No
one wanted them, neither the country of their
origin nor the land to which they had given
their sweat and blood for years. More than a
lakh of such Bhutanese refugees have lived a
miserable existence in the north-east of Nepal
for nearly two decades now. But now, when there
was an opportunity to end this desperate
situation of at least a few of them, the Sai
devotees in New Zealand grabbed this opportunity
and opened their hearts out to embrace them in
the love of Sai. This is one heart warming
account which demonstrates how through little
kinds of kindness and genuine love we can make
profound and powerful impact in the lives of our
brethren, no matter who they are or where they
come from.
It is a country which
is often referred to as one which is “scarcely
touched by the modern age.” Progress, in this
nation, is not measured by Gross National Product,
but by Gross National Happiness. The people of this
land take great measures to preserve their old
culture, rich traditions, and more importantly,
their literally ‘top of the world’ natural
environment.
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Bhutan - a country endowed
with great natural beauty
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...and of course, hard working and
peace-loving community
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Yes, this tiny
landlocked nation is perched right on the roof of
the world. Nestled in the eastern Himalayas, Bhutan
is one of those rare countries of this world where
people live in great harmony with nature and where
the environment is still pristine even today. In
fact, the country has been identified as one of the
10 bio-diversity hot-spots in this world. But what
is more interesting is the fact that it was rated as
the happiest country in Asia by Business Week
in 2006.
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Buddhism is the state religion
of this landlocked nation
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The
vibrations the Buddhist pipes
generate are
tremendous and powerful
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Farming is their chief
occupation
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Thimphu, the capital of Bhutan -
nestled in a valley
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Yes, the majority of
Bhutanese are pleased and proud of their country,
and the way their land is governed, even though only
in the previous year, in 2008, this nation moved
from absolute monarchy to constitutional monarchy.
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Bhutan
- the South Asian nation bordered in the
south, east and west by India, and
separated from Nepal by the Indian state
of Sikkim
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But, at the same time,
this is not the story of every Bhutanese. At least
one-sixth of the population of this mountainous
nation lead a precarious existence in refugee camps,
all from the ethnic Nepalese group.
A large number of them
are actually descendants of Nepali settlers (Nepal
is a neighbouring country) who came to work in the
southern valleys of Bhutan in the late 19th and
early 20th century. They are referred to as
Lhotshampas (literally translated as "people
from the south"), and in many ways are different
from the indigenous population.
They speak Nepali,
while Dzongkha is the country’s national language;
most Nepalese are Hindus, while Buddhism is the
state religion, which is followed by two-thirds of
its population. But at the same time, they
constitute almost 35% of the population of Bhutan
and for generations had a ‘perfect life’ in this
peaceful kingdom working as farmers.
In fact, the
government encouraged the integration of this
significant group into mainstream Bhutanese society
in many ways, from teaching in Nepali in the schools
of the southern Bhutan, to inter-ethnic group
marriages.
But after 1980, the attitude of
the Bhutan rulers changed for various
reasons and the government started a
series of “ethno-nationalist” policies
in the 1990s. Since then hundreds of
thousands of Nepalese-Bhutanese have
become stateless and have been living in
seven refugee camps in South-eastern
Nepal.
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But after 1980, the
attitude of the Bhutan rulers changed for various
reasons and the government started a series of
“ethno-nationalist” policies in the 1990s. Since
then hundreds of thousands of Nepalese-Bhutanese
have become stateless and have been living in seven
refugee camps in South-eastern Nepal.
The United Nations
Commission for Refugees stepped in to help these
homeless people and began discussions with the
Bhutanese and Nepalese governments to provide the
exiled people a home in either country, but met with
little success. However, in 2006, the US government
generously offered to resettle more than 60,000 of
these refugees over the next five years.
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...into makeshift refugee camps
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Isolated by cultural
differences...
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...made homeless by ideology
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Many other countries
too joined in this noble endeavour, one of them
being the island country of New Zealand. And so, in
March 2008, 17 families, after 17 years of miserable
existence in refugee camps, moved to the USA and New
Zealand. And that is where our full story begins….
