Media Release: from Bhakti – vedanta Manor, Hilfield Lane, Watford Herts WD25 8EZ
India’ s top spiritual and political leaders present at a ceremony to scatter the ashes of the temple cow Gangotri killed by the RSPCA voiced grave concerns on 13th February about Prime Minister Gordon Brown’ s lack of engagement with the peaceful Hindu community in Britain. This happened on the same day that hundreds of protestors staged a mock slaughter of a cow by actors dressed as RSPCA workers outside Parliament and marched to the offices of DEFRA.
Four of Hinduism’ s top spiritual leaders ‘ the Shankaracharyas who are revered like the Pope ‘ joined a British delegation on 12th February at the Maha Magha festival which attracts 5 million pilgrims at the confluence of the holy rivers Ganges and Yamuna to scatter the ashes of Gangotri. The delegation scattered a second urn of ashes at the holy city of Varanasi on 13th February, in the presence of several national leaders, monks and visitors.
Mahamantra Dubey, President of the Foundation for Religious Harmony, one of the most high-profile interfaith institutions in India commented, ‘The people in India are surprised and saddened by this utter lack of respect shown by the British authorities on a peaceful community. Hindus only wanted respect for life. But it seems Gordon Brown does not understand this request. We are disappointed that his recent trip to India did not enlighten him to the higher aspects of our peaceful culture. Perhaps he was more interested in the economic benefits of partnering with India and has forgotten that people are more important than money.’
A procession of Brahmin priests, monks, local leaders and British delegates set off in a boat to reach the confluence of the two rivers, where priests performed prayers and ceremonies, sprinkled everyone with holy water from the Ganges, chanted hymns. lit lamps and incense, and scattered the ashes of Gangotri.
National leaders in India have now decided to take the third urn of ashes of the sacred cow all the way to the source of the river Ganga, the Gangotri glacier by helicopter tomorrow and scatter the remaining ashes there.
‘The thought that Gangotri, a cross between a Belgium Blue and a Jersey, had died so tragically, but had now attained a sacred destination in the presence of India’ s foremost saints was profound,’ said Gauri Dasa, President of Bhaktivedanta Manor. There is tremendous support emerging from India.’
‘Leaders and the people of India are incensed that the faith of a billion people can be so easily disrespected in the UK,’ described Raj Joshi, a member of the British delegation in India, who is Vice President of the Society of Black Lawyers. ‘There is now discussion in India as to what the PM Gordon Brown had learnt from his trip to India if within a short period of time his Government could allow for such desecration of a place of worship to take place.’
Swami Pragnyananda, President of the Pragnya Foundation, a worldwide Hindu charity with its headquarters in India expressed his deep sadness at the incident. ‘When Gordon Brown came to our country we received him with great respect and our traditional hospitality. Now, I find that he does not even care for our community in Britain enough to listen to them. We say in our tradition that one loses nothing by listening to others and being respectful. The Government led by Brown has shown they do not care enough for Hindus to listen to them.’
Barry Gardiner MP for Brent North, who had was present at the London demonstration outside Parliament reassured Hindus that the Secretary of State of DEFRA, Hiliary Benn MP was looking into the actions of the RSPCA and would look seriously at procedures and protocols of animal welfare.
Organisations that took part in the protest included the Hindu Forum of Britain, National Council of Hindu Temples, VHP UK, Hindu Council of Brent, ISKCON, Swaminarayan Hindu Mission and several other national and regional Hindu institutions.
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For more information, please contact: Radha Mohan Dasa M: 07818 815 978
Or Vinay Tanna ‘ Head of Communications at Bhaktivedanta Manor:
077 80 70 70 60 vinaytanna@gmail.com
Or Gauri das (In India) 0091 986 841 3256
Editor’ s Notes
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Bhaktivedanta Manor: Bhaktivedanta Manor, in Aldenham near Watford in Hertfordshire, is one of the largest Hindu temples in Europe and possesses 78 acres of land. In 1973 former Beatle George Harrison purchased the property for the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON). A beautiful shrine was established in August 1973 by A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami, who brought the movement to the West in 1965. Bhaktivedanta Manor, renamed in his honour, is now a theological college for fifty trainee priests. It has become the most important Krishna shrine in Britain, and on the festival occasion of Janmashtami, attracts up to 60,000 visitors. The shrine is acclaimed for its high standards of cleanliness and devotion. Amongst its parkland, lake and gardens, cows and bullocks graze peacefully in the pasture. The centre also includes courses and workshop training facilities, a monastic order, a fully equipped theatre room, and a nursery and primary school.
The RSPCA’ s killing of Gangotri:
Last month, one of Bhaktivedanta Manor’ s sick cows who was being treated by its keepers and professional vets with Reiki, acupuncture and massage was unfairly and forcibly put down by officials from the RSPCA. The death of Gangotri, a Belgian Blue-Jersey cross, caused outrage among worshippers, who say that they were deceived. ‘This is shocking and duplicitous behaviour. We have been deceived by those who had given us their word,’ Gauri Das, president of the temple, said. Gauri das said that the RSPCA and police had given assurances that they would not take drastic action and that the temple would be allowed to form a legal case, but that they returned to kill the cow when many devotees were praying. The issue received considerable media attention both nationally and internationally, and Bhaktivedanta Manor received support from all the main Hindu organisations in Britain, including the Hindu Forum of Britain, Hindu Council UK, The International Society for Krishna Consciousness, The National Council of Hindu Temples, Vishwa Hindu Parishad, Swaminarayan Mission (BAPS), and the National Hindu Students Union.
Hindu leaders expressed their outrage and frustration, considering the killing to be not only an entirely unnecessary waste of life, but also a symbolic attack on Hinduism itself, a religion of non-violence.
“Never before have I seen such anger and solidarity in our community,’ said Arjan Vekaria of the Hindu Forum of Britain. ‘We want answers and retribution and we will not stop until we get them.”
Raj Joshi, the vice-chairman of The Society of Black Lawyers, angrily commented: ‘This action is showing complete disregard for the sensitivities of the third largest religion in this country. It is astonishing that the authorities seem to have disregarded all customary tolerance and understanding, and certainly the relevant legislation, in carrying out this unwarranted and inhumane destruction of an animal.’ Over the Christmas period prayer vigils were held and protests were staged outside the RSPCA’ s national headquarters in Horsham, West Sussex. For more information, news and views about the Gangotri issue, please visit: www. justiceforgangotri. org