Sathya Sai Central Trust trustee S.S. Naganand talks about Loka Seva Trust issues

Last updated on 1st Nov. 2016

Given below are the contents of a shared Facebook post of mine, https://www.facebook.com/ravi.s.iyer.7/posts/1811431195740116, and my comments on it.

[The shared FB link is https://www.facebook.com/terry.reiskennedy/posts/10211151939893163. The most important part of this post is this youtube video link in it, S.S. Naganand speaks with Terry Reis Kennedy about Muddenahalli, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d5iO1cG-oMc, 46 min 44 secs.]

Great work Terry Reis Kennedy! Thanks a ton!

I think this is a superb and very informative interview of Sri Sathya Sai Central Trust, Trustee Shri S.S. Naganand by you. Your questions were very pertinent as viewed from the concerns of the Sathya Sai fraternity on social media at large, and elicited clear answers from Shri Naganand. I think your investigative reporter background would have played a role in the superb way in which you conducted the interview.

I thank Shri Naganand for agreeing to have this interview and being gracious to answer the questions Terry posed, in a clear way. Now I think Sai devotees who want to know what exactly happened with respect to the Chikaballapur court case including the background information about Loka Seva Trust, can view this video to get an authoritative SSSCT view from one of the key persons associated with the matter.
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A comment of mine in this post is given below:
I would like to say that I have seen Bhagavan talking to Shri Narayan Rao in Sai Kulwant Hall on many occasions. I often used to sit in the old students block area for Darshan which is where Shri Narayan Rao would be seated along with Muddenahalli students accompanying him, when they came to Prasanthi Nilayam for Swami darshan. Bhagavan would always seem to be very happy to talk to Shri Narayan Rao. I got the impression that Shri Narayan Rao was a very dedicated devotee and Tyagajeevi worker for Swami's mission which is why Bhagavan interacted with him so many times, which I have seen myself from quite close distance.

Now I have never talked to Shri Narayan Rao. But when I asked around (after Muddenahalli so called subtle body claims became public in May 2014) I found that people in general have had great respect for him.

I am very saddened to hear about Shri Narayan Rao's alleged involvement in the Loka Seva Trust deed amendments as stated by Shri Naganand. Now I am of the view that Shri B.N. Narasimhamurthy has, very unfortunately, got caught up in some delusion and is misguiding many people. But how did Shri Narayan Rao come under that delusion??? That is what baffles me. How is Shri Narayan Rao endorsing the FALSE CLAIM of Madhusudan Rao Naidu??? Has not Shri Narayan Rao interacted with Bhagavan in physical form so many times, and has he not read Swami discourses and instructions on matters related to mediums, to KNOW that what Madhusudan Rao Naidu and Narasimhamurthy are doing GOES AGAINST the teachings of our Lord, Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba??? I repeat that this is what really baffles me.

And then I hear about so many people having great respect for Shri Gangadhara Bhatt. How did Shri Gangadhara Bhatt end up participating in these allegedly illegal trust deed changes??

Shri Gangadhara Bhatt and Shri Narayan Rao, have been PUBLICLY PRAISED by Bhagavan in Sai Kulwant Hall (if I recall correctly, I was sitting in Sai Kulwant Hall that day)!

I think Shri Gangadhara Bhatt and Shri Narayan Rao should give a video interview giving their view of the matter so that people like me who have great respect for them as I have personally seen how much Bhagavan respected them for their work, can know what their view is. Surely, as veteran Sai educationists, they would know that Sathyam Vada, Dharmam Chara (Speak the truth; follow ethical/moral life) is what Bhagavan was deeply concerned about. I urge Shri Gangadhara Bhatt and Shri Narayan Rao sirs to DIRECTLY TELL Sai devotees their view of the matter using social media and uphold Sathya and Dharma in this regard.

I wonder whether any Muddenahalli group brothers who read this comment can pass it on to Shri Narayan Rao and Shri Gangadhar Bhat sirs. Jai Sairam!
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Given below are some comment exchanges on this matter on Terry Reis Kennedy's Facebook post, https://www.facebook.com/terry.reiskennedy/posts/10211151939893163.

In response to a comment "Do you really think that Shri Narayan Rao and Shri Gangadhar Bhat sirs. need to read this??? They get their instruction directly from Swami, so just let them do their very noble work.", I (Ravi) responded (slightly edited):

Well, are they not Indian citizens who have to follow Indian law? Are they not esteemed Sai educationists who should convey their views on this matter which has created so much confusion and pain in the Sathya Sai movement, to Sathya Sai devotees at large? Do they not have a duty towards the Sathya Sai fraternity? I think they do.

The attitude of saying that since they take instructions from what you and perhaps they, believe to be Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba's instructions conveyed by Madhusudhan Rao Naidu, so they don't need to respond to serious and genuine concerns or questions, is an improper attitude, in my view.

