Robert Priddy was the head of the Sathya Sai Organization in Norway, and is a retired lecturer in Philosophy and Social Sciences at the University of Oslo. He has offered notes in support of my earlier remarks (see article list below) on the thoughts of Ashok Bhagani, UK head of the Sathya Sai Organization.
One of the great values of former devotee recollections is that they can be checked out by remaining devotees who dare to look at them and be honest enough to check the observations against their own. This is incompatible with emotional states of psychological denial, smokescreening, or of a zealotry to refute, or of a blotting out from conscience and memory. Priddy writes:
“As to the refutations of the sex abuse allegations against Sathya Sai Baba by the President of the UK Sathya Sai organisation, Mr. Ashok Bhagani, and other diverse followers, one can but point out that no one has ever been able to monitor the activities of Sai Baba in his bedroom, which he is well known to share with several college boys every night, and which he has stated himself in a discourse (see Sanathana Sarathi, June 1998, p. 142-3.
Nor is it correct that there is always someone monitoring young men in interviews, since I have seen a number go into the ‘private room’ for longish periods quite alone with Sai Baba behind a firmly closed door. The double door of the Prashanthi Nilayam interview room can be seen clearly on the photos taken after the execution of four devotees inside Sai Baba’s apartment (see photo:
Ashok Bhagani cannot be so badly misinformed about the existence and frequent use of these doors… so readers may draw their own conclusions about his statement about this! The extent and number of the allegations is legion and the circumstantial and corroborative evidence is massive. Extensive documentation can be examined on my website
My own related articles (on this blogsite) are:
Ashok Bhagani and ‘The Secret Swami’
Ashok Bhagani Says BBC Irresponsible
Ashok Bhagani Footsying With Top Blair Minister?
Subscribe to Call for media and government investigation of Sathya Sai Baba
