Theos-Talk Archives (March 1998 Message tl00107)

Your information is well taken.

In spite of it, it would be very prudent to anyone to do their homework and
decide for themselves about any organization which had involvement in
serious criminal allegations. Anyone who knows about Indian Judicial system
knows that it is a very independent one comparable to the best in the world.

Anyone who takes time to do the homework would be intelligent enough to
come to their own conclusions, whatever they may be and need not take my or
anyone's words or quotes.

MKR

At 08:56 AM 3/13/1998 -0500, you wrote:
>On Wednesday, March 04, 1998 3:04 PM, theos-l@vnet.net
[SMTP:theos-l@vnet.net]
>wrote:
>
>>>>>Dear Paul:
>
>As I recall, the founder and some of his assistants were prosecuted for very
>serious capital crimes even though they were finally acquitted.
>
>This happended in India which has a very independent judicial system
>comparable to the best in the world.
>
>mkr
>
>------------
>
>Not quite so, because they had to bring in an international jurist from
Canada,
>the very eminent Me C Sheppard who prepared a report for the International
>Commission of Jurists (Geneva) and International League of the Rights of Man
>(New York). In addition the eminent Mr William T Wells QC of the British Bar
>also prepared an entirely independent report (the 1977 Wells Report).
>
>Wells wrote:
>
>"... a question sa to the satisfactory nature of the trial remains clearly
in
>one's mind, particularly when it is remembered that, with the Ananda Marga
and
>its offshoots and members in effect outlawed it was almost impossible for
the
>defence to call witnesses."
>
>Of course, it didn't matter at the end of the day because Sarkar was
acquitted
>on all charges.
>
>I note that the Secretary-General of the International Commission of Jurists
>wrote in a minute of 27 August 1976:
>
>"These findings make all the more cogent the findings made by Mr. Sheppard
as
>to the difficulties confronting the defence.  The political overtones to the
>trial and its handling in the press appear regrettable, to say the least.
The
>difficulties put in the way of releasing Ananda Marga funds, or allowing the
>transfer of fund from abroad, to pay for the legal costs of the defence seem
>indefensible.  It is to be hoped that this bureacratic obstruction, whch is
>what it is assumed to be, will be removed without delay."
>
>Finally, it should be noted that many organisations and persons have stood
up
>for justice and equity in society, and been condemned for doing so by the
>political powers.  Yet they fight to win victory and make sacrifices for
others
>and human welfare.  This is nothing new and is certainly nothing to be
feared.
> The great preceptor Lord Krsna never had any qualm in this regard and
neither
>does Ananda Marga.
>