My comment on Facebook posts promoting Muddenahalli Group's Khargar, Navi Mumbai free children's hospital as "Sri Sathya Sai hospital" without mentioning Madhusudan Naidu involvement

Last updated on 9th April 2019

Given below are contents of my recent Facebook post, https://www.facebook.com/ravi.s.iyer.7/posts/2456400787909817, and some comments in it:

My comment on Facebook posts about Muddenahalli Group's Khargar, Navi Mumbai children's hospital which talk about free medical service at "Sri Sathya Sai hospital" but do not mention anything about Madhusudan Naidu

Over the past few days I have been seeing a pic of Muddenahalli Group's Khargar, Navi Mumbai hospital with some accompanying text on Facebook which give the readers an impression that it is a Sathya Sai free children's hospital and does not make any mention of Madhusudan Naidu.

I don't want to share the pic here to avoid giving them publicity. But I think it is appropriate to provide some info. about the pic and provide some of the accompanying text. The pic seems to be of the front entrance of the hospital. "LOVE ALL SERVE ALL" caption is prominent in front entrance as seen from outside. The pic shows a photograph of Sathya Sai on the wall within the hospital.

The initial part of the accompanying text is as follows: "Sri Sathya Sai hospital has been established for children at plot No. 2 A, Sector 38, Khargar, near 102 RAF Battalion, Navi Mumbai." It then conveys that it is a free children's hospital. The text ends with the sentence, "Please share with all your contacts incas (sic) it helps someone in need".

I think a lot of people, including some friends and relatives of mine, some of whom live in Mumbai and surrounding areas and are NOT Sathya Sai devotees but respect Sathya Sai, have got attracted by these Facebook posts. I think that's because of the great reputation built up by Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba for free medical care (and other free service to humanity). So they seem to be happy that now Mumbai and surrounding areas have a free Sathya Sai hospital (children's hospital). I can very much understand their happiness and wanting to share this information with their friends and relatives via Facebook. Note that the last sentence of the accompanying text in the pic requests readers to share it with all their contacts!

But we also have this Madhusudan Rao Naidu spiritual fraud problem with this hospital! So what do we do?

Today morning I saw this pic put up by an old software industry colleague of mine who is not a Sathya Sai devotee, in a closed Facebook group associated with one of my previous software company's ex-employees, that I am part of. Note that this software company is based on Bombay/Mumbai, though most of the ex-employees in this group now live abroad (USA, Australia and Western Europe). But the person who put up the post currently lives in India. I put up the following comment on the post. [I also put up the same comment on an FB friend's post of it.] I would be glad to know the views of others on my comment. Constructive and polite criticism (as against hateful and aggressive criticism) is welcome.

--- Start my comment on Facebook post having Muddenahalli Group Khargar, Navi Mumbai hospital pic ... ---
Regarding the medical services rendered: I don't know the quality of medical service of this quite new free hospital (for children). But I would not be surprised if the quality is decent, at least, or even excellent.

But there is one major spiritual problem with this hospital: This hospital is associated with a spiritual fraud called Madhusudan Rao Naidu who makes the outrageously false claim that he is a so-called communicator (medium) of Sri Sathya Sai Baba who (bodily) passed away in April 2011. Madhusudan also makes the outrageously false claim that at times the spirit of Sathya Sai enters into his body at which time he becomes Sathya Sai!! I have put up an associated change.org petition against Madhusudan Rao Naidu spiritual fraud here: https://www.change.org/p/sathya-sai-devotee-fraternity-worldwide-we-condemn-spiritual-fraud-madhusudan-rao-naidu.

So what I would recommend is that those persons who want to avail of the free services of this hospital may do so and if they are spiritually inclined and if they do not know about Sri Sathya Sai Baba, they are very welcome to explore what the hospital provides as information about Sri Sathya Sai Baba. But they should stay away from any information and any promotion that this hospital does with relation to spiritual fraud Madhusudan Rao Naidu and his outrageously false claim of being a medium/communicator/embodiment of Sri Sathya Sai Baba.

Readers may also want to visit my Aug. 2018 blog post: Open letter to Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis about false claims made by Madhusudan Rao Naidu wrt Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba, http://ravisiyer.blogspot.com/2018/08/open-letter-to-maharashtra-chief.html. Note that the land on which the hospital is constructed seems to have been given to the hospital by Maharashtra government.

