Owner: Call For Media and Government Investigation of Sathya Sai Baba URL:http://barrypittard.wordpress.com Join Date: Thu, 01 Nov 2007 18:22:48 -0500 Rating:0 Site Description: Exposing arguably history's most controversial guru, Sathya Sai Baba and his global cult. Barry Pittard lived several years around Sai Baba, and taught at one of his premier colleges and is now an international coordinator on behalf of many who have left Site statistics:Click here
Is Sai Baba’s Governmental Influence ‘Miraculous’? 2007-10-31 19:11:20 Yesterday’s blog, HERE, noted the Indian magazine Business Standard news current report that the Sathya Sai Central Trust is putting Sai Baba
’s Puttaparthi airport up for sale. It was revealing to find an old 1998 Indian Express report that saw corrupt links between Sai Baba’s chief representatives and a then Civil Aviation boss. Most Indian publications have long suffered their publisher’s censorship against reports adverse to Sathya Sai Baba. As the Editor of one of India’s leading newspapers told me: Sai Baba is too powerful, with so many devotees all over India. Likely to have been all too little noticed, then, was a report filed in the Indian Express in February 1998 by reporter Swati Chaturvedi. It points to corrupt origins in the sanctioning of the Sathya Sai airport. What the Swati Chaturvedi article does not mention is that the then Civil Aviation Secretary, M.K. Kaw, is a Sai Baba devotee.
M.K. Kaw, Sai Baba Ma Read more:lsquo
Sai Baba’s Airport Up For Sale, Reports Business Standard 2007-10-30 22:53:21 Stop Press. It is reported that Sai Baba
’s airport, which has long had capacity for international flights, is up for sale.
Especially when devotees see scenes such as a jumbo jet landing at the Sathya Sai Baba airport from Hong Kong, heavily laden with a panoply of sets and costumes to celebrate the Chinese New Year at Puttaparthi, they cannot but smile. The Kingdom of Sai is surely at hand! See, my article - Will World Accept Sai Baba? He Says Yes. Very Soon
Knowingly, they observe - Ah, Swami has promised to physically go abroad very soon. All these devotees coming from around the world, alighting at Puttaparthi by plane, and what with a railhead now all the way up to Puttaparthi, praise be - it cannot be long before the whole world accepts him as Lord of all!
Is Sai Baba Flying or Well Grounded
But rather, our reports are of greatly declining numbers visiting Sai Baba from abroad.
In the face of 7 years of the most intense exposure for former devotee forces both on and off Read more:Business
, Standard
Sai Baba Top Leaders Antidemocratic 2007-10-30 18:02:06 For many years, Sai Baba
and the Sathya Sai Organization have avoided critical scrutiny. With rare exceptions, such as retired world and Indian organization head Indulal Shah, and current world chairman Dr Goldstein, Covina, California, USA, his leaders and rank-and-file have long been forbidden to make statements to media.
Not that these leaders say more than a picayune amount (if at times angrily with a rage normally kept behind-the-scenes but caught here by BBC hidden camera), and we can document that they keep crucial information from their rank-and-file. Indeed, it does not speak well of Sathya Sai Organization members that they permit such extraordinary Soviet or Chinese style, authoritarian diktat - all the more reprehensibly so in those countries which are supposed to be relatively mature democracies.
No Reputed Scholars Need Apply
Well-funded, distinguished scholarly investigation is badly thwarted - no matter whether from one of the top half dozen universities in t Read more:Leaders
Sai Baba To Be Seen In Moon? But Where Was Moon? 2007-10-25 23:28:25
Today’s blog suggests that Sai Baba
has, leave aside his recent would-be moon sightings, not been particularly bright himself.
And how can he be so when the evidence - that can less and less be hidden from his rank-and-file devotees - suggests that he now suffers from senile dementia?
He has not selected the brightest moon, nor a cloudless evening by which his religious and spiritual élite of devotees could view him in the moon on October 4, 2007, nor the brightest students of his alumni - who now rush to the Internet to prove that Sai mooning is not moon madness.
Why Seek They After A Sign?
Note, King James Bible. Mark 8.
