26 JUNE 1940PURANI: Hitler has presented a plan for the federation of continental Europe from which England and Russia will be barred. This man is full of ideas. SRI AUROBINDO: His New World Order? PURANI: Yes, Europe will be divided into three blocks: they will have no armies. SRI AUROBINDO: Wait a minute. How will the blocks be formed? PURANI: One block in the Balkans, one in Belgium, Holland, France, etc., and another in Spain, Portugal and other countries, I suppose. They won't have any armies. Hitler alone will have an army. SRI AUROBINDO: Of course, small nations won't be able to resist, except Franco's Spain, and she can have some weight and Turkey too can resist. NIRODBARAN: Italy's claims, as we see from the published terms of the armistice signed with her, seem to be mild. No territorial claims, only the French Mediterranean ports to be demilitarised. SRI AUROBINDO: After which she can easily seize them whenever she wants to. She may reserve territorial claims for the peace treaty. Page -753 NIRODBARAN: There has been a warning that Hitler may ask Italy to be mild now in order to lull the French people into a false sense of security. SATYENDRA: The French fleet has been demobilised already, Churchill says, and is under German control. SRI AUROBINDO: Oh, he has said that? NIRODBARAN: Yes, in the morning news it was announced. Of course one doesn't know if it is the whole fleet or only a part. This is Pétain's free Government! SRI AUROBINDO: Pétain means that the French are not ruled by Germany as are the people of Poland and Czechoslovakia. SATYENDRA: And they may expect good terms during the peace talks. SRI AUROBINDO: Even if good terms are given Hitler will see to it that France has no power to rise again. SATYENDRA: The newspaper seems to say that Britain has recognised the Pétain Government. After all there is no gain whether they do or do not. France can't help England even if she wants to. NIRODBARAN: Even if she could, would she? SRI AUROBINDO: She would; she could send goods, but no commerce seems to be allowed by Hitler. France will be terribly impoverished. PURANI: She can trade with Italy and Germany. SRI AUROBINDO: That is across land but if any trade is allowed by sea, it will only be under German control. SATYENDRA: Why don't the colonies come to any decision? They must do it quickly, when the enthusiasm prevails. SRI AUROBINDO: Yes, they may be waiting for the full ratification of the truce. If they recognise the Government, they will be demilitarised and Japan will easily walk into Indo-China. PURANI: In the paper there is a scheme of how the German parachutists will land in England, how they will be equipped, etc. NIRODBARAN: Parachutes have not been very successful in France. SRI AUROBINDO: No, most of the parachutists have been killed. In England they won't be successful at all. Parachutists are of no use unless they are followed up by the army. PURANI: It seems some French officers have approached the British consul with their offer of fighting along with the British. Page -754 The customs regulations have become tighter. The pass that was allowed to French officers is no longer valid. SRI AUROBINDO: Of course they are justified now. If the Government had sided with the British, many of the regulations would have been relaxed. SATYENDRA: The British Government has consented to buy one lakh tons of Indian sugar subject to the approval of the International Sugar Committee. SRI AUROBINDO: Good Lord! SATYENDRA: But where is the International Committee now? (Laughter) SRI AUROBINDO: Quite so. SATYENDRA: At such a time they are quibbling over law! SRI AUROBINDO: The English people are legal-minded. If they want to break a law they must do it legally. So also with their morality. If they do anything immoral, they do it in a moral-seeming way so as to preserve their righteousness. (Laughter) PURANI: Dr. Rao has retired. SRI AUROBINDO: Oh, now the P.A. will dance with joy. NIRODBARAN: But will the Congress Ministry come to power? SRI AUROBINDO: Don't see any chance now.
