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The Real Reasons Why UNESCO Withdrew From The Institute Of Sathya Sai Education Conference - What Critics Do Not Want You To Know
Unesco Expressed Regret And Removed Their Archived Press Release
Ex-Devotees Now Attacking UNESCO
Unesco References

The Real Reasons Why UNESCO Withdrew From The Institute Of Sathya Sai Education Conference - What Critics Do Not Want You To Know:

Why did UNESCO withdraw from the conference it was due to co-organize with the Institute of Sathya Sai Education on -September 8th, 2000 (with a more detailed letter published on -September 15th, 2000)? By reading the withdrawal letter that was dispersed on innumerable Anti-Sai websites, it would appear that UNESCO withdrew solely because of "widely-reported allegations of sexual abuse involving youths and children that have been levelled at the leader of the movement in question, Sathya Sai Baba".

However, there were actually three primary reasons why UNESCO withdrew from the conference (the sexual abuse allegations being the last of the reasons cited). UNESCO withdrew because:

Certain decisions were taken by the ISSE (Institute of Sathya Sai Education) without consulting with UNESCO, such as plans to hold some of the sessions at the Ashram of the Sathya Sai movement in Puttaparthi.
The inclusion of some speakers in the conference program without UNESCO's previous consent.
Widely-reported allegations of sexual abuse involving youths and children that have been leveled at the leader of the movement in question, Sathya Sai Baba.

Where did these "widely-reported allegations of sexual abuse involving youths and children" come from? The answer may surprise you. All the "widely reported allegations of sexual abuse" came directly and exclusively from a group of Anti-Sai Activists (headed by Glen Meloy and Barry Pittard) who focused on "e-bombing" UNESCO hundreds of times with Anti-Sai propaganda. Sadly, UNESCO was swayed by this Anti-Sai propaganda and did not properly research the facts before making their decision to withdraw from the ISSE Conference.

Glen Meloy and Barry Pittard have publicly boasted about spamming different organizations with Anti-Sai propaganda in an attempt to have these organizations put out warnings against Sathya Sai Baba. On the ExBaba website (in their Letters Section) one can read many examples of the fanatic and obsessive attempts by Glen Meloy and Barry Pittard to contact various people in a desperate attempt to have them issue a warning or say something negative about Sathya Sai Baba or the Sai Organization.

So, where is the proof that Anti-Sai Activists flooded UNESCO and the Flinders University with Anti-Sai propaganda in an attempt to have them withdraw from the ISSE conference? The proof comes directly from Glen Meloy and Barry Pittard's letters, interviews and emails. The proof is as follows:

Proof 1: In The Ottawa Citizen/December 19, 2000 (By Bob Harvey), Glen Meloy openly admits to:"bombarding politicians, the White House, Indian newspapers, and the FBI with allegations of abuse by the Indian spiritual leader" (-Reference 3).

Proof 2: The Vancouver Sun/February 27, 2001 (By Douglas Todd), stated: "Californian Glen Meloy is one of many former adherents who are busily "e-bombing" decision-makers, including the White House, U.S. Senators, the FBI and Indian newspapers, with warnings to keep young males away from Sai Baba" (-Reference 4).

Proof 3: At ExBaba.com, in the "Letters" section, Glen Meloy said: "Write a letter and mail it to every member warning that there are serious sexual allegations that have been made against Sai Baba by organizations like UNESCO, many media stories both in print and on web sites, many personal affidavits and resignation testimonies due to the sexual abuses, reports to the FBI, CBI, House of Commons, the United Nations, The US State Department Travel Warning, A petition to the Supreme Court of India etc. etc. etc." (-Reference 5)

Proof 4: At ExBaba.com, in the "Letters" section, Glen Meloy said: "All of our hard work has finally produced results. UNESCO has formally announced yesterday on their official web site that they have withdrawn completely from any association with the conference to be held in Puttaparthi on September 25-29, 2000…They did not give the real reasons why they have withdrawn, but it is a very important step in the right direction that they have done so…Many of you will have ideas on how to proceed from here and the first thing that comes to my mind is to let as many media people know about this as soon as possible so they can contact Mr. Zhao directly and other UNESCO officials including the Secretary General and ask whatever questions they think are appropriate". (-Reference 6)

