was initiated when the case of Damyanti Mataji was being brushed under the carpet. News came to light that Damyanti Mataji was going into care. This was all down to the potential damage to the reputation of Bhakti Vrisksha and ISKCON London Leaders. What the leaders have failed to see is that without thorough, independent investigations referrers are left with no choice. Just as those who care about the environment have no option but to disrupt, those that care about Damyanti Mataji’s future had no choice as they were not being listened to.
We are requesting that everyone who cares about the future of ISKCON signs the this new petition. The aim is to create a safe ISKCON, where mistreatment or concerns can be raised without fear of retribution. This is devotee care, a place where everyone feels heard, loved and cared for. Please do share.