Several ISKCON temples situated in anarchy gripped Bangladesh have come under attack since the coup against President Sheikh Hasina. In several cases, the vandals set ablaze idols inside these Mandirs. These attacks have been part of the ongoing atrocities against Hindu minorities in Bangladesh, with ISKCON facing the major brunt of it.
Earlier, Chinmoy Krishna Das, a former member of Bangladesh’s International Society of Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), was arrested on trumped up charges of “sedition”. Another Hindu priest named Shyam Das Prabhu was also arrested without a warrant when he was visiting Chinmoy Krishna Das in jail in Chattogram, Bangladesh.
His arrest had sparked widespread protests in a number of places in Bangladesh, including Chattogram and the capital Dhaka as well as globally. Against the ongoing atrocities, hundreds of protesters had gathered outside the Bangladesh Deputy High Commission in Mumbai, calling for their immediate release. ISKCON also hosted mass prayers at hundreds of temples worldwide in protest of the atrocities committed against Hindus and other minorities in Bangladesh.
To understand the underlying reasons why ISKCON is under attack in Bangladesh, it becomes imminent to go into the genesis and understand the impact of this religious organisation.
WHAT IS ISKCON?
International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), colloquially known as the Hare Krishna Movement is a Hindu organisation that practices Gaudiya Vaishnavism or Bengali Vaishnavism, that originates from the Gauda region of Bengal. Vaishnavism is a religious monotheistic tradition in Hinduism, that focuses on the worship of Lord Vishnu and his avatars, including Prabhu Shri Ram and Bhagwan Krishna who are the manifestations of the one supreme God. It was founded on July 13, 1966 in New York City by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada.
The members of ISKCON are divided into three categories, they are sannyasi, brahmachari, and grihastha. The brahmacharis are typically young men who are sworn in at a young age and dedicate their lives to promoting ISKCON’s principles and teachings. They can be identified by their white attire, which consists of a kurta and dhoti, which are traditional Indian garments.
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Through their participation in temple activities, the brahmacharis eventually transform into sannyasis. Sannyasis live abstinent lives and dedicate their lives to ISKCON. They don’t marry or have children. They lead a nomadic lifestyle and use pravachan, or discourse to the masses, to spread awareness of ISKCON. They can be identified by their ocher colour kurta and dhoti. The general men and women who adhere to ISKCON’s beliefs are known as grihasthas. They see procreation as a part of their service to Krishna rather than for pleasure.
Vaishnavism and Its Globalisation through ISKCON
In ancient India there were five communities in our Hindu religion, they were Surya those who are believers in the worship of the Sun, Saktya they try to bank on the veneration of the nature of a female goddess and they rely on the union of male and female deities, Saivya those who are believers of lord Shiva, Ganapatya devotee of lord Ganesh, and Vaishnava admirer of Bhagwan Vishnu and Shri Krishna.
Vaishnavism, one of the major sects within Hinduism, that revolves around the worship of Bhagwan Vishnu and his avatars, with particular emphasis on Shri Krishna.
Vaishnavism existed in India from ancient times, with different sects and philosophical schools centered around Bhagwan Vishnu. In the 15th century, Sri Chaitanya Deva, a prominent figure who played a transformative role in consolidating the fragmented Vaishnavite communities. He believed that Shri Krishna’s worship should be based on love and devotion, promoting a devotional philosophy known as bhakti that transcended caste, social status, and other societal divisions.
Chaitanya’s teachings focused on uniting various Vaishnavite traditions that were previously divided, such as those influenced by Madhvacharya, Vallabhacharya, and others. He stressed that devotion to Krishna was the ultimate form of worship and that people from other castes or religious backgrounds, such as Muslims, could achieve divine favour through sincere devotion. His practices, especially kirtan, became an integral part of the movement. Rupgoswami’s writings describe the qualities that a person needs in order to sing kirtan.
“Trinadapi Sunichena tarariba sahishnuna. Amanina manadena kirtaniya soda Hari” which means, a person who is humble like grass, tolerant like a tree and who respects others without expecting respect is entitled to sing kirtan. Chaitanyadeva also challenged issues in the social structures of the time, promoted equality and harmony, and asserted that even those considered outcasts, like the Chandals, could attain spiritual purity through love and devotion to Bhagwan.