Proof 5: At ExBaba.com, in the "Letters" section, Glen Meloy said: "Don't you think it is finally time to do a full story on this?...he went from Hartford to open a new Sai School in Toronto the very next day...Don't you think it is time for the Hartford Courant to talk to some of the actual victims who are willing to testify...It's no different than having a school named after Adolph Hitler...Thank goodness most of us did not listen to several of our members who wanted to thank UNESCO prematurely based upon the previous notice from Mr. Zhao in Thailand...THIS IS REALLY BIG NEWS !…We kept the pressure on UNESCO, THE UNITED NATIONS and FLINDERS UNIVERSITY and now they have at last appropriately responded and NOW, it is appropriate to Thank UNESCO HEADQUARTERS, NOT UNESCO THAILAND… Jai Jai Jai Expose ". (-Reference 7)

Proof 6: At ExBaba.com, in the "Letters" section, Virginie Saurel said: "Considering the suspicion, the heavy accusations which hangs over Sathya Sai Baba, I do not know if it would be appropriate or advisable to UNESCO Hq, to organize a conference of this magnitude at the Sathya Sai Baba Boys College at Puttaparthi, who has for sponsor, one of the branches of the Sathya Sai Baba Organization and to see the name of UNESCO placed side by side with the name of Sathya Sai Baba...All the more so since a very strong mediatization, promotion through the media denouncing the sordid affair of the Baba is coming out at anytime in the whole world". (-Reference 8)

Proof 7: In the Divine Downfall interview, Mick Brown said: "Meloy launched his own Internet campaign to spread the allegations…In America, the campaign organised by Glen Meloy has concentrated on "e-bombing" copies of the allegations to senators, the White House, the FBI and Indian newspapers. The most conspicuous success of the campaign came in September when Unesco withdrew its co-sponsorship and participation from an education conference at Puttaparthi, citing "deep concern" over the allegations of sexual abuse" (-Reference 9)

Proof 8: Barry Pittard stated: "Within the month, I was part of organized activity which dealt with Interpol, FBI, Australian Federal Police, German Police Prosecutor's Office, and other police forces, foreign ministries, UNESCO, the Media, etc." (-Reference 10)

Proof 9: Barry Pittard, in his Sai Slurs section, said: " As one of a group involved in getting UNESCO (Paris) to investigate various allegations against Sathya Sai Baba, I know that UNESCO, in a timely way, notified his apex leadership of its Media Advisory and cancellation, along with the University of Flinders, Adelaide, Australia, of its participation in the September 2001 education conference at Puttaparthi…Our submissions involved several months of intense activity, until UNESCO and the Vice-Chancellor of Flinders University heeded our many and rigorously detailed submissions...". (-Reference 11)

Here is the truth regarding the UNESCO withdrawal from the ISSE conference directly from the mouths of those who claimed they did it. The facts speak for themselves.

CONFIRMED: Unesco Expressed Regret And Removed Their Archived Press Release:

According to G. Venkataraman, an Indian Representative wrote a letter to UNESCO that said:

"The media Advisory dated September 15th 2000, and viewable at the address: (link) is posted to explain UNESCO’s inability to participate in a Conference organised by the Institute of Sathya Sai Education [Thailand]. In doing so, it attempts to gravely tarnish the reputation of the Sathya Sai movement by casting aspersions on the personal integrity and character of its leader, based on hearsay, and unconfirmed reports.

Shri Sathya Sai Baba is a highly respected spiritual leader and public figure in India and abroad. It is well known that the life and message of Shri Sathya Sai Baba has been devoted to promoting peace, non-violence, social harmony and is a moving force behind numerous philanthropic social projects. In this context, it is pertinent to mention that the UN Settlements Project [UN-HABITAT] launched a major education initiative three years ago, using human values approach propounded by Shri Sathya Sai Baba, to introduce a values-based water education programme though the national curriculum in Africa. The initiative has been widely accepted at high political levels and among educationists in Africa and is now being replicated by the UN-HABITAT and the Asian Development Bank in Asia and the Pacific. You will agree that issuance of a casual and negligent press release by the UNESCO cannot but do disservice to such valuable projects.

