Theos-Talk Archives (June 2005 Message tt00486)

>-- In theos-talk@yahoogroups.com, "Frank Reitemeyer" <ringding@o...> 
wrote:

>> signals the new view of the Theosophical 
>> Society as a political organization.

> Bart, could you specify your remark?

There was an example of the political considerations before.

After 1917 many Russian theosophists fled from Russia and formed 
Russian Section abroad. It was against TS Rules, but Annie Besant 
supported them because it couldn't be foreseen that entire national 
section could lose its national territory.
After WW2, when Soviet Union became a superpower, the Russian Section 
was dismissed, because Soviet government didn't tolerate any 
organizations of emigrants, and new Indian government didn't want to 
spoil its relations with USSR. The Russian members were recommended to 
join the national sections of their respective countries. We may 
suspect that it's the Indian government has recommended Adyar to do 
that.

Above information was published in the theosophical magazine "Alba" 
which was issued in Russian in Boston, USA, in 1950's. One Indian 
theosophist confirmed me that alike political considerations may play 
some part even now, when I resented him that Adyar seems to be not 
very active in establishing TS in Russia.

Anoter example which is more marked but has no relation to TS is of 
Falun Dafa. This chinese organization has no political purposes but is 
prohibited in China. Now they have branches in many coutries and in 
Russia too. Wherever they try to organize their happenings or 
seminars, guys from Chinese embassy come and ask to prohibit it. If 
owner of the hall declines because Chinese should have no power on 
Russian territory, on the next day people from the FSB (former KGB) 
come and say that he will have serious problems. They also explain 
that encouraging Falun Dafa in Russia may spoil our relations with 
China. Of course, there's not the case with TS, but probably there are 
people in TS who try to avoid such situations themselves, in order 
that the goverments shouldn't impede theosophical work.