Psychological trauma associated with job loss; Why I am publicly writing on Vidya Vahini lady suicide case

Last updated on 23rd April 2020

23rd April 2020 Update: I had an inner urge to name-snip the names of some person(s) in this post and so have done so.

Let me first share an article which reflects the times in which we live today. Fired worker kills five and himself in Orlando rampage, https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2017/06/05/multiple-deaths-reported-orlando-workplace-shooting-rampage/102511896/, dated 5th June 2017.

A small extract from it, "A disgruntled former employee returned to a local RV accessory business Monday and fatally shot five people before killing himself, another horror in a city still healing from a bloody mass murder at a nightclub less than one year ago."

The article quotes the associated county (Orange County, Orlando, Florida, USA) Sheriff Jerry Demings as saying, “He shot five innocent people this morning then turned the gun on himself" ... "We have no indication that this person is a participant in any type of terror organization."

Ravi: Today is 11th June 2017. The above tragedy happened on Monday, 5th June 2017. So it is less than a week ago that a fired employee went to the office from which he was fired, killed some people there and then killed himself!! This did not happen in some war/civil war ravaged country where people are being killed by guns in warfare like Syria or Iraq or even Afghanistan to some extent. It happened in the USA which is the militarily most powerful and economy-wise biggest country in the world today and which is a leading democracy with rule of law, country in the world today.!!!

This is the inescapable reality of the world in which we live today. Job related stress especially when it escalates to the point of somebody resigning, being forced to resign or being fired (services terminated) is typically a major psychological pressure event in the life of the person who loses his/her job. Prasanthi Nilayam system is no exception to this.

Very unfortunately, in such situations, some persons get into so much pyschological trauma that they become suicidal or even homicidal (state of mind where they may want to murder others). It is very unfortunate that the lady who had resigned recently from Vidya Vahini project turned suicidal and gave up her precious life in a Vidya Vahini office facility. I once again pray to Bhagavan to shower his grace on her soul and give strength and courage to her family and friends to bear this traumatic loss.

Now I have taken the view that given the sensationalism that some person(s) are indulging in with respect to this tragedy, in social media (Facebook), as a social media writer I should inform my readers of my view of the matter which I try hard to base on facts as reported by mainstream media (mainly Telugu TV and print media in this case). Note that I do not do any direct reporting myself in this matter. For example, I do not visit the police or call them up myself. I am not into that space.

Some have put forward the view that the "case is sub-judice" and so nobody should comment on it. Another has said that the investigation/matter should be dealt with privately! For the latter view, I think such serious events affect the community as a whole and therefore my understanding is that the law in India (and in USA and many other democratic countries of the world) views these events as affecting the public and DOES NOT view it as a private event.

About the "case is sub-judice" and so nobody should comment on it view: I beg to differ. I think mainstream media is authorised to report on ongoing police investigations and that is what Telugu mainstream media associated with Puttaparthi did by interacting with senior police officers of Puttaparthi police station. I thank both the Telugu news media which reported on the event and the police officers of Puttaparthi police station who provided information about the investigation to Telugu news media. That's how the community gets informed of the official view of the matter. Note that these police officers, and also the media but to a lesser extent, are accountable and answerable to higher authorities in the government and judiciary.

Further note that the USA media report that I provided at the top of this post also uses the words of the appropriate police authority where the killings occurred, the county Sheriff, as the official view to be shared with the community/public. That's how these things work, or are supposed to work, in a democratic country.

Now we have a situation where --Name1-snipped-- is being viciously maligned by somebody based in a foreign country, on social media (Facebook). The attempt is to not only throw mud on --Name1-snipped-- but also on Puttaparthi police and by extension Puttaparthi town including Prasanthi Nilayam township, as that foreign writer is making wild, unfounded and nasty allegations on the police that they are being influenced to not do the investigation properly. I condemn these allegations without any supporting evidence, made by this foreign writer. Based on reports from Telugu mainstream media as well as what I have heard locally in Puttaparthi (I live in outside-ashram Puttaparthi), I have the impression that Puttaparthi police are treating this case in a normal way [Readers may want to see my previous post which has some details about what the police shared about the investigation with the media: https://www.facebook.com/ravi.s.iyer.7/posts/1920150704868164].

