Unaccountability continues at Sathya Sai Central Trust

We read on the blog of a certain Ravi S. Iyer that Indulal Shah and S.V. Giri have vacated their offices of Central Trust trustees “on account of their physical and mental incapacity“. Iyer notes that “The Sri Sathya Sai Central Trust took note of the continued absence and non participation…“

One must ask: Who is designated to take such grave decisions? It was thought that all Central Trust members have the same power, for there is no longer any head of the Trust, as far anybody knows. In earlier days when Sathya Sai was alive to preside, there were a number of dismissals, disciplinary actions, banning of members, etc. (never announced but impossible to hide). But for today’s faceless manipulators (surely cowardly cousin Ratnakar & gang) to axe Indulal Shah, the person instrumental in creating Sri Sathya Sai Seva organizations without any announcement by him, looks like an act of revenge, since Shah donated ill-gotten gains to the hated competing Muddenahalli gang. is just another example of high-handed authoritarian rule, such as the decision by Prashanthi VIPs to sack Michael Goldstein, the former International Chairman who was appointed by Sathya Sai himself and kept in office for decades by him. However, by his unscrupulous cover-ups, major blundering bossiness (such as towards the BBC, who paid him back in spades) and weak-minded bellowings lacking single feasible idea of his own, Goldstein richly earned his dismissal.

Remaining devotee hangers-on were most probably hoping that there could be some efforts for rapprochement and that unity might prevail. That has never ever been the case in the Sai cult, where – instead of genuine unity – the facade of conformity was enforced by rigorous means, threats, dismissals, bannings and even some merciless beatings … a climate in which many suicides and infamous outright executions took place and were accepted by all without qualms as being necessary karma!

The dossier on Indulal Shah is a fat one:-
Indulal Shah, flawed exponent of Sathya Sai Baba’s precepts

Indulal Shah, cover-up man for Sai Baba Sai Baba’s untruthful lackey, the former politician Indulal Shah, planned for world-wide “nation building” in the name of Sai Baba. Having become Sai Baba’s right-hand man, and – for decades – the leader of the Sathya Sai Organization worldwide, he presumed to aspire to instruct nations in the totalitarian style of the Prashanthi Nilayam township…

V.K. Narasimhan on the Sathya Sai Organization, Indulal Shah, embezzlements Shah could contravene Sai Baba’s own directives because he had world-wide contact with leaders in many countries, especially where he had installed Maharastrian Indians…

COMMENT: eileenweed said “No one is too much of a VIP to be dumped by the Trust, if they show support for the ‘oracle boy’ at Muddenahalli. They even threw out Isaac Tigrett, despite the millions of dollars he gave!”

The Sathya Sai Trust mini-empire is crumbling

Striking resignations tell their story: As reported yesterday, the Head of Sai Baba’s Super-speciality Hospital in Puttaparthi, Dr. Safaya and also several other doctors there have indicated their coming resignations. Today comes the further Indian Express report that Indulal Shah has “distanced himself from the Trust while Trust Secretary, former IAS officer K Chakravarthi, has indicated to other trustees about quitting.” To quit the sinking ship of the Sai Central Trust at this stage may help save their already shaky reputations. However, both have been involved in the huge irregularities and especially for their failure in duty of care. Both have gone along with the non-investigation and cover-up of the many sexual abuses of which Sathya Sai Baba was accused worldwide.

The Trust secretary Chackravathi has (according to our sources) offered to stay till alternate arrangements are made and he would brief the incoming secretary and officially hand over all records, before leaving. Chackravathi is referred to as a “retired IAS official”, when in fact he was forced to leave the service (Indian Administrative Service) due to embezzlement (I received this information in 1997 from an IAS Vigilance Officer, Mr. V. Ramnath). Chackravathi was, like others appointed by Sai Baba to run his affairs, was chosen to head the Rayalaseems water project (largely bungled due to kickbacks, contractor swindle, embezzlement and eventually had to be taken over by the Andhra Pradesh government).

See?Former International Chairman of the Sathya Sai Organization and its original founder, Indulal Shah, has a particularly bad record in having told the press after the 1993 police executions in Sai Baba’s bedroom that it was none of their business. Questioned by the press concerning the June 6, 1993 police killings – where the evidence overwhelmingly shows that Sai Baba stood by, having all the time and the absolute authority to act, but did nothing to stop the slayings – Indulal Shah is reported as saying, “the matter is purely internal and we do not wish to have any law enforcement agency investigating into it.” (The Hindu, June 10, 1993). In the event, the confusion spread wilfully by all involved helped slow and derail the process of investigation and the CBI work was hampered and eventually quashed at the governmental level. See review of the 1993 murders issue here

Already 10 years ago, a very succinct appraisal of how the Sathya Sai Central Trust works was posted by a former security officer at Prashanthi Nilayam, Mr. Hari Sampath. This can now be read with fresh eyes – see here.

