Former and longtime Maharashtra Sathya Sai orgn. state president Ramesh Sawant's letter accusing All India President of Sathya Sai orgn. Nimish Pandya of power-craze and abuse of power

Last updated on 4th Sept. 2018

Mr. V.R. Ganti's recent Facebook post, https://www.facebook.com/notes/vr-ganti/all-india-president-of-sathya-sai-seva-org-nimish-pandya-becomes-all-india-dicta/10213085340872829/, shares the very disturbing recent letter of Shri Ramesh Sawant, former state president of Maharashtra Sathya Sai orgn. to Mr. Nimish Pandya, All India President of Sathya Sai orgn. I read this letter a few days ago and was very disturbed by it.

The post also states that on Guru Poornima 2018 i.e. 27-07-2018, ".. 8 Presidents of various states in India either were removed and in one particular case, the President has been relieved of part of the state, primarily because of the bifurcation of the state itself. These changes, caused ripples in the SAI Circles of various states but most of the Presidents removed who were seriously hurt" kept quiet.

Mr. Ganti's post then states, "However, Ramesh Sawant who was the President of Maharashtra and Goa states, was shocked at the unceremonious removal of him as the President. Ostensibly, Ramesh Sawant took a couple of weeks to get into his bearings and then addressed such a polite but a firm response to Nimish Pandya by way of a letter dated August 14, 2018 which is reproduced below. This letter gives details which are an eye opener for most of us. Ramesh Sawant is a lovable character and is known for his contributions in the field of SEVA ACTIVITIES. Most of us also know that he was very close to SWAMI and many old timers in Parthi are aware of the same. IT MAY BE NOTED THAT RAMESH SAWANT WAS ONE OF THE MEMBERS WHO WERE ASSIGNED THE RESPONSIBILITY OF TAKING (INVENTORY) OF VARIOUS ITEMS IN YAJUR MANDIR, AFTER MAHASAMDHI AND THAT INDICATES RAMESH’S SINCERITY TO SWAMI AND THE RESPECT HE COMMANDS IN SAI CIRCLES."

Ravi: I was a member of Sathya Sai Orgn. Maharashtra (Dombivli samithi) from around 1993 to 2002, and have benefited enormously from it. I am deeply grateful to the organization and also Shri Ramesh Sawant who was its main leader in Maharashtra during the years I was associated with the orgn. It is appropriate for readers to note that I am biased towards Shri Ramesh Sawant.

I must also say that I have not had positive experiences with Mr. Nimish Pandya in the past in the limited interactions I have had with him. But that is my individual view of Mr. Nimish Pandya based on my limited interactions with him, and so should not be given much importance.

I have reproduced the main part of the letter below. Note that the letter is said to be dated 14th Aug. 2018:

--- start main contents of letter of former state president of Maharashtra Sathya Sai orgn. Shri Ramesh Sawant ---

To,

Shri. Nimish Pandya,
All India President,
Sri Sathya Sai Seva Organisations, India

Dear Brother,

This refers to our discussion over the phone recently regarding the meeting to be held on 15th August 2018. I was not sure if you have invited me or just informed about the meeting. First, I thought it is for me to meet all the state colleagues but now I understand from various people it is an induction program.

I wanted to express my gratitude to all my Sai colleagues on August 5th 2018 after my abrupt eviction as the State President of Maharashtra & Goa, and wanted to conduct a meeting with the blessings received from Bhagawan in the presence of one of the Members of the Sri Sathya Sai Central Trust. However, you made sure the meeting does not take place, by threatening the office bearers without even knowing the context and objective of the meeting.

 The news of my disposition came as a shock to not only me but many in the Sai family who have been showering me with infinite love and affection and words of encouragement. I am still shocked, embarrassed and extremely hurt by the way I was treated. I feel, my expectation of being treated with Love and Humility being in the Sai Family was too much to ask for.

I was all the more hurt and shocked to see the way you spoke harshly to the group of office bearers who were consoling me and pacifying me after hearing of the unexpected news. This kind of behavior by the All India President is least expected – especially after you keep giving elaborate speeches on speaking lovingly and to work with love. Ordering to close down Whatsapp groups and instructing everyone to keep away from me immediately after the announcements, makes me wonder whether we are in a spiritual organisation or a political one.