“And he sighed deeply in his spirit, and saith, Why doth this generation seek after a sign? verily I say unto you, There shall no sign be given unto this generation”.
Note, the great Hindu monk, Swami Vivekananda:
“I look upon miracles as the greatest stumbling block in the way of truth. When the disci
Exposure of Sathya Sai Baba. Media Source List 2007-10-22 21:37:58 Media resources source list relating to the exposé of Sathya Sai Baba and his cult. Compiled by Barry Pittard: bpittard (at) optusnet.com.au
Note: Please kindly report any errors, updates, or suggest improvements. This overview - not exhaustive - was mainly compiled well before the BBC’s The Secret Swami, June 2004, and amid many far more pressing duties. I think I have sorted out Urls still alive and scrapped defunct ones. Some newspaper Urls are now not extant, or are retrievable by paid subscription, so in various cases I have relied on copies posted of these articles, usually close to the time when they were published in the media. Usually the postings were to former Sai Baba devotee websites - http://www.exbaba.com or http://saiguru.net . However, institutions, journalists, academic researchers and others in need of originals should be able to obtain those via standard resources, such as hard copy within the media establishments themselves. Barry Pittard.
Read more:Exposure
, Source
Sai Baba Cult Says it is ‘The’ Divine Organization In History 2007-10-20 20:38:29 Former devotees are accosted by Sai Baba
cult members in shopping malls, supermarkets and elsewhere.
Information on them (already skewed) is gathered by Sai Baba’s members and conveyed both &lsquo
;up the chain’ of the Sathya Sai Organization
or, in other cases, directly to attackers on the Internet, whose poor inferential capabilities can be spotted by anyone capable of detecting fallacious reasoning, and not already blinded.
By Their Fruits Ye Shall Know Them
Countless former devotees around the world - except for the occasional foolish hotheads who seem to revel in it - deplore vile language or cyber fights, no matter from which quarter they may come.
The nasty defamatory, name-calling language that any surfer can see, not least from the mere search engine references linking to pro Sai Baba materials, immediately discloses the nature of a Sathya Sai Organization that would allow its case to be put while it stands in the background, letting its members coope Read more:Divine
, History
Public Petition On Sathya Sai Baba (1) 2007-10-19 21:08:12 There is a Public
Petition calling for official probing of Sai Baba and his Sathya Sai Organization. (See website details at the end of this post).
The JUST (Just Seekers of Truth) petition is presented by a globally networked group of former followers of Sathya Sai Baba. In the ranks of both devotees and dissenters, there are those who say that Sai Baba is history’s most powerful guru. Some critics regard him as one of history’s arch deceivers - highly charismatic, highly flawed. He may brilliantly inspire good social uplift works, which is why so many earnest and good people are attracted to him, but profoundly conceals, along with his core servitors who keep an vice-like grip on his global organization, what is morally loathsome and criminal.
Allegations Far Exceed Issue of Sexual Molestation
At first, the overwhelming thrust of the Sathya Sai Baba exposé related to the perfectly normal and profound human shock at the disclosure of threats to the innocence of the young
The Secret Swami. BBC Docu. Review. Condensed 2007-10-15 22:09:01 Many have sought out my article, The BBC’s The Secret Swami
- A Revision. However, it is very long, and many readers are very busy. So, for the sake of condensation, here, in the form of quotes, are some key pieces of information from it. Downloadable video footage is in the clickable references at the foot of this present blog.
Subheaders
Focus on One Family Obscures Vast Extent of Allegations
Governments Placate India
Supposedly God, Sai Baba Woos Heads of State and other Big Players
Foreign Goose Lays Multi-billion Dollar Eggs For Sai Baba
BBC’s Tanya Datta asks: ‘Is Sai Baba Above The Law?’
Oiling Penises Not A Hindu Ritual. (Nor Of Other World Faiths)
Top Indian Minister Shows Ugly Face of Indian Government Sai Baba Patronage
Dr Goldstein Tells BBC “I am what I am - a consummate professional”
“He Could Go Out And Murder” Says Billionaire backer, Isaac Tigrett
“Absolutely Cold-blooded Murder”, Says Fmr Home Secretary, V.P.B.Nair
Room For Many More Documenta
Is Humanity One Big Cult? 2007-10-13 05:16:06 There is a fundamental mistake that defenders of those accused of serious abuse keep on making.