More on the reasons for Sathya Sai Baba’s hoarding and proven mistrust of his own Sai Trust to come shortly in another blog.

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PLEASE SEE THE SAI PETITION AND DECIDE WHETHER TO SIGN IT – you may also make a comment there. Your IP or e-mail details will NOT be revealed

Massacre at Prasanthi Nilayam ashram, 1993

V.J. Ram (aka Janakiram) wrote about the ‘ruthless cruelty of man to man’ in the liquidation on Sai baba’s orders of four of his devotees who intruded into his apartment in June 1993

Note, please, that the following title is not mine, but J.V. Ram’s. I do not believe in demons or gods and avoid ‘demon’ and ‘devil’ as smacking of a superstitious mindset or a laxity of speech.

Read page ‘God or Demon’ – click here

Solicitation of funds by Sathya Sai Baba VIPs

Another white elephant pseudo-'museum'

Former International Chairman of the Sathya Sai Organization, Indulal Shah wrote while soliciting for money to build the Chaitanya Jyothi Museum in Prashanthi Nilayam,

“As regards the final cost it cannot be ascertained now fully since it will depend on the international world quality which will have to be maintained for such a monument by the Overseas Devotees. However, the estimated cost was placed at $US5 million.” [See letter to all Central Coordinators here]

Under the leadership of the Chairman, B.G. and T.M., it was noted in the minutes of the meeting of NCs of zone 4: “Monument. Most, yet not all, of the persons present feel that it may not be the right idea to install a monument like this. Rather we think that our transformation is the monument for Swami – inside, not outside. To make better use of the time, money and energy, these participants suggest to concentrate these resources on the new hospital in Bangalore….

The devotees in zone 4 will be informed of the proposed monument and be invited to contribute on the personal level. T. and B. are asked to forward these thoughts to the Central Office.”

But the next circular states: “…we do indeed suggest that each NC in his/her capacity of chairperson of the legally registered Organisation or Trust evaluates the possibilities … If there are potential and positive donors, whom you believe would be pleased to donate the sum of minimum $1000.- then approach them discreetly and explain about this magnificent building that will be there for future generations to illustrate the Avatar, His teachings, His accomplishments and His Organisation.”

The ‘Chaitanya Jyothi’ is a grand mix of Chinese, Gothic, Moorish and other architecture, with a symbolic number of 7 floors, was opened on Sai Baba’s 75th birthday in 2000 to house yet more exhibits depicting his life, mission and message and ‘glory’. I have been advised by a correspondent that,

“To understand how the Sai Org. functions we should not underestimate its financial part – Sathya Sai Central Trust. This is the body which accumulates all funds. But the information is very scarce. I haven’t seen any document about (i) when it was established, (ii) rules and regulations of its work, (iii) its relations with the Sai Org., (iv) people who run it.”

In this connection, I quote one piece of typical material from the same letter from I. Shah as above, to Overseas Coordinators on how to obtain donations from devotees:

“Overseas coordinators finally approved the following methods:
1) To organise 100 donors for accommodation in Building No. 8 and 9 and for which each coordinator gave their quota for the region which they will fulfil before March 2000. Dr. Goldstein was requested to be in charge for follow up with the Coordinators in this regard.
2) Letters to be written to the Bond Holders by respective Chairmen of the Zone. It was also decided that Bro. Hira should be in-charge of all follow up on this matter.
3) It was suggested that we should not solicit any donation by way of appeal or writing letters or making any announcements, but that the coordinators in their personal capacity should get in touch with known personalities/Sai Devotees and talk about this project to meet with the minimum target of US$50,000- per region which was supposed to be remitted in two instalments viz. before 4th March and 6th May 2000. The simple calculation was to select 50 persons and request for US$ 1,000 from each. To meet this requirement, 50 devotees may be selected from the whole Region. Perhaps it may not be necessary to reach out to all the 50 since the requirement from a particular region could be fulfilled by just a few devotees. However, if any region can contribute more than US$ 50,000- it is welcome, to offset any shortfall from smaller region.”

Concerning the above letter, the President of the Moscow Centre at the time, Serguei Badaev, wrote: I would like to share a case when at the meeting of the coordinators in Germany (it was probably the year before the construction of a new museum of Spiritual Heritage in PN started) Thorbjørn Meyer read aloud a letter from I. Shah to the audience. The letter stated that funds were necessary for the construction of a new museum in PN and they should be supplied by the world zones of the Sai Org. according to special quotas. For the world zone 4 (Northern Europe) it was stated as US$50 000- T. Meyer was reading a letter as if it was a complete surprise for him. He shrugged his shoulders and expressed his doubts that the world zone 4 including such poor countries as Russia and the countries of Eastern Europe could manage to contribute such amount. He suggested to look for some rich sponsors in Western Europe countries inside the zone and not to bother Eastern block with this matter. This implies at least two points. First, T. Meyer didn’t take part in making the decision to build a new museum (unless it is a political game for public). Second, some schemes should exist to approach potential donors for fund contributions to the Sai Org. projects.
See also Sathya Sai Baba: opulence, show, extravagance and waste

