Business family

Amritanandamayi has been often asked to explain the sudden and tremendous wealth of her family. According to Gail Tredwell, the devotees donations have been partly funneled to their pockets. Amritanandamayi's explanation adds a little more crack to her compassionate Saint image.

How come that the poor fisherman's family has become so wealthy, so quickly? This is what she said in 2007 :

One brother is "into building contracts" and also has "some chocolate agency". Another of her brothers has a "money-lending business". She said that they have been helped by her devotees

Building contracts? What does it actually mean? Is he the founder of Amrita Property? Chocolate agency? Selling? Manufacturing? Trading cocoa beans? We don't know.

The other brother's employment is clearer, he is a money lender. It seems like money lending is not a very popular activity in India. In 2013 Punjab was set to draft a law to ban money lending because money lenders are partly responsible for the hight rate of farmers suicide. Is Amritanandamayi aware of this fact? Indeed she pledged $46 millions to help the farmers :

Caught in a vicious cycle of failing crop prices and aggressive money lenders, thousands of farmers each year resort to suicide

The M.A. Math issued a study to urge the UN to recognize and address the problem. In this document, Amritanandamayi only pledges $43 millions instead of 46. This is her free advice and solution for the desperate indebted  farmers :

What is needed is social and spiritual interventions so that the farmers realize that suicide is not the way out...they should understand that they need to develop self confidence

As we all know, self confidence makes money fall from the sky to pay the debts. She reminds us that we are all responsible :

Everyone who eats has a stake in small farmers’ well-being

Can she also tell us what is the stake of her brother in the farmers well-being? She said that her devotees helped her brothers to start their various businesses. Can she tell us what is the stake of her devotees in the farmers well-being?

Why do the people of this area need to lend money when Amritanandamayi's charitable organization has the power to grant microcredits?

At least one can say that this family is keen on business. Amritanandamayi herself has made daring moves. The words "Amma", "Ammachi" and "Amrita" are registered trade marks.