Theos-Talk Archives (March 1998 Message tl00112)

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.