Who was Amir Shakkar, and what specific ailment led him to seek Sai Baba's help?

Amir Shakkar was a devotee who was suffering from a severe case of rheumatism. As detailed in Chapter 22, he approached Sai Baba, ritually kissed his hand, and explained the full extent of his illness. He was praying for deliverance from the sorrow his condition caused him and explicitly asked Baba for a remedy. In response, Baba's unconventional prescription was for him to stay steadily in the Chavadi, a decision that initially caused Amir great misery due to the poor conditions.