Correspondence between Manoj Das and Pranab Kumar Bhattacharya in June 1994 (1)

[Of late Manoj Das is very much in the public domain writing long-winded letters full of platitudes, without changing a wee bit his crassly subservient attitude towards the Ashram Trustees. But in June 1994 he was a different man and he had dared to challenge Pranab Kumar Bhattacharya, the head of the Ashram Physical Education Department. The issue on which he mainly differed with “Dada” was the expulsion of a child, who had been admitted into the Ashram School against the rules of the Physical Education Dept. I will not go into the merits of the rule itself, but I will draw the reader’s attention to the fact that Manoj Das had the guts to challenge in writing the unfairness of the rule in general and its wrong application in this particular case. Dada dismissed Manoj Das’s letter to him as “simply rubbish” and told him to mind his own business. This eventually led to the resignation of Manoj Das from the Board of Ashram Trustees. Perhaps it is because of this shock and the bitter pill of defeat he had to swallow that Manoj Das now faithfully toes the line of the Ashram Trustees and writes miles of foolscap pages in their favour! The correspondence between Manoj Das and PKB is long and will be published in at least two instalments. ― Bireshwar]

  

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Raman Reddy's Response to the Managing Trustee's Stand

[We publish here Raman Reddy’s response dated 10 August, 2010 to the Managing Trustee’s long explanation of his stand in the controversy over the Lives of Sri Aurobindo by Peter Heehs. Manoj Das Gupta (presently Managing Trustee of the Sri Aurobindo Ashram, Puducherry) had written an eighteen pages long explanation justifying his stand in the controversy.]

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The Ashram Trust’s reply of 22 July, 2010 to Kittu Reddy, Sumita Kandpal & Ranganath Raghavan

[This is the last letter that the Trustees of Sri Aurobindo Ashram wrote to the group of three senior Ashramites – Kittu Reddy, Sumita Kandpal & Ranganath Raghavan. If there is one characteristic that defines the letter of the Trustees, it is “arrogance” – the arrogance of being unquestioned and unquestionable Trustees in “a Providentially ordained game”.  The very tone and tenor of the letter, the constant denial mode and the counter accusations leveled at the three senior Ashramites, who dared for the first time to question their authority, leave hardly any room for a healthy debate. The correspondence thus abruptly ended here with the Trustees rattling their legal sabres, “Our lawyer will respond” though we are not under any “legal obligation to reply”, and finally, “The futility of continued correspondence is thus obvious.” As there was no scope for further discussion, Kittu Reddy’s group did not reply to the letter. Sumita Kandpal remarked that she had never received such a rude letter during the entire period of her service as a Collector. The Trust thus lost one more golden opportunity to put its house in order and settle matters internally. The attached endnotes contain a few responses by the editor to some of the issues raised by the Ashram Trust.]

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Raman Reddy’s response to the Ashram Trust’s letter of 21 June, 2010

[The following is Raman Reddy’s response to the Ashram Trust’s letter of 21 June, 2010. Though he was not part of the group of three senior Ashramites (Kittu Reddy, Ranganath Raghavan & Sumita Kandpal) that met and corresponded with Manoj Das Gupta, the Managing Trustee, during this period, it is worthwhile reading his response to the Ashram Trust. A copy of it was sent at that time to the Managing Trustee.]

The Trust asserts its legal authority

I quote from the letter of the Sri Aurobindo Ashram Trust dated 21 June 2010 to Kittu Reddy, Ranganath Raghavan and Sumita Kandpal:

The Mother while entrusting the responsibility to the Trust to manage the assets of the Sri Aurobindo Ashram, thought fit in Her wisdom, not to include any clause or direction to even remotely suggest that all beneficiaries, be they devotees or inmates, should necessarily be consulted at any stage in the management of things or in the decision making process – if at all it be even logically possible to consult everyone belonging to such an open ended and amorphous body consisting of all the inmates of the Ashram and disciples of Sri Aurobindo. (p 2)

The Trust has literally alienated the entire Ashram community along with the admirers and disciples of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother all over the world with one well-constructed sentence defining its autocratic legal position vis-a-vis the beneficiaries. But have we ever denied its legal authority, or said that we “should necessarily be consulted” in the decision making process? All that we insist upon is the right to ask questions whenever their decisions don’t seem right to us, and receive satisfactory answers. Even Sri Aurobindo and the Mother cared to explain to their disciples the reasons behind their administrative decisions. One has only to read Nirodbaran’s correspondence with Sri Aurobindo to see how much time the Master spent in keeping the disciples happy and clearing their misunderstandings.

