By Ramesh Susarla
Former Sri Lankan cricket captain, who led the team to lift the 1996 Cricket World Cup, visited the Sri Sathya Sai Baba’s ashram Prashanthi Nilayam at Puttaparthi in Sri Sathya Sai district to seek the help of the Sri Sathya Sai Central Trust (SSSCT) in getting children’s medicines for his country.
Mr. Ranatunga, who was former Sri Lankan Minister for Transport and Civil Aviation, met R.J. Rathnakar, the managing trustee of the trust, on Wednesday and discussed the possibility of supply of children’s medicines to his country as there was a severe shortage due to the prevailing financial crisis in Sri Lanka.
The popular former cricketer, briefing the media here after the discussions with Mr. Ratnakar, said that he had come to India on a personal visit, but as an ardent devotee of Sri Sathya Sai Baba, he decided to seek the help of the trust. “Sri Sathya Sai Baba too would have positively responded to my request if he were alive. I took the liberty to seek the help of the trust due to my faith in Sri Sathya Sai Baba’s humanitarian help that he had extended and the trust is continuing,” Mr. Ranatunga added.
Mr. Ranatunga, who had come from Bengaluru only for a couple of hours, immediately left. The quantum of help could be ₹4 crore worth of medicines.