Project SAIRAM
Launched
The Sai devotees in
New Zealand saw this as a great opportunity to reach
out and share their love with these newcomers to
their land. Therefore, when the first group
arrived in March 2008 from Nepal,
they immediately called a meeting of all the forty
refugees and launched a programme they called SAIRAM
(Service Action Initiatives for Refugees,
Asylum-seekers & Migrants). What
started as an enthusiastic initiative of two Sai
devotees has today snowballed into an elaborate
project involving all the Sai centres in the
Auckland region of New Zealand.
“None of our planning, vision,
or organisation can explain the
wonderful manner in which this programme
has unfolded. Actually, we did not have
any great strategies, except a
preparedness to respond to an
opportunity and follow our hearts.”
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“We have had 129
Bhutanese comprising of 26 families and spread over
four groups arrive since the first meeting in March
2008. The sheer love and joy that has resulted in
this new relationship is undoubtedly the Divine
Grace of Bhagavan Baba,” says Mr. Ravi Rudra, one of
the main coordinators of this initiative.
He adds, “None of our planning, vision, or
organisation can explain the wonderful manner in
which this programme has unfolded. Actually, we did
not have any great strategies, except a preparedness
to respond to an opportunity and follow our hearts.”
The Sai devotees truly
followed their hearts to the full. They maintained
close communication with the Immigration Officials
at the Refugee Hostel, and within 48 hours (to allow
time for recovery from jet lag and formal interviews
by local authorities) they met all the new arrivals,
and assured them that the Sai Family will be their
family, and the Sai devotees are their brothers and
sisters who are available to assist them in any way
during their stay at the Hostel.
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The welcome really takes off at
the Sai centre
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Delighted Nepalese ladies in gifted
clothes
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The sessions to know each other
more begins...
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More people share their joy with the
new comers
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Most of the Bhutanese,
after landing in a completely foreign land, were not
only terribly homesick, and but also had come
ill-prepared for the colder weather of New Zealand,
especially during the winter months. What was more
difficult to literally digest for them was the alien
food offered at the Refugee Hostel. In fact, many
did not eat the food served even on their flight to
New Zealand; it was so different from what they had
been eating for decades. All these elements of
culture shock contributed to their initial feeling
of awkwardness and unhappiness.
The Sai devotees were
determined to make them feel good, and so, arranged
for them a variety of programmes. They started with
distributing warm clothing and offering them Indian
and Nepali cuisine and went on to conduct long
weekend sessions which consisted of devotional
singing, Nepali dancing, temple visits, fun games
and sports, music and inspiring movie shows, to
get-togethers on the beach.
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A little spice in the food went
a long way
in easing the cultural
palate-shock!
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Serving them with their food was the
second priority after ensuring they
have enough warm clothing
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“I can never forget the picnic we
had on the sands with a group of 40 or so,” says Mr.
Mike Naiker of Auckland. “One older lady of 65 years
saw the ocean for the first time in her life; the
youth who were crossing the bridge found it such a
novel experience that they were spellbound.
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The Nepalese visited the
local temples
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Ganesha and Saraswati were their
gods
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Temples of their Gods made them
feel at home
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It
was an occasion for the family to
celebrate
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"There are many things that we
take for granted here in New Zealand, but seeing
through their eyes we realised how such tiny acts of
kindness made a remarkable difference in their
attitude. Their outlook of life, in spite of their
problems, was a great lesson to the rest of us who
are leading a reasonably comfortable life.”
"There are many things that we
take for granted here in New Zealand,
but seeing through their eyes we
realised how such tiny acts of kindness
made a remarkable difference in their
attitude. Their outlook of life, in
spite of their problems, was a great
lesson to the rest of us who are leading
a reasonably comfortable life.”
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Eager to make these
much-suffering families feel at home in the new
land, some Sai families opened their homes
wholeheartedly to entertain the Bhutanese, not just
for individual families but for the entire group.
Narrating this joyful experience, one family in
Auckland says,
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Volunteers served them with lot
of love and care
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Good food enlivens their spirits
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They dined in different
devotees' houses everyday
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For
the Sai volunteers, these guests
were Gods
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“We believe that Swami had given
us this opportunity to be part of this wonderful
sharing experience; it is such an enriching and
uplifting feeling. In spite of formidable life
challenges, both in Nepal and Bhutan, and all their
suffering, they do not bear any grudges or feel
sorry for themselves. Instead, their faces glowed
with happiness for not what they had lost or left
behind, but what they have gained.
