Hare Krishnas - Houses - Demolition - Compensation
Astana, April 5. INTERFAX-KAZAKHSTAN. The Kazakh authorities consider offering compensation to the Society for Krishna Consciousness whose cottages were demolished in the Karasai district, Almaty province, in November of 2006.
The Human Rights Commissioner in Kazakhstan, Bolat Baikadamov, said to the Interfax-Kazakhstan agency last Thursday that this question was discussed during his meeting with a member of the governing body of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), Govinda Swami.
The meeting took place as a part of the Supplemental OSCE Human Dimension Meeting conducted in Vienna on March 29-30 to discuss the issues of freedom of speech, freedom of associations and freedom of meetings.
B. Baikadamov mentioned that the meeting was proposed by G. Swami and the chairman of the Almaty Helsinki Committee, Ninel Fokina, took part in it.
He said that the International Society for Krishna Consciousness previously offered to the government of Kazakhstan several solutions for the existing problem.
"Govinda Swami asked me which solution could be accepted by the government," said B. Baikadamov. "As the leader of the Kazakh delegation at the conference, I was officially entitled to tell Mr. Swami that one of the offered solutions might be realized. In essence, Govinda suggested on behalf of the Society that the authorities might allot a piece of land (0.50-0.75 acres) within Almaty city to the RO SKC for the construction of places of worship."
"Besides, - added Baikadamov, - since the Hare Krishnas maintain 30 cows, and they consider cows to be sacred animals, they can't sell or realize them, - therefore they asked the government for a place in Almaty province specifically for the cows and for their pasturing."
"Govinda was satisfied with this answer," - said B. Baikadamov. He also mentioned that he had suggested that the Society for Krishna Consciousness should start negotiations with the Almaty authorities for the allotment of land.
According to him, G. Swami was inquiring about compensation for the loss that was suffered by the members of the SKC in Kazakhstan when their houses were demolished.
"I was entitled to say that these questions are also solvable, and those who suffered material loss should act in cooperation with the governmental structures to calculate the loss and establish the means to compensate for it: either thru courts or by way of negotiations between the Karasai authorities and the members of the SKC," said B. Baikadamov, who added that the houses of the SKC were demolished lawfully.
As we know, 14 houses of the Hare Krishnas have been demolished according to the court ruling as illegal buildings: instead of standard cottages, the Hare Krishnas built houses on garden-plots and used them as hostels and places of meetings.
At the same time B. Baikadamov denies that the governmental plan to offer compensation to the Hare Krishnas for the demolished buildings is connected with the pressure put upon Kazakhstan by the international organizations (with regard to this issue).
"It is not a political issue, but because it is a religious community, the government makes a concession," said B. Baikadamov.
He expressed an opinion that the allotment of land to Hare Krishnas in Almaty to construct a place of worship "will enable them to actively participate in the inter-faith dialogue."
