The New Indian Express
First Published : 24 Apr 2011 11:22:00 PM IST
Last Updated : 24 Apr 2011 11:41:11 PM IST
In a country where the ideas of rebirth of the soul and divine incarnation are deeply ingrained in the people’s faith, it might be trite to say that the void caused by the death of Sathya Sai Baba of Puttaparthi would be difficult to fill. India has had several godmen but none could match his name and fame. Millions of his followers consider him a living god, despite sceptic sounds from rationalists and non-believers. And, though occasional controversies continued to crop up during his long span as India’s most-followed spiritual leader, from ordinary believers to the President of India, his clout spread far and wide.
As a spiritual leader, Sathya Sai Baba was different in that he did not pit one religion against another and assiduously shunned sectarianism of any kind. He preached that if one remained unaffected by greed or hate and lived up to the ideals propounded by one’s religion, the world will be a happy and peaceful place. He was also different because he practised what he preached. He headed one of the biggest charitable trusts in the world, with assets that run up to `40,000 crore and roots in over a hundred countries that opened hospitals, schools and colleges. The trust also supported and funded ambitious schemes to provide drinking water to millions of people in drought prone areas of Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.
Though he built up a large following and a huge empire, he did not leave a successor. Since he himself was the chairman of Sri Sathya Sai Central Trust this has given rise to speculations about what will happen after him. While a section of his followers, that with personalities like former chief justice of India P N Bhagvati on the board, the trust will carry on its charitable work smoothly, others fear that the government might take over control in case of any rift among the members.
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