THE SATHYA SAI ORGANIZATION'S DAMAGE-LIMITATION BY INTERNAL REPORT
by Robert Priddy and Barry Pittard
It has ever been the practice throughout the Sai Organisation, to 'talk up' events in such a way that everyone who was not present believe it went marvellously. The same was true of Neville Frederick's glowing account of the Melbourne meeting in the first of the same 2005 series of five money-splurges. But the fact is that the crowds stayed away, and the cause of interfaith communication remained unachieved (best ask the straightforward, non-official Sai devotees who attended).
The following e-mail about their very badly-attended public 'inter-faith' in the Sydney Super Dome (seats 12,000 persons and cost $15,000.- to hire) was circulated in the Australian Sai Organisation with the usual hype and number exaggeration, along with its supposed "historic importance".
-----Original Message----- From: Cuganesan, Cugan Sent:
Monday, 11 April 2005 |
Our observer, known for care and accuracy, actually counted the heads within the Super Dome attending the meeting - rather than fondly guessing. Result: 1,200. Yet Neville Fredricks' e-mail reports an estimated number of 1500 to 1700, which is no more accurate than plus-minus a couple of hundred persons. So it is very clear that no head count was done, but an exaggerated, all too optimistic a figure was chosen (from 3 to 5 hundred too many). That number-massaging also casts great doubt on the "estimated 250 who attended were newcomers", for our regular observer who attends all such events and knows of virtually all the organisation members involved, stated that there were virtually no outsiders! Of course, among 1,200 persons he could not know who everyone was, nor could the organisers.
Yet again, it is difficult to believe those who so blithely speak of 'Sathya' (truth). This chronic organisational mendacity is witnessed many times but ignored and wished away by many involved in the Sai organisation, the ashrams and other Sai institutions. As members continue to leave the Sai organisation in ever increasing numbers they bear witness to the non-cult world a fact, among so many other disgraceful facts, which so many devotees of this so-called religion of truth suppress. Members follow the example set by Sai Baba in all his overblown estimates of figures (c.f. Sai Baba's close servitor V.K. Narasimhan claimed that "Baba multiplies all figures by ten ) The technique is like that kind of mathematical quiz which begins: 'Think of a number…'Our observer, however, informs us that two Catholic nuns indeed were, as Neville Fredericks has reported, seen wandering through the exhibition. Probably just looking and quite possibly they kindly said they were impressed when asked their opinion. Catholic nuns would probably not want to be critical or negative. Otherwise the e-mail reports on one boy from a church. What clutching at the straws of hoped for approbation by those in mainstream religion! Of course, it is well known in the Sai movement that the Catholic Church rejects Sathya Sai Baba totally, having actually formally excommunicated the once-prominent Sai devotee, the Italian Roman Catholic priest, Mario Mazzoleni, for the specific reason that he believed in Sai Baba! Mazzoleni (now deceased) reported fully on his excommunication by the Vatican in his book A Catholic Priest Meets Sai Baba. Here one sees how the Sai Organisation has a desperate need to publicise - one by one - each non-member who attended this meeting. More damage-limitation was required: "One Western lady was moved to tears" but could this be an attempt to explain away the tears shed by one of the organising ladies, Gavina Cossa, in face of the most disappointing attendance figures? Was it the same one who was in tears when she saw the sewing projects? That a man was allegedly 'absolutely amazed' by the exhibition is the kind of hyperbole one only expects.
In the above, the words "historic event" sums up the essence of the programmatic self-deception. In 50 years' time, will it be looked back on in this way?