Government of India considers Shri Sathya Sai Baba and his movement a national asset and takes strong exception to UNESCO press release, which spreads wholly unfounded and unsubstantiated allegation against Shri Sathya Sai Baba.

I would therefore request you to take immediate steps to remove the objectionable press advisory from the UNESCO website. I would also appreciate an expression of regret for the damage caused to one of India ’s revered public figures, without first verifying the facts and any consultations with Indian authorities."

UNESCO responded with the following letter:

"Thank you for your letter of 15 January, expressing your Government's concern about a press advisory issued by UNESCO relating to Shri Sathya Sai Baba.

I do appreciate this concern and wish to inform you that following your personal intervention, the media advisory in question was immediately withdrawn from the archives of the UNESCO’s website for Education.

I should also like to take this opportunity to say how much the Organisation regrets this unfortunate incident and to reiterate to you, on behalf of the Director-General, that the Organisation attaches the greatest importance to the varied forms of fruitful collaboration that we have enjoyed with your country for many years.

I hope that this letter will set your mind at rest and dispel any misunderstanding."

Office Of The Director General - The Assistant Director General - UNESCO

Ex-Devotees Now Attacking UNESCO:

Major Update: February 17th 2005: Click Here to see how Anti-Sai Activists are now attacking UNESCO. Apparently, UNESCO has fully educated themselves regarding the hearsay and unsubstantaited allegations against Sathya Sai Baba and have rightly concluded that there is no new information that warrants their withdrawal notice being kept on their educational website. Anti-Sai Activists have resorted to group thuggery tactics by divulging UNESCO Representative's contact information, which encourages other critics to e-bomb UNESCO with complaints.

UNESCO REFERENCES:

1: Note of Withdrawal 8 September 2000

UNESCO-ACEID Withdraws from Co-sponsorship of Puttaparthi Conference on Values Education

To All Intended Participants

This message supersedes my previous note of withdrawal dated 25 August 2000:

After careful consideration and consultation, UNESCO-ACEID and the Flinders University Institute of International Education have decided to withdraw as co-sponsors of the Conference on Strengthening Values Education: Innovative Approaches to Teacher Education for Peace and International Understanding to be held in Puttaparthi, India, 25-29 September 2000.

UNESCO therefore has no further association whatsoever with this Conference.

Zhou Nanzhou, UNESCO-ACEID

2: UNESCO WITHDRAWS FROM CONFERENCE 15 September 2000

Paris, September 15 - UNESCO has decided it will no longer sponsor nor take part in a conference it had been due to co-organize with the Institute of Sathya Sai Education (ISSE, Thailand) and The Flinders University Institute of International Education (Australia), in Puttaparthi, India, from September 25 to 29. The decision means UNESCO is no longer associated in any way – through sponsorship, organization or participation of any kind – with the conference on Strengthening Values Education: Innovative Approaches to Teacher Education for Peace and International Understanding.

UNESCO’s withdrawal was prompted by several factors. Certain decisions were taken by the ISSE without consultation, such as plans to hold some of the sessions at the Ashram of the Sathya Sai movement in Puttaparthi, and the inclusion of some speakers in the conference programme without their previous consent. Furthermore, the Organization is deeply concerned about widely-reported allegations of sexual abuse involving youths and children that have been levelled at the leader of the movement in question, Sathya Sai Baba. Whilst it is not for UNESCO to pronounce itself in this regard, the Organization restates its firm moral and practical commitment to combating the sexual exploitation of children, in application of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, which requires States to protect children from all forms of sexual exploitation and violence.

3: The Ottawa Citizen/December 19, 2000 By Bob Harvey:

...Glen Meloy, a retired management consultant in California, is another former devotee who is using the Internet to warn others to keep their sons away from Sai Baba. After 26 years of following Sai Baba, he quit when he heard the story of a 15-year-old California boy who said he had been abused on multiple occasions. Mr. Meloy said this boy and others in families of devotees "were born with the idea that Baba is God. So they submit because they're afraid to displease their parents, let alone God himself, who's asking them to participate in these acts."...

