Presidential panegyric

NEWINDPRESS.COM Friday November 24 2006 00:00 IST PUTTAPARTHI:

President APJ Abdul Kalam penned a poem in Tamil on Puttaparthi Sri Satya Sai Baba and read out on Thursday in the presence of thousands of Sai devotees who gathered here on the occasion of 81st birthday of Sai Baba.

Immediately after the first citizen completed his poem, delighted Satya Sai Baba shook hands with him.

Kalam's poetry was translated by Anil Kumar into Telugu. “I have immense love towards Satya Sai Baba. I penned a poem in my mother tongue to greet Sai Baba on his birthday,” said Kalam.

Kalam, who was the chief guest at the birthday function, started his speech by greeting the devotees saying namaskaram. Devotees were enchanted with the Kalam's poetry and expressed happiness with louder claps.

Kalam deviated from the routine protocol and seated on the floor along with other devotees while Sai Baba offering prayers. Sai Baba reached Sai Kulvant hall at 8.15 am and made rounds in the hall seated in a car. Later, Kalam and Baba, seated on the same dais, had a discussion for 15 minutes.

Kalam appreciated the efforts of Sai Baba for constructing Sri Satya Sai Centre for Sports in 128 days. With devotional and service activities, Sai Baba became bhagavan for devotees, observed Kalam.In his birthday message, Baba called upon the devotees to recognise that service to man was service to divine. Baba asked the devotees to try to know the `eternal truth' and not to run after the material things. He preached the devotees to come out of the feeling of ‘I and mine’ which was not real.

DOWN THE MEMORY LANE: Sai Baba went down the memory lane and recollected his childhood days. He narrated his childhood pastime and about his friends. He also recalled the bad propaganda made by some persons about his ‘miracles’ after he reached Puttaparthi. They made such propaganda out of envy, Sai Baba said.

Baba announced that a doctor by profession, from California, sold out his entire property worth Rs 40 crore and donated the money to Satya Sai Trust. AP Governor I Ramashwar Thakur and several officials and non-officials were present.
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