By Iskcon Pretoria
Hare Krsna Dear devotees and friends,
On Saturday night 04 Nov. 2006, about 15 members of the Hare Krishna society in Pretoria were on a regular weekly street chanting and singing campaign in Hatfield Pretoria when a confrontation occurred and they were badly assaulted.
While on the regular route through Hatfield square we were accosted and physically assaulted by security while complying and attempting to leave the open air restaurant arena at their insistence. Initially we were asked to leave which we proceeded to do while singing, then members were grabbed forcefully and security including +- 4 drunk locals out of the 500 or so spectators came right up to us and began hurling vulgarities and absurdities at the devotees. I was grabbed on the hand to the point that I later realised my thumb had been sprained. Gaura das was also grabbed and Bhakta Bally (Bali) also was grabbed with force.
Still trying to leave we were swarmed by about 6 white security guards dressed in black uniform. They were heavily built and very belligerent. Their vulgar and disgusting words were aimed at provoking us. Devotees verbally protested and the chief guard came up to me, introduced himself but shortly hurled vulgar words in my face when I verbally expressed that they were discriminating against us. As we walked away, he called me again, while turning back he hastened and sprayed my eyes, face and mouth profusely with mace. I was instantly dazed and in excruciating pain he tried to spray me again and Shanti prabhu pushed me away and got sprayed with mace on the side of his face. Devotees started screaming and running including the ladies and my kids Radhé (5 yrs), Tulsi, (7 yrs) and Aditi (10 yrs). Within a few seconds the other big guards attacked Bhakta Gaura and Bhakta Bally (Bali) and threw them to the ground and onto chairs of the coffee shop next to us. In my pain I attempted to defend ourselves by picking up a chair but I became blind by the mace and did not want hurt innocent people and threw the chair down.
Mace was prayed into Bally’s face and he was grabbed in a headlock while he was beaten. He was hit on the head badly and was bleeding and sustained injuries to his ribs. Mother Svaha attempted in vain to physically defend Bally prabhu from the guards. Bhakta Gaura was thrown and tramped on the ground. My wife Arithie was hit very hard on the arm with some object causing terrible blue bruising and swelling, my daughter Tulsi was hit with a flying whomper (large hand cymbals) on her face cutting it badly and caused large swelling. Our children and women were screaming and in a panic. Restaurant customers were yelling at the guards and said “Why are they doing this to you, you sing so nicely…” etc.
Devotees scrambled for shelter, I remained alone on the scene, blinded, nauseas and unable to stand, mucous poured out of my eyes and nose. The pain was very intense like liquid fire. I chanted the Nrsnga kavacha for the devotees I saw being attacked and somehow I was not attacked in my incapacitated state. Arithie came back and tore me off the scene. I was blind for about 45 minutes and was moaning in terrible pain. Devotees bought water to flush the mace out but it made things worse as I tried.
Gaura das ran back to the temple about 2 kilometres and brought my vehicle back to the scene to get us home to the temple. A stranger drove home and brought milk to us for me to neutralize the mace in my eyes etc. This finally worked.
A criminal case was opened at the Hatfield police station. We intend publicising this biased attack in the newspapers. Devotees are very disgusted and appalled by this incident. We are attempting to do our best at making a stand against the individuals and the security company itself.
It will be appreciated if we can have the support, help and advice of devotees and well wishers in our attempts to establish the free practice and sankirtan of the Holy Names.
Your servants,
ISKCon Pretoria
It is with great anger I see this picture of even a little kid being beaten, ISKCON there should prosecute to the fullest extent of the law.Doing Harinama for many years and having much experience, first of all know the area you are in and doing Harinama sankirtana there.Don’t take risks as devotees lives can not be at stake.Secondly I suggest before doing Harinama ,devotees all chant Narasimha kavacha ,and Narayana Kavacha together, start of the Harinama with a long Narasimha kirtan, if ever attacked, start chanting Narasimha mantra in Kirtana, and leave the scene.Don’t argue with demons.Also have a few devotees skilled with martial arts experience for defense.Attacks on women and children especailly can never be tolerated.Don’t forget kartals make good weapons for selfdefense.But best is to simply leave,and take legal action.Sometimes Lord Narasimha will send persons in the audience to defend .But don’t count on it.Best is to follow the laws and don’t agitate anyone.Karmis are karmis and are sometimes agitated
by Krsnas holy names.May Lord Narasimhadeva protect you all.Sometimes be carefull when you bring kids and women.
YS
Payonidhi das
if devotees in Pretoria needs Narasimha prayers please go this website
www.stephen-knapp.com/prayers_to_lord_narasimhadeva.htm
Hari Bol,
It was disgusting to see that devotees were beaten so badly. I hope that everyone is okay now. This case should be pursued. It is the mercy of the devotees and their risk taking that is helping some fortunate souls.
CAN YOU PLEASE TELL ME WHERE IS PRETORIA. Thanks
Your servant
VDD
Hare Krsna!
In the pastime of Delivering Jagai and Madhai, In the Chaitanya Bhagavata:
When Lord Nityananda and Nama Acarya Srila Haridas Thakur were told by Lord Chaitanya to go and get everyone in every house to chant Krsna’s names, the following happened:
First Lord Chaitanya said, if anyone does not chant then I will cut them in two with my Chakra. Thats how seriously imortant the chanting of the Holy Names are!
Giving the Holy Names is giving the highest benediction and the Yuga Dharma!
When these two Persons went out and Loudly chanted Krsna’s names:
Even Brahmanas and offenders said things like:
…”Kill Them, Kill Them!”
….”They are madmen and now they are trying to make us madmen”
….Others said “They should be punished by Narayana!”
…brahmanas criticized them and others silently laughed in their hearts at these two preachers.
Nityananda Mahaprabhu was told by Haridas Thakur that He is a troublemaker, but the Lord said to him to look in his heart and see Lord Chaitanya for He is the troublemaker, since He gave the instuction to get everyone to chant Hare Krsna!
It is also said in the same pastime, that those who do not have faith in this instruction of Lord Chaitanya have no intelligence.
All glories to the the Pretoria Harinaam devotees who follow in the footsteps of Lord Chaitanya and Lord Nityanada! May your fame be spread all over the world and know that your service and resultant suffering will not go unoticed by Srila Prabhupada and Sri Nityananda and Sri Gauranga.
Your aspiring servant,
Bhima das
Pretoria Harinama Team
South Africa
To the question: Where is Pretoria?
Pretoria is perhaps most famous for being known as the city where the previous apartheid government of South Africa controlled the country from. Pretoria continues to be the administrative capital of South Africa and it is about 30 miles from Johannesburg.
This city is still a stronghold of Afrikaner far right supremist thoughts and from the first report, it would appear that these white Afrikaner supremists were responsible for the attack on the devotees. They are racists and very intolerant of other races and cultures. The devotees of Pretoria should be glorified for attempting to preach to these demons but they should also be cautious.
Please do not take this as a criticism against the Afrikaneers in general. Most of them are open minded, friendly and tolerant to other cultures. There are some afrikaners that are devotees as well and they are great people. Only in some parts of the country you will find these ultra conservatives.
Nitai dasa