CONTROVERSIAL DOCUMENTARY ON SAI BABA ON DANISH TV

Regardless of the fact that the Sathya Sai Organization did everything in its power to prevent, even through the judiciary, Danish TV from broadcasting a critical documentary on Sai Baba, it was aired last Wednesday, January 30 at 8:05 pm.

Thorbjorn Meyer, who is the Zonal Chairman for zone 4 (Northern Europe, Eastern Europe and Russia), was especially active in taking the producer of the proposed documentary to court to have the program banned from the air, but the case was lost and all charges were dismissed. Mr. Meyer had also played a key role in having Serguei Badaev, ex president of the Sai Baba Moscow Center and deputy central coordinator expelled from the Russian S.S. Org.  Meyer is quoted in the leading Danish newspaper BT (Sunday November 9, 2000) as saying that the allegations of sexual abuse by Sai Baba are from "sick persons’ misunderstandings and projections.”

More recently in the newspaper Politiken, Saturday 2nd February, section on Culture , Page 4 in an article Article entitled: "Cheater or God?" the following statement appears:
 

The charges still stand against Sai Baba, devotees do not believe in them however, but Thorbjørn Meyer emphasizes that the importance of Sai Baba's teachings is not dependent on his personality.
 

Meyer is then quoted: "I am a devotee of Sai Baba's teachings, but not necessarily of his person. Sai Baba warns against too much attachment to his human form. That which counts are his teachings. There was recently a big case in Ireland, where some monks and nuns were sentenced a big compensation for sexual exploitation of children, but that does not make people say that
all catholics are scoundrels"
 

 In another statement, this time to the Danish newspaper BERLINSKE TIDENDE, 9-1-2002, Thorbjorn Meyer, made a similar declaration:

“We distance ourselves most firmly from the lies and untrue gossip which Denmark Radio wishes, for its own unknown reasons, to forward. We know the people from whom these accusations come and we know that they are completely untrustworthy as witnesses, not least because some of them have themselves been accused of the unfortunate tendencies that they are now projecting onto Sai Baba. Therefore, I do not wish to participate.”

A brief description of the program submitted by a viewer:

The documentary began giving general information about Sai Baba as a godman, his history, his so called miracles, the charity projects, an estimate of the number of devotees around the world, the activities of the Organization in Denmark, the purchase of the Arresødal Castle in Nordsjælland for more than 15 million DKK and the plans the Organization has for the future.

Following this, the documentary went on with details about the journalist's visit to Prasanthi Nilayam as part of a group of 25 Danish devotees. It was explained how the tv-crew wanted to film Sai Baba, but right after arrival to Puttaparthi the press officer of Sai Baba, Mr. Chakravarthi told the journalist that Sai Baba did not "welcome any television" in spite of promises that were made.  It was explained that because of the lack of permission to film inside the ashram all the pictures of Sai Baba shown in the documentary have been obtained by Danish Broadcasting Corporation from former and present devotees. The documentary then showed the obvious brainwashing of new and old devotees among themselves and how the group leader encouraged this. This was followed by an analysis of Baba's trickery using sleight of hand through footage obtained from a photographer who is now a former devotee as well as the footage bought from a present devotee. There were many of these shots from different angles. They were extremely clear, some of them surprisingly so, and they were being simultaneously commented and analyzed by a Danish magician. He was very impressive, even the amrith trick at the Thiefs Temple in Mysore was thoroughly explained beyond any doubt.

The program then focused on the charges of sexual abuse in detailed and moving interviews with Sam and Jeff Young (link to article by Mick Brown in the Daily Telegraph), Jed Geyerhahn (see article on this website) and Conny Larsson (see article on this website). Sam expressed in details the sexual abuses forced upon him by Sai Baba. His father, Jeff, spoke about how Goldstein was informed of the sexual abuses on his son and he was shocked and had promised  to speak to Sai Baba concerning this matter on his next trip to India. However, when he returned after having spoken to Sai Baba, Goldstein told Jeff that Sai Baba just said “Swami is pure” and the following day, Sai Baba praised him (Goldstein) like he had never done before during his birthday discourse. Goldstein said it was the biggest experience in his life. So when he came back he said to Jeff Young:  "I believe in Swami, I cannot help you, you have to do what you have to do".
 

