Mr S.Baba like it young :)
Indeed, the instrument of the subpoena may need to be used in cases such as that of Dr Naresh Bhatia, former head of the Blood Transfusion Unit at Sathya Sai Baba?s multi-million dollar Super Specialty hospital at Puttaparthi. Dr Bhatia has given us accounts of his own homosexual liaisons with Sathya Sai Baba, and of his eventual protest at Sathya Sai Baba?s sexual abuse of his college boys, including a young boy in 7th Standard (not, as is sometimes misreported, a seven years old boy). In discussions in his own New Delhi home with Stephen Carthew (q.v.), he has clarified the issue of the boy?s age, and has said (including in emails to me) that he still regards Sathya Sai Baba as his guru. (As Swami Chidananda, the institutional successor of the famous Sivananda of Rishikesh once told me, when I sought his guidance after an Australian woman had come to me distressed at hearing rumours of homosexual practices by Sathya Sai Baba, there is a long Indian tradition of surrender to one?s spiritual guru, even when serious flaws are discovered). Spiritual?! Privately, Dr Bhatia relates that he does not rescind on his earlier accounts but will not repeat them because of concern for the safety of those involved. We also understand that he has, in exchange for the release of his possessions, entered into an agreement with the Puttaparthi ashram authorities to remain silent. What fearlessness!
In India, paedophilia is a still far more tabooed topic than it is in Western countries. Nor would boys involved in such a scandal look too good in the arranged marriage sphere. However, a few courageous Indians work to expose Sathya Sai Baba. This input is crucial, as it is important for activists to lead the action within the culture that they understand best. Hindus active in the Exposé, such as the Tamil-Australian former devotee Jeyendran Soma, a civil engineer, feel that Sathya Sai Baba profoundly misrepresents and defames Hinduism, even while seeming to extol it. They point to the contradictions and muddles that he makes with the Hindu scriptures, many of which bungles can be shown to have been quietly removed by his translators. These Hindu men and women, assisted by distinguished scholars, are now taking these matters to the leading Hindu councils in the world. Smallish but very determined groups campaign to reveal the many accusations against him
PERA |