Over the years, he managed to attract a galaxy of India’s rich and powerful, among them ministers, prime ministers, presidents, chief justices, top industrialists and superstars. However, he did not only fascinate poor and uneducated villagers with his fraudulent performances. As son of a village tantric he was familiar with the hand sleights and tricks of the trade.
Sathya Sai Baba insisted in all seriousness that he was god, the creator of the universe, and “proved” his divinity with a couple of small “miracles”. Numerous cases of alleged sexual abuse and murder are yet to be investigated, not to mention the financial secrets of his empire. Nor was he ever booked for any other crime he was accused of. But due to his political protectors he was never held responsible for his crimes against public reason. I succeeded again and again in exposing him publicly as a fraud, as did some other rationalists.
In my judgment, this is his greatest crime. At a time when scientific progress led to great social and economic leaps, and scientific awakening started spreading all over India, Sathya Sai Baba launched a “counter revolution” of superstition, supported by irresponsible politicians and other public figures who should have known better. His devastating influence on reason and scientific temper caused huge setback to the country. Too great is the damage that he did to India. But I think Sathya Sai Baba’s case qualifies for an exception. Indian guru Sathya Sai Baba, who died on 24 April 2011 aged 85ĭe mortuis nihil nisi bene, they say: say nothing but good of the dead. May it be an eye opener for the millions of gullible people whom he misguided and deluded. And till the last moment, many of his devotees clung to his word and waited for a miracle. He had predicted at a public gathering at his head quarters in Puttaparthy, in 2000, and repeatedly many times, that he would die at the age of 96 only. When Sathya Sai Baba died on 24 April 2011 at the age of 85 years, he proved once again that miracles and predictions fail.
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