Accusations of substantive abuse do not have to be proved. They have to be investigated.
An organization that does not have genuine policies and practices of transparency and accountability is per se condemned.
Many Exposés of Cults Reveal Same Abuses and Rationalizations
Statements such as that an organization’s founder and his or her core leaders have never been brought before a court are crude and dishonest in the extreme. Repeatedly, across the various exposure of leaders, the patterns of denial, obfuscation and outright deceit are to be observed. Meetings between dissenters from various cults, who have left because they found profoundly betrayed the noble aims concerning which they joined, can tend to get off to a flying start, for participants are deeply struck by the many commonalities of experiences. I shall not say more of this aspect at present. For it is good that increa
Muslim Leaders Initiative Bold. Sai Baba’s Efforts Fail 2007-10-12 08:22:59 An extraordinary cross-section of mainstream Muslim
clerics, theologians and academics have acted in a way that Sai Baba
and his mega wealthy worldwide cult have profoundly failed to act.
This failure needs to be made very clear within the interfaith movement. The members of the Sathya Sai Organization which has attempted to interact with it, can be challenged to disclose their real agendas, which are similarly kept from tightly controlled public meetings in very costly, high-prestige venues around the world (See my article, Will World Accept Sai Baba? He Says Yes. Very Soon)
Virtually Sai Baba’s whole evangel and program have long been to establish unity between the faiths.
Where, if anywhere, is Sai Baba in the interfaith equation?
What, if any, distinctive contribution to interfaith conferences have Sai Baba and his Sathya Sai Organization made?
Are there any sign of the 138 Muslim leaders from all the major Islamic branches (Sunni, Shia, Ibadi, Sufi, Ismali, Jafari), Read more:Leaders
Hazards For Abuse Survivors Both Timid and Bold 2007-11-06 00:49:48 Many of our witnesses come from many countries and cultures. Alike, they testify to young male sexual and other abuses by Sathya Sai Baba, and the cover up by his core leaders in the International Sathya Sai Organization. Many are afraid to speak out.
This is a common feature of sexual abuse survivors, and Sai Baba’s proxy defenders on the Internet and elsewhere make the most of this difficulty. They say there have been no prosecutions of Sai Baba. Yet it often takes years or decades before survivors can come to terms with what happened to them.
Hazards
Of Brave Abuse Survivors
Even those few ready to face the public with the facts can often be in no position to litigate. This is because of lack of funds, time, energy, or family or close friends to support them in an intelligent and genuine manner.
In one case (See 1. under Further Resources) which should never have failed, a pro bono lawyer let his client down badly and was not proactive enough to field excellent
Dissent From Guru Cults Draws Slander and Harassment 2007-11-04 18:29:15 Discussions with activists from other movements of exposure of corrupt gurus are revealing. The various types of comparison between our separate experiences fall thick and fast. Those who speak out have typically and intensively undergone:
threats of injury or death
cyber and other forms of stalking
vilification, demonization, libels, character assassination
attacks on privacy and attempts at muckracking
attempts at intimidation by threats of various kinds, including those aimed at media who investigate the allegations
shunning or sometimes harassment by former fellow followers
mixed falsification and concealment by leaders to the rank-and-file of the testimony of those who have dissented
dereliction of the duty-of-care by organization leaders
gross distortions of words, intentions and actions of those who speak out
frequent branding of dissenters as ‘liars’
putting worst case interpretations on statements and situations, without considering alternative explana Read more:Dissent
, Slander
, Harassment
Pamela Stephenson Protects Celeb ‘Shrink Rap’ Interviewees 2007-11-02 19:35:00 I recently saw Pamela
Stephenson interviewed by Andrew Denton in Enough Rope on ABC television (Australian Broadcasting Corporation). She is the former celebrated actress and comedian, and star of such television shows Not The Nine O’Clock News. She is now a clinical psychologist in Hollywood and a professor of psychology at the California Graduate Institute.
