my letter to chief minister of UP state Mayawati

[lilasmother]

Sign up to support the
Pilgrim Protection Programme
at:
www.safevrindavan.com
18th November 2008

TO UP Chief Minister

Dear Madam Mayawatiji,

RE: SAFE VRINDAVAN – Pilgrim Protection Program

Please accept my thanks for your time.

I donnot wish to offend you in any way since I am only a guest in your
country, but I want to draw to your attention to some very important
problems existing in Vrindavan UP, birthplace of Krishna. Since my
experience could not be worse, I am forced to forgo all social
formality and speak out against the injustices - many of which I have
personally experienced.

I have heard many great things about you and that you are a great
supporter of women and downtrodden castes. I also feel this is
important. I personally have tried to benefit people of this area
through my seva to Krishna, which is donating Deity dresses to temples
worldwide. Many boys who were formally pulling rickshaws are now
living well due to this and their children are receiving good
education as well. So I am a great believer in social welfare, not
just in words but also by my actions as well in my small capacity.

Here in this area of UP many abuses are taking place with very little
and ineffective law and order to speak of. I could give you many
accounts but they will not fit in this letter, but I am willing to
attest to my experiences and many others (those that are not fearful
of repercussions are also willing to speek.) People are living
fearfully here and afraid to speak freely as there are many nefarious
characters and thugs, roaming uncontrolled in this area with weapons
and they do so with no fear of the law since it appears that they are
the law. There is a kind of a feudal system here, which exists, even
in this modern age of 2008.

Abuse of women is commonplace, we are touched and molested and raped
in the streets and complaints fall on deaf ears. We are not respected
in this society and so-called ‘eve teasing’ is taken very lightly at
the expense of the girls’ dignity.

Nepotism amongst men is rife, authorities generally side with men in
these cases.








I also hear you are a greatly spiritual and God fearing person. I hope
you will be able to uplift this most holy of Dhams so the world can
see the greatness of India’s spiritual heritage. God will bless you I
am sure if you take on this great service to help preserve the Vedic
culture of India and allow it to be enjoyed and imbibed by people from
all corners of the earth. Vrindavan is not just a village in your
state of UP. Due to the vigorous efforts of the followers of A C
Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, a great Gaudiya Vaishnava who
travelled to the western world in order to spread the glories of the
Vedic culture through great works such as Bhagavad-Gita and Srimad
Bhagavatam, Vrindavan has become famous worldwide as one of the
world’s major holy places. In fact, it is revered in India and
worldwide on the level of Meccha or Jerusalem. Many foreigners
consider it their home and many Indians are coming in droves to
appreciate the some 5,000 temples in this area and to get the
blessings of Srimati Radharani and Sri Krishna.

I am writing to you in honour of my beloved daughter Lila Salter.

In February this year my daughter of 17 years of age was brutally
raped and murdered. The murderer then turned the gun on himself. This
was in itself a shattering experience for our family. We are all
devout ISKCON members, Hare Krishna devotees and great lovers of India
and especially Vrindavan dham. We have spent a good part of the last
20 years here, preferring it to our own country Australia. We have
raised our six children in your culture. One of them was even born
here.

My daughter, Lila, was a sweet virginal girl who spoke your language
and glorified your country worldwide. Everyone loved her. The murderer
who was 11 years her senior had periodically harassed her since she
was 13 years old. Authorities knew this man as other complaints were
made about him and he had committed crimes with this gun before, but
because he is related to a politician nothing was ever done. He is the
nephew of Tej Pal Singh.

After the passing of my daughter and during the whole traumatic
ordeal, I was unable to eat for 18 days because the local authorities
(SSP Mathura in particular) were spreading lies throughout the media.
I can only imagine that this was done in support of the murderer’s
family?

Whether or not the police were pressured to do so or paid to do so, I
do not know but there is no other reason that I can imagine for an
impartial law enforcement officer to lie about the age of a minor and
her relation to a criminal. They told the press my daughter was 26
when in fact she was 17, and the situation was that of boyfriend-
girlfriend when in fact it was stalker and victim.

I was trying to get the post mortem results of my daughter from the
SSP Mathura through the medium of the Australian embassy, but they
were not forthcoming. I believe this is because they would have showed
the fact that she was raped and brutalised so it was a cover up. Again
what benefit is it to a law enforcement officer to conceal records?

I was forced to engage a lawyer at my grieving family’s expense and
have taken action in the Allahabad High Court to procure post mortem
and phone records of my murdered child. Case in point is still going
on. It is a great shame that we have to go to such lengths just to get
basic and simple justice when we are peaceful devotees of Krishna.

I have always felt it is a great privilege to be here, but incidences
like this, which are many, are keeping us away from India and giving a
bad name to your country, the countrymen and to the culture.

The greatest culture on the planet, which should be freely available
to all as it, can greatly benefit mankind. The Vedic literatures are
the real lawbooks for society and they have their origins here in
India and especially Vrindavan, so Vrindavan is naturally very sought
after.






There are many of us from abroad who have been the victims of all
kinds of criminal elements here and our cries for help have fallen on
deaf ears. We reside here in a state of fear due to our great
attachment for Vrindavan and tolerate everything: shootings,
robberies, rapes, extortion and many other crimes. What to speak of
the crimes committed against your own countrymen, Indians and poor
locals, which are even worse.

I understand and appreciate that you have a lot on your plate, but
please, I appeal to you that Vrindavan is no ordinary place. The state
of Uttar Pradesh is very fortunate to have it in its midst.

 Please I am appealing on behalf of all the devotees of Krishna who
visit this great place that they may never have to experience the
senseless and unnecessary loss of innocent life or any such crimes
while visiting this great holy place;
 Please I humbly request you implement a huge crackdown on crime in
this area;
 Please enforce strict weapon control and vigilant enforcement;
 Please send in an adequate and dedicated law enforcement task force
to clean up these bad elements;
 Please give us a tourist friendly police force, en force who we can
feel confident to approach for protection, whether we are Indian or
foreign, rich or poor, low or high class;
 Please curb the feudal system, which oppresses everyone. Do not
allow any more aggressive elements to oppress the society here, let
all Krishna’s devotees live in peace and safety. You are the only one
who can implement this. Cleaning our streets and constructing roads
will be of no use if those walking them are being brutalised.

Those of us who love Vrindavan have launched a worldwide campaign to
petition the Prime Minister of India to show our support for a safe
Vrindavan. We pray that you will be the one to make the changes so
Vrindavan can become safer and more revered worldwide.

Please see our petition and website at www.safevrindavan.com.

Should you require any further information, please do not hesitate to
contact me via email at jams...@yahoo.com.au

I look forward to receiving your comments and advice on this matter.

Please forgive my offenses,

Yours sincerely




Susan Manning
Mother of Lila Salter