Russian court dismisses case on Bhagvad Gita commentary

India today welcomed a decision by a court in Tomsk in Russia to dismiss the legal case in connection with the publication, "Bhagvad Gita As It Is".

 

"We appreciate this sensible resolution of a sensitive issue and are glad to put this episode behind us. We also appreciate the efforts of all friends in Russia who made this outcome possible," the official spokesperson for the Ministry of External Affairs said here.

 

"This demonstrates yet again that the people of India and Russia have a deep understanding of each other’s cultures and will always reject any attempt to belittle our common civilisational values," he added.

 

The International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) had conveyed to the Indian Embassy in Moscow that its branch in Tomsk, Eastern Siberia, had received a notice in June 2011, of a complaint filed by the Public Prosecutor’s Office in the local court. 

 

This complaint was to the effect that the third Russian edition of the publication “Bhagwad Gita As It is”– a translation of a commentary by Swami Prabhupada, founder of ISKCON – had certain portions that were "objectionable" and "extremist" in nature. 

 

Following the initial proceedings in August 2011, the District Court appointed its own three member expert group from the University of Kemerovo (in Siberia), which was to submit a report within three months. The final hearing in the Tomsk District Court was due on December 19, 2011, but had been rescheduled for today as the Court had agreed to seek the opinion of the Russian Ombudsman on Human Rights in Tomsk District, and of Indologists from Moscow and St. Petersburg, who have greater knowledge and expertise on India. 

 

Officials of the Embassy of India in Moscow and the Indian Ambassador had been in regular touch with the local representatives of ISKCON, since this matter came to light in June 2011. 

 

The Indian Government had taken up the matter at senior levels of the Russian Government.

 

NNN