After serving for so many years, the least you could do was to discuss the changes you planned with me as an experienced brother. I would have advised you of better solutions than to divide the states of Maharashtra & Goa, which had been built after so much effort by one and all and most importantly blessed by Bhagawan -  He was always against any division. More so if you did not find me competent enough to advice you - I, at least deserved an opportunity to express my thoughts after the announcement but, I was asked to hold my words back.

Though I still have to overcome the shock and the audacity of the behavior of the Sai devotees in authority, I am thankful to Bhagawan for showing me who my real well wishers are, which has become clear in this period.

I have learnt the hard way, what Baba has said “Love everyone. But do not trust everyone without discrimination. One who puts his trust wholly in others is headed for ruin.”

(Source http://www.sssbpt.info/ssspeaks/volume35/sss35-09.pdf Pg 13)

 All along you have been saying you would like to appoint younger people in posts to carry the Sai Legacy forward, but seeing the new appointments for Maharashtra & Goa, it is obvious none of them are young in age. This clearly shows lack of integrity in thought, word and deed. Also you mentioned the National council will have power to choose the next AIP, but in the next moment you yourself proposed the name of someone for the post, makes me doubt the role of the National Council.

Finally, since I am here for my spiritual progress and not to play politics, I would like to gracefully and respectfully decline the offer to be in the National Council. I pray for the well being of everyone and for the glory of Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba to continue through able instruments

--
With loving regards & Sairam,

Your's in Sai Seva,

Ramesh D. Sawant

--- end main contents of letter of former state president of Maharashtra Sathya Sai orgn. Shri Ramesh Sawant ---

Ravi: I welcome responses from supporters of Mr. Nimish Pandya so that readers can know the other side of the story too and thereby form a balanced view on these accusations by Shri Ramesh Sawant against Mr. Nimish Pandya of power-craze and abuse of power.

A short while after Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba Mahasamadhi (end April 2011), I have directly experienced the power craze that took hold of Sai university administrators who came under the influence of Sai university's long-time former warden Guru Drohi B.N. Narasimhmamurthy who claimed to be a dream-instruction successor of Sathya Sai. The Narasimhamurthy followers group took effective control of Sai university and either threw out people who challenged them (they threw out Prof. Anilkumar Kamaraju) or ensured that those who remained, obeyed their orders without question. Many senior faculty of Sai university quit Sai university within a year or two of Mahasamadhi - at least one of them out of disgust with the power-crazed administrators of Sai university.

Today I fear that what happened to Sathya Sai university in period from July 2011 to November 2014 may happen to the Sri Sathya Sai Seva Organization, India. We devotees of Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba who has created the holy Sri Sathya Sai Seva Organization in India for the benefit all devotees of Bhagavan in India should ensure that its top office bearer, All India President Mr. Nimish Pandya, is NOT allowed to become power-crazy and abuse his power thereby weakening the Sri Sathya Sai Seva Organization in India.
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Given below are my comments from my Facebook post, https://www.facebook.com/ravi.s.iyer.7/posts/2274455009437730, associated with this blog post:

Ravi S. Iyer wrote (slightly edited) in response to a comment 'This makes me wonder even more if Madhusudan told Pandya to remove Sawant! Something stinks about this.': --Name-snipped--, I have been told that Pandya is not in touch with Madhusudan now. But I don't know for sure.

Anyway, Pandya's public silence on Madhusudan Rao Naidu matter, given the betrayal history in Sai university, creates suspicion in the minds of people.
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Ravi S. Iyer wrote in response to comment 'Maybe Narasimhamurthy is behind it.': I don't know. But this I will tell you. Narasimhamurthy is a man who is mad after power. Scary person. I used to keep a safe distance from him whenever he would visit Parthi for university events like Grama Seva and Sports. I am told that he even perhaps half-jokingly but half-seriously referred to himself as KING of Brindavan campus (Bangalore) of Sai University.

After Mahasamadhi, I think his power-craze has become uncontrolled and so I view him as quite a scary person.
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Ravi S. Iyer wrote (slightly edited) in response to a comment: --Name-snipped-- - The quote is part of Shri Ramesh Sawant's letter which I have shared. I just checked and saw that the page is 13th in the pdf file with the printed page number in the document being 141. So the pdf file seems to be an extract of a larger document.
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