I would also like to say that if I were in --Name1-snipped--'s place, to protect my fair name and reputation from the mud-slinging being indulged in by this foreign writer (as he is in a foreign country, it is difficult to legally challenge him for defamation), I would consult with a knowledgeable lawyer and the police, and then make a public statement on social media (Facebook) giving my view of the tragic matter.

I am sure that legally --Name1-snipped-- would not be barred from making a public statement which gives his view of the matter and thereby protects his fair name and reputation from the mud-slinging that some people are indulging in, against him.

Staying silent in such situations may, in all probability, result in such mud-slinging on social media to acquire a significant force. These are the days when "Fake News" is alleged to have even impacted the presidential election of the most powerful country in the world today, the USA (2016 presidential election). Therefore political leaders including USA president Donald J. Trump, the most powerful man in the world today, and Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, the most powerful man in India today, use social media, including Facebook, extensively to put forward their views of certain matters. [I follow both of them on social media.]
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Readers may want to read comments on my Facebook post,
https://www.facebook.com/ravi.s.iyer.7/posts/1920429208173647, associated with this post.

Some of my comments from above mentioned Facebook post are given below:

See bro. I have direct experience of some ego issues, some lack of transparency and accountability issues in PN system. These issues have to be tackled and resolved. Refusal to look at these issues and push everything under the carpet is not good for the long-term health of PN based Sathya Sai mission, in my considered opinion.
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My view is that many youngsters, especially alumni staff, have behaved with horrific arrogance in PN system due to which many knowledgeable and capable oldies just vanished from PN system. I mean, why will knowledgeable and capable oldies take arrogance and dominance from youngsters?

I saw this happen in the Sai university after Mahasamadhi. It was like a big EXODUS of many capable oldies as young alumni-staff were made their bosses - Registrar, CoE etc. positions. The loss to Sai university has been great!!!
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In my view, it is not young or old that is the issue. The issue is ability for the job and not abusing power and behaving arrogantly and not mentally harassing lower level staff.
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See --name-snipped--, I have worked for nearly two decades in the international software industry which is very merit oriented. Ability is what matters and youth do dominate many tech. areas.

But tendency to dominate people that some alumni-staff in PN system displayed especially after Mahasamadhi, is something I had not seen anywhere in my international software industry career. They need to know that they are accountable and such behaviour will not be tolerated. That's the way to handle abuse of power issues. NOT by sweeping it under the carpet and presuming that everything is fine.
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The Trump Comey case is very interesting and that's why I put up a post on Comey's testimony to the USA Senate Intelligence committee. ... The USA Senate provided a platform for Comey to give his view of the matter!!! That is astonishing! That's how one combats abuse of power. I salute the USA Senate for doing this. ... Note that I am not saying that Trump abused his power. We have not heard Trump's version fully. Trump has already said that, in his view, Comey lied about some things. But the point is that USA Congress is allowing Comey also to have his say, and not smothering his views under the carpet.
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Sai devotees have got divided due to MEGALOMANIA of one man mainly - B. N. Narasimhamurthy.
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The others joined him later and now Madhu Baba has become Bhagavan for Muddenahalli group. But in the key period of a year after Mahasamadhi, it was BNNM that was the main guy who DIVIDED the Sathya Sai movement.
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Not really. He started claiming to be dream-instruction successor of Swami!!!
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It was a succession issue.
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And the Sai university vice-chancellor TRAITOR --Name2-snipped-- and some alumni, and Shri Indulal Shah supported him.
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See --name-snipped--, sidelining was a common thing in PN power games even when Bhagavan was in physical form. BNNM would not have been bothered about the sidelining.
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He wanted to be BOSS. Did you get that?
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After Swami, the GREAT TYAGAJEEVI, BNNM is the only guy who can take the mission forward. .. That's the kind of mindset trap that he fell into.
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I guess he had a contempt for non-TYAGAJEEVI non-CELIBATE leaders of PN.
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Don't ever underestimate these issues in spiritual movements. Celibate fellows tend to think they are vastly superior to non-celibate people. It is a superiority complex, man ... and some of them fall into the trap of dreaming that they are CHOSEN ONES.
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