(Please do not donate any money for this Petition - it goes to Change.org).

Dear Honorable Leaders:
Prime Minister: Sri Modi Ji, 
AP Chief Minister
AP Tourism Minister 
AP Former Tourism Minister: J Geeta Reddy
Sathya Sai Trustee-Manager
Puttaparthi District Collector
Joint Collector & District Magistrate
Puttaparthy Superintendent of Police
FSSAI Commissioner
Puttaparthi Municipal Commissioner

Re: Please adhere to the ban imposed by the former Home Minister Geeta Reddy to preserve the sanctity of Puttaparthi by recognizing it as a Tirth and banning all non-vegetarian food sales, butchery, and alcohol around an 8 to10 km zone around the Sathya Sai Baba Ashram as already established in other Tirths such as Shirdi, Amritsar, Tirupathi, Haridwar, Vrindavan, Pushkar, etc. Proposed demarcation guidelines are given below.

We, Sai devotees are deeply concerned about the recent trend of foul-smelling, unhygienic, non-vegetarian food sales and street-side butchery popping up on many main roads in Puttaparthi. This trend is linked to the area's transformation into the "Sathya Sai District," which has attracted many new employees from other regions who are now residents here.

While we welcome all with open hearts, we are distressed to see the sudden disruption of this Tirth where Swami spent His life establishing numerous humanitarian infrastructures, and preached vegetarianism/nonviolence. Unfortunately, the same area is now being used haphazardly without proper organization or demarcation, and it is alarming to witness such disregard for His values, albeit perhaps innocently. This issue can easily be resolved by the proposed demarcation guidelines below.

Our duty as Sai devotees is to preserve Swami’s legacy in Puttaparthi and ensure that it is upheld as a cultural icon of Bharat. Swami's legacy and service to Bharat since the time of Independence can not be forgotten, as He has been a nurturing force throughout the country, counseling many Prime Ministers, Presidents, Chief Ministers, Royalty, Scientists, Businessmen, Sportsmen, Musicians, etc.

Many Sai devotees have forsaken their worldly lives and careers, families, and homes abroad, to serve Swami and many have bought properties here with a view to retiring in a Tirth. These properties have a combined worth of thousands of crores at today's value. Therefore, Sai devotees worldwide stand before you with folded hands, requesting your assistance in preserving the sanctity of Puttaparthi Tirth.

Additionally, the unregulated sale of non-vegetarian food and street-side butchery in the area raises serious concerns about public health and safety, in the absence of licenses from the FSSAI, and stringent hygiene and safety checks. The risk of disease transmission is highly significant, especially in the current situation of the mutating COVID pandemic and the potential spread of bird flu and salmonella. The proximity of these non-veg sales and butchers are close to schools and the residences of many elderly devotees and compounds these grave concerns. 

Proposed Demarcation Guidelines:

1. Ganesh Circle 
All non-vegetarian sales such as the Buffalo restaurant on Airport Road and all street-side butchery should be pushed back from Ganesh Circle, Airport Road, and the Super Speciality Hospital area to the Railway Station towards Kotechervu.

2. Super Speciality Hospital
The SS Hospital must have a non-veg ban in a 3km radius. The SS Hospital was not only intended as a hospital but as a Temple too. Swami has provided free medical operations to millions of people, therefore, it is treacherous to see that His goodwill is being blatantly disrespected by many foul-smelling, disease-ridden non-veg sales and butchery around His Hospital. Moving to the Railway station towards Kotechervu is just an inconvenience of 3 km. 

3. Enumullapalli Main Road
All non-vegetarian sales and butchery must be pushed back from Enumullapalii Main Road, Hanuman Temple,  Yenumullapalli bus stand, Swami’s land, MRO office, to the to the 'Nandi Aahar Family' non-veg hotel on the Bukkapatnam Nallamada Pulagampalli (Kadiri Road).

Enumulapalli main road should be left clear of all foul smells and be hygienic so that all devotees can traverse back and forth from their residences in Aiswaraya Gardens and Uppasana residential complexes to the Temples, Ashram, and SS Hospital without nausea, fear of disease, or being polluted with foul smells.

