Down Memory Lane

Indira Gandhi

In September 1967 Laljibhai Hindocha asked me to go to Delhi for some work of his sugar factory with the Government of India. I wrote to Mother about it, adding that at Delhi I could also do some work of Sri Aurobindo Society. It would take four five days and I wrote to Mother asking for her 'orders'.

Mother replied, 'Go there with my blessings', and added that perhaps I could go to Indira Gandhi to invite her for laying the foundation stone of Auroville on 28th February 1968 and that I should speak to Nava about it. Nandini Satpaty was contacted by Nava and she took me to Indira Gandhi at her residence. Indiraji was courteous and attentive, but she doubted the possibility of her visit.

Coming out, Nandini spoke to Seshan, Indira's Private Secretary, and he advised that I should write the request and the reply will be given. When I went alone with my letter of a few lines, the usual security paraphernalia was active and there was difficulty in seeing even the Private Secretary. I was asked to go next morning to the Prime Minister's office to get the reply.

In the Reception lounge there was a crowd and some confusion. Somehow I was sent upstairs earlier than expected. Some persons were already sitting with Seshan. While waiting, I could hear that some border skirmishes had taken place and Indira was attending to the problem. Seshan said that she would not be able to go due to the Budget presentation at that time and that she would write to Mother.

I wrote to Mother informing her about what happened and proceeded to Bombay for my second assignment, viz, to meet G.D. Birla. He was known to be antagonistic to the Mother and the Sri Aurobindo Ashram. So much so that he was refusing to see people coming from there. Navajata was anxious to have his financial support and told me that although Mother had been showing little interest in the Birlas, my Bombay visit was approved by her. At Delhi I took a letter of introduction from Prabhu Dayal Himatsingka, a close friend of his and my relative.

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Due to this letter I was immediately received by G.D. Birla. But as soon as I broached the subject of Aurovilleand mentioned the names of Sri Aurobindo and Mother, he, a man of culture and polished behaviour, got visibly annoyed and upset and made me leave.

Back at Pondicherry, I went to see Mother. She had received my letter from Delhi, made a correction of my French and noted her reply that she had not yet got Indira's letter, but the ceremony will be arranged otherwise. She said with a smile, "She doesn't want to come", and added, "It is not important. The thing is working in her head."

Then I mentioned the Birla matter. she just smiled it away and did not care.

Both my apparent failures had earned Mother's smile. I felt relaxed.

Well, Indira Gandhi's letter never came. And although in the beginning I had thought the Budget difficulty to be genuine, it did not turn out to be so, for 1968 being a leap year, the Budget was presented on 29th and not 28th.

During the Pakistan-Bangladesh fighting a message came from Nandini Satpaty that Indira Gandhi wanted Mother's advice about her course of action. India was helping Bangladesh and the USA Government was not pleased. The matter went to Mother through me in the absence of Nava, the usual contact person of Nandini.

Mother said, "She should do the best she can."

Once an urgent message came from Tathagata, son of Nandini Satpaty and an ex-student of the Ashram school, just a day prior to the intended visit of Indira Gandhi to Calcutta. He had seen her in a dream being fatally attacked at Calcutta and prayed for Mother's intervention. This message also was taken by me to Mother.

She concentrated for quite some time and said that she did not see any such danger. In fact nothing untoward happened during the Calcutta visit.

I do not remember the occasion of it, but once Mother said after the parting of Indira Gandhi from Nandini Satpaty, "Now Nandini is not there and we do not have Indira's ears." I

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remember the expression of concern on Mother's face when she uttered these words.

Mother's written messages to Indira Gandhi have been since published. In September 1983 I sent her the following message of Mother,

The Supreme wants a great and free India. It is in an ardent faith that there is salvation. In the last analysis, it is the Supreme Lord who does everything.

We must be faithful instruments. Blessings.

and asked her what Mother meant by "a great and free India", and also asked for her consent for publication in Sri Aurobindo's Action.

She consented to the publication and added in her letter,

"Being close to the Mother, you would be in a better position to know what she meant by a great and free India. I would say it meant that the Indian people should be more alive to their rich philosophical and cultural heritage and try to observe these high ideals in their daily life. This would strengthen us individually and help us to build a strong nation which would continue our long and ancient tradition of tolerance.

We must be firmly rooted in the soil of India but be ever ready to take and to adopt anything that is good and relevant to us from elsewhere."

Sending her the copy of 'Sri Aurobindo's Action' in which it was published, I suggested to her to write her memoirs of her visits to the Mother, Anandamayee Ma, Yogis and Saints. One of her Secretaries replied that she had regretted her inability to contribute these memoirs for the journal. I had, in fact intended her to write a book, and on getting the reply, I felt that she would never get the time for it. Her memoirs on this subject would have been one of her most valuable gifts to prosperity.

Her life ended in October 1984, one year later.

When the false criminal cases, instituted by the Indira Government, were going on against me, none in power was willing to help me in the redressal of the injustice being done. False

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prosecutions by the Governmental agencies for ulterior aims, a retired Chief Justice of the Supreme Court told me on the subject of my cases, have been introduced and established as a policy by the Indira Gandhi regime.

It was during Indira Gandhi's rule that Auroville was taken over by the Government of India. She had great respect for Sri Aurobindo and the Mother and their work. The inconsistency of this action with what Mother has said about Auroville is well-known. There are many stories about how she was manipulated to do so. I don't know the truth about this.

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