Vile Public Critics
In her recently-made television series Shrink Rap, her famous interview subjects were willing to bare their more vulnerable feelings and lesions, and in a serious way beyond what usually passes for celebrity (so-called) &lsquo
;revelations’. Her subjects thus far have been Sharon Osbourne, Stephen Fry, David Blunkett, Sarah Ferguson, and Robin Williams.
In a note for the show, Stephenson says:
“Shrink Rap is an attempt to allow people not to be under pressure of performing, not to feel that they have to present the ideal self, the one that is always adorable and perfect and funny and
Sai Baba’s Un Divine Downfall 2007-11-16 19:35:27 For the busy reader, here is a condensed version of my longer article The Decline and Fall of the Showman Empire. (Click on this title to view the original)
A condensed version of my article The BBC’s The Secret Swami - A Revision is found in Further Reading, below. Links to downloadable video footage are also given at the foot of this present blog
- From: The Decline And Fall of The Showman Empire
Chapter Headings
No Edward Gibbon To Chronicle Sai Baba
’s Decline and Fall - Yet
An Imperial Puttaparthi Wishes To Penetrate Every Corner of Globe
Duke Versus Emperor. Edinburgh Beats Puttaparthi
Investigative Opportunities
The Emperor Without Clothes
Cult Awareness and Non-Cooperation Will Demolish Sai Baba’s Empire
Quotes
Sai Baba’s ’showman empire’ is worth many highly unaccountable billions. Frequently, they pour to his Sathya Sai Central Trust from your country and mine. (See Rediff.com reference article listed below, Sai Baba Exchequer Worth Billions. Many Countries Read more:Divine
, Downfall
Abuse Reportage. A Case for Caution, Not Inaction 2007-11-12 17:01:33 From the point of view of those who would defend their guru figure, far better to react and attack than that their idol - on whom they are so powerfully fixated - be exposed to an unfavourable public estimate.
Self-fortifying of Psyches That May Crumble
Better it is to attack than for the psyche of the attacker - in which is held the profoundly attached image of the guru - to be subject to crumbling.
Determined attackers tend to lack the quality of empathy. They do of course see their opponents as lacking in this, but even strong opponents can respect each other. In some cases, the one greater acceptance that those obsessively attached to a guru or other idol have had in life is with the cult of which they are a part. It is by no chance that many cult members describe themselves a “the family”. (Many Sai Baba devotees refer to each other as “the Sai family). This useage can create an “us” and “them” mentality and promote co-dependenc Read more:Caution
Sai Baba’s Birthday. Vast, Costly Pomp and Ceremony 2007-11-20 02:56:33 Sathya Sai Baba
celebrates his birthday on November 23, 2007 when he turns 82. You may be be sure that it will be celebrated with vast and costly pomp and ceremony that would have done any maharaja proud.
For decades, Sai Baba has not had to go to the maharajas. The maharajas - or, to be more exact, their republican equivalents - go to see him.
(For revealing photo of Sai Baba’s twin palaces at Puttaparthi, Andhra Pradesh, South India, click HERE)
Sai Baba’s Dead Body Can (Almost) Go Marching On
Tune: Brothers, will you meet me
John Brown’s body lies a-mouldering in the grave;
John Brown’s body lies a-mouldering in the grave;
John Brown’s body lies a-mouldering in the grave;
His soul’s marching on!
(Chorus)
Glory, halle—hallelujah! Glory, halle—hallelujah!
Glory, halle—hallelujah! his soul’s marching on!
Is this vast opulence amidst incredible poverty and squalor quite the image that contemporary India, as she Read more:Birthday
, Ceremony
Challenging Historic Deification 2007-11-23 21:15:38 In an age of Internet libel, stalking and various kinds of abuse against dissenters both on and off the web, it is no small undertaking for individuals to speak about their former affiliation with Sai Baba.
Strangely, Non-Campaigners Turn Into Campaigners
Not the least of difficulties in speaking out include considerable inexperience in campaigning - such as dealing with the media, Interpol, UNESCO, government ministries and departments, religious, political and civic organizations, etc. - setting up of websites and adjuncts such as an international petition. There are security problems such as hack attacks, attempts at insertion of viruses, trojans, etc.