...Mr. Meloy is now bombarding politicians, the White House, Indian newspapers, and the FBI with allegations of abuse by the Indian spiritual leader. He says he gets 50 to 100 e-mails and phone calls a day from former devotees, many of them looking for advice on what to do about the tales of abuse they have heard...

4: Vancouver Sun/February 27, 2001 By Douglas Todd:

...UNESCO recently cancelled its co-sponsorship of a conference in Sai Baba's hometown of Puttaparthi, in southern India, saying it was "deeply concerned about widely reported allegations of sexual abuse involving youth and children that have been levelled at the leader of the movement."

The many celebrity admirers of 75-year-old Sai Baba -- including Indian president Atal Bihari Vajpayee; Isaac Tigrett, co-founder of the Hard Rock restaurant chain and House of Blues; Sarah Ferguson, Prince Andrew's former wife, and dozens of prominent Indian professionals -- have so far been silent. But graphic charges have come from all over the world...

...David Bailey, a Welshman who had risen high in Sai Baba's inner circle, fell away after hearing numerous accounts of how young men's sessions with Sai Baba, which started out as purported sexual healing, eventually turned into molestation. Bailey has been compiling the stories, called the Findings, on a Web site...

...Californian Glen Meloy is one of many former adherents who are busily "e-bombing" decision-makers, including the White House, U.S. Senators, the FBI and Indian newspapers, with warnings to keep young males away from Sai Baba.

Still, no criminal charges have ever been laid against Sai Baba, although some speculate that's because of his exalted position and charitable work in India, where he's opened numerous well-appointed hospitals, schools, colleges and water-treatment facilities...

5: Pimping for Sai Baba and...A Way out of Hell at:
home.hetnet.nl/~ex-baba/engels/letters/pimping.html

Sent: Thursday, May 09, 2002 7:38 PM

Dear Friends,

What follows is the first of 15 pages of Boston.com reader comments asking Cardinal Law to resign. You can read all of them at..

http://www.boston.com/globe/spotlight/abuse/boards/jan2602/messages1.shtml

After you have read them, please consider the following...

Surely it's time to also ask ALL the Sai Baba officers who have known about and covered up the many sexual molestation allegations against Sathya Sai Baba to also resign.

Anyone who continues to participate in the conspiracy to cover up these many documented cases of Sai Baba's sexual abuses against innocent boys and young men can rightfully be classified as "Pimping for Sai Baba."

It's an absolute shameful disgrace that many of the Sai Baba conspirators are Medical Doctors, Psychiatrists, Psychologists, Teachers and Mental Health Counselors. Yes, these so called professionals should be held to a higher standard of conduct and should be at the forefront of protecting against sexual abuse.

Most medical practitioners take an oath to do no harm; and in many countries are required to be mandatory reporters of any form of child abuse that comes to their attention. Yet, here we have the head of the Sai Organization in the USA, Dr. Michael Goldstein (A Licensed Medical Doctor in the State of California), telling the Father of the boy known as Sam Young, who had been sexually molested over 20 times by the fraud God, Sai Baba, that maybe his son is delusional.

And this was not just a face in the crowd of devotees unknown to Goldstein. This was the son of one of his Regional Spiritual Coordinators, a man who had been an active devotee since the early seventies. Nor was this the first time that Goldstein had ever been informed of these kinds of sexual abuses by Sai Baba. We now know that Goldstein knew about these abuses almost 20 years prior when he was named as one of the recipients of sexual abuse information from the 1981 letters sent by Dr. Hislop. Read them using the key search word of at http://home.hetnet.nl/~ex-baba/english.html

Goldstein was more concerned about making sure that Sai Baba's laudatory remarks about Goldstein were being preserved for posterity on videotape. What a shame!

There will be a day of reckoning and it will then be too late for Goldstein and his fellow conspirators to do the right thing. They will go down in disgrace and the entire world will know of their conspiracy and cover-up.

BUT, there is a way out of hell for Goldstein and his fellow conspirators... if they act now!

Some of you may remember the movie, Gandhi . One reviewer described one of my favorite scenes...