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Letter of Kittu Reddy, Ranganath Raghavan & Sumita Kandpal to Manoj Das Gupta on 2 July, 2010

To

Manoj Dasgupta

We thank you for the letter dated 21-6-10 containing the reply to our questions. We are however both surprised and disappointed that the letter was not signed by you but by Dilip Dutta. You will remember that this whole process started when we wanted to talk to you and you alone and not to the other members of the Trust. We would like to know your reasons for not signing the letter. Are you in disagreement with the contents of the letter?

Secondly, as quite expected from the authors of this letter, it is an exercise in obfuscating facts and  in deception. Many issues have been  avoided altogether.

We shall now take up some of the issues raised in this letter. It is not our intention to reply to all the points for that would require at least a volume. We are therefore taking up some specific points.

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Ashram Trust's Reply of 21 June 2010 to Kittu Reddy, Ranganath Raghavan & Sumita Kandpal

Dear Friends,

Your above letter was placed before the Board of trustees.

Essentially the letter dated 28.05.2010 focuses on the following broad issues:

a.     Sri Aurobindo Ashram Trust and the responsibilities of its trustees

b.     The book entitled "The Lives of Sri Aurobindo".

c.     Whether the author of "The Lives of Sri Aurobindo" continues to remain an inmate of the Ashram, and if so how and why

d.    Whether the finances of the Ashram are misused and

e.     Disciplinary proceedings regarding some persons who were inmates of the Ashram.

Here are the answers for your satisfaction.

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Letter of Kittu Reddy, Ranganath Raghavan & Sumita Kandpal to Manoj Das Gupta on 28 May, 2010

[The following letter was written by three senior Ashramites – Kittu Reddy, Ranganath Raghavan & Sumita Kandpal (retired Collector) – to Manoj Das Gupta, Managing Trustee of Sri Aurobindo Ashram Trust. The letter stated the views and concern of most of the Ashramites and devotees of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother regarding the Peter Heehs issue. The letter is still relevant to the present situation which has more or less remained unchanged as far as the intransigent attitude of the Managing Trustee is concerned.] 

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Letter to the Ashram Trustees – by Nanjappa

The senseless writings of Heehs will be countered by real scholars even outside the Ashram and without its patronage, as it has been done in the case of Sri Ramakrishna  vis-a-vis  Jeffrey Kripal. The spiritual stature of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother and their philosophical insights will stand the test of time as they are based on profound Truth. Sadly, what stands exposed is the lack of vision and courage on the part of the present Trustees of the Ashram. [extract]

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Ashram Trustees Criticise the Republication of the First Edition of Savitri – by Sridharan

A letter of the Sri Aurobindo Ashram Trust has recently been published in the All India Magazine of Sri Aurobindo Society in the issue of November 2012, strongly criticising the republication of the first edition of Savitri by Helios Books. Not only the letter is written in extremely bad taste, but totally irrelevant and misleading comparisons and statistics regarding the various editions of Savitri have been quoted in it to impress the lay reader without actually touching upon the central issue.

