The obituary of Sathya Sai Baba in The Telegraph (London) received a large number of comments. As to be expected, many were from anonymous Sathya Sai Baba followers, criticizing the Telegraph or critics of Sai Baba, often in quite primitive terms.
From The Telegraph – comments on Sai Baba obituary
The same old hackneyed ignorance of devotees about the extent and nature of the testimonial evidence and sworn, witnessed statements or affidavits against Sathya Sai Baba were trundled forth. A most civil but outspoken critic of Sathya Sai Baba who tells how he was subjected to sexual molestation by Sathya Sai Baba answered a critic who said it was easy to sit behind a screen and tarnish someone’s name (though he did exactly that himself). Hans de Kraker, who has long since made public his account of Sathya Sai Baba’s sexual advances, replied… using his photo and first name (as seen on the right here) and his full posting was as follows:-
Hi Moijejoue, it is hard for you to make a claim about my ignorance when you have never met me and can hence only create an opinion based on evidence you have access to.
To this extent I went out of my way to sign an affidavit – legally binding – witnessed by a Justice of Peace. It is also easy to sit behind a computer and judge – dismiss other peoples experiences as invalid or lies.
It was for me a huge challenge and disappointment to be confronted with the sexual requests from Sai Baba. They were a shock. What was even harder was being thrown out at that point – without explanation. I was not someone who had just walked of the road in Prashanti – I had invested my soul, feelings and emotions and money like many others – and do not regret any of this. When this occurred, I was part of management at the ashram and Director of the Western Canteen in Prashanti. I was there because I had accepted the personal invitation of Sai Baba to re-open the Western Canteen which had been closed.
The reason why I am mentioning this is because I was a devotee once, just like you maybe and got to the same point because I shared the same values as you did. I got to this point in the ashram not from one day to the other – this was a journey with a lot of monitoring and vetting from ashram management. Today I still have no issues with the teachings and the books that can be bought in the Prashanti bookstore. The books mastered and edited by Kasturi etc hold valuable information.
My issue is that Sai Baba took advantage for personal gratification and the type of gratification he condemned – and not in a transparent manner. So remember that some of these ex-devotees you are casting judgment on – started following Sai Baba because they share your same values – just not those of the master – who fell prey to his own human flaws – as we all may do from time to time.
Hans de Kraker continued in a second posting:-
A moment of reflection for ex-devotees and devotees alike. The passing of Sai Baba shows both ex-devotees and devotees that Sai Baba was only a human being with strengths and flaws. I had firs hand experiences. He prophesied that he would live till 96 and again – has not met his own claims. He advocated a life without sex – whilst indulging secretly. He did not walk the path he advocated and was not true to his own teachings. There is no bad that comes without good and surely he built hospitals and schools and supplied villages with water. However these goods do not justify the bad – some of them – abuse of position, authority for his personal sexual gratification.
So another failed prophecy – his own – he would turn 96. I bet that most current devotees will come up with an excuse that explains why he still is God Incarnate. I have spoken to doctors with university degrees, even the late Dr Mario Mazzoleni, they all chose to shoot the messenger in an ultimate effort not to accept reality and keep their own ‘dream alive’. Instead of listening to people who were suffering trauma of sexual abuse – they chose to attack them – adding insult to injury.
The attempt on Sai Baba’s live in 1993 was another extreme example of what people are willing to do for their faith – die and kill. I was there in the mandir 1993 – it was a riot and frenzy of violence – the rifle shots and executions were chilling experiences. It is definitely a moment of sadness for both sides of the fence – but probably both for very different reasons. Humanity is coming to terms with itself every day, what faith means and how far you will go. We are tested every day – across the globe. This is just another case of humanity coming to terms with itself.
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A Sai Baba devotee, Dr. O. P. Sudrania, replied at length but it was largely empty of substance. He did, however write to Hans:-
“You are perfectly entitled to your opinions – right or wrong, it is your responsibility but others have their own mind and yardsticks to evaluate you. Onething that amazes me is, “How come so many people from far away lands has been befooled by this young boy from His teens to attract to this Hamlet without some clout”? I have met personally a few of them. Why only two persons (males) have been abused by Him, as you quote, whereas hoards of people have been visiting Him without any change must be another point to verify? That includes females from all over the world of various ages and I have interacted with a good number of them myself.
While I accept your argument of personal experience, I can not satisfy myself on a scores of other reasons that defy my personal acumen or reasoning. I have nothing more to say except that please keep going in your own way till you have satisfied yourself and your mind.”
Dr. Sudrania is so ill-informed as to imagine that there were only two males have been abused by him (i.e. “Him”) – he evidently can’t or won’t read the scores of testimonies that have been on the Internet for a decade already! As it turned out this doctor-in-deep-denial had reams more of comments to write! One can still read it all on The Telegraph if one wishes, but it is full of irrelevancies and the kind of egoistic ‘humility’ that is a hallmark of many Sai followers, so there is nothing in it whatever that can shake the testimony of Hans de Kraker. Nevertheless, Hans replied in his balanced and respectful manner…
There came more cocksure and badly ill-informed challenges by Dr. O.P. Sudrania (especially about whether Hans was present at the 1993 murder scene – but also on the likelihood of a legal challenge being allowed in India, where Premanand’s petitions to several courts were delayed for over a decade and never came before a magistrate! Sudrani’s hypocritical , including the following:-
“You could have filed a legal notice against Baba and I am aware of at least two legal battles against his organisation. No one would have prevented you from doing so in India in stead of involving UN or any other outside agency.