--- end my comment on Facebook post having Muddenahalli Group Khargar, Navi Mumbai hospital pic ... ---
---- end FB post contents ---

A person commented that my approach sounds reasonable. The person also expressed concern about source of funds for these organizations.
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I responded (slightly edited):  Thanks --Name-snipped--. Noted your view about the finances part. As a policy, I avoid commenting on finance matters. But I will say this: Transparency about funds goes a long way in establishing the bona fide of NGOs.
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I wrote (slightly edited): I have noted that among the persons tagged, only --Name-snipped-- commented in response. So special thanks (again) to --Name-snipped--. Perhaps others prefer to stay silent or did not see the tag or are busy...

I had a phone/verbal conversation about this post with an elder with decades of association with Sathya Sai orgn. as well as personal interactions with Sathya Sai. After explaining my stand in the post, I asked him what he thought of it.

He first raised the issue of Muddenahalli Group using the service this hospital does to attract more donors & donations (I have put it more politely than how he said it). I agreed with him that this is an issue.

But, I said, how can I say that nobody should visit the hospital! While some persons have the view that some demonic force is powering Muddenahalli group, I do not know enough about demonic forces to know whether this is true or not. So I cannot say to Mumbai and surrounding areas contacts of mine which are many due to me being a former Mumbaikar/Dombivlikar, that this hospital is being supported by some demonic force and so it is better not to visit this hospital. Note that in the past few months, two medical doctors among my relatives who are based in Mumbai told me or indicated to me that they are aware of this Khargar hospital for children. So at least among the medical fraternity in Mumbai and surrounding areas, there seems to be some level of exposure now about this Khargar free hospital for children which carries the name of Sathya Sai. [Note that Khargar is in one of the surrounding areas (satellite towns) of Mumbai. These surrounding areas of Mumbai are somewhat like surrounding areas of New York city e.g. New Jersey towns close to New York city. These areas are well connected to the main city (Mumbai/New York city) and also to some extent to each other, for commuting. So the Khargar free hospital essentially is in a position to service Mumbai city as well as its surrounding areas/satellite towns. For more, see Mumbai Metropolitan Region wiki page: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mumbai_Metropolitan_Region.]

The elder agreed that we (he and I at least) cannot say that nobody should visit Muddenahalli group's Khargar hospital. Needy persons who want to avail of the free medical service could visit the hospital and benefit from the medical service rendered. [And MDH group will use such patient statistics to advertise about their service to society rendered and thereby try to attract more donors & donations and further promote spiritual fraud Madhusudan Rao Naidu! That is an unfortunate reality.]

He (the elder) agreed with the overall stand of mine as I had conveyed it to him (based on this post).
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A person commented that as of now I am only commenting about Mumbai hospital but that in a few short years 160 medical centres are planned and that that will give me a headache.

I responded (slightly edited): Bro. --Name-snipped-- - Have you heard of pyramid schemes (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pyramid_scheme)? Madhu Baba has been able to attract lots of donors and donations with his outrageously false claims. But I think there is a limit to such donors and donations. ... 160 free hospitals or medical centres that are hospital-like in India supported by spiritual fraud Madhu Baba will certainly make me upset, I have to agree. Upset not at the social service rendered but by the possible growth in following of spiritual fraud Madhu Baba who is misguiding people using the name of my beloved and revered Gurudev Sathya Sai.

However, I think that the probability is very good that well before 160 free hospitals or hospital-like medical centres, Madhu Baba pyramid scheme will collapse. The challenge is not in initial spectacular growth of such pyramid schemes. The challenge is in sustaining the pyramid scheme over years and decades. Ultimately the pyramid scheme runs out of money and it crashes to the ground.

Note that physical form Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba was very choosy and very selective in such projects and, as far as I know, never publicly spoke about hundred plus free hospitals or free schools. This is Madhu Baba madness and perhaps Narasimhamurthy madness and NOT anything related to Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba.
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The person responded: "Ravi S. Iyer Time will provide all the answers for you ❤️". I Facebook-Liked his comment response.
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I wrote:  I think I should add here that a few months ago I re-connected with one of my Mumbai schoolmates (of Cardinal Gracias High School, Bandra (East)) who is a pediatrician and (owns and) runs a children's hospital in an outer Western suburb of Mumbai. In gratitude for his and his family's friendship, I sent him my Who am I? I am I ... book. I have visited his hospital perhaps in the early 1990s.