EVENING
PURANI: Japan says she recognises only the Bordeaux Government. SRI AUROBINDO (laughing): Of course! PURANI: There is unconfirmed news that Japan has either entered twenty miles inside Indo-China or spread along the frontier. SRI AUROBINDO: Inside means she is going to occupy the country. NIRODBARAN: But it was said that all frontiers had been closed. SATYENDRA: The colonies are still undecided. Are they going to recognise Bordeaux too? SRI AUROBINDO: Then they will have to be demilitarised and Japan will easily walk in. The colonies say that they are all willing to fight. NIRODBARAN: Not a very determined attitude. They seem to be hesitating. Page -755 SRI AUROBINDO: Yes, and Churchill's speech also is more hesitating than it ought to be. They will go on fighting till they are demilitarised, I suppose. NIRODBARAN: They are hesitating because of the National Committee. They ought to declare the personnel. SATYENDRA: They should do it soon. SRI AUROBINDO: Yes, if they don't, they will let the psycho- logical moment pass. SATYENDRA: There is no news of Mandel or Reynaud. SRI AUROBINDO: Some say that Reynaud is in America. I don't see why they can't come together. There may be some reason for their hiding. Have you seen Hoover's statement? He says that America must prepare for her defence and only help the Allies to a certain limit so that her own resources may be kept intact for her own defence. Besides, he says, helping the Allies will be bad for the Allies. (Laughter) He is using this as a political stunt against Roosevelt and is trying to preach his isolationism. The world is getting queer. No wonder the British consul says it is Kaliyuga. (Laughter) NIRODBARAN: The other day, while talking about the Divine Will, you said that Christ knew that he was to be put on the cross and yet one part of him didn't want it. Did you mean that the crucifixion had been divinely willed? SRI AUROBINDO: That is what the Bible says. It says that Christ came to take the sins of humanity upon himself and deliver humanity from suffering. Even then some parts of his lower vital didn't want it because of the suffering, the desertion of his disciples and the humiliation. But he felt the suffering on the cross. Otherwise there is no use in suffering. If the suffering is not real there is no meaning in it. PURANI: In our Puranas there are many stories of the Divine's intervention, not by His omnipotent power but according to rules of the game. SRI AUROBINDO: Of course, if it were to be by omnipotent power it could be done from above. Why should the Divine come down into a body for it? CHAMPAKLAL (after some rime): Just a while ago I heard distinctly the Mother's voice saying, "Hitler will die on the 26th." SRI AUROBINDO (laughing): That is too good to hope for. Page -756 CHAMPAKLAL: I am not very sure about the date, whether it is the 26th or some other date. SRI AUROBINDO: I don't care about the date. If he dies it is enough. (Laughter)
27 JUNE 1940PURANI: If Russia demands Bessarabia it might be through an understanding with Hitler. SRI AUROBINDO: If Rumania accedes then Russia will next enter Bucharest. Hitler has demanded all the German refugees from the French Government which means that he will harass them now. PURANI: Our people in Calcutta have asked whether, in the proof of The Life Divine, it shouldn't be "founded on" instead of "founded in". Not only that but in anticipation they have already put "founded on" in the final proof. SRI AUROBINDO: In the context concerned it must be "founded in" and not "on". PURANI: It makes a big difference: "in" or "on". SRI AUROBINDO: A big difference and quite a different meaning. PURANI: I came to know afterwards that they had already changed it. SATYENDRA: Perhaps some Calcutta persons have pointed it out thinking it unusual. SRI AUROBINDO: What idiots some people can become. PURANI: They are familiar only with "founded on", it seems. SRI AUROBINDO: All these people think that they know better English than I do. NIRODBARAN: They perhaps think that it may be an oversight or some mistake in typing or printing. SRI AUROBINDO: I have used the same expression in the previous pages and there I said it must be "in" and again they change it! Indians, when they write English, use stock phrases and conventional usages while a good writer will never do that. That is why their English is so flat and lifeless and gives the impression that they have learned English. A good writer will always avoid stock expressions and vary the usages. (Smiling) Stephen Phillips, the poet, said Page -757 that the English language is like a woman who will only love if you take liberties with her. (Laughter. After a pause) Sir Dinshaw Wacha sent a book here he had written. I found on every page almost forty stock phrases — what are called clichés — and all the papers were praising it, saying, "What a wonderful style!" To an Englishman it would seem horrible.
EVENINGThe evening radio news said that the Pétain Government had asked the Governors of Indo-China and Africa to resign and that new men would be appointed in their places.