Cultic Abandonment of Reason and Commonsense
There have been attempts by Sai Baba’s cult to denigrate and indeed in a number of cases libel former devotees. In their professions, trades and wider communities, those who have left Sai Baba as a matter of highest principle have long been known (and by many Sai devotees thems
Renowned Indian Editor VKN. Diary and Letter Scans Reveal 2007-12-02 18:52:38 Robert Priddy, former head of the Sathya Sai Organization in Sweden, and retired academic in Philosophy and Social Sciences at the University of Oslo, Norway, has just released scans of material relating to his close friendship with the famous Indian newspaper Editor
, V.K.Narasimhan, who knew him closely for several years.
VKN as Narasimhan was affectionately known, with rare courage, stood up to Mrs Indira Gandhi and the Emergency rule she imposed on India, 1975-77. He succeeded Professor P.N. Kasturi as Editor of Sanathana Sarathi, Sai Baba’s official organ, which is distributed worldwide. VKN was well known among those close to Sai Baba as being an almost lone case of one who would regularly and forcefully stand up to him.
The committing of this material - a) scanned from the extensive Priddy diaries and notebooks relating specifically and often daily to the time, and b) including exchange of letters between the two men - is valuable.
First, it honors an intellectual and mor Read more:Diary
, Letter
, Reveal
‘Moon Mission of Sathya Sai Baba’. Re Merinews Article 2007-11-29 19:48:50 Noting that the Indian news service Merinews.com contained an article by Natteri Adigal which gave me a brief mention, I responded.
This was, Moon mission of Sathya Sai Baba: Only for the faithful! by Natteri Adigal, Thursday, 29 November 2007. (see link below). I wrote the following in the Comment section, not knowing that only short messages are run, so I shall publish my response here:-
Your writer Natteri Adigal states, “Australia-based Barry Pittard, a former devotee and lecturer at Sathya Sai College in Whitefield who has been leading a campaign against the ‘cult’, ridiculed the whole exercise as another gimmick at fooling people”.
If they view my article Sai Baba To Be Seen In Moon? But Where Was Moon? Merinews readers will get an accurate version of what I have actually said. (For Link, see below)
It is by no means certain that Sai Baba attempted to fool people. Given that - as his core leaders know only too well, and photographic footage and reliable devotee a Read more:lsquo
, Mission
, Article
Bernie Banton Case. Mega Poor Can Fight Mega Rich 2007-11-28 16:42:51 What do many wealthy and powerful so-called spiritual organizations have in common with corporations?
Vested Religious Interests Cover up Like Any Other
When it comes to profound cover ups and gross desertion of duty of care, groups like the Sathya Sai Organization and the Roman Catholic Church (until the latter was forced to admit liability) act just as the James Hardy company in Australia has acted. With the worst lies, evasions and the utmost lack of compassion and responsibility.
But Bernie
Banton, increasingly sick with asbestosis, a killer disease of which the James Hardy company had secretly known since the 1930’s, nobly fought - right up until his death two days ago - against the company’s relentless
injustice.
His spirit of forgiveness also showed that being magnanimous should not be confused with refusal to act in the face of evil.
Bernie Banton with working class idol Jimmy Barnes, at the Rights At Work rally, Melbourne Cricket Ground, 2006
Warrior Bernie Banto
Timothy Conway Ph.D - On ‘The Hislop Letters’ 2007-12-18 04:21:05 Before resigning in February 2001 - following his investigation of allegations of Sai Baba’s multi-faceted abuse - TimothyConway
Ph.D had been a respected member of the US Sathya Sai Baba movement (president of the large San Francisco center and a liason-consultant for Northern California in the early to mid-1980s), as well as a longtime member of Santa Barbara, CA, Sai Center since 1988 (in addition to hosting the local Ammachi satsang and his own spiritual groups). Timothy’s key interest has been comparative East-West spiritual traditions, not just emphasizing intellectual expertise but concerned with actual living of the insights and precepts. An independent scholar with a background in psychology, Timothy is a respected lecturer and author of several outstandingly well-reviewed books (Women of Power And Grace and the forthcoming two-volume India’s Sages and other works). See his well-written and wide-ranging Enlightened Spirituality website for much more, det Read more:Letters
, lsquo
May You Look At The Moon And See Santa In It 2007-12-24 18:45:07 In the almost magical Christmassy spirit of those who have been merrily following the ‘moon miracle’ issue, I extend two almost Irish blessings:
May you look at the Moon and see Santa
in it.
