Here is my first entry on this forum, I have chosen to write about the Auckland bombings in the 1970’s (have I got your attention?). I’ll bet that there are a quite a few hearts aflutter at reading this entrée! It’s been a secret for a long time. I haven’t read all the posts on this forum but I did read this incident being referred to briefly in one post. Forgive me if I am going over old ground.
I was in Auckland in the summer of 1975 – 76. Siddha (as we all called him then) had come to New Zealand for a series of lectures. Nearly every night after he arrived we would turn up to a ‘gathering’ (mellow of course) and chant, only to then hear that Siddha was not well enough to attend, and someone else would give the talk, Tusta or others, I think Hari Rama (Harvey Mann) gave the first lecture in a nice white dhoti. It rained a lot that year and people were intently giving Siddha acupuncture, moxa and other natural treatments for what I heard was a liver ailment. It was nearly a month before we heard his first lecture and kirtan at Nick’s house on the north shore.
In the intervening time I got to know ‘the crew’ pretty well. Of most relevance to this topic were Curly Dave and Big Red. We were told that they were ksatriyas, holy warriors if you like, from the hindu four caste system (or should I say varnashrama dharma). They were heavily into martial arts, of which I was told in a hushed voice that Siddha strongly approved. Red was a big guy who I saw carrying nunchakus. I was told he was there to protect devotees and to stick up for the right cause. Hippie hangovers made me a little cautious about this, but who was I to judge? Curly Dave had wild curly hair and gave off a very different vibe to the affable Big Red. I decided to keep my distance. They seemed to be quite close to Tusta and were more or less in the inner circle, but not to the extent of Nick and Simon, who were really ‘in’, at least for that summer.
As I was driving around Auckland with a friend of mine, who was more ‘inside’ than this humble fringe-dweller, we saw some graffiti art and he said doesn’t that face remind of you of Curly Dave? Then he said he would tell me a secret, which I have kept for 34 years. He said that Curly Dave had done a couple of bombings of an abattoir and an abortion clinic in New Zealand. This gelled a little as Siddha gave some lectures that summer that were very anti-abortion and anti-animal slaughter/meat-eating. Had I heard about the bombs? No. The impression was certainly given that a number of the inner circle knew about them and that Curly Dave and Big Red were still well looked upon. I tried to rationalize this thunderbolt by telling myself that ksatriyas had to fight the holy fight. I stayed on.
The dreary summer dragged on and I could tell lots of stories, Siddha got well and lectured quite a bit, finally I decided to leave Auckland and go home. Tusta told me that to leave was to commit spiritual suicide. I left and still consider it one of the better and braver decisions I have made in my life. Many of my friends stayed on, a couple to this day. Tusta and I went on to have further dealings in future years, but that too is another story.
A year or two later I opened a newspaper to read of a report of a bomb exploding in the Grey Lynne house that was extensively used by Siddha’s followers in Auckland. I remember many kirtans and feasts there and also that the Srimad Bhagavatams and Caitanya Caritamritas were stored in the dwelling out the back, which is where it turned out that the bomb exploded. The report said that there had been some deaths. A panicked phone call established that none of my friends were killed. The story goes that Curly Dave was making a bomb in a fire extinguisher, which he was going to place in an abattoir. He was with a young peripheral devotee who was an electrician. I remember him as a quiet and nice guy who had just joined the group when I was there. Curly Dave must have thought he could use his skills. Obviously the wiring wasn’t all that good! He and Curly Dave were supposed to be leaning over the bomb when it went off. Rumor has it that Curly Dave’s head was found past the used car sales yard over the back fence and that his mouth was wide open as if saying ‘faaaaarck’. I sometimes wonder if the pages of the Bhagavatams and Caitanya Caritamritas fluttered down around his remains, like some ironic movie scene.
Well that is about as much as I know. I’m sure that there must be a lot more information out there about whether Siddha knew of all this, or Tusta, or if Curly Dave was requested to do it. I have reflected over the years on how that whole cult mentality helped people step over lines of basic morality that should never be crossed. Even those of us who stayed quiet need to look deeply on why we did that. The influence of that group or cult mentality is the most fascinating aspect of that bomb. Many people, through their knowledge of what was happening or what did happen, came perilously close to involvement in a terrorist act. Lots of people could have stopped that explosion from happening with a simple phone call to the police. What stopped us? Fear of offending Siddha? Committing the terrible mad elephant offense of guru aparadh? Most of those people with knowledge were, or started out to be, kind and well intentioned spiritual seekers. But when your guru is the one who can introduce you to Krishna and secure your salvation, every moral goes out the door in a flash.
As I think back on that blatant personality cult surrounding Siddha I am reminded of the evening arati performed by the ‘boys’ at the farm in Murwillimbah, northern NSW in Australia, as they faithfully chanted:
‘Siddha, Siddha, Siddha, Siddha, Siddha Haribol
Siddha Nityananda, Siddha Nityananda’

I was justifiably terrified.

I am amazed to find your story which I can verify to the most part. With the more recent suicide bombers I wanted to see if the reason Curly Dave was making the bomb was ever discovered. I too have carried this secret with me. My husband then was heavily involved (and still is in the Krishna movement) we were living in Grey Lynne and knew Curly Dave well. One day I heard him talking with my then husband and saying he was going to blow up an abbatoir (This never happened as far as I know). I remember the feeling so worried and hoping it was only talk. When I discussed this with my husband then and told him how horrible it would be if people were killed and it was said that would be karma. Then Curly Dave was blown up !!! Karma ? The feeling was very much "Krishna did not want bombing" Thank God. We were all in shock for quite a while.

Thank you for your post, it has brought up a lots of feelings about things at that time. I don't know if you know that Tusta died in his 40's from a brain tumour.

Hello Bobbie and Guru Doubter.

I am Rama Das Ranson, I was a kiwi kid born into Siddha worship, my parents are Allan and Robyn Ranson from Whangamata.

My mum and dad were both in that house chanting when that bomb went off. My parents told us this EXACT story.

Two guys in the shed, building a bomb in a fire extinguisher that exploded and literally obliterated them. My dad said he ran out the back and just said there was absolutely nothing left of the two guys. My dad was still young and had found his own brother hanging in his basement some time before this.

A lot of death and trauma for a young Kiwi guy to witness, no doubt.

My parents later became initiated by Siddha as Acharya Das and Radhakunda Dasi.


Thank you for sharing this, please feel free to contact me here or on facebook or rama_raw33@mail.com if you like.

My Dad said it was a bomb to blow up a slaughter house.