"Their family spirit is
strong and each one is totally supportive of each
other. This was wonderful to observe, and for all of
us, it was a learning experience of love and
compassion.”
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They
were part of every function in the Sai
Centre
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The open-arms welcome
of Sai devotees not only gave the refugees the much
needed emotional and physical support, but also
instilled in them courage and self-confidence. What
also helped this process was the fact that many of
the Sai centre group members were themselves
migrants to New Zealand. When they shared their own
stories and offered practical suggestions, the ‘New’
New Zealanders seemed convinced and secure.
Krishna Samy, a Sai
devotee involved in this project, says, “To me, it
was an eye-opener to know how hard the lives of
these Bhutanese had been as refugees, not for a few
days or months, but for years together.”
Life, for these
Bhutanese, truly had been a struggle for at least 17
years. For instance, when a family of nine was asked
how many rooms they had in their hut back in Nepal,
they replied with a smile, “Only one! We just have
make-shift partitions - curtains suspended with
string for living and domestic areas.”
Another 22 year old
teenager said that she went to university only to
sit in the exams as she had to work to pay for her
studies. She prepared for her exams by borrowing the
notes of her friends. The families received only a
small allowance of food on a weekly basis with a
ration of one litre of kerosene a month, which they
used only to provide light for studies.
“Given what they have undergone
for so many years, they valued every aspect of any
help we offered them and they accepted it with
sincere gratitude,” continues Krishna Samy.
“Swami always asks us to ‘understand and adjust’,
and that is what we did. For me, personally,
whatever time I have spent with them in different
groups has given me joy and self-satisfaction as I
realised just how many needs these people have!”
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Interaction sessions with Sai
youth continued...
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They became one with the Sai
brothers and sisters
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One of the refugees,
Tara Ghimirey, overwhelmed with the love showered on
her, says, “People here are so polite, generous,
helpful, cooperative and patient… there is no
discrimination of any kind, be it colour, culture,
religion, etc.”
Music and Sai:
That’s the Bond They Share
While the refugees
were moved by the love of the Sai New Zealanders,
the devotees too were fascinated by their new
companions’ multi-faceted abilities and talents. Mr.
David Wilson, a Sai devotee from Auckland who
participated in this programme, says,
“What impressed me the
most was their faith and trust in us which was very
strong. Besides, the young men had beautiful voices,
and some could play the guitar very well. I loved
mingling with them and felt so much harmony singing
songs and bhajans together with them.
“In fact, I had a spare guitar
and was happy to give it to the young Bhutanese
brothers so that they have an instrument to keep
them singing once they are resettled in proper homes
further down the country.
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Lovely Music and devotional
singing...
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...brought all the hearts together
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“The other day, I remember, a new
group of Bhutanese arrived. I had actually not met
any of them, but one evening I was walking my dog
near the top of Mt. Eden - a well known Auckland
city landmark and tourist site - when I noticed a
group of people who looked very different
culturally.
"I welcomed them to our country
and some of them even gave me a hug as
if I was their brother. They were so
happy to have been recognized so quickly
by a complete stranger in a new and
foreign land. The name ‘Sai Ram’ united
us. We are just one big family.”
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“One of the gentlemen from that
group asked me a question about our local trees; he
seemed educated, and I guessed he must have been a
teacher. After listening to him and observing his
features, I was convinced he was a Bhutanese. I
asked him if he was from Bhutan and he was extremely
surprised that I had guessed his country. Then, I
folded my palms and said “Sai Ram”, and a big smile
came over his face. Soon, we were talking like
friends.
I welcomed them to our country
and some of them even gave me a hug as if I was
their brother. They were so happy to have been
recognized so quickly by a complete stranger in a
new and foreign land. The name ‘Sai Ram’ united us.
We are just one big family.”
