When we first arrived there was a big tent for a yagna that was being celebrated. Many priests were engaged in doing the puja, and the number of visitors was increasing daily. Bhandara was going on everyone was fed or offered prasad to carry away with them. Everyone was happy, but there were some exceptions.

One day a few political leaders came after visiting some cities in the area. They were welcomed and offered prasad, but their reaction was hostile. Seeing so much ghee and other ingredients being used for havan and the large number of people being fed puris, some of them flared up and said to me, "There is such a food shortage in this country and so many are faced with famine. It is a sacrilege to waste so much food. How this can happen in an ashram is beyond our understanding.'

Babaji was not there at the time. Later he asked me about the episode. He said, "These are the persons who have become the guardians of the people. They do not know where the food comes from. They do not take the name of God, offer any puja or perform havans. How will the rains come and produce food? They forget God and think everything depends on them. The whole defect lies there."