My dear Maharaj ji’s and Prabhu ji’s
Please accept my most humble obeisances at the dust of your lotus feets!
All glories to Srila Prabhupada!
This is the 125th year when His Divine Grace A.C Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila
Prabhupada appeared under a Jackfruit tree in Tollygunge, Kolkata. In 2011
we had acquired 4 very small rooms under that exact tree which was made
possible due to contributions of HH Radhanath Swami who immediately sent
all the money to shift the people living in those 4 rooms. The whole
property is around 4 and half Katha but unfortunately it’s under “Thika
Tenancy”. There is a very complicated legal provision in West Bengal which
is called “Thika Tenancy” where the Government is the owner of the land
and all the Thika Tenants pay rents to the Government and all the
“Bharatiyas” or sub-tenants pay rent to the “Thika tenant”. So legally it’s
impossible to purchase the land and own it.
I had approached the Hon’ble Chief Minister of West Bengal Sushri Mamata
Banerjee requesting to transfer the land in ISKCON name. So she has agreed
for it and for which she has to change some law (it’s already done) but she
has requested that we settle with all the sub-tenants and the main tenant
and then the Government will handover the land to ISKCON.
The problem is that there are 17 sub-tenants living on that property and
each of them were demanding huge money to vacate the property. Their
initial total demand was around 4.3 crores Rupees to vacate the property.
In the last 5 years we worked with them in reducing the price and finally
the amount is hovering around 2.65 crores. If we have this money then they
will immediately vacate the whole property (4.5 katha area or about 3000 sq
feet) and the Government of West Bengal will legally transfer the land in
ISKCON name. Our ISKCON Kolkata temple has arranged Rs 50 lacs but
unfortunately we are short of Rs 2.15 crore rupees.
On 1st September 2021 we are celebrating the 125th anniversary of Srila
Prabhupada and will it not be a good idea to preserve and GIFT Srila
Prabhupada his own birthplace? But unfortunately we have only 59 days in
hand from today.
ISKCON Kolkata could only arrange Rs 50 lacs for it. We need another Rs.
2.15 crores Rupees or around US $ 290,000.
We make a desperate appeal to all of you to help us collect this fund in
the next 10 to 15 days. Please share this with people in your congregation,
who can help and want to help for Srila Prabhupada birthplace!
We would also like to share good news that 1 Ultadanga Junction road (the
2nd birth place (spiritual birthplace) of Srila Prabhupada) is going
through very fast restoration work and the Building work and full
restoration work will be completed by January 2022 and it’s being readied
to be inaugurated on 21st February 2022. 2022 is also the 100th year
celebration of Srila Prabhupada meeting His Guru Maharaj on the roof of
this historic building. By the generous donations of Sridham Mayapur, HH
Jayapataka Swami, HH Bhakti Vigyan Goswami and other Prabhupada
disciples and devotees it was only possible. ISKCON Kolkata devotees,
specially Ananga Mohan prabhu and Dauji Kripa prabhu arranged huge support
in arranging the funds (almost 2 crores) for the 1 Ultadanga project which
helped in removing the old tenets and now in completing the civil work
etc.
Once again we all need to come together and help arrange the balance amount
of Rs. 2.15 crore so that in the next 15 days we can remove all the
tenants residing on this land and on 1st September 2021 we can offer it to
Srila Prabhupada!
I am also worried about the 140 years old Jackfruit tree, as some of the
residents have threatened to cut it off 3 days back if we don’t settle with
them. Please see the video attached of the fight which happened 3 days
back. So please help.
Also this Jackfruit tree was a barren tree and did not use to give fruits.
In 2001 we started to work on it and then for the 1st time it gave fruit in
the year 2012 or 2013. We wanted the fruit so that we can grow the next
generation of these divine trees. But in 2013 (?) when it gave fruit all
the residents stole the fruits and we could only get hold of an
unripened Jackfruit from which we were unable to get seeds which will grow.
And after that again for the last 7 years it did not grow fruits.
Fortunately this year we got hold of 25 big sized Jackfruits and the
ripened one”s and we are germinating them. Now we will have 100″s of
Jackfruit trees- which are babies of the same tree under which Srila
Prabhupada appeared. We are planning to gift those trees to each ISKCON
center where it can grow and to also those who will help for Srila
Prabhupada Janmsthan.
Always at your mercy and aspiring to be in your service
Yours
Radharamn Das
hare krishna prabhu ji, may i know how to come forward for this work