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Ladies
receiving the suitcase of essential
daily items
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It is with this
feeling of oneness that the Sai Volunteers went
ahead to make the lives of their new brothers and
sisters as comfortable as possible. As starters,
they provided every family a “Starter Pack”, based
on each family’s specific needs (depending on the
age, gender and size of each family member). These
suitcases contained:
- Toiletries
(tooth brushes, tooth paste, soap, shampoo &
shaving set)
- New towels
(bath & hand)
- Laundry items
(washing powder, laundry soap, pegs)
- Bed sheets
and pillow cases (single & double)
- Disposable
nappies (for babies)
- New clothes,
socks & stockings
In addition to these
packs, there were other gifts like school bags,
shoes, saris, and guitars too. All these were packed
neatly by the Sai devotees and offered to them
lovingly. Recalling that experience, Ms. Yogi
Moodley, says, “The feeling of love, warmth
and fellowship amongst our ladies group when we were
packing the starter packs, sorting through the
clothes or helping to serve them meals is something
I will cherish forever. I feel so privileged to have
participated in this wonderful service initiative.”
Thanks to the love of
the devotees and their survival skills coupled with
family values, within a few days the Bhutanese
earned the affection of not only the Refugee Hostel
Staff, but also of other fellow refugees belonging
to other ethnicities. Together they sang and danced;
a beautiful feeling of unity pervaded the Hostel.
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Mums
and babies feel the warmth of their NZ
welcome
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Now, this was true not
only of the Bhutanese, but also of members of the
Sai Centres. This service activity provided a
beautiful reason to bring so many devotees together
continuously, who would otherwise meet only once in
a while.
Even smaller Centres
and Sai groups in Auckland, Palmerston North and
Christchurch, rose to the occasion and took a far
greater and active role so that entire Sai families
could be involved in this project. The sheer
happiness and flow of love was simply touching.
After the initial six
weeks in the Refugee Hostel in Auckland, the
Bhutanese were scheduled to be taken to Christchurch
and Palmerston North by the New Zealand government.
Therefore, the devotees organized a farewell
function on the last Sunday of their stay in
Auckland, and that occasion was an emotional one for
everyone who was present. Tears began to flow from
the eyes of the newcomers – they had to say goodbye
twice in just a few weeks, first in Nepal and now in
Auckland.
At the same time, they
were happy too, for they had now found a country
which loves them and which they can call now as
their own. In fact, there was one young woman, who
was very upset when she initially arrived in New
Zealand. She had expected to see her eldest sister
along with her children, whom she had cared for a
lot in Nepal.
She imagined them to
be in New Zealand, but they had actually migrated to
the USA. This was the cause for her deep sorrow for
many days, but she too soon came out of it. During
the last few days in Auckland, when everyone saw her
smiling and carrying around small children of other
ethnicities in the Refugee Hostel, they could not
contain their joy. Their stay in Auckland had truly
converted the Bhutanese refugees into new and happy
New Zealanders.
Resettlement
in Their New Homes
The second and final
stage in the resettlement of the Bhutanese refugees,
after the initial orientation stay in the Refugee
Hostel in Auckland, was moving to their new homes.
The New Zealand
government greatly assisted these families by
providing them residences in Christchurch, in South
Island, and Palmerston North, a smaller town in the
North Island. The government made available these
houses despite the scarcity of accommodation in the
housing market, and having to cater to large family
numbers, as much as 9 in some cases.
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Christchurch, New Zealand
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Palmerston North, New Zealand
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The Sai devotees
stepped in again to help. This time, many kind New
Zealanders from the community too came forward to
serve as volunteers and take care of every need of
the new citizens. The devotees and volunteers
quickly furnished their new homes with beds, sofas,
dining table and chairs, curtains, pillows, TV, DVD,
kitchen utensils, and so on. The churches too
provided assistance in many ways.
Actually, after the
Bhutanese arrived in these towns, the volunteers
picked them up from the airports and drove them
straight to their fully furnished houses. The
Bhutanese were now completely overwhelmed! Having
undergone decades of ostracism from society, they
had never expected so much love in their wildest of
dreams. They could not believe that they were amidst
such comforts, when just six weeks ago they were
living in penury and sleeping in temporary huts in
Nepal.
Happy to be in New Zealand, the
Bhutanese are now building their lives.
The majority of the adults now attend
English and Computer Skills classes,
while the children attend good schools.