May the same Moon come down your chimney (if by some miracle you still have one!)
Response to Priddy and Pittard Blogsites
More seriously, I wish to express thanks for the (virtually unimaginable number) of visits to http://barrypittard.wordpress.com . The same striking phenomenon is occurring with former head of the Norwegian Sathya Sai Baba Organization, Robert Priddy’s blogsite at: http://robertpriddy.wordpress.com (I note that he, too, has just posted a Christmas message)
It is a response that outweighs the (also almost unimaginable) libel, distortion, stalking both on and off the Internet, and other less than spiritual responses by pro Sai Baba antagonists. I would add, however, that apart from certain of his close servitors from several countries who have h
World Gallup Poll. Muslim Project 2008-02-27 18:54:41 One of the great attractions to Sathya Sai Baba felt by people from many countries has been his evangel of respect for the various faiths.
Has Sai Baba Kept Promise of Reaching Through to World
Faiths?
One can search in vain for any decently researched examples that show any capacity by him or his global Sathya Sai [...] Read more:Gallup
, Muslim
, Project
William Aitken’s Book Fails to Answer Sai Baba Critics 2008-02-20 17:21:48 Today’s blog continues my small series on aspects of Brian Steel’s impressive opus, specifically at: Bill Aitken and Sathya Sai Baba. A Writer’s Dilemma, on William
Aitken’s book, Sri Sathya Sai Baba. A Life (New Delhi, Penguin Books India, 2004. Paperback edition, 2006).
Steel’s Meticulous Work Invaluable
Brian Steel’s approach in this piece is scholarly, but his writing has long been appreciated by [...]
Australia Says ‘Sorry’. A Lesson For Sai Baba And Followers 2008-02-13 14:08:07 A great day occurred in Australia
yesterday, which the global Sathya Sai Organization may do well to note.
There is a strong lesson about admitting mistakes of the past, and responding with heart to the sorrow that one’s actions or one’s group’s actions have caused.
The rest of the Australian nation via its Federal Parliament said a [...] Read more:Sai Baba
William Aitken Fails on Prof. E. Haraldsson and Dr K. Osis 2008-02-08 13:58:43 As promised, I shall take some further looks at the work of Brian Steel. See my articles:
A Host of Sai Baba Hagiographers
William
Aitken’s Sai Baba Book Major Flaws Says Scholar
Sai Baba Researchers’ Huge Debt To Scholar Brian D. Steel
In this blogging and some upcoming ones, I shall be looking at Brian Steel’s [...]
A Host of Sai Baba Hagiographers 2008-02-02 22:24:06 In the heyday of Sathya Sai Baba
’s mission, some devotee writers with various professional backgrounds influenced many, particularly his more educated followers.
These included Professor N. Kasturi, Howard Murphet, Dr John Hislop, Dr Samuel Sandweiss, Ra. Ganapati, Dr Satya Pal Ruhela, V, Balu, Shukuntala Balu, Robert Lowenburg, etc.
Where Hagiography Fails Ethically
The name of William ‘Bill’ Aitken has now to [...]
UK Law Lords’ Landmark Ruling On Sex Abuse 2008-01-31 15:40:51 Breaking 400 years of precedents, Great Britain’s law Lords have ruled that it possible for those alleging sexual abuse to take legal action even years later.
One wonders whether the Manmohan Singh Government in India has the will or the capability of making such major changes in India. Certainly, it has made a beginning with its [...] Read more:Landmark
Sathya Sai Baba Fails To Materialize Top Tennis Match 2008-01-22 18:13:56 What? No one for Sai Baba tennis?
Anyone for a contractual obligation?
Well, there was player turnup, except for the authority’s last-second cancellation because there was no Sai Baba turnup. The shocked reaction of one of the players interviewed (see Hindustan Times report below) carries its own moral force.
In more recent times, Sai Baba’s behaviour - whether [...] Read more:Tennis
, Match
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