Please note: devotees have complained many times regarding the sale of meat items and butchery close to the Hanuman and Sathya Sai Baba / Durga Mandir in Enumulapalli for many years, but to no avail and despite the grievances expressed the numbers are only increasing.

Note: in an article by the Deccan Chronicle dated Feb 2022, it is mentioned that the Govt intends to move its offices to Enumulapalli, but many Sai devotees live in Enumulapalli. Again please move to the Railway Station. Previously, the ex-tourism minister Geetha Reddy imposed a ban on liquor and non-vegetarian food in an 8km jurisdiction of the ashram. Please do not change this ban.

Puttaparthi as district headquarters raises concern over sanctity

4. 80 Feet Bypass Road
All non-veg sales and butchery on the back 80 Foot Bypass Road starting by Yenumullapalli Village, the Lake and the Durga Temple should be pushed back to "Nandi Aahar Family" a non-veg hotel on the Bukkapatnam Nallamada Pulagampalli (Kadiri Road).

5. Karnataka Nagepalli Bridge
All non-veg and butchery including the terrible chicken market on the other side of the Karnataka Nagepalli Bridge on the Hanuman Temple Road, should be pushed back to the 'Nandi Aahar Family' non-veg hotel on the Bukkapatnam Nallamada Pulagampalli (Kadiri Road) away from the Sri Prema Sai Retirement Home, Sai Aqua Boating, the new Residential complexes, and the Sri Sai Krupa EM School. The butchery market here is the most horrendous disease-ridden, foul-smelling area breeding with dangerous bacteria and viruses.

6. Shilparam
Non-vegetarian sales at the restaurant at the Shilparamam should be halted immediately. The local Govt has recently permitted a non-vegetarian restaurant in Shilparamam. Shilparamam contains the word Ram and was supposed to be a temple complex and park, consequently, many Sai devotees brought properties in various residential complexes in this area many years back.

Instead, the name of Ram and this area is being sullied by a non-veg restaurant. Sai devotees who purchased properties nearby in Aiswaraya Gardens and Uppasana Residential Complexes now have to pass this non-veg restaurant and are polluted with foul smells after showering, as they go back and forth for Swami’s Samadhi darshan, seva in the Ashram, Universities, and the Super Speciality Hospital.

Had they known there would have been a non-vegetarian restaurant here, instead of a Temple Complex they would have purchased properties elsewhere. Now as prices have skyrocketed and their houses are old, they can not afford to buy elsewhere.

7. The New Proposed Non-Veg Areas
Anyone who wishes to buy non-vegetarian food can easily procure it from Bukkapatnam Nallamada Pulagampalli (Kadiri Road), or by the Railway station towards Kotechervu. All are just within a few km reach. It is a small price to pay out of respect to Swami and His countless Sai devotees who live here and the millions who visit, rent and stay for short periods for the purpose of sadhana and seva.

We, Sai devotees, humbly request your immediate action towards maintaining the sanctity of Puttaparthi as we fear it may be lost forever without your immediate intervention.

Om Sri Sai Ram.

FURTHER READING

A Few Examples of Bans:
Krishna Janmabhoomi 10 Sq km Ban 

Five Reasons Gujarat Gave To Ban Non-Veg Carts

Ahmedabad Bans Non-Veg Food Stalls Near Schools, Colleges and Religious Places

Sant Tukaram Maharaj - Pune's Dehu Town Non-Veg Ban

NDMC officials will conduct a survey to check if non-veg eateries are operating near temples and come up with a relocation plan

Diseases Caused By Non-Veg
Salmonella is usually transmitted to humans by eating foods contaminated with animal feces. Salmonella present in raw meat and poultry could survive if the product is not cooked to a safe minimum internal temperature, as measured with a food thermometer. Salmonella can also cause foodborne illness (salmonellosis) through cross-contamination, e.g., when juices from raw meat or poultry come in contact with ready-to-eat foods, such as salads. https://www.fsis.usda.gov/food-safety/foodborne-illness-and-disease/illnesses-and-pathogens/salmonella-questions-and-answers

