In 1974,Srila Prabhupada came to Melbourne to attend the Rathyatra festival.He had just come from a preaching tour in Europe.Madhudvisa prabhu had learnt that Srila Prabhupada had changed his preaching activities to include more external types of programmes and to preach to VIP,s.Recently in Europe he had met with Cardinals and city mayors.Before this ,most of Srila Prabhupadas preaching was just to his followers.
My service was to arrange with VIP,s to meet with Srila Prabhupada.So I made arrangements for Srila Prabhupada to meet with the Catholic Bishop of Melbourne,the head of the Australian Jesuits,The moderator of the Presbyterian church,various Govt departmental heads,and scientists from the CSIRO.
Also I arranged public speaking programmes at the Melbourne town hall,Ormond hall,Saint Pascals Franciscan seminary college and at Latrobe University.
All of these programs were a resounding success and Srila Prabhupada was so pleased.Everything was wonderful except for the University Pragram at La Trobe University.
We had plastered the University with posters advertising Srila Prabhupadas lecture.
The programme was held in the Universitys main lecture hall.More than 500 students came,all the seats were full and many had to stand in the side aisles.
But unbeknown to us ,a group of radical left wing students had come to disturb Srila Prabhupadas lecture.
The vietnam war had just ended,but the radical students were still trying to disrupt civil society,and were still very militant.
Srila Prabhupad began to speak.After a couple of minutes one of the students yelled out and accused Srila Prabhupada of being a puppet of the CIA.We were all totally confused,why was this guy yelling at Srila Prabhupada? Srila Prabhupada stopped speaking momentarily,the abuse stopped,Srila Prabhupada continued to speak.After another minute the student again yelled out abusing Srila Prabhada.Again Srila Prabhupada stopped,then resumed speaking.By this time the devotees were becoming disturbed by the students abuse The audience were also becoming unsettled.
The 3rd time the student yelled at Srila Prabhupada.That was it ,we had had enough.
Immediately Myself,Buddhi Manta,Ugrasrava(there was one other devotee,I cant remember,It may have been Caru)charged through the crowd ,grabbed the offender and dragged him out the side door.Many in the crowed booed us,and said leave him alone,you are supposed to be a religion of peace.No one fought with us,because Buddhi Manta and Ugrasrava are big guys,6ft3,and no one wanted to meddle with them.
But we were so upset that they had attacked our beloved father,we had to protect him at all costs. We dragged him out side the hall ,a long knife fell out of his boot,and we gave him a few left hooks and right hand jabs.The audience were departing in droves so we just detained him,while they were hurling abuse at us.
Meanwhile back in the hall,half the audience had left.
Madhudvisa spoke on behalf of Srila Prabhupada ,diffused the situation and led Srila Prabhupada out of the hall and back to his car.The radical students had been organised to disrupt our program and threw paint over the car as Srila Prabhupada was leaving.
Madhudvisas speech to the remaing audience was recorded at the time,and his wonderful defence of Srila Prabhupada is available on Yadubas dvd,s.
I had become somewhat disturbed,by my actions of attacking the student.What did Srila Prabhupada think? Had I caused offences before him ?
The next day on the morning walk Srila Prabhupada said ,that in the future,when holding public programmes,we should charge an entrance fee,this would stop any rascals from coming.But after this incident SrilaPranhupada stopped public programs in the western countries.
After Srila Prabhupada left Australia,he wrote to Madhudvisa thanking him for the protection he had been given while in Australia.
So I felt vindicated from attacking the radical student.
I was the one who had made the arrangement for the University program and had allways felt ashamed for causing so much trouble for Srila Prabhupada.
But just last year an amazing coincidence happened.
I was in Mayapur and I ran into Bhakta Robert,who had been in and out of temples for so many years.And who I had often come across.He is a nice humble man and wanted to buy a unit in Mayapur.
We were talking away,when he told me that he had seen Srila Prabhupada for the first time at the disasterous LaTrobe University programme.And after seeing Srila Prabhupada for such a short time,he immediately wanted to become a devotee.
I couldnt believe that from this totally chaotic situation,Srila Prabhupada and his divine potency had saved this conditioned soul.
For those devotees who were present at that programme and how it ended in complete chaos,we see it as divine miracle that Srila Prabhupada saved this soul amidst the calamity that was taking place.Such is the mercy of the pure devotee of the Lord.