By IANS,
Kolkata : Legendary magician P.C. Sorcar Jr, who had replicated the “miracles” of Sathya Sai Baba during a meeting with him 35 years ago, Sunday mourned the death of the spiritual leader saying he had deep respect for his development work.
Sorcar, a known Baba detractor, said it was immaterial now whether he was “a god or fraud”. Considered by millions as a great spiritual leader, Baba died Sunday morning at Puttaparthi, Andhra Pradesh, at age 85.
“Whether Sai Baba was a god or fraud is immaterial now. He is out of our physical world. We say people go to heaven after death. He is now there. And he is god for millions,” Sorcar told IANS when asked to give his views on the godman.
“At this moment we should not say whether he is god or fraud. We should not go into all this. His disciples are in tremendous pain and sorrow. They are all my brothers and sisters.
“I have always said that I have deep respect for the Sai Baba phenomenon minus the tricks. He has done lot of development work. In areas which do not have water he has laid water pipelines. He founded hospitals and schools. These things are praise worthy,” added the magician.
Sorcar had always claimed that Sai Baba was no godman but just a man of tricks like him.
The meeting in “1975-76” between P.C. Sorcar Junior and Sai Baba was a well publicised one.
After Sai Baba had given him “darshan”, Sorcar asked for a gift. Baba duly produced a sandesh “out of thin air”. Sorcar said he didn’t like sandesh, and turned it magically to a rossogolla instead.
“He used to give vibhuti (holy ash) to all, but it would not be proper to bury all his good work under the ashes by highlighting only his other side. Whatever magical powers he showed, I can do all that without claiming myself to be a god,” said Sorcar.
“The Sai Baba Trust has a lot of money. I think if the super speciality hospital (in Puttaparthi) is used to treat the poor free of cost then that would be a greater display of goddom. But it is upto them,” Sorcar signed off, saying “may the soul of god rest in peace!”