Kazakh Hindus again face the danger of losing their homes

Today, November 20, 2006, the members of RO Society for Krishna Consciousness received legal notifications of eviction from land and demolition of their houses for the second time. 12 houses situated on the territory of the Ptitsevod Horticultural Association in the Karasai district, Almaty province, are liable to demolition at their owners' cost. These notifications were left by the bailiffs with the watchman of the Association, without even having the owners sign them.

The date of execution was not mentioned. It was a shock for the members of the Society because after the execution of this order they and their family members would be left homeless - shortly before the winter.

The issue around the land of RO Society for Krishna Consciousness in the Karasi district, Almaty province, has already attracted the attention of the government. On September 7, 2006, the Committee of Religious Affairs at the RK Ministry of Justice established a special Commission headed by the President of the Committee Mr. Amanbek Mukhashov to investigate the issue. The members of the Commission decided to file a petition to the Office of the General Prosecutor of RK for suspension of the legal orders in regard to the land of 47.7 ha (owned by the Society) and the cottages of the members of RO Society for Krishna Consciousness until the Commission completes its mission and publicly pronounces its decision.

At the present moment the Commission is still active and working, according to the answer the Committee of Religious Affairs Erlan gave to the inquiry from the Society. The fact that the Commission has not yet pronounced a decision was confirmed by the Assistant President of the Committee of Religious Affairs Ms. Lyudmila Danilenko in the interview she gave to a reporter of Forum 18, the International human rights organization.

Thus, although no decision has been taken by the Commission in regard to the land issue, the bailiffs are now going to destroy the homes of the members of the Society for Krishna Consciousness. And the date of execution remains unknown.

On April 25, 2006, when the first attempt to destroy the homes of the Hindus was prevented by the members of the Society who stood hand in hand on the way of the bulldozer, the bailiffs promised to come back, when the clamor would subside. At that time, they said, they would have one bulldozer for each house and two riot policemen for each Krishnaite. In this way, in spite of all the attempts the members of the Society for Krishna Consciousness made to enter into cooperation with the local executive authorities, the authorities firmly proceed on the course of liquidation of the only Hindu community in the former CIS.