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Pranab Kumar Bhattacharya's Scheme for the Sri Aurobindo Ashram

[The late Pranab Kumar Bhattacharya, who was the director of the Ashram Physical Education Department and the closest aide of the Mother, wrote this long letter in 1978 to Padmanabhan Counouma, the then Managing Trustee of Sri Aurobindo Ashram. Pranab-da expressed his deep discontent about the Ashram administration after the Mother's passing away and proposed a more broad-based scheme for it. A meeting was called by the Trust and he was given a good hearing, but nothing actually transpired from it. Pranab-da, according to a senior sadhak, remarked after the meeting that he had done his duty and kept quiet henceforth, though he kept insisting all throughout his life on a larger body for the administration of the Ashram. Almost 35 years have elapsed since he wrote this letter, but many of the points that he raises therein are still relevant in the present crisis that the Ashram is facing. ]

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Letter to the Trustees from the Disciples of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother in Madurai

Respected Trustees

We are disciples and devotees of the Mother and Sri Aurobindo. As disciples and devotees we owe a legal duty and moral responsibility to write this to you since Sri Aurobindo Ashram Trust, Pondicherry includes everyone related to the Mother and Sri Aurobindo, Ashram and their teachings.

We have a great respect for Sri Aurobindo Ashram, Pondicherry which is a spiritual center. Our lives and families have changed in many ways because of the teachings of the Mother and Sri Aurobindo, and our regular visits to the Ashram.

We are deeply hurt to see that the book The Lives of Sri Aurobindo written by Peter Heehs is still not disapproved by the Sri Aurobindo Ashram Trust in spite of repeated requests and submissions to the Trustees by inmates of the Ashram, disciples and devotees from all over the world. This has been delayed and neglected unduly since 2008.

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Letter to the Trustees from Sri Aurobindo Centre, Gandhinagar, Gujarat

Dear Trustees

We are disciples and devotees of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother from Gandhinagar, Gujarat.

We are deeply pained to see that the book The Lives of Sri Aurobindo written by Peter Heehs is not yet disapproved by the Ashram Trust.

It is more than 4 years and the Ashram Trust has failed to act in spirit and action to disapprove the book publicly and officially and remove Peter Heehs from the Archives department and the Ashram.

The book The Lives of Sri Aurobindo written by Peter Heehs is defaming and denigrating the Mother and Sri Aurobindo and twist their teachings. The managing trustee himself has accepted this and issued a statement officially. But the Ashram Trust has not acted yet.

We are disturbed by this fact and hence we undersigned disciples demand the following remedies to be done without fail and immediately.

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Third Letter from Bengaluru Study Circle to the Managing Trustee of Sri Aurobindo Ashram

Dear Sir,

We, the devotees in Bengaluru, are really not surprised that despite mounting protests Peter Heehs continues to brazen it out in the Ashram. This only reinforces our conviction that he is one of an insidious mafia that is strongly committed to destroying the heart and soul of this country by infiltrating and undermining its spiritual institutions in every way. Peter's publications so far, including his book, are solely intended to smear and serve this dark purpose. All those gullible knights in shining armour who spring up in his defense from time to time do not evidently realize that they are being fooled by a dangerous Pied Piper who has a sinister agenda of his own.

  Peter poses a far greater threat than meets the eye. Has he not already lured away the media, the political class, self-styled "intellectuals", uninformed public at large and the high and mighty not to speak of sundry busy bodies? Has he not successfully wrested his extended stay in this country for yet another year in the face of stiff opposition? Has he not polarized the entire community of the Ashram and associated bodies for the first time ever into two warring camps — the "Pro" and the "Anti"? Has he not in effect reduced all of us to a set of jackanapes eating out of his hand? Aren't these enough evidences of his evil prowess at work when it comes to the question of him having his way?

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Call for Collective Meditation

Dear friends,

We all are now facing a huge battle as a result of Peter's writing. It should not have happened. 

  

Followers of the Mother and Sri Aurobindo are observing a special collective meditation everyday at 8:30 pm - 8:45 pm, wherever they are.

This will be a regular feature and yet another golden chance for us everyday to collectively connect ourselves to the Mother and Sri Aurobindo on this issue. Even in Ashram a section of people have started it. 

Friends in Pune, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Madurai, Orissa, Bangalore and other places have been informed. 

You can inform your other friends as well. 

Om Anadamayi Chaitanyamayi Satyamayi Parame.