Bird Flu: Experts have warned that avian influenza, or “bird flu,” could kill one in every eight people worldwide—and cause a collapse of the world economy. People who take chicken flesh and eggs into their homes may be putting themselves and their families at risk. According to the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization, the virus can be caught simply by eating undercooked meat or eggs, by eating food prepared on the same cutting board as infected meat or eggs, or even by touching eggshells contaminated with the disease. https://www.peta.org/living/food/bird-flu/

Sri Sathya Sai Baba Quotes On Non-Veg:
1. Video: Sathya Sai Baba speaks about non-vegetarianism and alcohol https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AYqurl7K53E

2. ".....How sinful is it to feed on animals, which are sustained by the same five elements as human beings! This leads to demonic tendencies, besides committing the sin of inflicting cruelty on animals. ~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba, Divine Discourse on 23 Nov 1994, Sanathana Sarathi December 1994 p. 315

3. "... it is significant to note that those who live on vegetarian food are less prone to diseases, whereas non-vegetarians are subject to more diseases. Why? Because animal food is incompatible with the needs of the human body."  ~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba, Summer Showers 1990, p. 34.

4. “Many people have to kill animals because of your non-vegetarianism. You are responsible for the death of those animals. They are killed because you eat them. This is a sin. What a sin to kill innocent animals and eat them." ~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba, Divine Discourse on 21 Nov 1995

5. "....Many doctors emphasize the value of proteins and recommend meat, eggs, etc. But proteins in this form serve only to build the body but do considerable harm to the mind. Doctors are primarily concerned with the gross physical body. They pay little attention to the subtle form of the mental makeup. Most of the diseases that are prevalent in the world today are related to the mind. Mental illness seems to outnumber physical ailments. The Vedhaantha has declared that the mind is the cause of man's bondage or liberation. This means that the mind has to be used properly and turned godwards. Equally the mind is responsible for health or sickness. In this context, food is all important. Proteins are present in milk, curds and vegetables as much as in meat. If in the matter of diet, the doctors give the right prescription, diseases can be averted.~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba Discourse on 07-02-1993

6. "The third category is described as "Madhyapaanoratha daanavah" (One who is addicted to intoxicating drinks and meat eating and leads a sensuous life is a demonic being). Such a person is intensely selfish and has no feelings or consideration for others. A wicked person, swayed by evil motives and evil actions, is described as a demon." ~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba Discourse on 25-12-1991

7. “...Animals did not come for the purpose of supplying food to human beings. They came to work out their own life in the world. When a human being is dead, the foxes and other animals may eat, but we have not come to provide food for those that eat the human body; we have not come for that purpose. Similarly, man eats the animal, but the animal has not come to provide man with food." ~ Hislop, John S., Conversation with Sathya Sai Baba, p. 19

8. "....Meat eating should also be given up because eating animal food promotes animal tendencies. The fourth evil that has to be gotten rid of is gambling. Those who take to the Spiritual path should avoid as much as possible these four bad practices." ~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba Discourse on 21-11-1995

Vedic References
Rig Veda ~ One who partakes of human flesh, the flesh of a horse or another animal, and robs others of milk by slaughtering cows, O King, if such a miscreant does not desist by other means, then you should not hesitate to slay him.

Manu-Samhita 5.51-5: ~ Anyone involved in the killing, butchering, buying or selling, cooking, serving, or eating of meat must all take responsibility for the animal's slaughter. Such actions are deemed as being equally culpable for the act. Those who consume meat are committing a grave sin. For by consuming the flesh of other living beings, they only seek to fatten their own bodies, devoid of any consideration for the animals. Such self-serving behaviour is utterly despicable and immoral." 

Manu-Samhita 5.48-49 ~ Eating meat always involves causing harm to other living beings, which is incompatible with the pursuit of spiritual well-being. Therefore, it is recommended to refrain from consuming meat. By reflecting on the unpleasant origin of flesh and the cruelty of enslaving and killing sentient creatures, one should avoid eating meat entirely.

