Sri Aurobindo : conversations
Talks with Sri Aurobindo is a thousand-page record of Sri Aurobindo's conversations with the disciples who attended to him during the last twelve years of his life. The talks are informal and open-ended, for the attendants were free to ask whatever questions came to mind. Sri Aurobindo speaks of his own life and work, of the Mother and the Ashram, of his path of Yoga and other paths, of India's social, cultural and spiritual life, of the country's struggle for political independence, of Hitler and the Second World War, of modern science, art and poetry, and of many other things that arose in the course of conversation. Serious discussion is balanced with light-hearted banter and humour. By recording these human touches, Nirodbaran has brought out the warm and intimate atmosphere of the talks.
THEME/S
PURANI: Russia's occupation of Bessarabia seems to be the result of an understanding with Hitler and the proper time was also fixed beforehand.
SRI AUROBINDO: Probably.
NIRODBARAN: But the question is: Will Russia stop here?
SRI AUROBINDO: No.
NIRODBARAN: In that case Hitler will have to look on, thinking how he can deal with her later on.
SRI AUROBINDO: He can't afford to quarrel with Russia at present when he is fighting England, so Russia may try to acquire Africa also, unless, of course, Italy jumps in in a rage.
PURANI: Yes, then Hitler will be dragged in. Russia will come too near Italy then.
NIRODBARAN: Isn't Russia a danger to Turkey?
SRI AUROBINDO: Of course.
NIRODBARAN: Some Englishman wrote in The Indian Express that the idea of a Russian invasion of India is a bogey.
SATYENDRA: That is an old article and all old views.
SRI AUROBINDO: What does the writer say?
SATYENDRA: He says that India has mechanised units, aeroplanes and good defences. What mechanised units have we got? Perhaps the British have sent a few more aeroplanes now. Russia, he says, will have first to conquer Turkey, Persia and Afghanistan.
SRI AUROBINDO: What are Turkey and Persia to Russia?
NIRODBARAN: He speaks of natural defences.
SRI AUROBINDO(laughing): Natural defences! Natural defences are no defence nowadays. One can't sit comfortably behind natural defences in modem warfare.
SATYENDRA: He says even Napoleon couldn't take up such adventures.
SRI AUROBINDO: Napoleon existed long before the advent of modern warfare.
SATYENDRA: Even Finland with her strong army and equipment stood only a few days against Russia.
SRI AUROBINDO: Yes, with her very strong artificial defence of the Mannerheim Line she still couldn't hold on.
NIRODBARAN: My impression is that when Hitler gets involved with Britain, Stalin may march towards India.
SRI AUROBINDO: Before that he will have to take Asia Minor and then Hitler will get nervous.
PURANI: Daladier seems to have been arrested in Casablanca.
SRI AUROBINDO: Why in Casablanca? They are not giving sufficient news. They say the French admirals have arrived London but don't give the names.
NIRODBARAN: The American Republican Party in its manifesto accuses Roosevelt of ineffective defence preparation during his term.
SRI AUROBINDO: That is a political stunt. He has almost doubled the defence.
SATYENDRA: What has happened to the public declaration of the Pondicherry Governor?
SRI AUROBINDO: He hasn't brought it out yet. It seems he went to see the British Consul who told him: "Don't fear, your successor will never arrive here. I can assure you."
NIRODBARAN: How will a new Governor ever go to Indo- China, then?
SATYENDRA: He may go in disguise.
SRI AUROBINDO: As an American? But it will be too humiliating.
SATYENDRA: Yes.
SRI AUROBINDO: Syria will resist. She has about one-and-a-half million troops, along with the British.
NIRODBARAN: In North Africa, there are about fifty thousand, it appears.
SRI AUROBINDO: Fifty thousand? Can't be. Italy alone has ninety thousand. How can they hold out against Italy with that number and at the same time put down any insurgence of the native people, which is always likely?
PUBANI: No, no. It must be at least half a million.
