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From: Lakshmi Srinivas (lsrinivas_at_yahoo.com)
Date: Thu Jul 27 2000 - 06:53:52 PDT
--- In bhakti-list@egroups.com, Mani Varadarajan <mani@a...> wrote:
>
> Though your ideas are well-intentioned, we should try at all costs
> to avoid trading in leather and other products which come at the
cost
> of the merciless slaughter of cows and other animals. As we are all
> aware, the end does not justify the means.
>
> "gO-brAhmaNEbhyaH Subham astu nityam"
Well, I can't comment on the leather part but I think providing an
environment-friendly something of practical utility to the donor as a
way of attracting donations is quite acceptable to me. It makes the
job easier for the fund raiser, especially when he approaches a
potential donor who does not have sect/caste/religious affiliations
with the cause. I don't think there is any loss of spirituality by
this.
(I had a bad experience (and am continuing to have them) with fund
collectors in this list. I would like to share that with the list
members. This of course does not have any pointed reference to any
current fund raising drive since I write this more in anguish than
anger).
More than anything else, Srivaishnava fund collectors need to be
above reproach in the matter of collecting funds. I refer to the good
practice of providing prompt receipts as soon as funds are realized.
Right now they will tell you they send receipts only in January like
good nationalised bank employees in India. The trouble with this is
that most of us do not know the fund raisers personally but being
away from India we do have a shared sentimentality for the cause in
question. It will be fair to say that this feeling does work in their
favor. Also, the fund raisers get authenticated by the list.
Prompt receipts would serve two purposes:
1. It would reassure the donor that the monies are indeed being put
to the use it was requested for in the first place
2. It would help the donor when he files his IRS returns. A lesser
cause but one that is part of the process of donation.
I write this because I had a bad experience in this list from a fund
collector couple years ago. Not only I contributed but I collected
from some friends who were 'lurkers' in the SV universe. Much to my
disappointment, I was not given any receipts nor was I given the
promised videotape of the temple function in question. I do not doubt
the honesty of the persons concerned (nor did I doubt it then) but
then their apathy gave the SV cause a bad name among SV people. I did
not get any apology from the concerned persons but just that they
were busy writing for this thread in this list, that thread in the
other list, preparing for this utsavam in the Pittsburgh temple or
that utsavam in the Aurora temple, blah blah. Their utter
irresponsibility in the matter of collecting funds but not issuing
prompt receipts is, needless to say, quite contemptible.
While the list itself may not hold any brief for the potential fund
collectors, it is quite clear that many people use the list for fund
raising purposes. While I see nothing wrong with that, it may be
relevant to point out that the credibility that the list brings is
the primary reason why strangers donate.
I write this so newcomers are spared the embarrassment of having to
chase up some of the fund collectors. I hope those people who owe
receipts to their donors will wake up and issue them promptly and
not wait for the end of January. I also hope the List Manager will
issue a reminder to current and potential fund collectors to issue
receipts promptly else the list will look at their fund collection
drives on the list with disapproval.
Last but not the least, being an Iyengar or Srivaishnava does not
confer an automatic badge of honesty on anybody.
Thanks and Warm Regards,
LS
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