India - the Mother

May 12, 1971

(Regarding Bangladesh)

I have been told fantastic things, for example, that Pakistan desires India to declare war because it would immediately call for China's help; and that Pakistan is already receiving arms from America through Turkey....

But America has quietly resumed giving economic aid to Pakistan.

Then ...

They're resuming it quietly, discreetly, but they're resuming it. Their intention is to put Pakistan back on its feet.

But then it's all over!

Yes, everything has to be started over.

They're mad!—They're all mad, mad, mad....

(After a silence) Which means that they [India] missed the first chance [in September 1965]; they've missed the second chance; now we don't know when it will come again....

Has anyone told you what's going on in Ceylon?

No.

No one told you anything about Ceylon!

No.

But that's amazing, it's very important, Mother. For the last month, about forty thousand students have been waging guerrilla warfare with the government, and they are being massacred by the government.

Oh!

So they have taken refuge in the jungle and they're waging guerrilla warfare. Thousands have been arrested, all students. But then the extraordinary thing is that India, which is not intervening in Bangladesh, has intervened in Ceylon, sending helicopters and boats to help the government stop ...

Oh! ... Oh, that's the last straw!... Oh! (Mother covers her-eyes in dismay.)

They are creating a terrible karma for themselves!

Yes, they're heaping troubles on their own heads.

(Long silence, then Mother shakes her head and goes within.) The latest argument is that Pakistan wants India to declare war so it can call China to its aid, you see.

But, Mother, we shouldn't forget that India betrayed Tibet: When Tibet was invaded by the Chinese, Nehru kept his mouth, eyes and ears shut and did nothing to help the Tibetans. All that is the continuation of Gandhi's teaching—this false politics is being perpetrated by Gandhi's sons.

No, you see ... you see, they go and fight on the wrong side in Ceylon.

No, it's not that—it's much worse than Gandhi. (Mother goes within for a long time.)

All that isn't very encouraging.

(Mother shakes her head) No, it's more terrible: there is a VERY catastrophic formation over India, and they're pulling it down, the fools!

(After a silence) But it's already a long time since I saw China invade India, even South India. And that's the worst of catastrophes.... One can expect ANYTHING from the Chinese—every possible horror. I saw them—all, everywhere ... horrible!

I saw the Chinese in this room.

But several times during the last years that thought has come to me, Mother—several times it has come to me.

But that's the end of everything. It means it will probably take centuries before things can begin again.

... And the Chinese are VERY intelligent. (Mother goes within a long time.)

Mother, the problem is to find out how one can counteract all that, because in 1950 already, Sri Aurobindo told the Americans: If you yield in Korea, you will be led to yield every position point after point. Sri Aurobindo said that in 1950. Well, since 1950, we have yielded every position, point after point, and now India is completely encircled by China —point after point we have yielded: Kashmir and Tibet and all that—we are encircled by the Chinese. And we go on yielding [in Bangladesh]. So how to counter all that?... For example, Mother, the Americans are quietly resuming aid to Pakistan because they say, their reasoning is, if we don't give aid, then we leave the whole Pakistani territory to the Chinese.

That's sheer ... [madness].

We'll see.

Mother's Agenda: May 12, 1971