President Murmu hails Sai Baba’s service ethos

Puttaparthi: President Droupadi Murmu on Saturday said Sri Sathya Sai Baba’s lifelong message of ‘service to man is service to God’ continues to serve as a moral compass for society, inspiring large-scale humanitarian work across the world. She noted that Sai Baba’s followers have upheld his ideals by extending services to the underprivileged across countries. Speaking at a special programme marking the centenary celebrations of Sri Sathya Sai Baba, the President said the government was working to enhance people’s skills and opportunities and stressed the importance of collective participation from spiritual organisations in national development. She praised the Sathya Sai Trust for its longstanding initiatives for women’s welfare, which have been in place since 1969.

“Sathya Sai Baba viewed the world as a school in which the five human values of truth, good conduct, peace, love and non-violence form the core curriculum,” said the President. She said since ancient times our saints and sages have guided society through their actions and words undertaking numerous initiatives for public welfare.

She noted that Sri Sathya Sai Baba exemplified this tradition by turning ideals into reality through extensive welfare work. The Sri Sathya Sai Central Trust provides high-quality free education that combines academic excellence with character-building, she added.

Earlier, Murmu was received at Puttaparthi airport by Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, IT and HRD Minister Nara Lokesh and members of the Sathya Sai Trust. She later offered prayers at Sai Baba’s Maha Samadhi at Sai Kulwant Hall in Prasanthi Nilayam and lit the universal peace torch.

Addressing the gathering, Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu said world peace could be realised if individuals, institutions and nations embraced Sai Baba’s principles of “Love All, Serve All” and “Help Ever, Hurt Never,” along with the five values of satya, dharma, shanti, prema and ahimsa. Recalling his association with Sai Baba, Naidu said the spiritual leader once expressed willingness to mortgage Prasanthi Nilayam to address the drinking water crisis in Rayalaseema. The initiative eventually drew devotees to fund major water projects benefiting Rayalaseema, Telangana and Tamil Nadu.

Naidu also launched the Sri Sathya Sai Tribal Women Healthcare Programme, aimed at providing preventive and curative medical support for tribal women, including multispecialty telemedicine, screenings for anaemia, breast and cervical cancer, and access to safe drinking water. Calling tribal women “conscience keepers of our cultivation,” he emphasised their harmony with nature and stressed the need for their economic upliftment. He urged citizens to become ambassadors of peace and carry forward Sai Baba’s message to build a more harmonious world.

Sathya Sai Trust managing trustee R Ratnakar and Seva Dal all-India president Nimish Pandey also addressed the gathering.