Om Namo Bhagavate Sri Aravindaya.

Om Aayahi Satya Aavirbhava. 

Victory to the Divine Mother. 

Sincerely

Param and Ojasi

Dr K. Parameswaran
Associate Professor of Law (Public and Private International Law)

Gujarat National Law University, Atalika Avenue
Knowledge Corridor, Koba - Gandhinagar 382 028 (Gujarat)
INDIA

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Letter to the Trustees from the Devotees and Disciples of Sri Aurobindo in Gujarat

OM ANANDAMAYEE CHAITANYAMAYEE SATYAMAYEE PARAME

To,
The Managing Trustee,
Sri Aurobindo Ashram,
Puducherry 605002.

We, the children of Mother India make to you the following appeal when Mother India is being outraged. Inspired by the writings, books, lectures, visions of Sri Aurobindo and The Mother we feel blessed treading on the path of a Divine Life. Sri Aurobindo and The Mother have given a new perspective to the ages old Indian spirituality, have given a new insight to it. In the most Gracious Almighty’s Endeavour of evolution, our Guru has offered his life. For the Awakening of mankind, for its progress, Sri Aurobindo has constantly been waging an inner war, has endured all pains. Salutations to our Gurudev! It is known that Sri Aurobindo has written that none can write about His life because it is not something to see on the surface level. A large number of Sri Aurobindo’s devotees, who are spread around the world, love Sri Aurobindo and The Mother, adore and pray to them and feel blessed by their Grace.

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Members of Parliament Seek Clarifications from Ashram Trustees

The mismanagement of the Heehs affair by the Ashram Trustees has become a national issue ever since Heehs’ deportation order was discussed in the national media.

Sixty-eight sitting Members of Parliament (MPs) have signed a letter seeking clarifications from the Ashram Trustees. The list of signatories includes sitting Cabinet Minister Shri Srikant Kumar Jena, Ex Chief Minister of Bihar Shri Lalu Prasad Yadav, Ex President National Commission for Women Dr Girija Vyas, etc. The letter was mailed to the Ashram Trust Board by Ex-MP Dr Kartikeswar Patra who then sought a meeting with the Board to discuss the issues raised by the Hon’ble MPs.

Unfortunately, as is the habit of our present Trustees they played a dirty game of deception and outright lies. First, they tried to prevent him from meeting the Board. When he insisted on the meeting, they refused to permit his colleagues to attend the meeting, although they had their assistants present throughout. In the meeting they asked for another two months to reply to simple questions that everyone has been asking for the last several years. When Dr Patra insisted on an immediate reply, they promised to give a written reply the same evening, and then late at night sent an unsigned note saying they will take several months to reply as suggested by him! This is not only an insult to the signatory MPs but also an insult to the Indian State and the People of India whom the MPs represent.

Inebriated with their extreme arrogance, the present Trustees have lost all sense of propriety and basic values. They are trying to deal with Members of Parliament with the same high-handedness with which they deal with Inmates of the Ashram. Perhaps the years of exercising absolute power on utterly dependent and meek Ashramites has caused these Trustees to lose touch with reality. Having entrenched their autocratic rule in the Ashram, they want that the whole of India also must bow down to their whims and fancies in the same manner as Ashramites are being forced to do every day for the last 20 years!

Below are the two relevant letters.

1.       Letter of 68 Members of Parliament with signatures. (Signatures are partially covered to protect from misuse.)

2.       Letter of Dr Kartikeswar Patra after he was snubbed and deceived by the Trust Board.

1. Letter from 68 Members of Parliament (MPs)

To
The Board of Trustees
represented by Manoj Das Gupta, Managing Trustee
Sri Aurobindo Ashram Trust, Sri Aurobindo Ashram, Pondicherry 605002

15^th May 2012

Sub: Request for Clarifications from Trustees of Sri Aurobindo Ashram

Dear Shri Manoj Das Gupta,

Sri Aurobindo is a national and international figure widely recognised as a freedom fighter, national leader, yogi, philosopher and poet. Over the last hundred years his writings have increasingly inspired people all over the world by their depth and insight and their inspirational and practical content. He is revered and worshipped by millions of people in India and abroad.