There was also a report  on UNESCO’s withdrawal from the Education in Human Values conference in Prasanthi Nilayam in September 2,000 (see article on this website) as well as details concerning investigations that are taking place in other countries, including the CBI in India.

Sanal Edumurku, the Indian Rationalist, was interviewed, and he spoke about corruption. This talk was intermingled with footage of Atal Bihari Vajpayee (Prime Minister of India), Sai Baba and Narasimha Rao (Ex PM of India, now in prison), among others.

A Danish Church minister was interviewed and said that if the charges are true, she would have no problem in removing the Organization as a legitimate faith society in Denmark (the Sai Organization was recently declared a legitimate faith by the government of Denmark and it would become tax exempt)

 In prime time news, just after the show, the documentary was highlighted as a main top story with 4 minutes of recap, then Thorbjørn Meyer appeared in direct interview (he had declined to appear on the show itself but, at the last minute, he changed his mind when they could not stop the show and all charges were dismissed). The interviewer asked him several very compromising questions and it was noticeable that Mr. Mayer was at a loss.

ANOTHER REPORT:

 by Hari Sampath, one of the organizers of the Danish Expose, of the effects of the showing of "Seduced."  

 The Sai Baba expose in Denmark is heating up, and assuming the dimensions of a big scandal. After yesterday's one hour documentary titled "Seduced" on Danish  National television DR , Sai Baba has become nationally known as  the pedophile fake guru of India. Several newspapers carried the story of the sensational expose documentary, in prominent columns today. The prime time news again carried reports of this documentary in most of the news editions today, with prominent religious researchers, Church leaders, and Mayors being interviewed for opinions.
 
Several foreign embassies based in Copenhagen have called DR asking for details as well as reporting back to their respective countries. Due to the tremendous interest and reactions to yesterday's documentary, DR again decided to do a show on Sai Baba today. Jorgen Trygved, one of the most prominent members of the Sai Baba organization was returning from overseas today, and DR caught up with him at the airport. He went straight to the TV studios and was put on live on a program. He was given an opportunity to defend these allegations against Sai Baba, with a telephone line open to the public, on prime time.
 
Jorgen Trygved stuck to the usual line of SB followers, saying that these charges were just the imagination of a few people and internet rumours. Then the news program played clips of Jed Geyerhahn, Sam Young etc, and asked Jorgen Trygved what he had to say to all this. Jorgen Trygved tried to avoid the question, but was forced to admit on national television that Sai Baba did indeed fondle the genitals of young men, but that was for their own good, and for "energy transformation".
 
CCG member of exposé Ole Alstrup ( who, along with Anders Thisted, was one of the prime moving forces behind the Danish developments), called the live show by phone, and cornered Trygved by questioning him whether he had ever spoken to any one victim at least. Trygved was forced to admit he had not , and had to say that he would do so. Alstrup further spoke to the show, detailing the extremely harmful effect that the pedophile fake guru Sai Baba has had on individuals' lives.
 
The TV show questioned Trygved, whether he thought that the UNESCO, British Parliament, FBI, CBI, major media agencies around the world, US Dept of State ( which has issued a warning for travelers to India) etc ,were all fools to be misled for a long time by "internet rumors" by a handful of persons, and why they had taken these things seriously. Trygved could not give any satisfactory response, kept repeating himself, and ended up looking very foolish .
 
The Mayor was interviewed, and he confirmed that the Sai Baba organization has indeed purchased a big castle in Frederiksburg, but no permission has been sought, nor given for starting any educational program. The transactions are being scrutinised, and the Mayor has said that in the event of any legal development in the Sai Baba pedophilia case, no permission will be granted, and the SB organisation's status as a Faith society will be cancelled, and also Sai Baba educational programs will not be given permissions.
 
Other TV channels, and media agencies in Denmark and elsewhere in Europe are picking up these developments, and it appears that the SB organisation is going to be torn to pieces in the media very soon.