Regarding your allegations on the shooting incidence, I am sure you were not present in the Ashram nor have you tried to verify the cause. The incidence has not been on his life and if so, then what prevented the assassins to kill Him?
They (enough in number to overpower Him) were in the room with Him with the lethal weapons, for a good time enough to kill Him but they “could not or did not”. I am not sure if you have tried to fully enlighten yourself. I assert with all my regards to you.”
Hi Dr Sudrania, I did not file a legal case against Sai Baba as I was a consenting adult. If you are referring to the fact that homosexuality in India is illegal – I believe sexual preference is a personal matter and think it is a right – so would not seek any such claims against him. I was shocked, unprepared and did not appreciate Sai Baba’s advances or requests – but never thought to take legal steps other than libel against other aggressive devotees and SSB organization members.
The reason I joined a submission to the UN with signed affidavits was because the UN were scheduling a conference or part thereof on Education of Human Values and my personal experience and alleged others meant I was now compelled to make my experience available to others so they could be forewarned and draw their own conclusions. I chose a sworn affidavit to substantiate my claim – a legally binding statement. As far as the shooting incident is concerned – I was there in 1993 in the ashram. Not just in the ashram, we had been called to come and assist getting intruders out of the ashram – intruders with the intent to kill Sai Baba. An italian friend, part of the group I travelled to India with from italy, was a karate trainer at Prashanti and Whitefield. He was a black belt third dan and he and I would hold classes. My Italian friend had been appointed personally by Sai Baba. So when the intruders attacked the mandir, some ashram staff approached us. We rushed and ran to the mandir. It was a terrible sight. An inch of blood in the interview room – blood and dead bodies dragged over the floor. There was a rioting crowd of about 500 people with home made arms, knifes etc, ready to lynch the intruders. My Italian friend and I climbed onto the facade of the mandir, hellbent to save Sai Baba. When we got onto the balcony, people were fighting with each other – arguing and it was not clear who was who.
This is where intruders could take advantage of the confusion by mingling with the crowd – as the intruders were deemed to be ex-students/staff – unknown at that point who was who. I decided to charge down a dark spiral staircase – when my Italian friend pulled me back – telling me I was a fool for attempting. And I was of course – but we were ready to protect Sai Baba as others had done moments before – attempting to neutralize the intruders. My friend started wrapping a towel he had found on the balcony around his arm – to protect against knifes but then made the call it was too dangerous to go in the small corridors without light and proper protection. Police started to arrive with rifles and we climbed back down as things were getting seriously out of hand. There were about 1000 people now. Police had their rifles pointed at the exits. The night next captured the chilling sounds of screaming people, arguments for about 15/30 minutes – followed by chilling rifle shots – the intruders had been shot. There were discussions about the process, execution vs trial – circumstances etc It was a terrible experience. So yes – I was there.
I know of 1 dozen of males that were touched by Sai Baba and that received invitations – but know for a fact that it happened to me and know of someone who travelled with our group that had succumbed to Sai Baba’s request. There are others that have signed affidavits with similar claims to mine – but can speak as a matter of fact of my experience. It was a public secret that Sai Baba touched men and on some occasions asked favors. I asked senior hospital staff for advice, a doctor from an Australia hospital, doing Seva in Parthi as well as some other ashram management staff. They were shocked but went on to say that I should remember that he is God. Some even said that someone who had accepted Sai Baba’s request was cured from Cancer. I had no ilness nor Cancer!
Shortly after me sharing my experience with these people, I was called in by the then Secretary, Chirangivi Rao and Mr Chakravarti – was told I had been expelled. I was not allowed to ask why – was only allowed to leave and only come back until I had written permission from the ashram secretary.
Upon my return to Australia I visited Sri Ramanathan – the then president of the SSB Organisation for Australia and Papoea New Guinea. I shared my experience and he stated: “That experience was for you and is your experience – but it is not mine.” He was courteous and philosophical – unlike many others in the organization. His comments did not really give me any comfort – but he was respectful and mindful. It was hard and took years to give it a place. Moments like this revive parts of that past and 5 years in India.
Cheers, Hans
Dr. O.P. Sudrania, who is a retired surgeon and a defender of yoga philosophy and other unscientific Indian traditions, went on an on with the blatant hypocrisy “My loving regards to you” while doing his utmost to cast further doubt and confusion about the facts by all manner of irrelevant means on the integrity of Hans de Kraker. This kind of behaviour is well-known particularly among Sathya Sai followers who are under an obligations to “Speak sweetly and softly” and never to criticize others from their Lord and Master. Hans de Kraker posted a good deal more himself, all of which is well worth study. (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/religion-obituaries/8471342/Sathya-Sai-Baba.html#comment-191766871)
Dr. Sudrania is a cantankerous and ill-informed defender of the indefensible because he cannot examine his own belief in the alleged ‘miraculous divine nature’ of Sai Baba. He charged critics of Sathya Sai Baba with a ‘malicious campaign’, but since the illicit hoard of wealth and property Sai Baba left in his rooms and the criminal shenanigans of the Sathya Sai Central Trust, he has not been vociferous! It wuill take him some time and effort to rationalize all that! See the following explanation he received (gracelessly) from Hans de Kraker, the Australian who spoke out about sexual molestation by Sai Baba (first in 2000). Dr. Sudrania questioned him relentlessly in a smarmy,false humble, hypocritical manner. in the interest of truth and protecting those still vulnerable to his abuses:-
from the comments on the Daily Telegraph obituary of Sathya Sai Baba
Sathya Sai Baba Deceptions Exposed 
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