The controversy surrounding the book The Lives of Sri Aurobindo by Peter Heehs, an inmate of the Sri Aurobindo Ashram, has raised questions and issues which require immediate clarification and resolution.

As you will agree, while the Ashram community in Pondicherry is representative of the worldwide followers of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother, the Beneficiaries of the Sri Aurobindo Ashram Trust (a public charitable Trust) number in millions and are spread all over. As Trustees of the Sri Aurobindo Ashram Trust you remain answerable not only to the immediate community in Pondicherry but to all Beneficiaries wherever they be, in India and the world. As Members of Parliament from various States, we the undersigned deem it our duty to speak on behalf of the people we represent and raise the issues that concern them. Besides there are matters of national interest and security and these need to be considered in all their details. We would be obliged if the following questions are answered by you at the earliest.

1.       The ambiguity of the Sri Aurobindo Ashram Trust with regard to the book by Peter Heehs is intriguing and disturbing. You are on record as having stated that the book has “crossed all limits of simple decency!”, that the book does in fact “denigrate Sri Aurobindo”, you have warned of its “potential danger”, the need to ensure that it “should reach as few readers as possible”, and you also claimed that he had “initiated” “a few corrective measures” with “more on the anvil”. You have confirmed that Peter Heehs has impersonated himself as the “Founder” of the Ashram Archives to give his book credibility, and you claimed to have initiated “disciplinary action” against him. Manoj Das, scholar of Sri Aurobindo’s life and multiple National Awards winner and a former Trustee of the Ashram, identified ninety passages in the book that he found damaging to Sri Aurobindo and his Ashram, and read out each one of them to you explaining why and in what manner they were harmful. He asked for and received your promise to stop the book and remove Peter Heehs from the Ashram.

        Further you have claimed that “Legal aspects are being looked into as to whether the Indian publication may be at least modified if not stalled.” You have acknowledged that the book involved theft and misuse of “access to privileged material” and recognised the publisher’s malafide motives saying “the publisher would be only too eager to exploit the situation in order to promote its sales!” In response to pleas for legal action to stop the book you wrote “if you feel that some legal action is the need of the hour, I am game for it.”

However we find that your recent media releases and statements are the exact opposite of your earlier position. You seem now to support and promote Peter Heehs and his book. What is strange is that you profusely quote supporters of the book who are not scholars of Sri Aurobindo and whose first point of contact with Sri Aurobindo is through this controversial book, while you deliberately and entirely ignore the extensively documented criticisms of the numerous longstanding scholars of Sri Aurobindo’s life and teachings. It is to be noted here that these extensively documented scholarly objections against the book numbering in hundreds have not been responded or scholarly refuted to by Peter Heehs or for that matter by any other scholar during the past four years giving credence to the conclusion that the book is defamatory, denigrating and perverse.

Please explain the reasons behind your change of mind and your new public position as well as your obvious bias to praise the book. Are you under pressure from some external agencies?

2.       Peter Heehs by his letters dated 24.9.2008 and 13.10.2008 addressed to you has confirmed his a) violation of copyright, and his b) not being the Founder of the Archives. Additionally the erstwhile colleagues of Peter Heehs at the Ashram Archives by their letter dated 8.9.2008 had complained and brought to your notice the theft of the Ashram’s intellectual property. Late Shri Pranab Kumar Bhattacharya vide his letter dated 5.8.2009 had listed numerous and serious criminal lapses of Peter Heehs in the publication of this book.

                                In spite of the above, we find that you have initiated no legal or criminal actions against the author nor against the publisher Columbia University Press in order to safeguard the intellectual property assets of the Sri Aurobindo Ashram.

                Please explain this apparent dereliction of duty as the assets of the Sri Aurobindo Ashram belong to the Beneficiaries in particular and the public at large and one individual cannot be permitted to gain financially at the cost of the institution.

