710517 - Letter to Karandhara written from Calcutta

Letters by Date, 1971

Tridandi Goswami
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

CAMP: ISKCON: 3, Albert Road; Calcutta-17, INDIA/ 17th May, 1971

My Dear Karandhar,
Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated 6th May, 1971 and have noted the contents carefully. Now Dai Nippon has agreed to keep my book fund deposit separate and they admit that they never intended to intermingle the two accounts, so you can resume sending to them.
The local GBC members and myself are considering a penguin size and style for KRSNA book, paper back edition in three parts completing the two whole volumes and selling at a cheap price of 75 cents per one part. Three parts will cost only $2.25. So what is your idea? According to their opinion, this cheap paper bound KRSNA book will have tremendous market in USA and Europe. Do you advise that such book shall be printed? On hearing from you I shall do the needful. But in my heart I want that KRSNA book in small or large form, should be distributed in every home who are English speaking people.
Yes, I advised Rupanuga to pay $10,000, but not from the book fund. Anyway, the book fund and BTG should be kept separate. Book fund collections should go to Dai Nippon now because I am thinking of printing small KRSNA books.
For Bhagavad Gita AS It Is, one girl in Baltimore has donated $15,000 and a car. I have advised that the $15,000 be sent to N.Y. for printing of Bhagavad Gita and that the car be dispatched to India. I am awaiting their confirmation. If they send $15,000, then another $5,000 will complete the printing.
The magazine should be published regularly, but if distribution is less, then the number of printing should decrease. Still if even distribution is smaller, we should follow the policy of 25 cents per copy. Artificially increasing distribution and having a big debt is not a very good policy.
No, maintenance expenditures cannot come from the book fund. I do not understand why the press has moved and a new location fixed up, all for the cost of $10,000. What is the benefit of it? The Bhagavad Gita As It Is, is being attempted to be printed in ISKCON Press, but it is taking time - years. Does it mean in this way that the book fund will have to pay $1,500 per month and await printing? ISKCON Press is simply meant for printing our books and there must be sufficient work for printing; otherwise what is the use for maintenance? First of all it was suggested that the printing place would be situated in our N.Y. building. Now it has gone to another building. So I shall require the GBC members to inform me what is the actual benefit by such removal and keeping the press in a different building. The policy of maintaining a white elephant is not good.

That is the immediate important business - how to distribute these books all over the world. So far as the per cent of discount, that will depend on your discretion. But quickly distribute all the books as soon as they are received.
Yes, the record insert is very nice. Where was it printed? So far as the names of those accompanying me, for the tickets, that I shall let you know when I go back to Bombay, which will be sometime after the 24th instant.
Hoping this will meet you in good health.

Your ever well-wisher,

A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

ACBS/adb

Sriman Karandhar Das Adhikary
3764 Watseka Ave
L.A. 90034

P.S. Our Calcutta Festival (14th to 23rd May) is going on successfully. Daily 20-30 thousands of people attending & prasad distribution. [handwritten]

Sriman Karandhar Das Adhikary
c/o ISKCON L.A.
3764 Watseka Ave.
Los Angeles, California 900034
U.S.A.

Tridandi Goswmai
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
ISKCON
3, Albert Road
Calcutta 17, INDIA