EVENING
SRI AUROBINDO: So Bonvain has declared himself? And Pavitra has to take up mobilisation under the order of the Foreign Minister!
PURANI: Who is the Foreign Minister?
SRI AUROBINDO: That is what I would like to ask.
PURANI: It can't be the Minister of the Pétain Government.
SRI AUROBINDO: No, Bonvain has allied himself with the British.
SATYENDRA: But he has not repudiated the French Government.
SRI AUROBINDO: No, but it comes to that.
NIRODBARAN: Pavitra can be sent anywhere now.
SRI AUROBINDO: Yes, wherever he is called. But only after training, which will require eight months.
SATYENDRA: They must have an army to protect Pondicherry also.
PURANI: After training, the troops will be sent to Saigon, they say.
SRI AUROBINDO: Added to these fifty thousand they can raise another fifty thousand in Africa, and the same from the Senegalese and about one million from the Arabs. The difficulty will be getting equipment. It is as in India. India has man-power but that is all. Mittelhauser said to America that what is required are aeroplanes and other machines.
NIRODBARAN: It was half a million, not fifty thousand troops in Africa.
SRI AUROBINDO: I was wondering how it could be fifty thousand for such a vast country. (Looking at Satyendra) Have you seen in today's map what a vast colony it is?
SATYENDRA: Yes, compared to it France looks very small.
SRI AUROBINDO: This news about Daladier's arrest is from Gibraltar. It must be Gibraltar gossip.
SATYENDRA: Otherwise I don't understand why he should be arrested in Casablanca.
SRI AUROBINDO: Quite so.
PURANI: We may soon hear that he has reached London.
SRI AUROBINDO: Yes, like Blum. The only important man; who has reached London is Blum.
SATYENDRA: Where is Reynaud?
NIRODBARAN: Could he have been arrested?
SATYENDRA: America is becoming queer. Ford has refused to build aeroplanes for the British, but will build them only for U.S.A.
SRI AUROBINDO: Yes.
NIRODBARAN: But they can sell them to England.
SRI AUROBINDO: No, the new machines can't be sold according to their law unless they declare war.
PURANI: This Republican candidate Wilky is an anti-isolationist: he favours all the help to the Allies.
SRI AUROBINDO: Isolationists are all those who don't want to go to war. All the rest want to help with their ammunitions and arms.
NIRODBARAN: Rumania doesn't seem to have gained by her Axis sympathy and declaration.
SRI AUROBINDO: No, this king is a fool. He sways from this side to that.
NIRODBARAN: Hitler has rewarded the king by sacrificing him.
SRI AUROBINDO: He will sacrifice anybody.
PURANI: He can't afford war with Russia now.
SRI AUROBINDO: No, that will be too much for him. He has started his game in England.
Radio news that Chamberlain and his party wanted peace with Hitler was strongly denied.
SRI AUROBINDO: That must be German propaganda. Chamberlain can't open his umbrella now.
NIRODBARAN: As soon as he declared his Axis policy, Stalin got his chance.
NIRODBARAN: The other neutrals, Hungary, Bulgaria and Yugoslavia, are repeating the same policy—closely watching the situation.
SRI AUROBINDO(laughing): Yes, watching to see whose turn comes next!
NIRODBARAN: And Turkey also is getting nervous. Sent her fleet to the Black Sea.
SRI AUROBINDO: That is nothing. Unless she wants Dobruja, where there are plenty of Turks.
PURANI: Hungary wants Transylvania?
SRI AUROBINDO: Yes. Bulgaria wants Dobruja and Yugoslavia—while Italy wants to swallow Yugoslavia.
NIRODBARAN: How is Turkey going to gain by alliance with Russia?
SRI AUROBINDO: Don't know.
NIRODBARAN: Unless she fears an attack by Russia.
SRI AUROBINDO: Yes, they have always been friendly. Russia helped to build Turkey after the last war.
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