Yes, they may choose to ignore my words even if it is conveyed to them, as they don't know me and so don't know how much value should be placed to my questions and concerns. That is their prerogative. But are Shri Gangadhar Bhatt and Shri Narayan Rao above responding to questions on these lines from anybody other than Madhusudan Rao Naidu perhaps???? If so, that would be a rather sorry state of affairs, in my view.

I mean, they can ignore me as I am a small and relatively unknown guy, but they should not ignore respected and honourable elders of Sathya Sai fraternity who would have similar concerns/questions to what I have raised.
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In response to a comment, "Ravi S. Iyer.... u left out Sri Indulal Shah...", I (Ravi) responded:
Indulal Shah sir is, I believe, a Chartered Accountant and had his own practice. He is not an educationist. However, he and his late wife Sarla madam, I believe, would have been closely associated with Bal Vikas movement, and in that capacity they would have to be viewed as Bal Vikas educationists perhaps. In contrast, I believe that Gangadhar Bhat sir and Narayan Rao sir are teachers by profession and have held responsible administrative positions in the schools they were associated with. So they are proper educationists and since they taught the Sai system of a blend of Sai spiritual education and secular education, I think they have to be viewed as esteemed Sai educationists.
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Mr. Arun Srinivas, an ex student of Muddenhalli school, made some comments on the post. I have given below some points from his comments.

Being an old student of muddenahalli ...

Sri Narayana Rao and Sri Gangadhar Bhat are not the people who can get involved....whatever may be of Muddenahalli drama....they are not that people who fall into the cheap category who can collude with fraudsters like Madhusudhan Naidu and Narasimhamurthy

Gangadhar Bhat was the translator of SANATHANA SARATHI FOR 4 DECADES......He is just like a CHILD.....

He is a person where we have seen swami in him....to talk about him....I am small speck of dust......If Swami appears in physical form now....He will just say to gangadhar bhat not to live in the midst of these fraudsters....SUCH IS THE LOVE SWAMI HAS IN OUR MUDDENAHALLI TEACHERS.
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I (Ravi) responded (slightly edited):
Arun Srinivas, Brother as you are an old student from Muddenahalli/Alike schools, I can understand your pain and anguish due to these institutions having come under the false claim spell of Madhusudan Rao Naidu and Shri Narasimhamurthy. ...

So your view is that Shri Narayan Rao and Shri Gangadhar Bhat DO NOT believe in Madhusudan Rao Naidu's claims. But they are showing support to Madhusudan Rao Naidu and Narasimhamurthy by being present on the stage along with them for some events. So people would naturally presume that they (Shri Narayan Rao and Shri Gangadhar Bhat) believe in Madhusudan Rao Naidu's claims!

Perhaps due to some reasons (financial?) they are simply showing to the public as if they believe in Madhusudan Rao Naidu's claims. Running these educational institutions, especially in today's India where teachers expect to be paid good salaries, would need a lot of money. Funds crunch can be a horrible problem for educational institutions. Perhaps them providing support to Madhusudan Rao Naidu and Shri Narasimhamuthy resolves their funds crunch issues.

I don't want to comment much on the physical attack allegation as that is just too sensitive a matter for me. But if such a thing did happen, I condemn it unequivocally.

Thanks. Jai Sairam!
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Arun Srinivas wrote (slightly edited):
Ravi S. Iyer ... EXACTLY BOTH Gangadhar Bhat nor Narayana Rao doesn't believe in these DRAMA....There is bigger conspiracy to get both this elders into this by these fraudster.....THE MAIN CULPRIT IS NARASIMHAMURTHY.....SIMPLE AS THAT.
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V.R. Ganti responded:
Sai Ram to all - I spoke with Shri Gangadhar Bhat almost a year back or so. He was at that time having some heart issue and was operated I think. He was quite old as it appeared to me from the discussions. He does not know English and was comfortable in talking Kannada (though I was not very comfortable) and he was comfortable to talk in Hindi. He does not have a cell phone. I had to reach out to him though his caretaker. I wanted to talk to him because at that time there was some sort of rift that was going on between GB and BNNM. GB knew about me and wanted me to go over to Alike and I was not interested to travel to India/Alike.

My view is that GB was in the clutches of BNNM, though I am not very sure about it. However, as regards, Narayana Rao, I dont have any information.

The main point I think is WHY DID BNNM BREAKAWAY. I am aware and many of you must also be aware of the reason, but BNNM should make a public statement on this subject and that is when we can totally resolve the MHALLI SAGA vis-a-vis PARTHI
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I (Ravi) wrote:
Thanks for your info. about Gangadhar Bhat sir, Vr Ganti sir.
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[I thank Shri Arun Srinivas and Shri V.R. Ganti and have presumed that they will not have any objections to me sharing the above comments of theirs from the Facebook post mentioned above, on this post which is freely viewable by all, and does not have any financial profit motive whatsoever.]