As she approached the two sannyasin women and stood in front of them, Laxmi craned her neck, briefly narrated her ‘land-woes’ in the Prime Minister’s ear and then handed her a letter that lucidly stated all their requests. Indira Gandhi strode into the room and then slowly shuffled past the guests, addressing each visitor individually before moving on to the next one. Although distinct from afar, the two orange-robed women were amongst a dozen other visitors who had come with their individual requests. One hot summer day, Laxmi and Sheela stood upright in a semi-circle in the Prime Minister’s drawing room, patiently waiting for her arrival. By the tail end of the 1970s, Bhagwan’s notoriety had assumed gigantic proportions nationwide, and Indira Gandhi, who was a highly circumspect politician, was too intimidated to actively promote or encourage the growth of his work in his home country. Even though Indira Gandhi had never visited the Ashram in Poona, she was highly intrigued by the New Age Guru’s philosophy and had invariably accepted his books with a nod of gratitude. Sheela had once accompanied Laxmi on a trip to Delhi, to pay a brief visit to the then prime minister, Indira Gandhi. Obtaining land permits in India to expand Bhagwan’s work now seemed like an insurmountable task since the Guru had offended many politicians with his polemical words, and a brooding negative sentiment regarding Bhagwan and his work now permeated through the bureaucratic arenas of the country. Bhagwan, who had outgrown his space only a few short years after moving to Poona, had instructed Laxmi early on to search for a new piece of land where his ever-growing commune could swell and stretch ceaselessly.įor the last two years, Laxmi had been searching in Gujarat, its surrounding areas and other parts of India and Sheela had accompanied her on several occasions for official meetings, land hunting, etc. Apart from looking after Chinmaya, Sheela was now spending most of her time travelling around India and abroad.

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