After Chaitanya’s death, the unity he fostered began to fragment into various branches, such as the Gaudiya Vaishnavism led by the six Gosvamis in Vrindavan, and other groups led by Nityananda and Narottama Das.
Despite these divisions, Chaitanya’s core message of love and devotion continued to inspire millions. In the 20th century, the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), founded by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, who played a significant role in the globalization of Vaishnavism.
ISKCON spread Chaitanya’s teachings across the world, emphasizing the importance of chanting the Hare Krishna mantra, living a life of devotion, and serving humanity through spiritual practices. Through ISKCON, Vaishnavism became a global movement, reaching millions worldwide, transcending cultural and geographical boundaries, and continuing the legacy of Chaitanya’s vision of love, devotion, and unity.
THE BELIEFS AND PRACTICES
The Bhagavad Gita and other Sanskrit texts serve as the primary foundation for ISKCON and Gaudiya Vaishnavism’s beliefs. It is believed that Bhagavad Gita fully captures Hindu philosophy and religion. The Sanatan dharm emphasizes that there are several routes that lead to transcendence, or spiritual salvation, or moksha. Bhakti yoga, or devotion to the Bhagwan, is one such route that leads to self-actualization.
The Vaishnavas preach love, harmony, peace, and devotion to Shri Krishna. In addition to leading a vegetarian lifestyle and practicing ascetic living, the Hare Krishnas (devotees) propagate bhakti via public chanting, yoga seminars, kirtans, writings, meditation, and scriptures.
The congregational chanting or singing of the Hare Krishna mantra, known as kirtan, which is the most well-known and widely recognized ISKCON practice. Kirtan serves as a strategy to draw new members to the movement as well as a means of demonstrating one’s devotion to Bhagwan. With the help of instruments like the harmonium, mridanga, and hand cymbals, devotees congregate in parks and public spaces to sing the mantra.
Due to this practice, ISKCON gained public attention in the 1970s. In airports and other public places, devotees would frequently engage in intrusive singing, book distribution, and proselytizing. This practice of Sankirtan is practiced all over the world today, in a less confrontational manner.
Additionally, the devotees engage in Japa, which is the meditative practice of reciting Krishna’s names on a set of prayer beads. In the modern era, it is regarded as the sole path to salvation. The devotees are required to recite sixteen rounds of the Hare Krishna each day. The maha mantra must be chanted 108 times on prayer beads during each round; sixteen rounds being 1728 repetitions and it takes about two hours to complete.
In addition to weekly meetings, devotees of the ISKCON movement celebrate majorly all Hindu festivals, such as Gita Jayanti, Janmashtami, Radhastami, Diwali, Gaura Purnima, Ekadasi, Holi, and Rama Navami. Every year during the Ratha Yatra festival the devotees pull a chariot of Purushottama Jagannatha, Baladeva, and Subhadra while chanting and dancing in the street. This public procession is typically followed by performances and free vegetarian food.
ISKCON CONTRIBUTIONS
ISKCON has established more than 800 centers globally, along with hospitals, eco-villages, schools, and free food distribution centers. Sustainable practices like waste management, renewable energy, organic farming, and water conservation are promoted by ISKCON centers.
The Shrimad Bhagavad Geeta and other Vedic texts have been translated into 89 languages by ISKCON. ISKCON aims to give people a feeling of direction, empathy, and solidarity. As a religious movement, ISKCON has been able to make a significant impact on society. In the modern world, ISKCON is the pinnacle of how devotion and meditation can mold your life and illuminate your path to transcendence. It introduces a new way of living that encourages kindness and non-materialism.
However, in the current Bangladeshi society, which is experiencing an alarming rise in radicalism, a unified and influential religious organisation of the minorities has become a major target for radicals. For them, dismantling this organisation—serving as a key unifier for religious minorities in India and a source of global soft power—seems essential to erase the last signs of the pluralistic society that Bangladesh once was under its ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
