Anirban said...
In Sri Aurobindo's Vision of India there ought to be a united & cohesive polity. He championed what he called an Indian Nationalism, largely Hindu, but capable of absorbing & uniting the muslim & all others. This Indian nationalism has no spirit of exclusivity or narrowness. However it is difficult to point at one direction & say this is what Sri Aurobindo had envisaged, one has to analyse from a deeper level setting aside one's surface propensities, inclinations, conditioning & prejudices & then decide. E.g. in Sept 1950 , 3 months before his passing he clearly stated when requested on the issue of signing a manifesto for the Defence of Democracy & Independence in Asia against Communism that India must take her stand on the side of Western Democracies. He was also clearly unwilling to give up the heritage & ethos of Hinduism to appease the muslims who he felt must evolve greater tolerance & acceptance towards others & at the same time he was critical of the orthodoxy in Hinduism & wanted Hnduism to base itself on the deeper aspects of the Vedas & evolve the concept of Sanatana Dharma which had the power to assimilate & survive. It could be said that he believed this Hinduism to be suited to India. In another context he clearly stated that "spirituality cannot be affirmed in a political constitution. You can add spirituality in a matter of the Spirit and not of constitutional politics." In yet another context he indicated that if proper grouping is not effectuated during the Cabinet Mission plan then Pakistan shall try to infiltrate & islamise Assam & end Hinduism there. Today, with the gradual islamisation of the insurgent movement there with the help of Pakistan ISI that is exactly what is happening now. During the Cripps proposal he appealed by telegram to Dr. Moonje among others and had asked for a grand coalition of Congress, Hindu-Mahasabha & nationalist Muslims to defeat the designs of the Muslim league & thus save India from partition. But nowhere does he advocate any kind of rabidity, in fact as we all know it was totally alien to his nature & ways. The unity, integrity, safety, growth material as well as spiritual was his overriding concern & in & to acheive this he believed all must unite & work as Indians above all. Anyway, while evolving policies based on his vision, whatever little we can understand of it with our mind as instruments, we have to be very cautious & focused & balanced & as Mother would say try & be open to his inspiration. One thing we can be certain of is that his nationalism/ vision of India has place for all in a united framework but he also sought to redefine Hinduism as Sanatana Dharma with the Vedas as its core & it can be said that it is this which he believed the future India could work out & spread. Socialism, secularism etc. are words which have been distorted & misued so much in the last 60 years that i am afraid to go along with their current definition & work to build a new direction. These words themsleves have to be redifined in the light of Sri Aurobindo. That is why i insit that no existing political block can claim to make themselves fit to his vision, he requires a redfining of all major concepts & isms & therefore porobably a new action is demanded. I hope i have not over stepped my brief! July 23, 2007 10:18 AM
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