3.       The Government of Odisha vide its Extraordinary Gazette Notification dated 9.4.2009 has proscribed the offensive book and has stated unambiguously that the sole intention of the author Peter Heehs is to denigrate and defame Sri Aurobindo and to create communal strife and tension within the country. This is a very serious indictment and yet you have continued to harbour, shelter and promote Peter Heehs within the Ashram community and have issued letters to the Ministry of Home Affairs recommending extension of his visa!

                Please explain this very serious lapse and this anti-national stance given your position of responsibility in a public charitable institution.

4.       What is extremely disturbing and worrisome is that the nationwide public condemnation by devotees and disciples alike is falling on deaf ears. There appears to be no attempt from your side to explain, reconcile or resolve the problem. Things have gone from bad to worse in the last 4 years and the recent public protests and dharnas by devotees have brought public attention on your lapses. What is even more disturbing is that you have initiated legal action against very senior and responsible members of the Ashram, academics and professors for taking part in the public protests and for making statements to the Press.

                Please explain your attempts to gag the inmates and devotees, and your avoidance of any attempt at clarification and reconciliation.

5.       Over many years now there has been a growing concern and chorus regarding the manhandling, theft and abuse of the original manuscripts of the Mother and Sri Aurobindo stored at the Ashram Archives. It must be noted that these are priceless national treasures and of immeasurable spiritual and cultural value. These are not in safe hands as has been demonstrated by Peter Heehs’ violation of copyright and alleged abuse of intellectual property as well as the numerous accusations of his tampering with Sri Aurobindo’s writings. In view of the above, it is imperative that an independent and external audit is conducted in order to assess the damage as also to verify inventory.

                Please explain why no such action has been initiated by you so far.

6.       The recent public outrage over the misconduct and alleged racial abuse by Dilip Datta, one of the Trustees, and his daughter with regard to devotees of Odisha is a matter of serious concern.

                Please explain why no action has been forthcoming from the Trustees to address the issue by taking appropriate steps against Dilip Datta and tendering a suitable apology by the Trustees to the People of Odisha in spite of petitions with thousands of signatures which have been submitted to you.

7.       It is found that there are over 160 Court cases against you as Trustees of the Sri Aurobindo Ashram Trust filed by the inmates of the Ashram and pending in various Courts all over the country. These cases involve serious violation of human rights, sexual abuse, financial impropriety, abetment of murder, etc. It is deplorable that a spiritual organisation should have so many cases filed against it by its own inmates within the short span of the last 15 years, and reflects a deep malaise and complete failure of administration.

                Please explain what has gone wrong with your administration in the last 15 years, and what steps you have taken to cultivate internal transparency, democracy and administrative reforms.

It is imperative for us to know how much money has been officially spent by the Trust on these legal matters, and whether inmates of the Ashram and Beneficiaries were taken into confidence.

The issues raised above deserve your urgent attention and a detailed response at the earliest as they are of concern to large numbers of Devotees of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother all over India. This is a matter of national interest.

We look forward to hearing from you.

Signed:

Signatures of 68 Members of Parliament

2. Letter of Dr Kartikeswar Patra

To
The Board of Trustees
represented by Manoj Das Gupta, Managing Trustee
Sri Aurobindo Ashram Trust,

Sri Aurobindo Ashram,

Pondicherry 605002

3^rd June 2012

Dear Shri Manoj Das Gupta,

Sub: Clarifications sought from Ashram Trust by Members of Parliament

Ref: Our meeting this morning

1. With regard to the above and with reference to our meeting, I place on record my deep disappointment and regret at the deceitful behaviour unbecoming of Trustees of a spiritual institution and of a public charitable Trust that was displayed by you and your fellow Trustees.

2. While the letter requesting clarifications by the MPs had been sent to you by Registered Post earlier, and you had adequate time to prepare a reply to the clarifications sought, it was unfortunate that an attempt was made by Shri Matriprasad to prevent me from meeting the Trust Board members. It is only upon my insistence that today’s meeting was arranged.

