'THE SECRET SWAMI' BBC WORLD DOCUMENTARY FROM 2004

MAJOR EXPOSURE OF SATHYA SAI BABA IN SUMMARY

A SUMMARY OVERVIEW HERE SHOWCASES THE MAIN CONTENTS IN A CONCISE WAY WITH SHORT TRANSCRIPTS, VIDEOCLIPS AND STILL IMAGES FROM THE FILM
A set of web pages extract the essential contents of the BBC documentary and give access to the interviews and testimonies through still photos brief transcripts and accompanying video clips (mostly less than 1 Mb in size). The main excerpts cover the 2004 fake lingam production by Sai Baba and his subsequent collapse etc., and the vivid testimony of sexually abused young men. Dr. Goldstein's assertions and interview about the sex allegations are showcased, plus interviews with Isaac Tigrett, with the Ex-Education Minister, M.M. Joshi, and with the former Home Secretary of Andhra Pradesh, Mr. V.P.B. Nair and the U.S. Embassy confirmation that Sathya Sai Baba is named as the alleged sexual predator in the State Department warning etc...

This World – Secret Swami 9.00-10.00pm BBC TWO bbc.co.uk/thisworld

The most popular of all Indian Godmen, Sai Baba has always been the Teflon God, the untouchable, charismatic man worshipped by Indian prime ministers, presidents and peasants. His power over both the influential and the downtrodden goes to the heart of Indian society and raises serious questions about the social health of the world’s fastest-emerging economy Sai Baba claims to be a living God and, to millions, his word is truth; his ability to bring clean water and healthcare to thousands, proof of divinity. In a programme that explores the nature of belief, This World travels from India to California, where the generation whose devotion and donations helped Sai Baba to power is unravelling at the seams. Hard Rock Café owner Isaac Tigrett sent Sai Baba’s message around the world by making the Godman’s Love All Serve All mantra the corporate slogan of his multimillion-dollar empire. He now has to confront the fact that his God may have been a sexual abuser. This World features the story of a family who gave their entire lives to a man they believed was God, only to discover he was exacting a terrible price: the sexual innocence of their son. In an intimate and powerful portrait a family talk openly about their betrayal and the man who controlled their lives. “The being which I called Sai Baba, the living God that I had taken into my heart, had been truly abusing my son, for so long. I felt completely betrayed,” says Marissa, a former devotee. Another, Alaya, says: “I remember him saying, ‘If you don’t do what I say, your life will be filled with pain and suffering’.”

This programme is the first to film inside Sai Baba’s Ashram for a number of years and aims to come closer to the true “face of God” than ever before. PR

1) SATHYA SAI BABA'S 'PRODUCTION' OF THE GOLDEN LINGAM

2) HIS COLLAPSE AFTER THE STRAIN & HIS EXPLANATION AFTERWARDS

3) DR. MICHAEL GOLDSTEIN DISCUSSES THE SEX ABUSE ALLEGATIONS AGAINST SAI BABA

4) DR. MICHAEL GOLDSTEIN STATES THE SAI ORGANISATION'S FAITH ABOUT SAI BABA

5) ISAAC TIGRETT DISCUSSES THE SEX ALLEGATIONS AGAINST SAI BABA

6) INDIAN EX-MINISTER OF EDUCATION, M.M. JOSHI, ON THE SEX ALLEGATIONS AGAINST SAI BABA

7) INTERVIEW WITH THE EX-HOME SECRETARY OF ANDRHA PRADESH

8) VERY CLOSE DEVOTEES TESTIFY - SAI BABA'S SEX ABUSE AND DIRE THREATS ETC.

9) THE US STATE DEPARTMENT WARNING ON SATHYA SAI BABA CONFIRMED BY THE BBC

10) TRANSCRIPT AND FILM TESTIMONY BY A LONG-TERM FOLLOWER WHO WAS SEXUALLY ABUSED

11) SATHYA SAI BABA COVER-UP AGENTS - VIPs AND OFFICIALS IDENTIFIED

THIS DOCUMENTARY CAN BE BOUGHT DIRECT FROM THE BBC MARKETING DEPT. AS A VHS VIDEO. THERE IS A FULL TRANSCRIPT OF THIS MOVIE AVAILABLE FOR A FRANCHISE TO SHOW IT ON INDEPENDENT TV STATIONS, CONTACT THE BBC.