Letters from India - Part 2

34. Foreigner Murdered in the Ashram - April 1991

Foreigner Murdered in the Ashram

April 13, 1991 Prasanthi Nilayam

(Disclaimer in 2012: As usual, my descriptions are what I heard and cannot be taken as absolute facts of what really happened.)

Dear Parents,

Divya conveys her namaskars. I am fine here. Swami left on 25 March to Bangalore and left 4 April to Kodai Kanal/Ooty.

Meanwhile, guess what, here on 11 April Thursday at 9 PM at night, cold blooded murder in the ashram, of a foreigner. It seems they (two young brothers) saw this Swiss lady (coming from 10 years, 56 years old) taking money out from the bank (Rs 25,000, for trips to Kodai and Malaysia for visa), they later came to her room in South Three (beside Round House #1). The Seva Dal asked what they wanted, they said they had to give a repaired tape recorder to her (she had given it to the shop and these two boys worked there). These two boys bashed the poor, innocent lady, crushed her head with piece of granite stone and broken glass bottle. They lady moaned and yelled and threw pots (they had cornered her in the kitchen). The two took the money and ran to the top floor and hid in a wooden crate kept there (!) as Seva Dal and devotees came running (that floor was vacant but people were living on the ground floor, she was on 3rd floor). She was still alive and moaning (eyes gorged out, teeth gone, skull crushed). She died before she reached the hospital. The Seva Dals captured the two murderers and they’ve been sent to prison. Imagine! How horrible!

They phoned Swami in Kodai Kanal and His message came back that all foreigners should leave Prasanthi Nilayam. Well, the lady was going and that’s why she had so much money! Poor thing. I didn’t know her personally but I know she had mental problems, depressions and took sleeping pills and other hospital-given drugs.

Well, Venkamma left to Bangalore on 28 March and returned on 4 April. She was loaded with unnecessary drugs and they made her so drained she could only lie down for 5 days she didn’t want me to leave her so I stayed by her beside constantly! Finally a good, trusted doctor here examined her and cancelled all the unnecessary pills. Now she’s gained strength and has started to move about again. Relief! I had awful sinus infection for three weeks, lumps of thick yellow mucus whenever I blew my nose, uck! Now it’s all cleared up (since about three days).

Don’t worry about me! Loka Samastha Sukhino Bhavantu.

Love,

Divya

_______________

Waiting Things Out

April 27, 1991

Prasanthi Nilayam

Dear Parents,

The story of Venkamma becomes sad. She returned from Bangalore on 4 April and, as I wrote, remained in a sad drugged state for one week. She wouldn’t let me leave her bedside then. After all the prescriptions were stopped, she started to improve – to sit and talk, and to go to bhajan, her only outing of the day. When she was steadily getting better she suddenly got toothache and after receiving antibiotics, injections, allergy pills, etc., suddenly she got reaction from something and became in a semi-conscious state, feeling cold & clammy, and face swollen beyond recognition. Heart rending!

Poor Venkamma, thinking it to be her last moments she immediately called for her family to be by her bedside. She even called for my hand and holding it tight announced to the others, “This girl has done so much seva to me, I can't say how much she’s done,” and closed her eyes again. They made urgent call to Swami in Kodai who gave the order for her to go to His Whitefield hospital. At 5:30 PM on 25 April they took her away. The next morning I went – they pulled the tooth and she improved, the swelling was gone and she was sitting and talking, but having shortness of breath and fever. As the whole family is there I came away and am in Prasanthi Nilayam now.

Now I am being in a confused state of mind! If something happens to her I would like to go to some quiet ashram, not the city of Prasanthi Nilayam. They are also making the strict rule that there will be no such thing as residents, everyone including long-time residents, owners and donors, will be allowed ONLY two months a year (this all applies to foreigners only).

On the other hand, she may return and then I will be stuck dong seva – to complete my karma! It helps my renunciation further to know that she wants her family around her. I'm thinking about introducing the idea of her living in the village house. They’ll take care of her there.

I seem to be, as usual, extreme! Either completely dedicated to taking care of her, not minding it much, or the opposite! Of course I have gotten into these run-away moods before and Swami has always stopped it. It will happen only when the time is right.

I do clean Venkamma’s room but she has still so much junk she’s “keeping safely” for her grandchildren. When she went to Bangalore the first time I did ultra-major cleaning that took five days of hard labor. She was impressed! (She couldn’t remember, of course, all the missing junk that I had joyfully disposed of!!). Now this time also, when I left her to come to Prasanthi Nilayam, she told me to look after the room.

Alas, I am in a mood of vairagyam and am in no mood to do cleaning of her room. I haven’t even entered into the room, although my luggage is there (cooking supplies, clothes). I only have the small bag which I took to Whitefield. I am in my upstairs room South C-26 with the elderly foreigner lady (African American).

As for control of the mind, I was doing things all day for Venkamma, seeing her as sort of a Devi, doing things as worship to the Lord. Now I am in a disillused state and want to concentrate only on the Lord. We’ll see what His will is!

Right now I am just waiting things out. The very last of the white faces have been forced out. Two residents who have never left in 6 years even to Whitefield, have been told to go. The poor things are sending telegrams to Swami! My position is shaky as with no Venkamma, I have no work. And the gardener older lady in my room, who has office permission, is leaving 6 May, which leaves me alone to fight! If I must, I can go to Swami in Whitefield, and can always find someone to stay with.

Loka Samastha Sukhino Bhavantu.

Love,

Divya