3. I began the meeting this morning by reiterating that I have come here to meet you in a spirit of goodwill and not of confrontation in order to convey the concern of a large number of Members of Parliament at the state of affairs with regard to the administration of the Sri Aurobindo Ashram Trust.

4. Upon being told that you would take two months or more to provide replies to the questions raised by the Hon’ble Parliamentarians, I expressed shock and disappointment at your frivolous approach to a serious and pressing matter. I was then assured by you personally that you would reconvene in the afternoon and provide me with a detailed written reply to the queries of the Hon’ble Members of Parliament as also a signed Minutes statement of the meeting by 5.30 pm today.

5. To my utter shock and dismay, this evening no written reply was provided, and I was handed over an unsigned statement of the Minutes of the meeting full of false statements. It is falsely stated inter alia in the unsigned Minutes that I have agreed that you could take as much time as you wish to reply to the queries of the Hon’ble Members of Parliament. I deny this emphatically and remind you that the matter is extremely serious and an urgent response is due from your end.

6. Your deceitful response and handling of the matter is disrespectful of the Members of Parliament who are elected representatives of the People of India, and your attitude deserves to be condemned.

7. It is more than evident that you do not wish to face the issues at hand and provide the necessary clarifications as requested by Hon’ble Members of Parliament. This is irresponsible and deplorable.

8. I shall convey the above to the Hon’ble Members of Parliament.

Sincerely,

Dr Kartikeshwar Patra (Ex MP)

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Second Letter from Bangalore Study Circle to the Ashram Trustees

Dear Sir,                                                         15th May, 2012

We, the devotees in Bengaluru, are greatly heartened to learn that the Trustees of the Ashram as well as Sri Aurobindo Society have openly dissociated themselves from the book in question declaring its contents unacceptable. In the wake of this development the continued stay of Peter Heehs in the Ashram becomes patentlv anomalous and untenable.

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An Appeal to the Supporters of a Gurudrohi − Hrushikesh Acharya

An Appeal:

Guru-Drohi is that person, who, directly or indirectly, does any activity which slanders the status and image of the widely-revered figure of the Guru. Over the ages, such activity has been regarded as an unpardonable, heinous and sinful act for any follower/devotee/Sadhak, in whatever state he may be. 

Unfortunately, there is another set of familiar people, who do not have a direct hand in any activity of Guru-Droha. But for various personal reasons of favour, power, patronage, allegiance or lack of sincere love and devotion for the Guru, they support the activity of a Guru-Drohi or the supporters of a Guru-Drohi. In addition, they use all their influence and pressure on other sincere Sadhaks to oppose their genuine personal expression of anguish and protest against a Guru-Drohi and his activity, as if they have no freedom in such expression. Are we not seeing some of our friendly & familiar Sadhaks in this act?

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Om Namo Bhagavate − Dr. Radhikaranjan Das

Is there someone here so vile in Sri Aurobindo Ashram who does not have reverence for Sri Aurobindo and the Mother in his heart? We will not find one here who hates Sri Aurobindo and the Mother, but we find plenty of people, who for certain personal gains and fear of loss of position, have decided to stand in dire opposition to what the the Mother and Sri Aurobindo have always stood for. [extract]

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Letter from Major General Bakshi

Dear Editor

I have heard this entire debate with a bit of skepticism. I’m all for an objective and scientific analysis but such a level of analysis would call for the requisite amount of study and academic rigour.Having recently completed my Phd under a hard task master of a Guide (I’m deeply grateful to him for that, for it provided value addition to the work I was doing). I was therefore keen to know about Mr Heehs’ academic training and credentials. Since he was straying into the field of Psycho-Analysis at a distance in both space and time, I was reminded of Walter C Langers’ famous attempt to psycho-analyse Adolf Hitler for the OSS during the War. Hitler however was a psychopath. Sri Aurobindo was an incarnation in the Indian sense of the term - the contrast could not have been starker.Besides Dr Langer was a highly reknowned psycho-analyst. That is why I was intrigued and was curious to know of the qualifications of Mr Heehs for this kind of a subject.

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