Editor’s Note: After a lawsuit had been directed at them, and a misleading posting had been posted to the senior Margiis and Wholetimers of the Sector through the NYS-ORG mailing list, the reconstituted AM Inc. Board of Directors and the Sectorial leaders supplied a reply to the NYS-ORG in order to counter the false information and premises of that posting. The following letter is that reply.
Also, the link listed in the letter below now has an updated location: www.ampsnys.org/communications/docs. This new link is accessible once you register as a User on the site.
===================================
BABA NAM KEVALAM
March 28, 2010
Namaskar,
With this letter, we wish to help you acquire an understanding of the recent lawsuit filed by those who wanted to continue as the Board of Directors of Ananda Marga, Inc. in the USA.
On March 19th, Margiis involved in organizational work and responsibilities in NY Sector received a message through the NYS-org mailing list with the subject “Letter from the AM Inc Board of Directors”. The message revealed numerous points about the positioning and psychology of the authors of that letter.
In saying that the Margiis and Workers of the sector established “our own Colorado-based nonprofit corporation” perhaps they mean that AM, Inc. is really considered by the authors as theirs, “our own”. With respect to both religious non-profit corporations, and secular non-profits, no one has ownership. The leaders, legally and/or religiously, function merely as the stewards of the entity. Essentially a non-profit and/or religious org is owned by the constitutional purposes and concepts underlying the formation of the entity with the help of the Civil Laws of the State. The members and the society in general are the beneficiaries of the constituted entity. No owner exists other than the Supreme Entity itself, especially from our religious point of view.
We believe you need to know a number of things about the governing documents of Ananda Marga, Inc. and that would now happen in due course as we proceed. There is a document titled Amended By-laws of Ananda Marga, Inc. available for your viewing as a PDF document at this link: www.prama.net/amps-docs . Please take a close look at it. It clarifies a few things and it purports a few other things. It also stimulates numerous questions.
AM Inc is a religious organization enjoying non-profit, tax-exempt status due to a long-time affiliation with its parent organization, Ananda Marga Pracaraka Samgha (Central). Accordingly, AM Inc, its members, its volunteers and society in general have benefitted from affiliation with the AMPS Central in tangible ways for decades. The defense developed by our legal team will dive into history and produce specific documents to substantiate this.
One ponders, if the governing documents of AM Inc. are not correct and this history of legal and other benefits not valid, then who or what authority has so far been supporting AM, Inc. and the positioning the former directors took when in office? Is AM, Inc merely a non-profit organization, in other words – a regular, secular corporation? Is it not a non-profit religious organization with special rights and responsibilities unto itself and to a hierarchy?
The letter refers to factional conflicts in India and why the former Board of Directors chose to deny higher authority out of fear of losing control. There may be a complex legal web in India for AMPS Central to deal with, but the matter of fact on record maintains that all this has been the handiwork of the same forces out to disregard, disrupt, manipulate, and possibly to destroy the registered society that Ba’ba’ Himself organized and administered till His last breath. In fact there is nothing that has ever reduced or compromised the authority and powers of AMPS(C) in India or anywhere. Life should and will go on, and His legacies be maintained religiously unless and until the highest court in India announces the contrary. It would be blasphemous to go or act against the ideological codes of practices Ananda Margiis are committed to.
The March 19th letter in effect emphasizes this group’s assertion that AM Inc is independent of both a global, universal, spiritual path and religious order called Ananda Marga, and independent of a global religious organization/society AMPS Central, as founded by Baba with the expressed motto of A’tma Moksa’rtham Jadhita’ya ca. He wished His mission should grow and serve through the promotion and implementation of the righteous path of ideology. The position they have assumed is quite interesting in that all of it appears to be contrary to the forty-years of what we have practiced as well as presented to the public through pracar/promotional efforts in the USA and elsewhere in the sector.
After forty-years of promoting values of multi-cultural, multi-linguistic, universalistic, inclusive, many-colored-flowers-in-the-garden…, the authors of the letter are found arguing about the ethnic or national origin of the directors of the reconstituted board. It is painful to see such a narrow xenophobic analysis, attempting to garner support for their cause with sentiments that are contrary to the Neo-Humanistic values Margiis cherish.
Our attorney’s letter does refer to “Legal action was threatened” but only as a last-resort remedy due to the costs involved. Litigation is only one of a number of possible consequences of non-cooperation presented. In fact a meaningful dialog was in progress only a day prior to their surprisingly filing of the suit in Denver county court quickly and unilaterally terminating the meaningful out-of-court sessions. That was really unfortunate and uncalled for.
You may have to read the original communications from our attorneys once again that was addressed only to the former Board of Directors. It did not include General Margiis or Workers. Did it challenge either the welfare or assets of anyone? It simply demanded cooperation from a select group of individuals that had taken improper and illegal actions, asking it to surrender assets that belonged to AM Inc. There are reasons not to take their presentations at face value. You need to seek veracity and be suspect of what is being presented.
The religious structure of AMPS(Central), its global organizational mission represented in the USA through the reconstituted Board of Directors of AM Inc. with the support of all dedicated sadhaka Margiis in the USA, the sector and the world have a strong case in defense of the actions to protect the legacy of our Ba’ba’, Shrii Shrii Anandamurtiji. The same legacy of His AMPS Central Office issuing the posting/transfer orders is in practice today all over the world, which delivered the first Whole timer Acarya to this sector in the late 1960’s. After the tour of that first Acarya, His organization was established in the USA and elsewhere on the continent as per His structural and organizational design, and not according to anyone else.
Because the matter is in litigation, details of the defense cannot be disclosed. You may have to remain patient to see those pieces of information that support the claim that the reconstituted board was properly and legally announced for the benefit of His mission and for every Ananda Margii in the sector. In the meantime, please maintain your discriminating faculties. Please don’t take any propaganda for granted, from any source. Seek verification through public documents and those you have access to.
One may manufacture seemingly true reality by repeating lies hundred times over but in my humble opinion, choosing to stand on a foundation of falsehood cannot be ideal for any community seeking a bright future.
Many of the documents remain only with the former board members. For your information, a copy of the February 12th communication from the reconstituted Board of Directors are available at the following link: www.prama.net/amps-docs.
Best wishes,
Brotherly yours,
At His Lotus Feet
Acharya Vimalananda Avadhuta
Sectorial Secretary, NY Sector.
Ananda Marga Pracaraka Samgha,
5799 Brinkwater Blvd.
Hilliard, OH 43026.
Ph: (614) 771 1018
www.ampsnys.org
————————
A’tma Moks’a’rtham Jagadhita’ya Ca…