Theos-Talk Archives (May 2008 Message tt00212)

From: prmoliveira <prmoliveira@yahoo.com>
Date: Tue, May 6, 2008 at 6:59 AM
Subject: [theos-l] A Much Higher Standard of Ethics is Urgently Required
To: theos-l@yahoogroups.com


  (Dr Edi Bilimoria has authorized me to post the message below. PO)

21 April 2008

Dear Fellow Member,

I have received a copy of the letter/e-mail dated 29 March 08 from
Maxence Ondet, National Board Secretary, Theosophical Society in
France. I fully appreciate the sensitivity of the contents. My
considered response (on the English translated version) follows.

GENERAL COMMENT

The overriding tone of the letter sent out to all members of the
French section is consistently (a) defamatory; (b) inaccurate; (c)
subjective and biased; and (d) full of hearsay.

I will now support my assertions with evidence.

Defamatory

Evidence
Remarks such as: "deprived her of a large part of her memory", "a
weakened mind or brain damage", "her mental state" appear liberally
across the letter.

Comment
Radha Burnier's (RB) health is well known and there is no need to
spell out and spread it out over all of the last seven paragraphs of
the letter. One simple sentence of sincere concern would have
sufficed.

Inaccurate

Evidence
"In conversation she no longer understands anything but short and
simple sentences", "an address that was wandering and repetitive, and
showed a weakened mind or brain damage", "forgetfulness or confusion".

Comment
I did not attend Convention. However our National President Mr Colin
Price was present and fed back no such comment about an "address that
was wandering and repetitive".

However I can PERSONNALLY attest to the fact that I had an in-depth,
two hour (11 am to 1 pm) conversation with RB on 02 August 07 at No
17 Tekels Park regarding the problems concerning Tekels Park (TP). In
view of the seriousness of the topic, I fully minuted this meeting,
INCLUDING ALL OF RB'S STATEMENTS and communicated these Minutes to
the National President.

RB displayed clarity of mind and comprehension. She was able to:

(a) evidence of long term memory recall - provide me with a summary
of the background and history of events and personalities connected
with TP going back over several years (which I know to be accurate
from my own intimate association with TP).

(b) evidence of short term memory recall - summarize the gist of
conversations she had with two persons the previous day which again I
know to be true since I am very well indeed acquainted with the said
persons and their particular views and agendas.

In view of (a) and (b) above, plus further discussions with RB about
specific details regarding the TS in general and the English Section
and TP, I regard the comments made by the French National Board as
far too sweeping, subjective, unsupported by evidence, therefore
inaccurate and presumptuous.

SUBJECTIVE AND BIASED

Evidence
Example 1 "The National Board has a duty to inform you about Radha's
state of health."

Comment on Example 1
The National Board ALSO, IN FAIRNESS THEN, HAS A DUTY TO INFORM
MEMBERS ABOUT DR JOHN ALGEO'S (JA) PERSONAL CIRCUMSTANCES, AGE AND
HEALTH. For a balanced perspective, we also need to know JA's age,
whether he can withstand the Adyar climate and whether his personal
and wife's circumstances can support his duties as an International
President of the TS.

Evidence
Example 2 "The other candidate, John, is keeping his word: as he
said to some leaders present at the Convention, he is not
campaigning".

Comment on Example 2
1. Betty Bland's overtly campaigning e-mail has come to us well after
Convention.
2. This letter from the French National Board is blatant campaigning
on behalf of JA.
3. The "NB" footnote at the close of the French National Board letter
stating that Germany, Finland, Spain, Italy, Portugal, Sweden, the
USA, Columbia and Argentina "have decided to write in similar vein to
their members" is barefaced and unashamed campaigning on behalf of JA.
4. JA has his own multi-lingual website.

