The Greatest Indians since Gandhi nominated – & Sathya Sai Baba?

An Indian web site conducted a large-scale survey to determine who is in India enjoys the greatest popularity and influence, who have made the greatest contribution to the history of the country. An initial list of 50 candidates included many prominent Indians, including many no longer alive, freedom fighters, politicians, businessmen, artists and spiritual leaders. From them  the 10 most influential personalities were selected. In no category at all was Sathya Sai Baba nominated, though Mother Teresa and Iyengar were listed.

Sathya Sai Baba followers boast that he carried out unprecedented social projects in India (including schools, hospitals and so on.) and that he has initiation a new Golden Age for India. Despite his own claims to have done the greatest ever service to mankind  – 1000 times more than anyone else – he was not even mentioned on any of the greatest Indian lists which subsequently sprang up on in the Indian media and on the Internet! The reason for his total omission from the limelight  is known to all who seriously studied the issue. His reputation is forever tainted by scandals involving accusations of sexual abuse, his involvement in unsolved murders, financial mismanagement, many breaks of trust and vast unsupported claims to be the Godhead performing major miracles of materialization (but exposed as sleight of hand and fraud).

At orkut.com, nine pages of comments include dozens of lists of proposed greatest Indians and countless spiritual figures are named. But not once is Sathya Sai Baba mentioned! Likewise the suggestions found at indiastudychannel.com