What do people say online about the way she "helps" children?
One of our previous post tells about the treatment inflicted to the orphans. What this internet user depicts in an online forum is far from the idealised pictures displayed by the glossy promotional leaflets.
In another forum, someone who admires Gail Tredwell's courage, also shares her disturbing story about the orphanage :
"My husband and I were with Ammachi from 1987 to 1993, hosted her once in our home, and held the Seattle Ammachi gatherings in our clinic during that time. We left abruptly after learning directly from Kusuma, one of her closest disciples, that Ammachi had used orphanage money to pay for a Mercedes, then lied to the American board of the organization about it."
This Mercedes is publicly and officially said to be a gift from a German devotee. Is it a lie? Were the orphanage donations funneled away to afford for the vehicule? A few posts further in the same forum another internet user confirms that the orphans don't get what is meant to be used to take care of them and that there is no way to complain about that situation :
"I can confirm that funds for the orphanage vanished, since I was a major benefactor to them around 1990. My funds were sent via the Tides Foundation, as part of a donor-advised fund. When I travelled to India a year later to see the results of the gift, the orphanage and the condition of the kids had not been improved one iota. I was shocked, and contacted a local attorney, who agreed that the funds had not been used for their benefit. ... However, he believed that pursuing a legal case would have been useless given Ammachi's close relationships with many of the local judges"It is so hard to find out were the truth lies. Performing further researches makes things worse. This is what an Indian internet user writes in July 2009 :
"I thought Amma was in Germany or somewhere now, because of the allegations of Child Selling to rich westerners."Child Selling? That is an extremely serious allegation, especially for a spiritual leader who recently traveled to Vatican to swear and vow on behalf of Hinduism that she would do her best to end slavery and human trafficking by 2020. The same day another forum member replies to confirm this shocking story :
"it's a fact she is being investigated and Sought for interview for selling some of the children in her care to rich westerners, who paid a large sum(15,000 us was the sum quoted) to get a child they couldn't produce."Fact! This is the word used to describe what sounds like an allegation to our ears. Let's note that althrough the comments and replies, no devotee claims this to be lies, libel, rumors or defamation. Does it mean that it is true? She cannot sell the children of her Indian devotees. Where did she get them? From her orphanage?
It can eventually be a good thing to help barren couples to have a child. It can also be a good thing for the child who has a chance to finally enjoy a loving home. But what about selling children after denying them basic decent care? If the children also like the families that want to adopts them, why not using Amma's political connection for free to facilitate the administrative process? Do the orphans bring her money through both donation and human trade? Does she sees them as little human beings in need of affection or mere cash cows that only deserve cheap storage, waiting for express shipment after advanced payment?