Puttaparthi: Ordinary devotees flocking
Prasanthi Nilayam here for a final darshan of Sathya Sai Baba
are left disappointed as they are unable to catch a glimpse of
his mortal remains even as the rich and the mighty are being
extended special privileges to get closer to his body.
The queue lines for the common devotees are blocked
at least 30 feet away from the glass casket in which the
Baba`s body is lying, depriving them of a clear view.
Added to this, a platform erected for a lone camera,
along with the equipment and the cameraman too are blocking
the view for the devotees, leaving them totally anguished.
VIPs apart, only a select few are being allowed to go
near the Baba`s body for a clear darshan.
"We came all the way from Payakaraopet in
Visakhapatnam district and stood in the serpentine queue for
more than three hours in the wee hours today.
"In the end, as we entered the Sai Kulwanth Hall, we
could hardly catch a glimpse of the Baba`s body. All we could
see from the distance was the Baba`s orange robes as the face
was not at all visible," complained N Appalanaidu.
His wife and son too could not see anything as
suddenly some influential person went near the Baba`s body and
they were pushed aside in the queue.
While the VIPs and the rich devotees, who are said
to be regular donors to the Satya Sai Central Trust, are able
to get up close to the Baba`s body, another special line was
formed a few feet away to enable friends and relatives of
Trust members, government officials and police to get a
glimpse.
From this line, the Baba`s face can be seen from a
side angle but access is restricted only to a select few.
Many foreign devotees who flew down to Puttaparthi
too are decrying the discrimination. "During my earlier visit
to Sai Kulwanth Hall when the Baba was alive, I could see him
closely. Now, I had no such luck," Dissanayike from Sri Lanka
lamented.
The situation turned worse this morning as the queue
was moved further behind as a security measure in view of
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh`s visit. Further security
restrictions are expected to be put in place by the time Singh
and Congress chief Sonia Gandhi reach the Hall for paying
homage to Baba around 4.45 pm.
PTI