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Please go to the Public Petition for Official Investigations of Sathya (or Satya) Sai Baba and His Worldwide Organization

Indulal Shah, flawed exponent of Sathya Sai Baba’s precepts

It is often said that the test of a guru is the quality of his devotees. They certainly do tend to reflect his teaching and example, and I might add, this also implies that they do not always act in acceptable ways. After long experience of the Sai movement, the ashrams and the Sathya Sai Organization (two decades), I was forced more and more to the conviction that Sai devotees are seldom any better in actual behaviour than your average person, and the majority are frequently more selfish, ill-mannered and with fewer good qualities than those among whom I have grown up and later associated through my life. One defector from the Sai Organization illustrated the parlous situation of ‘ordinary’ members well…

DOES THE QUALITY OF DEVOTEES REFLECT THE GURU?
by: Barry Newton – ex-devotee & office-bearer, Australia.

I can relate easily with the recent posting at exbaba regarding devotees reflective of the guru. My experience in the Sathya Sai Organization has been the witness of extraordinary arrogance and selfishness on the part of those at the highest levels who should be exemplars and models of good and kind behaviour. But sadly, it is not so.

One occasion I witnessed – (Sri) Indulal Shah strut to the head of an extremely long queue in the western canteen at Prashanti in a manner which the word ‘pompous’ barely describes adequately. In all of my 49 years on earth I am yet to see a distant approximation of this man’s pompously self-important arrogance. The way he walked past and looked upon everyone with arrogant disdain is forever etched in my mind – a look I shall never forget, as if he was the only clean being amongst filthy revolting sub-humans.

It is said that you don’t get a second chance at a first impression, and that first impressions are always correct. In that regard I would urge all Sai devotees to take a second chance and long review their first impressions of the Sai ashram’s and organisations. The truth was there long before unfulfilled needs created the delusion.

Since leaving the Sai culture it is like a dark cloud has been lifted from me, and I can see clearly now! Very clearly.

Yours in Truth, Barry Newton (Thankfully) ex-Sai Org deputy chair NSW, Australia. (09-13-02)

Further comment by Robert Priddy: I know a few Sai persons who were generous, friendly and showed good qualities. That did not make them capable of acting with conscience when they came to know that many young men had accused Sathya Sai baba of sexual abuse, and some of his closest followers exposed him as a serial sexual abuser of boys (such as Dr. Naresh Bhatia, David Bailey, Conny Larsson and more).The best of them were those who investigated the matter, faced the facts and spoke out. The others buried their heads in the sand and followed the mantra “See, hear, think no evil”, which Sai Baba has impressed on all his followers (a smart self-protective ploy).I knew a lot of low profile followers who I found to be good through and through. I started out following Sai Baba’s advice determined to accept everyone, see the good in them and look beyond their faults and shortcomings. But this attitude was gradually and relentlessly worn down to a normal, common sense view of them again. I was since 1986 acquainted with one favourite of Sai Baba, a Danish VIP veranda person who was very dishonest in business, I saw his signed commitments to a Danish friend of mine who was treasurer of the Copenhagen Sathya Sai Organization, Eddie Helshøi, which that person refused to honour, involving payments he had agreed for services but which he refused to make. That alone condemned him in my eyes as a hypocrite, and the fact that Sai Baba accepted him so thoroughly was impossible to rationalize.

The most prominent ones often demonstrate massive egocentrism towards those they consider their ‘subordinates’ in the organization, while slavishly and unquestioningly doing whatever their ‘superiors’ told them (such as the International Chairman or Sai Baba). Their willingness to manipulate and connive against members under cover of an adopted outward piety and verbal unction was disgusting… so much so that I have to wonder where and how they were brought up. Plenty of thers have spoken to me about the egoism and dishonesty and, I had to concur though I am not – like Sai Baba – in the business of counting the sins of others (it would also be a time-consuming task among Sai devotees).

After deep consideration, I find the social environment Sai Baba has nurtured is not particularly praiseworthy and is neither civil nor particularly caring, let alone loving. There are exceptions to this, but they only tend to prove the rule. Even Sai Baba expresses this opinion again and again, and much more forcefully when he rants at his followers (especially in private group sessions, not least with his so-called ‘Seva Dal’ members).
See also:-
Indulal Shah and the press

Indulal Shah, cover-up man for Sai Baba

See what V.K. Narasimhan (Sai Baba’s trusted editor) said about Indulal Shah here

Please go to the Public Petition for Official Investigations of Sathya Sai Baba and His Worldwide Organization