GETTING OTHERS TO DO YOUR WORK AND PULL STRINGS ON YOUR BEHALF (OR
NOT TO CURTAIL THEM DOING SO EVEN IF YOU HAVE NOT INITIATED SUCH
ACTION), WHILST KEEPING YOUR OWN HANDS PHYSICALLY CLEAN, IN NO WAY
EXONERATES AND ACQUITS A PERSON FROM FULL RESPONSIBILITY AND THE
ENSUING CONSEQUENCES.

I therefore regard the statement that "John, is keeping his word: as
he said to some leaders present at the Convention, he is not
campaigning" as completely untruthful ? either JA never so gave his
word at Convention, or, he has broken his word (I do not know which,
as I was not at Convention). The fact however is that campaigning and
lobbying on behalf of JA is actively occurring ? to pretend otherwise
is plain dishonesty. Campaigning by remote control is still
campaigning.

HEARSAY

Evidence
Plenty of examples such as: "she no longer writes speeches", "people
with doubtful intentions took advantage of Radha's present state?this
is probably happening right now, even without her knowledge".

Comment
Please may we have some evidence. Who said this? Where? When? What
day? What time? In front of whom? Any witnesses regarding
these "people with doubtful intentions"? Any evidence that such
dubious persons are acting "even without her knowledge"?

Was Maxence Ondet, as author of the letter, physically present at
Convention to report on RB's difficulty in delivering her Convention
address? Or is Mme Ondet acting on hearsay? Surely this talk was
recorded such that we can independently judge RB's performance for
ourselves?

Is Mme Ondet QUALIFIED in medicine and psychology to make her
statements about "brain damage and weakened mind"; or was she acting
upon the authority and professional advice of someone so qualified?
If so, please can we know who this medically qualified person is? IN
CONTRAST YOU ARE REQUESTED TO INSPECT RADHA'S MEDICAL CERTIFICATES
ISSUED A FEW DAYS AGO BY HER DOCTORS IN INDIA ? PLEASE SEE ATTACHMENT.

In conclusion, such subjective and emotional statements thrown in and
unsupported without even a shred of evidence would appear to be
calculated to cause mischief and are, in a word, disgraceful.

CONCLUSIONS

1. One would have expected the International Vice President to defend
the International President against unjust attack. I see no evidence
of this, unless I be mistaken.

2. WHOEVER wins the election (but see 4. below) must reside
substantially at Adyar, the spiritual home, and focus of higher
energies and forces that guide the Society (not an emotional
statement ? plenty of evidence about this in our literature).

What would you say if the President of the USA chose to reside mainly
at the American Embassy in London, or at Camp David, and governed his
country by e-mail through an appointed deputy in the White House?

What would you think of the Queen of England vacating Buckingham
Palace to live elsewhere and coming to London only to open Parliament?

3. The letter from the National Board in France would appear to me
to be motivated by an individual, or individuals with personal issues
camouflaged beneath the mask of appearing to act in the best
interests of the destiny of the Theosophical Society. The closing
paragraph of the French letter speaks volumes. "For sure, we loved
Radha. We probably still do." I have never known love to be in the
past tense; and why, may I ask, the "probability"?

4. In view of the potentially litigious nature of the allegations and
related issues and the unbalanced and factually erroneous nature of
information sent out to our members, many of whom may already have
voted on the grounds of such partial and one-sided information, I
ASK FORMALLY THAT THE CURRENT ELECTION BE NULLIFIED WITHOUT THE
COUNTING OF VOTES AND A FUTURE ELECTION BE HELD AT SUCH A TIME AS
FAIRNESS AND BALANCE SUPERVENES.

With warm regards

Dr Edi D. Bilimoria DPhil, FIMechE, FEI, FRI, CEng, EurIng

International Lecturer and author for the Theosophical Society
Speaker at two International Conventions
Twice on National Council and Executive Committee of the English
Section
Former President of the Blavatsky Lodge in London
Current Director of THEOVERSITY ? a seven year course in Theosophical
studies

 


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