On Monday, January 21st, 2013, a representative from the North American Child Protection Office, Mother Lila Sukha devi dasi visited the school to equip our students with the tools required to stay safe. She illustrated to them through videos, games and role-play what to do in case another person was making them uncomfortable and how to tell someone they trusted.
She also held four seminars to community members. I attended her last seminar on Monday evening with a handful of fellow parents and devotees.
As she started her Power Point presentation and shared the statistics, an ominous quiet covered the room. What a shock it was! Did you know? There are over 3 million reports of abuse in the US alone each year! One in three females are sexually abused before they turn 18. That means if you’re dancing in kirtan, look to your right and left. One of those matajis will have been hurt as a child, if not you.
It took me back to Alachua, 1996. I had attended the Centennial GBC meetings with my father. I had been asked to be part of a panel of 10 former Gurukula students addressing, nay confronting, the current GBC leaders about the history of abuse in Gurukula. One by one, my friends began pouring out their stories of hurt, neglect and pain. It was a shock to everyone, especially me!
What did we hear? One student had his underwear held over his head all day because he had peed in his pants. Students were locked in closets for hours on end for being disrespectful. Another friend was scared to enter the stairwell because that was the ‘special place’ that the temple pujari would show her too much attention.
Ssshh Gopi. Its a blog about the TKG Academy students! We are here to read about happy, intelligent, INNOCENT kids! Why are you remembering such horrible things??!! Dear readers, I see you covering your ears. Even as I type this, my face flushes red. Why am I remembering this? I want to block out the memory of that fateful day.
Yes. That’s what we should do. Put our heads in the sand.. pretend like it doesn’t happen. Squawk. I am an ostrich.
Out of all of these offenses, only 3 percent are convicted. Why? Because like me, we want to place our heads in the sand. No one speaks about it. No one wants to deal with it!
Yes, we live in a demented world. Dukhalayam. As the Himalaya is covered with ice (hima), this dukhalaya is covered with miseries. ISKCON is the life boat. The ship that will cross us over into protected seas, the spiritual world.
But even in ISKCON. Lila Sukha Mataji reiterated. Even those we may see as devotees. It is a hospital to help conditioned souls remove their disease. That means that there will be diseased individuals, posing as devotees. We must innoculate our children.
And what is the North American ISKCON doing? Amazing things. Lilasukha Mataji and her team of guardian angels is traveling week after week. Giving her seminars, showing her statistics and movies, training the devotees in how to avoid it, confront it, deal with it. What do you do when someone approaches you saying they have been hurt or abused? How do you address the devotee who is abusing?
The NA Child Protection Office now even has a screening program for all temples. Its as easy as 1-2-3. Send an email. Do a background check. You dont even have to get out of your chair.
Maya will come in many forms. Attacking the defenseless and helpless is the easiest way. This is one weapon we sorely need. Knowledge. Let us educate one another and protect our children. Let us be very vigilant against all the different forms of abuse. Let us make sure that protecting our children is our NUMBER ONE PRIORITY. Let the word spread that the residents and members of Sri Sri Radha Kalachandji Dham are prepared and ready. No offender will dare enter.
I feel fortunate to be part of Mother Jayanti and the current administration here at Dallas. Nityananda Prabhu, Mathuranath Prabhu, Mother Padma. No one would dare mess with them. Since 1985 we have had no accounts of abuse at the Gurukula. As the next generation of devotees steps up, we must continue that vigilance.
And me? I will be more aware of my children when I’m at the temple. Rushing to the program and letting the children wander free is the first form of abuse. Neglect. We must work together to make sure our children are accounted for at all times. That they are under the supervision of a trustworthy devotee. Not roaming outside for hours on end. Twenty four hours of kirtan or not.
What will you do?
