ISKCON bans monk for criticizing Swami Vivekananda, Ramakrishna
What's the story
The International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), a leading Hindu religious organization, banned monk Amogh Lila Das for a month for his alleged "derogatory comments" about Swami Vivekananda and Ramakrishna Paramahansa. ISKCON claimed Das realized his mistake and would seclude himself in the hills during the ban period. Das triggered controversy by criticizing Vivekananda for eating fish and making sarcastic remarks about Paramahansa's teachings.
Statement
'Derogatory remarks' show lack of awareness in Das: ISKCON
On Tuesday, ISKCON issued a statement saying the views expressed by Das are not representative of the organization's values and teachings. It said that the alleged "derogatory remarks" show a lack of awareness in the monk about the diversity of spiritual paths and personal choices. "We condemn any form of disrespect and intolerance towards other religious beliefs and practices," it said.
Quote
ISKCON says monk realized his 'disservice,' to seclude himself
ISKCON further said that the monk realized his "disservice" and begged for forgiveness for his comments. Das has allegedly taken a vow to go on prayaschit (atonement) for one month in the hills of Govardhan, Uttar Pradesh, to completely seclude himself from public life.
Twitter Post
Full statement by ISKCON shared on Twitter
শ্রীরামকৃষ্ণ ও স্বামী বিবেকানন্দকে অপমান করার জন্য অমোঘ লীলা দাসকে শাস্তি দিল ইস্কন। তাঁকে প্রায়শ্চিত্তের জন্য গিরি গোবর্ধনে নির্বাসনে পাঠানো হচ্ছে। pic.twitter.com/KSbc2ETSNw
— Kunal Ghosh (@KunalGhoshAgain) July 11, 2023
Controversy
Das's comments invite sharp reaction from TMC
The controversy erupted on Tuesday after a video clip of Das's comment went viral on social media, inviting sharp reactions. Trinamool Congress's (TMC) General Secretary for West Bengal, Kunal Ghosh, while sharing the video, tweeted, "We revere ISKCON. But they should stop him now. Insulting Ramakrishna and Vivekananda will not be tolerated." "Immediate action should be taken against this so-called monk," he added.
Twitter Post
Watch: Das's speech in which he made controversial comments
ইস্কন আমাদের প্রিয়। কিন্তু তার এই বাচালের অসভ্যতা বন্ধ করুন তাঁরা। রামকৃষ্ণ, বিবেকানন্দকে অপমান করে এসব কথা বললে বরদাস্ত করা হবে না। অবিলম্বে এই তথাকথিত সন্ন্যাসীর বিরুদ্ধে ব্যবস্থা নেওয়া হোক। https://t.co/6eO9rRJVms
— Kunal Ghosh (@KunalGhoshAgain) July 11, 2023
Das
More about Das
Das is a monk, spiritual activist, and motivational speaker who has been affiliated with ISKCON for 12 years. His actual name is Ashish Arora, and he was born into a Punjabi family in Lucknow. He is presently the vice president of the ISKCON Dwarka chapter. On social media, he has a massive fan base, and his religious and motivational videos frequently go viral online.