Theos-Talk Archives (February 2004 Message tt00149)

Dear Ariel,

Thanks for the clarification. If Rukmini had been an 
inconsequential person in TS history, standing in Arundale's shadow, 
then I might agree that the family connection between the 3rd PTS 
and the 5th and 7th wasn't very meaningful. But in light of her 
extremely high profile starting before her marriage, and continuing 
until the end of her life, I do think the Shastry family has had 
quite a disproportionate role in the Society's governance. (Which 
would already be the case with 44 of the last 53 years TS leadership 
being held by a father and daughter.) Nonetheless, I consider it 
more problematic that the OH of the ES became the PTS (oh these 
acronyms!). A purportedly democratic organization ought not be led 
by the head of a secret society with a long history of exerting 
inappropriate and destructive influence. IMO! 

Although I heard the story about a likely Brazilian successor years 
ago, that was before the rise of the BJP. More recently I've heard 
that the election of any non-Indian PTS would place the Society in a 
dangerous position vis-a-vis the government, and therefore will 
never happen. Can you comment on the plausibility of that?

Cheers,

Paul