Russian Krishna Followers on Hunger Strike

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Krishna Followers Go on Hunger Strike against Expulsion

The conflict related to construction of Krishna Followers Temple

gained momentum Saturday. Moscow authorities voiced intention to take

out the allotment allocated for building the Vedic Culture Temple,

Krishna followers responded by a hunger strike.

More than 500 people went on a long-term hunger strike Saturday,

November 12, 2005, said Sergey Andreev, leader of the Moscow community

of Krishna followers, in a move to preserve the allotment allocated in

Moscow for the temple construction.

 

As a religious organization, Hare Krishna was officially acknowledged

in Russia in 1988. Now the country has 106 registered communities of

Krishna followers and over 300 parishes.

 

Moscow Mayor Yury Luzhkov sealed the ruling on constructing cultural

premises for Krishna followers in Moscow in January 2004. The document

sanctioned construction of the Vedic Center on the area of 1.05

hectares at 39 Leningrad Ave. to replace the two-store building

demolished in Khoroshevkoe Avenue. To oppose construction, the

orthodox followers staged a protest rally and vowed "to lie under

bulldozers at the constriction site, "as this premise will desecrate

Moscow," they said.

 

As a result, Luzhkov called off his ruling on October 7. "We think the

authorities may proceed with decisive actions to expel Indian and

Moscow Vaishnavs from habitable land, in which they have invested a

lot," Andreev said. "We are truly concerned. We may be on the street

deprived of even a temporarily temple."

by www.kommersant.com

http://www.kommersant.com/page.asp?idr=530&id=626116

Russian Article as of Nov. 14, 2005