28 May 2004, 15:49
Authorities in Karachaevo-Cherkessia dislike Krishna devotees
Krishna devotees started settling in Karachaevo-Cherkessia in 1993. The total number of Krishna devotees in the republic exceeds 200 people today.
The dissemination of the belief untraditional for Russia has trigged a negative reaction on the part of the authorities. Warning articles touching upon the increasing activity of the neo-Hinduistic religious sect in the republic were published by local media outlets. The PR-action was followed by the check on the activity of two Krishna organizations, which revealed violations of the legislation, as reported by the republican justice ministry.
Krishna devotees took the reprimands issued by the inspection commission coolly. Past violations have already been corrected, and present ones can be corrected easily. But accusations of sectarianism and bad influence on people put them of their guard: "We advocate vegetarianism and giving up drugs, alcohol, and fornication. It doesn't conflict with the norms of secular society and can't do harm to it. As for the accusations of sectarianism, they are unfair. The authority of any confession is determined above all by the period of its existence. Krishna consciousness has existed for over 5 thousand years. We are one of the most ancient confessions on earth." The Krishna devotees raise their concern that the recent actions by the authorities are aimed at extruding their community from Karachaevo-Cherkessia.
Source: REGNUM News Agency
