Sri Krishnaji
My dear Sri Krishnaji, ¶
Please accept my greetings. I received your letter dated February 2, 1968 duly but I am delayed to reply because I was consulting my colleagues about you and the kirtana parties coming here at our expense. To call a man from India and to arrange for his stay here at best for six months in different branches of our city means rupees 20,000/—or 2,000 per head, If we call for you and a party of nice kirtana singers, five men altogether, it means rupees 100,000/—the Society is not in a position to spend such an amount at present period. I am therefore training local boys and girls for kirtana and very soon we shall be out on world tour with this kirtana party. In India, however, many rich business men maybe ready to spend this amount to spread the kirtana movement. But the Govt. will not allow us to spend Indian money in such fashion without special sanction. I have written to authorities at the Govt. of India for sanction, but I have received no reply til now. You assured me that you would be able to get such sanction from Dr. Zakir Hussein but you are now silent on this format. Why not take sanction from him for this purpose and I will arrange money from India. ¶
Another proposal is that many Indian gentlemen request of me to sponsor them to come to U.S.A. In that connection, I may inform you that if somebody is ready to spend rupees 20,000/—at least I can arrange for his coming here U.S.A. and stay with us as our guest for six months in our different branches. If somebody is ready to deposit this amount in India then I shall arrange to send him a return ticket by air with letters of sponsoring for six months as our guest and Mr Singh who you introduced to me in Delhi may be interested to accept this proposal then you can talk with him if he is serious about this. Not only Mr Singh but anyone who is ready to spend like that will be sponsored by my Society to come here and stay with us for six months in different branches as our guests. I hope you are well. I am going to San Francisco on March 8, 1968. So you can reply me there. ¶
Yours, etc. ¶
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ¶