750820 - Letter to Indira Gandhi written from Delhi

Letters by Date, 1975

His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

August 20, 1975

Srimati Indira Gandhi
Prime Minister of India
Parliament House
New Delhi

19 Todermal Lane, Bengali Market
New Delhi, tel: 44722

Your Excellency Srimati Indiradevi Gandhi:

When I was in Toronto, Canada, Srimati Lalitadevi, who is just like my daughter, sent me one intimation that she had approached you for a meeting with me and you, and I have come here postponing all my engagements.

I am preaching this Krishna consciousness movement all over the world on the basis of Krishna's instructions in the Bhagavad-gita. Actually this Krishna consciousness movement is called the Sankirtan movement, and sometimes it is called the Hare Krishna movement, which was inaugurated by Lord Chaitanya in Bengal and throughout India. His mission is that everyone should become a guru and preach all over the world the instructions of Krishna. So we are doing this very faithfully, and it is becoming effective. I think in India also if some vigorous activity is done for the awakening the Krishna consciousness of the people under your leadership it will be very effective.

We have already eight branches in India, and all development is being done mostly by foreign exchange and foreign assistants numbering about 100. I have written about 50 books of 400 pages each such as Srimad Bhagavatam, Bhagavad-gita, Chaitanya Charitamrita, and Bhakti Rasamrita Sindhu, and these books are very popular in foreign countries, Europe, America, as well as in India. By the sales proceeds I am bringing foreign exchange for developing my scheme here. It can be continued if I get encouragement by the government by allowing these foreign assistants as missionaries. I shall be very much pleased to see you in this connection.

I hope this meets you in good health.

Your ever well-wisher,

A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

ACBS/bs

Notes: Points To Be Presented To
Prime Minister Indira Gandhi,
16 August, 1975
Bombay

POINTS TO BE PRESENTED TO PRIME MINISTER INDIRA GANDHI

1. As it is stated on our letterhead, the Krishna consciousness movement is for the whole human society for reviving its God consciousness. "mamai-vamse jiva loke/ jiva bhutah sanatanah (BG 7.15). The living entity and God are intimately related as the part and the whole.

2. We are preaching this philosophy on the basis of the Bhagavad-gita As It Is without any interpretation. This is a cultural and educational movement to understand what we are, what is God, and what is our relationship and how to act upon it.

3. The basic principle is that people must eat sumptuously and be free from all anxieties to cultivate his spiritual identity and his relationship with God. We invite everyone without any discrimination of caste, creed, and nationality, and factually within our Society there are members from all parts of the world, Europe, America, Africa, etc.

4. In India we have got special interest to distribute prasad to the half fed or hungry population. For this purpose we are getting money from America and we are getting goods from Australia also. We have got already 6 or 7 centers in India and we are distributing prasad in all centers.

5. The young Indian men are not joining our movement. So for conducting all this business we require 50-100 men, foreigners who are trained up. We have no business to take part in politics. We are bringing money from our country outside India. Practically we do not eat by spending India's money. We are therefore requesting to allow our men to work on this mission to distribute prasad without any expenditure from India's side. Even for our own subsistence we shall bring money from abroad, and the bank will certify.

6. If we take to politics we can be asked to leave, but we are only interested in this movement of welfare activities. On this basis we ask for 50-100 men.