Rumours,
Gossip, Allegations, and Truth
by Brian Steel 18 February, 2002
Truth is an endangered species in these media-ridden times. With the enormous
spread and power of the Internet, the danger simply increases, so our vigilance
should be strengthened.
Rumours and gossip have played an important part in the 60-year old spiritual
mission of Sathya Sai Baba. However, for nearly 2 years now, a series of
allegations and inconvenient critical information (of varying quality and credibility) concerning Sathya Sai Baba and his organisation have
been emerging, mainly on the Internet but also in the TV and print media. There
must be many bewildered devotees out there.
The
reaction of Sai Baba's small but fiercely partisan volunteer support groups on
the Internet, in both their closed membership forums and open ones has varied
from total silence to outright and animated repudiation under the blanket
description of "gossip and rumours". For example, the opening statement of the
'members only' Yahoo Group 'Unity in Diversity' with 32 members (Feb 2002)
includes the following:
"Controversy surrounds Sathya Sai Baba in the media - print,
electronic and
audio-visual. Allegations against Sai Baba are revisited. More gossip and
rumour emerges daily. Some become troubled and perturbed upon encounter of this
material. Sai Baba, a Guru to millions, is being effectively
scandalised to his followers. This Forum is expressly created to attend in
like-minded good spiritual company (satsang) to those disturbances felt and
experienced by persons who encounter these rumours and gossip."
The basic underlying attitude put forward by another equally small but more
tentacular closed group, Sandeha Nivarini ('Dispelling Doubt') used to be (and
perhaps still is) proudly displayed upfront, like a shining badge, on its title
page:
"Sandeha Nivarini: for anyone who wishes to directly address
and remove
doubts as to the Person or Teaching of Sri Sathya Sai Baba."
This
really extraordinary statement merits a second look: "Anyone who wishes to
directly address and REMOVE doubts ..." So the underlying assumption,
presumption and guarantee for members as they sign on (as indeed I did for a
brief and unhappy time) is that although doubts about Sai Baba are possible, it
is impossible for any of them to be soundly based or justified. Therefore, such
'doubts' can ALL be worked through and dismissed by the process of group discussion. How re-assuring! How
comforting! But the real presumption is that NO seriously critical statement
about Sai Baba can possibly be based on verifiable fact or Truth! (This also
explains where the automatic label "gossip and rumours" comes from.)
Although
some allegations and critical statements (about Sai Baba or anyone else) may
turn out to be false or inaccurate, such categorical prior rejection of all of
them regardless of the evidence offered should be sufficient to warn outsiders
(which is most of us) against 'debating' with zealots on such unequal terms.
The promise
to remove ALL DOUBTS (as if the ensuing discussion is merely a formality) is an
overtly totalitarian approach. Awareness of this gives us a salutary reminder
that, when dealing with pro-active Sai Baba devotees in general, some of the
arguments or counter-arguments put forward by them in response to allegations
about or criticism of their guru (particularly on the more popular BULL-Boards)
may not be the sort normally encountered in reasoned discussion.
Furthermore, the use of a brainwashing type of slogan such as the one quoted
above shows that members (and especially their leadership) are caught up in one
of the sorts of controlling behaviour which are usually associated with "cults",
in the negative meaning of that term. (Incidentally, the slogan quoted only
mentions Sai Baba, not his Organisation. But this would appear to be an
oversight, rather than an admission that in the case of the "Organisation",
firmly-based doubt IS possible.)
All this is by way of preamble to highlight the standard automatic denial by
Sai Baba devotees in the face of criticism or unwelcome information, and the
deplorable use of 'dirty tricks' by a tiny but crusading minority of devotees on
BULL-Board postings and in e-mails. (Damage control?) Doubtless we shall see
more of such crude and undignified shenanigans in response to the significant
flurry of recent publications on the Internet containing, well, er, actually, something substantially more than "gossip and
rumours". Perhaps someone should collect any untruths or outrageous statements,
innuendos and accusations in the debate about Sathya Sai Baba and his
Organisation and make them into an amusing (or frightening?) article. Copies of
a couple of particularly malicious or clumsy examples have been sent to me this
week. Many of you will have seen them too. Any further examples of 'dirty
tricks' in the ongoing debate deserve to be denounced and held up to
public ridicule.
Have a very
good day - but why not do your bit to recognise (and publicise) the difference
between Truth, reasoned opinion and reasonable debate on the one hand, and
smokescreens, malice and lies on the other.
Bye for now,
Brian
Notes:
1. I recommend the short but highly relevant article by Andries Krugers
Dagneaux on 'Brainwashing':
http://www.surrealist.org/betrayalofthespirit/brainwashing.html
2. The Owner and controller of the Sandeha Nivarini site is on record as
writing (16 March , 2001):
"For myself, I ever marvel when folks delight in taking pieces of information
while disregarding whatever counters their viewpoint."
Right on!
But I guess he was only referring to some more "gossip and rumours".
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