In world events, soon after Baba's arrival in Guruprasad, on 4 April 1968, the African-American civil rights leader and winner of the 1964 Nobel Peace Prize, Martin Luther King, was assassinated. Four days later, North Vietnam agreed to peace talks with the United States. These were begun in Paris during the second week of May 1968 and eventually led to the end of the Vietnam War.
Regular reports of anti-drug work done by Allan Cohen, Rick Chapman, Robert Dreyfuss, Paula Gordon and Alain Youell, among others, would be sent to Baba despite the ban on correspondence. On 26 April, Baba cabled Rick and Allan:
In the midst of my seclusion work, I had Eruch read out today your work report including April 12 to the 14th. I am very happy with the work done and want you to remember that under no circumstances can Truth ever let down Truth.
The two young men cabled back on the 1st of May:
Mysterious and wonderful are the ways of the Avatar who sits silently in seclusion and draws the whole world to his feet. Your work is our joy to behold as it awakens Truth in others to find in you the only Truth. We rejoice in the certainty of your love.
A few days after settling in Guruprasad, Baba had remarked to the mandali: "That which is to happen after 21 May 1968, will be something great, something that has never happened before, something that will not happen again for billions and billions of years."
He added, "The 'something great' will happen all of a sudden, not in developing stages. People will go about their daily affairs unawares until the moment of its happening."
Nonetheless, Baba still did not reveal what that "something great" would be.
Despite his seclusion work, on 4 May 1968, Baba allowed Goher to take blood and urine samples and send them for analysis to Ruby Hall.
Meanwhile, Sorabji Siganporia's grandson, Viraf, was unwell, and Siganporia happened to mention this in a letter to Baba.
Baba sent back a telegram, stating: "How is Viraf now? You and Alamai [his wife] remain brave and calm."
Viraf was not seriously ill at the time, and Siganporia wondered why Baba sent a telegram.
Then a second telegram came from Baba stating: "Viraf is mine and not yours. So don't worry and be prepared to do my work with greater force."
The boy's condition became serious and he died within a month; yet Siganporia and his family were resigned to the God-Man's will.