Prabhupāda: "...after you, who will take the leadership?" And "Everyone will take, all my disciples. If you want, you can take also. (laughter) But if you follow. They are prepared to sacrifice everything, so they'll take the leadership. I may, one, go away, but there will be hundreds, and they'll preach. If you want, you can also become a leader. We have no such thing, that 'Here is leader.' Anyone who follows the previous leadership, he's a leader. 'Indian,' we have no such distinction, 'Indian,' 'European.' "
Brahmānanda: They wanted an Indian to be the leader?
Prabhupāda: Yes. (laughs) "Everyone, all my disciples, they are leaders. As purely as they follow, they become leader. If you want to follow, you can become a leader. You are Indian. But you don't want." I told them that.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes, they probably wanted to propose somebody who would take over our movement.
Prabhupāda: Yes. Leaders. All nonsense. Leader means one who has become first-class disciple. He is leader. Evaṁ paramparā-prāpta... One who is perfectly following... Our instruction is āra nā kariha mane āśā **. You know this? What is that? Guru-mukha-padma-vākya, cittete kariyā aikya, āra nā kariha mane āśā **. Who is leader? A leader, to become leader, is not very difficult, provided one is prepared to follow the instructions of a bona fide guru.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Why did they want us to leave the room? They wanted us to leave the room. They wanted us to go out when they were talking to you.
Prabhupāda: (laughs) They are going away. Now they are finished. One day... What they will talk? Who will hear?
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: They have nothing to talk. Prabhupāda, they said that you are on a coordinating committee. So they want a second person from our Society also to be on the coordinating committee, because you may not always be able to attend the meetings.
Prabhupāda: No.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: We'll tell them, "No, Prabhupāda said only he alone should be on it."
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: (laughs) They'll like that.
Prabhupāda: I also do not want.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: You want your name to be taken off?
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Really? (laughs) They're very political, these people. He said to me, "Yes, you name another person. We can help you. We have big contacts with the ministers and others."
Brahmānanda: They mentioned Gopāla Kṛṣṇa, that they met with him about some problem with the government.
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Brahmānanda: They can help in something.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: No, that's their idea, that they should have somebody. It's very implicating though. I'll tell you, I wouldn't put anybody on that committee, really. It's very implicating. As soon as you go to that coordinating meeting, you're obligated to give them all kinds of facilities. They have nothing that we want, factually speaking. They have nothing. They have not helped us. (to Brahmānanda:) No, they have not helped us. You're listening to what they say, but I know the facts. I know they haven't helped us.
Prabhupāda: Tactfully deal with them.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Śrīmān Nārāyaṇa did nothing. Don't get involved with them, because you'll get so obligated. It's better to say that "Prabhupāda said that simply he will be on the coordinating committee. He doesn't want anybody else to be on for now." I'll say like that. For now, you don't want anybody else. You are present, so that you alone will be on it. I like that.
Brahmānanda: Don't take Prabhupāda's name off.
Prabhupāda: "And in the absence, we shall select another."
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. I felt very bad whenever they tell me to leave the room like that. I don't like to leave you alone. I get very disturbed. I was standing on the other side of the door. I could not... I didn't like it, to be leaving you alone like that. We're trained always to be with you.
Prabhupāda: Hm. Very carefully deal with them. They are trying to come into the institution to grasp the power gradually.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: That's the point. I can understand that.