What about Sai Baba’s good deeds?

POST has in the past few months been excellent in providing the necessary coverage on Sri Sathya Sai Baba. It commenced with his 85th birthday celebrations in November 2010, his recent death and now the controversies surrounding the funds.

Whilst the impression is being created that there could be “wrongdoers” within the Sri Sathya Sai Baba's Trust nothing has been proven as yet. Everything mentioned thus far is only a probability, but a lot of media hype has been highlighted.

What is very clear thus far is that whilst our swami was around, no fingers could be pointed at the running of the trust fund where he was in direct control. Money was always in abundance to initiate his projects viz running hospitals, universities, water projects, feeding and clothing the poor, etc. Due to swami's super excellent humanitarian work, monies from every corner of the world continuously flowed in. The government itself including the president and prime-ministers of India, bowed down with respect to this ‘God-Man’ which millions worship till this very day.

Sathya Sai Baba is respected by millions of people in all quarters of planet Earth. Surely there is merit and reason for this very large following. Millions of his devotees and followers have experienced some form of miracles to cope with life's challenges.

It would be appreciated if your journalists could do some investigative work and report the costs associated with keeping Sai Baba's institutions open. This includes his ashram where an excess of 20 000 people attend on a daily basis.

We all know how expensive it is to have surgeries done and to have a university education, yet these are provided free of charge together with free water for thousands of people.

I strongly believe where religious faith is being displayed for the “good of mankind” attempts should not be made to weaken this faith as it reflects poorly on that particular perpetrator.

Sailent Observer

DURBAN