I especially like the part during the religious riots in Calcutta. Gandhi is on a hunger-strike until the violence stops. A Hindu rioter comes up to Gandhi and throws a piece of bread at him saying "Eat. I wont have your your death on my soul too... I am already going to hell." To which Gandhi replies "Only God decides who goes to hell." The rioter then explains how he killed a little Muslim boy by smashing his skull against a wall. He explains that the Muslims killed his little boy too. Gandhi just looks at him and says "I know a way out of hell... find a little boy, about yay high, and raise him as your own. Only make sure he's a Muslim, and that you raise him as one." I don't know if such a event ever took place, but I can see Gandhi saying something like this. So simple, yet it embodies the goodness of mankind.

So, for Goldstein and his fellow conspirators around the world, I say to them... There is a way out of your hell... Visit every center and stand up and tell the truth about all the allegations. Write a letter and mail it to every member warning that there are serious sexual allegations that have been made against Sai Baba by organizations like UNESCO, many media stories both in print and on web sites, many personal affidavits and resignation testimonies due to the sexual abuses, reports to the FBI, CBI, House of Commons, the United Nations, The US State Department Travel Warning, A petition to the Supreme Court of India etc. etc. etc.

Let the members be told! Let the Mothers and Fathers, Relatives and Friends of the unsuspecting young males decide for themselves whether or not to place their children in harm's way by leaving them unattended behind the curtain of shame with Sai Baba.

Let the chips fall where they may. The Truth has to serve all, but at least do the right thing by stopping the secret conspiracy and cover-up and by informing all of the membership. Once that is done, then no one can accuse them of complicity any longer. They would have done their duty.

Sadly, I do not do not believe this will happen until they are forced by court order or are exposed to massive media accounts and/or civil lawsuits like is now happening to the Catholic Church.

Please post and distribute wherever you think it will do some good.

Much Love and Light,

Glen Meloy

followyourownheart@earthlink.net

6:Unesco's formal announcement at:
home.hetnet.nl/~ex-baba/engels/letters/unesco2.html

Dear Friends,

All of our hard work has finally produced results. UNESCO has formally announced yesterday on their official web site that they have withdrawn completely from any association with the conference to be held in Puttaparthi on September 25-29, 2000.

I have copied the text of the announcement below, but you will aslo want to go to UNESCO's web site and see for your self.

They did not give the real reasons why they have withdrawn, but it is a very important step in the right direction that they have done so.

Many of you will have ideas on how to proceed from here and the first thing that comes to my mind is to let as many media people know about this as soon as possible so they can contact Mr. Zhao directly and other UNESCO officials including the Secretary General and ask whatever questions they think are appropriate.

The follow-up on this major accomplishment should open the eyes of the FBI, the State Departments, Interpol, our Congressional and Parliament Representatives around the World, The Prime Minister and President of India.

Our thanks to Paul Holback for finding it and posting it on the Yahoo Discussion Boards and to Jens Sethi in Germany for calling it to my attention so all of you could be informed of this very important step in exposing what really goes on behind ssb's "Curtain of Shame."

Jai Jai Jai Expose'

Glen

7: Unesco Withdrawal at:
home.hetnet.nl/~ex-baba/engels/letters/unesco.html

NOW IT IS THANK YOU TIME FOR DOING THERIGHT THING !

Dear Stephanie and Rick,

Don't you think it is finally time to do a full story on this?

The guest speaker (Art Jumsai) at the Grand Opening of the Sai School in Hartford is the founder of the Institute in Thailand that is referred to in the media announcement from UNESCO HEADQUARTERS. (See below).......and he went from Hartford to open a new Sai School in Toronto the very next day.

Don't you think it is time for the Hartford Courant to talk to some of the actual victims who are willing to testify.

You have an institution in your back yard that is named after the most dangerous pedophile in the entire world. It's no different than having a school named after Adolph Hitler. I am sure your city Fathers are going to want to know about this.

VP Gore and his running mate, Senator Lieberman deserve to know the truth about this so called God who continues to rape and molest innocent young US citizens probably as we speak.

Call talk Brooke and ask him about his current book called Avatar of Night. He was the original whistle blower on this pedophile many years ago when the rest of us did not even want to hear about it.

He's willing to appear on a satellite hook-up if you can arrange it.

