Learning with the Mother

GROUP UNIFORMS

Once the activities in the physical education department took a more organised form, Mother decided to introduce Group uniforms since children often appeared for sports in clothes unsuited for physical activities. The Group uniforms were of different colours for different Groups. Khaki shirt and shorts were assigned to all the captains. The colour of the uniform for Group A was green.

It was in 1949, sometime before 24th April that Mother distributed the uniforms to the Groups. Each Group, on an appointed day, lined up in front of the Mother headed by their respective Group captains and recited the specific prayer of the Group. To each Group Mother gave her separate reply as an answer to its prayer.

Since I was the captain for Group A, I took the lead in the prayer with the children repeating after me:

“Sweet Mother, for us you have kept the road free of all dangers and all difficulties, the road that leads surely towards the goal and when the final victory will be won, it will stretch till infinity.

Mother, keep us always green so that we can move forward without stopping on the way that you have prepared so laboriously for us.”

The Mother answered:

“You are the hope, you are the future. Keep always this youth which is the faculty to progress, and for you the phrase ‘it is impossible’ will not have any meaning.”

On 24th April, 1949, all the Groups marched in front of Sri Aurobindo in their new uniforms. As soon as the march past was over, we rushed home to change and return for another Darshan. Hence, we had a second Darshan on 24th April, 1949 and the same programme was repeated in 1950.