I am quite amazed by the extent of the Brahma Kumaris media control.
I would love to know how much of their "charitable" budget they spend on PR. From my own experience, PR is what they call and think of as "service" and their primary service is doing PR. In other words, promoting themselves and blowing their own trumpets. I would love to write some pieces for intelligent, independent media in India. I know well India has a traditional of intellectualism, secularism and even skepticism about religious cults.
I would also love to know how much money they have in India. I suspect this must be held on some government records somewhere ... although we know not all of it goes "through the books". Not only do they demand young girls to hand over their dowries but they encourage poor followers to hand over their gold and silver jewelry so that it can be given as gifts to VIPs etc.
As you know, that is often poor people's savings.
There has been some secular criticism of the Brahma Kumaris in India, for example, their habit of marrying off young virgin girls to their god spirit. Again, I'd love to know if there is any more. At one point we specifically read that they were setting out to drown out critical view by whitewashing the media with PR.
How would it be possible to reach the widest audience in India to raise the issues we have discovered. They are serious, going all the way to suicide, embezzlement and even murder.
I would love to know how much of their "charitable" budget they spend on PR. From my own experience, PR is what they call and think of as "service" and their primary service is doing PR. In other words, promoting themselves and blowing their own trumpets. I would love to write some pieces for intelligent, independent media in India. I know well India has a traditional of intellectualism, secularism and even skepticism about religious cults.
I would also love to know how much money they have in India. I suspect this must be held on some government records somewhere ... although we know not all of it goes "through the books". Not only do they demand young girls to hand over their dowries but they encourage poor followers to hand over their gold and silver jewelry so that it can be given as gifts to VIPs etc.
As you know, that is often poor people's savings.
There has been some secular criticism of the Brahma Kumaris in India, for example, their habit of marrying off young virgin girls to their god spirit. Again, I'd love to know if there is any more. At one point we specifically read that they were setting out to drown out critical view by whitewashing the media with PR.
How would it be possible to reach the widest audience in India to raise the issues we have discovered. They are serious, going all the way to suicide, embezzlement and even murder.