We really need some balanced reporting here and I think all the citizens of Hartford and the parents of the children attending that school deserve to know about this Sathy Sai Baba who claims to be the God of Gods, but who in reality is a most wicked and dangerous pedophile child abuser.

Best regards,

Glen Meloy

-----------------------------------------------------------

Friends,

THIS IS REALLY BIG NEWS !

I received an early morning fax from David Bailey which really got my attention. I then called the press service at Paris Headquarters to verify what David had sent me.

Thank goodness most of us did not listen to several of our members who wanted to thank UNESCO prematurely based upon the previous notice from Mr. Zhao in Thailand.

We kept the pressure on UNESCO, THE UNITED NATIONS and FLINDERS UNIVERSITY and now they have at last appropriately responded and NOW, it is appropriate to Thank UNESCO HEADQUARTERS, NOT UNESCO THAILAND.

Here is the official Media Advisory issued by UNESCO HEADQUARTERS IN PARIS FRANCE.

Virginie and David, please thank the officials in Paris on behalf of all of the Former Devotees and if there is a particular person/s that the members should Email or Fax their appreciation and thanks to, please send it to me so the entire lists of former devotees can respond.

Friends, Now is the time to widely distribute this wonderful news, post it on all the web sites and discussion boards, contact the media and law enforcement groups etc. etc.

More later - I want to stop now and send this out to all of you.

Jai Jai Jai Expose"

Glen

8:French letter to UNESCO from Virginie Saurel at:
home.hetnet.nl/~ex-baba/engels/letters/saurel.html

To: Mr. Jacques HALLACK, Assistant Director General of the Education Dept at UNESCO.

Notes: Formal Request to cancel the Conference organized for the 25-28 September

(UNESCO-ACEID) at Pranshanti, India

Sir,

It is on the counsel of Jenny Lynn that I am sending you this fax. I would like to inform you that your Bangkok (ACEID-PROAP) is, at this moment, organizing a conference on education (see e-mail attached) shared and arranged in partnership with the THAI Sathya Sai Organization on the premises of the Boys College at Puttaparthi even though Sathya Sai Baba in person is suspected of sexually molesting young men (amongst his devotees) and underage children or minors (chosen amongst students at this exactly same Boys College).

According to the statement, I am inviting you to consult and inspect the testimonies according to evidences presented on the following web-site:

http://www.myfreeoffice.com/saibabaexposed (not available anymore)

and come in contact directly with the victims of rape, sexual abuses and molestations. (I will provide, at your request, with the victims e-mails addresses in their own respective country of United States, Sweden, Danemark, England and Germany.)

Considering the suspicion, the heavy accusations which hangs over Sathya Sai Baba, I do not know if it would be appropriate or advisable to UNESCO Hq, to organize a conference of this magnitude at the Srthya Sai Baba Boys College at Puttaparthi, who has for sponsor, one of the branches of the Sathya Sai Baba Organization and to see the name of UNESCO placed side by side with the name of Sathya Sai Baba.

All the more so since a very strong mediatization, promotion through the media denouncing the sordid affair of the Baba is coming out at anytime in the whole world.

I let you judge the decisions to take but I am asking you to be kind enough to inform me.

With my most sincere salutations,

I remain,

VIRGINIE SAUREL

Journalist

9: The Daily Telegraph Saturday Magazine/October 27, 2000 By Mick Brown

...Meloy launched his own Internet campaign to spread the allegations. The effects of this have been enormous. There has been a rash of defections from Sai Baba groups throughout the West. >From other devotees, however, the response has been one of disbelief and denial. "Sai Baba," says Bailey, "is a simple sex maniac who's on an ego trip, after money, after power. He is a sheer conman." No, say others, "Sai Baba is God."...

...In America, the campaign organised by Glen Meloy has concentrated on "e-bombing" copies of the allegations to senators, the White House, the FBI and Indian newspapers. The most conspicuous success of the campaign came in September when Unesco withdrew its co-sponsorship and participation from an education conference at Puttaparthi, citing "deep concern" over the allegations of sexual abuse.

For all the allegations laid against him over the years, Sai Baba has never been charged with any crime, sexual or otherwise. And his exalted position in India has until now kept him safely insulated from any kind of public inquiry...