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But the devotees did
not stop with this. They continued to assist them by
taking them to the shopping markets, hosting them in
their homes for meals, showing them the bus routes,
and so on. In all these activities, Sai volunteers
were also helped by the Bhutanese people who had
settled down earlier and were now guiding the new
comers with great enthusiasm.
“Till now we have assisted with
the resettlement of 33 Bhutanese refugees from 8
families in Christchurch,” says Mr. Micheal Spurr,
the Chairman of the Christchurch Sai Centre. “We
have distributed clothes and many household
necessities through the official channels (Refugee
Services) as well as personally. In fact, seven
families have been regularly picked up by
Christchurch Sai devotees for Bhajans on
Thursdays, and about eight families of devotees
(maybe 20 or 30 people) from the Christchurch centre
have been involved in helping in one way or other.
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An
interactive session in the Sai centre
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Four individual members of the
Christchurch Sai Youth group have interestingly
signed up as official volunteers with Refugee
Services, and are busy regularly helping the refugee
families. For me, this small service project has
been an extremely rewarding experience and I have
thoroughly enjoyed being able to assist them in
whatever way possible.”
One of the
Bhutanese-turned-New Zealander, Mr. Padam Lal
Bastola, from Palmerston North says, “This country,
New Zealand, is such a good place to be. I find the
people here always very helpful and courageous. They
love to extend their hand and help others in every
situation.”
Educated,
Employed and Empowered
Happy to be in New
Zealand, the Bhutanese are now building their lives.
The majority of the adults now attend English and
Computer Skills classes, while the children attend
good schools. Kriti Das, one of the New Zealand Sai
Youth, who has been helping these kids, says, “I
have been part of the tutoring classes for the
Bhutanese children this year and I have really
enjoyed my time. These children are beautiful and
smart.
"They are great with
English and other subjects at school considering
that it is their second or sometimes third language.
I have benefited by talking to them and learning
about their culture, background, challenges and
values. Another beautiful gain for the children as
well as for us, the helpers, is the gift of
friendship. I would love to be part of this service
project as long as I can”.
"I have benefited by talking to
them and learning about their culture,
background, challenges and values.
Another beautiful gain for the children
as well as for us, the helpers, is the
gift of friendship. I would love to be
part of this service project as long as
I can”.
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While the children get
special coaching, many families have been given
computers and internet connection for a year by a
special government grant to help them learn new
skills faster. For many young women, nursing is the
chosen area of profession and they have begun to
take the relevant courses. For New Zealand, this is
a great plus as the country needs to fill a lot of
vacancies in their healthcare system at the
earliest. These maybe the general professions taken
up by the new citizens, but they are also a few
others who plan to study accountancy, aviation and
similar other professional courses. Undoubtedly, a
new and bright chapter of their lives has just
begun.
A very happy Ms. Anu
Koirala from Palmerston North, says, “I have been in
New Zealand for six months and have found it
peaceful; the people here are so friendly. I only
expect that the future of all refugees is same as
all of us here.”
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'Their talent for singing and
dancing...
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...is something which is looked
forward to by everyone'
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Recently the Bhutanese
community took part in community events and
celebrated many festivals like Dasara and Deepavali
along with others. Their talent for singing and
dancing is something which is looked forward to by
everyone around; they spread joy very easily. And
they are always grateful to the members of the Sai
family. Karna Bahadur, from Palmerston North, says,
“They call this country New Zealand, but I call it
‘New Silent’ as it so peaceful. We have progressed a
lot by walking in the direction shown by the Sai
Family”.
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Children are very much a part of
every cultural programme in the
Sai Centre
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The
Nepalese are rejuvenated by
shared joy in their new found home
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Tell this to any Sai
volunteer, and he or she will say, “This is not only
‘New Silent’ but also New ‘Sailand’.” In fact, that
is how Bhagavan Baba referred to this country on one
occasion. And as years roll by we see the love of
Sai manifesting in so many silent but eloquent ways.
The Bhutanese story is only one instance, and an
example enough to show the depth of Sai love that is
embedded in the hearts of the devotees of this land
located miles way from Prasanthi Nilayam and the way
it expresses itself in manifold ways in the manner
advocated by Bhagavan Baba.
We are
grateful to Mr. Ravi Rudra for sharing with us this
story and the visuals.
- Heart2Heart
Team