If I speak again with him in the near future, I am sure the topic of this free children's hospital in Khargar near Mumbai, named after Sathya Sai, will come up. I will express the same stand that I have expressed in this post and comments, to him.

In particular, he may ask me whether he can refer to Khargar Sathya Sai hospital, poor patients of his who either cannot afford treatment in his hospital or who need treatment/surgery which his hospital does not do, but which the Khargar hospital does. I cannot tell him that he should not do so. I will have to tell him that he can refer such patients to Khargar hospital with the warning about Madhusudan Rao Naidu spiritual fraud so that they can keep away from Madhusudan.

If readers have some other views about this, please let me know.
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A person commented that its best to follow my conscience. He also said some nice words about my posts. I thanked him for his comment.

Another person wrote that as per her view, where else can poor patients go? She said that they have to go to free hospitals but be cautious not to get trapped by MDH group.
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I responded (slightly edited): --Name-snipped-- sister - I agree with your view.
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I wrote: I think it is high time for Mumbai official Sathya Sai organization and its members to show that they too can establish a free children's hospital in Mumbai Metropolitan Region (Mumbai and its satellite towns), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mumbai_Metropolitan_Region.

Come on Mumbai Sathya Sai orgn. folks! Do something to show that you can match Muddenahalli Group Khargar hospital, if not exceed it.
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A person responded that he agrees and that the more service done, the better for all.
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In response to a comment, I wrote (slightly edited): --Name-snipped-- - Thanks. You express the problem parts of this hospital very well. Bending spirituality to suit their own agenda is what they are doing. That Asathya-Adharma bending of spirituality has to be called out. And you put it very well when you said, "The board of a corporation may have corrupt and suspect members but that doesn’t stop the public from receiving some benefits while those businesses are in existence." Thanks for your valuable views.
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A person commented giving statistics of educational and medical institutions, and other things like ashrams, created by Muddenahalli group. I responded (slightly edited): Thanks for your comment bro. --Name-snipped--. I have heard some other accounts about MDH fund collection. Perhaps they target only some people.

I have to repeat that physical form Sathya Sai in the last decade of his physical body life, during which I was part of the Prasanthi Nilayam ashram system as a free service Sai university staff/faculty (to be more precise, from Oct. 2002 onwards I was based in Puttaparthi with regular darshan of Swami; so eight & a half years and not an exact decade), never pushed for so many schools and so many hospitals to be built. Swami was more focused on quality in the few institutions that he founded and which he kept an eagle eye on, till his physical body issues made it difficult for him to spend much time on management of the educational and medical institutions he founded.

For me, that itself is enough to reject Madhusudan Naidu and Narasimhamurthy's communicator & subtle body claims. Their aggressive expansion strategy for such free service educational and medical institutions in India, is very unlike the Sathya Sai that I observed in the last decade of his physical form life.

It is some other power NOT Sathya Sai that is powering Muddenahalli group spiritual leaders Madhusudan Naidu and Narasimhamurthy. So far their achievements in building free educational institutions and hospitals are jaw-dropping. I acknowledge that.

But, you know, I am a former international software techie. I have seen and experienced the dot com boom and the dot com bust. I have also studied books and articles on the most scary event in my entire lifetime - the 2007-08 USA and then global financial crisis. 160 free hospitals or hospital like medical centres in India in the next few years, I am quite sure, is an absolutely mad proposition that is doomed to financial disaster like the Lehman Bros. collapse on 15th Sept. 2008, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bankruptcy_of_Lehman_Brothers, that woke up the world (including me in Puttaparthi) to the fact that USA was going through some really bad financial problems which could put the whole global economy in a tailspin.

But I think Madhusudan keeps changing his statements and predictions to suit the situation. So you may find that instead of 160 MDH free hospitals in India in the next few years, MDH group may have only 6 or 10 free hospitals. As you said, time will tell. So we both can wait and watch and see how many MDH free hospitals are in operation in India in say 2024 (5 years from now). Less than 10 is what I think the number will be.
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