...Whether he is divine, "a demonic force", as Glen Meloy describes him, or simply an accomplished fakir and confidence trickster, Sai Baba has said nothing publicly about the allegations. When contacted, K. Chakravarthi, secretary of the Puttaparthi ashram, said, "We have no time for these matters. I have nothing to say."...

...Sai Baba's principal English translator, Anil Kumar, said every great religious teacher had faced criticism. Allegations had been made at Sai Baba since childhood, "but with every criticism he becomes more and more triumphant."

10: My Sai History by Barry Pittard - Australia at:
snowcrest.net/sunrise/Stbarry.htm

Re: Hearing rumors about sexual misconduct in the Whitefield or Puttaparthi ashrams: In those many years of living round Sai Baba when, for example, I was a Lecturer in English at Sai Baba's Whitefield college (1978-79), did I give them any credence at all, or did I think they were just malicious gossip?

Very crucially, we speak of April, 1982. I left Puttparthi to seek out two great saints, to get their assistance in how I should dharmically go about handling a report made to me that Sai Baba had been engaged in homosexual activity since he was a boy.

One of these spiritual figures was Swami Chidananda, the successor to the historically renowned Swami Shivandanda, of the Divine Life Mission, at Rishikesh. The other was Ananda Mai Ma, of Haridwar, of whom you can read in Yogananda's famous Autobiography of a Yogi. My process is too involved to do justice to. In essence, I decided that because of my experiences of countless incredible experiences of Sai Baba whom I regarded as totally Divine, the stories could not be true.

I got back to Puttaparthi in July. An Australian woman knew that I had lived lengthily around Sai Baba. She was in some distress. She told me that she had heard Sai Baba was had at some time engaged in homosexual activity. I told her I would do my best to address the matter. I went to the famous author, my fellow Australian, Howard Murphet, who has written a series of best selling books on Sai Baba, and to Richard Bayer, from the U.S.A., the most senior Sai Organization official then present at Puttaparthi. Murphet was as finely courteous as Bayer was extremely rude.

Within days, I was told by Kutumb Rao, the then Manager of Puttaparthi, a retired Judge of the Andhra Pradesh Court, that Sai Baba had ordered him to send me out, never to return. Not before I was called up to the office in the preceding few days and faced a new accusation each day. Each one absurdly untrue, clearly trumped up allegations (e.g., raising funds in the name of the Sai Organization in Australia, giving public discourse on Sai Baba).

The casting out occurred at around 8 p.m. Kutumb Rao refused to allow me to spend the night. I was forced to sleep in the bus shelter, which put me, a westerner especially, at risk of being robbed and possibly physically assaulted.

To the casual eye, I would be regarded no doubt as stupid not to have seen through to the moral turpitude of it all. However, my experiences of very great, and very consistent, experiences such as miracles (in and far beyond Sai Baba's physical presence) made me resolute. I saw myself as being put through tests of faith. Not for God's or Guru's satisfaction but for the sake of my own spiritual growth.

Malicious gossip? It never occurred to me whether malice was involved.

I accepted that all sorts of motivations for people's behavior, such as the spreading of stories, exist within a complex human condition. My overwhelming resolve was to "listen" within to my own experience of Sai Baba. I could not reconcile two notions: that of sexual hypocrisy (from the point of view of a Swami who is renounced any sexual practices of any tendency), and my own notion, based on what I regard as exceedingly profound, ineffable, that Sai Baba was one of the topmost series, even the greatest, of world teachers.

I am now very clear. Even if God should come and molest young boys and men, then I am his implacable foe.

How long was I a devotee?

Until the September 2000 "Nexus" article, almost twenty-five years.

What first drew me to Sai Baba?

A whole series of incidents which go far, far beyond the realm of coincidence. The first was in November 1975. I felt a powerful "inner knowing" that I had to go into a book shop. A book in a vast bookstore popped off a shelf, Arnold Schulman's "Baba." It was about Sai Baba. I decided to challenge the "power" of its subject an hour or so later. From then on, I received vast and continuous experiences (physical miracles, "inner knowings" that predicted with 100 percent accuracy), and more. It all defied all rational explanation. It also went far beyond traditional accounts of yogic siddhis (powers). Living around Sai Baba for three years, teaching at his Whitefield College for two years, I met many others from many countries who shared similar stories. There was something Cosmic pouring into an historic watershed. I then found Sai Baba doing what seemed to me the impossible. Getting hundreds of thousands of Indian people of all the trades and professions taking practical, far less selfish, social responsibility, instead of using karma as an excuse for lack of compassion.