Manu-Samhita 5.51-52 ~ Anyone involved in the killing, butchering, buying or selling, cooking, serving, or eating of meat must all take responsibility for the animal's slaughter. Such actions are deemed as being equally culpable for the act. Those who consume meat in the absence of offering worship to the gods or ancestors are committing a grave sin. For by consuming the flesh of other living beings, they only seek to fatten their own bodies, devoid of any consideration for the animals. Such self-serving behaviour is utterly despicable and immoral.

Manu-Samhita 5.37-38: ~ In case of a strong craving for meat, one may consume an animal made from purified butter or flour, but killing an animal without a lawful reason should never be pursued. The number of hairs on the slain animal will determine the number of future violent deaths for the person who killed it without a lawful reason.

Manu-Samhita 5.45 ~ He who hurts harmless creatures from a wish to give himself pleasure never finds happiness in this life or the next."

Manu-Samhita 6.60 ~ By not killing any living being, one becomes fit for salvation." 

Mahabharata, Anu. 115-21-23 ~ We must acknowledge the injustice inflicted upon innocent and thriving beings who cherish the essence of existence when they are mercilessly slaughtered by those who lead a sinful life of savagery. Hence, Your Majesty, it is vital to comprehend that relinquishing meat is the ultimate sanctuary of righteousness, of the divine sphere, and of blissfulness. To abstain from causing harm to others is the highest form of righteousness. It is also the greatest act of atonement and veracity, which serves as the foundation of all morality. 

Mahabharata, Anu.115.47 ~ Those who wish to increase their own flesh by consuming the flesh of other creatures will experience misery, no matter what form they take in their next life.

Mahabharata, Anu.116.1 ~ Yudhisthira lamented, "It is truly unfortunate that there are people who disregard other types of food and only crave for flesh. They are no better than the Rakshasas, the meat-eating demons.".

Bhagavata Purana 11.5.14 ~ Those who are unaware of the true principles of dharma and, despite their wicked and arrogant nature, consider themselves virtuous, are capable of killing animals without any sense of remorse or fear of retribution. In their future existences, such sinful individuals will be devoured by the very creatures they have mercilessly slaughtered in the present world."

Health Benefits Of Being A Vegetarian
Cardiovascular disease mortality and cancer incidence in vegetarians: a meta-analysis and systematic review" published in Annals and Metabolism found that vegetarians have a significantly lower ischaemic heart disease mortality (29%) and overall cancer incidence (18%) than non-vegetarians.   ~ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22677895/

"A systematic review with meta-analysis of observational studies reported a significant protective effect of a vegetarian diet versus the incidence and/or mortality from ischaemic heart disease (-25%) and incidence from total cancer (-8%). Vegan diet conferred a significant reduced risk (-15%) of incidence from total cancer. ~ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26853923/

The position of "The American Dietetic Association on Vegetarian diet contradicts the popular myth that vegetarian diets are inadequate. It reports that Well-planned vegetarian diets are appropriate for individuals during all stages of the life cycle, including pregnancy, lactation, infancy, childhood, and adolescence, and even for athletes. A vegetarian diet can easily meet the current recommendations for all key nutrients like protein, n-3 fatty acids, iron, zinc, iodine, calcium, and vitamins D and B-12.  https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19562864/

A Randomized Controlled Trial conducted by Cancer research found that Red meat is associated with an increased risk of colorectal cancer and increases the endogenous formation of Nitros compounds (NOC). ~ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16452248/

Why Is Eating Plants Encouraged?
Other than to avoid the diseases above, food made of plants is both spiritually and physically congenial. Spiritually, it demonstrates due reverence for the Creator by minimizing violence to his creation, and by refraining from killing animals for the sake of our taste buds. Physically, it comprises the healthiest human diet, for our digestive systems resemble those of herbivores, not carnivores. So we become sicker with a meat-centered diet and healthier with a plant-centered one. Plants lack a central nervous system, nerves, and brains. Hence it is believed that plants are incapable of feeling pain. Hence plucking a leaf, fruit, or vegetable from a plant cannot be equated with, say, cutting off the legs of a chicken.

OM SRI SAI RAM