Evening Talks with Sri Aurobindo

MARCH, 1939

12th March, 1939.

Disciple : Did you notice Jawaharlal's article in the Hindu? He can't forget Subhas not acknowledging his report from Europe and also his international politics.

Sri Aurobindo : That again shows Nehru is an idealist. If he has the clarity of mind to see – as he has – that socialism can come in India only after independence, it should be equally clear to him that India can do something in international politics only after she is free.

Disciple : The Congress wants to do something in international field.

Sri Aurobindo : It is a hazy idea. All you have been able to do for China is to send an ambulance unit. It is not like England that can send money to stabilize the currency in China.

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Disciple : I believe, it is his visit to Europe in the League against Imperialism that gives him the impression that he would be able to do something in international politics.

Sri Aurobindo : It is a wrong impression. It was, for instance, wrongly supposed that the Governor of Pondicherry was recalled because Nehru represented the case to the Secretary of Colonies.

Disciple : Perhaps the Secretary might have said, he would move in the matter.

Sri Aurobindo : He might have been only polite; they are always polite. But that does not mean anything. He might say : "I will look into the matter" or "thank you for bringing the matter to my notice."

Disciple : Mahatmaji has secured some success.

Sri Aurobindo : Gandhi's is a big triumph; if some understanding is  arrived at between the princes and the congress it would be very  good.

Disciple : I don't know if Subhas will deliver his ultimatum.

Sri Aurobindo : If you have a revolutionary programme and a nation ready to kill or die, then you may indulge in ultimatums. India is not ready even as Ireland was. The people are prepared to get beaten, or to go to jail at the most. So you have to see what can be done.

When India is really free it will think many times before meddling into international problems before it is on its own feet.

Disciple : You saw M. N. Roy got only 38 votes!

Sri Aurobindo : He might say : Hitler began with even less! But

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it does not always happen so. Some people remain where they are : Oswald Moseley, for instance, is where he was ten years back, and Brailsford writes every week what everybody should do and nobody seems to do what he says!

Subhas and his group are living even now in the mentality of 1906 and 1907; they don't know that conditions have changed.

Disciple : They want to put up a fight against the government.

Sri Aurobindo : It is not always by fighting that you get what you want. With all his idealism Gandhi knows how far the people can go and in spite of his inner voice, he knows how far to go (himself).

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