Was I disillusioned upon reading the Nexus article instant, or was it a process?

I hardly had time for disillusionment. There was little process. I knew I had to take action and rigorously question many who were alleging sexual abuse by Sai Baba. For years, I have attempted to be truthful. The Nexus articles had the "ring" of truth. I contacted dozens, then scores of alleging victims, and former Sai devotee activists working immensely hard to bring a justice process to the fore. In speaking to alleging victims and their families and supporters from different countries, again I sensed the "ring of truth." Within the month, I was part of organized activity which dealt with Interpol, FBI, Australian Federal Police, German Police Prosecutor's Office, and other police forces, foreign ministries, UNESCO, the Media, etc.

How did I go about mentally recelebrating myself after losing faith in someone I had seen an a great, Divine Avatar?

Yes, there is hurt. Yet there is also a great strength, and a joy, to be found in acting according, especially against all the odds, to what one believes to be the truth. For the schoolboy part of me that I still honor, it also has an element of wanting to see the great bullies of little children come a cropper. I am therefore one of the global coordinators in the attempt to bring the allegations to light where they can be properly examined.

Barry Pittard. July 14, 2001. Australia

11: Sai Slurs Part Three at:
home.hetnet.nl/~ex_baba/engels/articles/saislurs3.html

Posted: Monday October 6, 2003

Author: Barry Pittard

Email: bpittard@beachaccess.com.au

Note: This series responds to common Sai Slurs that issue from Sai devotees in what I - ironically of course - think of as their Sai Love Mail.

Whatever Baba may do in private, he has done an immense amount of good in the wider society.

Let all people be praised for whatever good they do, but accountable for the bad. Actually, though, it is his devotees who come up with and implement so many of the ideas that are forever attributed to Sathya Sai Baba.

But are he and his accomplices above the law? Clearly, the World Convener of his organisation, Indulal Shah, thinks so. 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).

As one of a group involved in getting UNESCO (Paris) to investigate various allegations against Sathya Sai Baba, I know that UNESCO, in a timely way, notified his apex leadership of its Media Advisory and cancellation, along with the University of Flinders, Adelaide, Australia, of its participation in the September 2001 education conference at Puttaparthi. Yet the organisers did nothing to inform the conference of this momentous fact. Moreover, UNESCO also had to threaten the Times of India with an official complaint to the Press Trust of India, because that newspaper first published the UNESCO Media Advisory in a highly censored version. A very senior Times of India staff member told me privately that Sathya Sai Baba and his people hold such sway in India that it is very difficult to come out against him. I may mention in passing that P.N. Bhagawati, former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of India, a key figure on the Sathya Sai Central Trust (India) is also on the Board of Directors of The Times of India. In a joint public letter, it is he along with the Prime Minister of India, A.B. Vajpayee, and another former Chief Justice of India, Ranganath Mishra, who has said that our contentions represent "wild, reckless and concocted allegations made by certain vested interests and people against Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba." See: http://www.saiguru.net/english/news/020927openletter.htm. More Sai Slurs upon former devotee dissenters by whited sepulchres who are in fact shameless men!

Our submissions involved several months of intense activity, until UNESCO and the Vice-Chancellor of Flinders University heeded our many and rigorously detailed submissions, including sworn affidavits. UNESCO also checked with the French Government and the French National Police (the Sureté). Yet, at the Seventh World Conference, November 2000, Indulal Shah said in his inaugural address, "let me share with you that US magazine Week has chosen to give respect to the UNESCO conference held in Prashanthi Nilayam highlighting the message of Bhagawan on 'Values for All.'" (See official 'Materials of the 7th World Conference of the Sai Organization').

Clearly, Puttaparthi is a medieval fiefdom, ruled over by its despotic feudal Lord Sai Baba, and his shameless barons such as Indulal Shah, impervious to the forces of the law.