SATYENDRA: They haven't yet repudiated the Pétain Government. Now they will be forced to decide what they should do, whether to recognise it or revolt against it. SRI AUROBINDO: Nogues of Africa has said that he won't give an inch of French territory to Italy without a fight. PURANI: Will the Pétain Government send warships then to make them obey? SRI AUROBINDO: They may do anything. When they have recalled the Governors, it means that the colonies haven't obeyed. What about Syria? The Pétain Government hasn't recalled its Governor. Perhaps they know that he will send them to the devil. SATYENDRA: Will Indo-China be able to resist Japan? PURANI: At least the French there will be able to give a good account of themselves. SRI AUROBINDO: It won't be a promenade for Japan. NIRODBARAN: Besides, if Indo-China makes an alliance with Britain, Britain will have to go to her help. That means war with Japan. SRI AUROBINDO: Yes. Will Japan undertake all that with Russia and China at her back? PURANI: The Pétain Government may ask Japan to occupy Indo-China. SRI AUROBINDO: That will be too much. They will be shot in that case or bound. NIRODBARAN: But if Hitler presses? Page -758 SRI AUROBINDO: Even so they can't. They have been able to save face by saying that they have saved France from destruction by the armistice with Hitler, but to allow foreigners to kill the French people, that would be — PURANI: Germany has begun regular air raids on England. SRI AUROBINDO: But that is not an attack yet. After settling with France Hitler may start. He may also have to attack Africa. The situation won't be safe if the French fleet falls into his hands. NIRODBARAN: According to Churchill's speech some units of the fleet seem to have escaped. He is asking them to come to British or go to neutral ports. SRI AUROBINDO: Yes, but not to Spain, I hope. The understanding was that the full fleet would make for the British ports.
28 JUNE 1940PURANI: Russia's occupation of Bessarabia seems to be the result of an understanding with Hitler and the proper time was also fixed beforehand. SRI AUROBINDO: Probably. NIRODBARAN: But the question is: Will Russia stop here? SRI AUROBINDO: No. NIRODBARAN: In that case Hitler will have to look on, thinking how he can deal with her later on. SRI AUROBINDO: He can't afford to quarrel with Russia at present when he is fighting England, so Russia may try to acquire Africa also, unless, of course, Italy jumps in in a rage. PURANI: Yes, then Hitler will be dragged in. Russia will come too near Italy then. NIRODBARAN: Isn't Russia a danger to Turkey? SRI AUROBINDO: Of course. NIRODBARAN: Some Englishman wrote in The Indian Express that the idea of a Russian invasion of India is a bogey. SATYENDRA: That is an old article and all old views. SRI AUROBINDO: What does the writer say? SATYENDRA: He says that India has mechanised units, aeroplanes and good defences. What mechanised units have we got? Perhaps the British have sent a few more aeroplanes now. Russia, he says, will have first to conquer Turkey, Persia and Afghanistan. Page -759 SRI AUROBINDO: What are Turkey and Persia to Russia? NIRODBARAN: He speaks of natural defences. SRI AUROBINDO (laughing): Natural defences! Natural defences are no defence nowadays. One can't sit comfortably behind natural defences in modem warfare. SATYENDRA: He says even Napoleon couldn't take up such adventures. SRI AUROBINDO: Napoleon existed long before the advent of modern warfare. SATYENDRA: Even Finland with her strong army and equipment stood only a few days against Russia. SRI AUROBINDO: Yes, with her very strong artificial defence of the Mannerheim Line she still couldn't hold on. NIRODBARAN: My impression is that when Hitler gets involved with Britain, Stalin may march towards India. SRI AUROBINDO: Before that he will have to take Asia Minor and then Hitler will get nervous. PURANI: Daladier seems to have been arrested in Casablanca. SRI AUROBINDO: Why in Casablanca? They are not giving sufficient news. They say the French admirals have arrived London but don't give the names. NIRODBARAN: The American Republican Party in its manifesto accuses Roosevelt of ineffective defence preparation during his term. SRI AUROBINDO: That is a political stunt. He has almost doubled the defence. SATYENDRA: What has happened to the public declaration of the Pondicherry Governor? SRI AUROBINDO: He hasn't brought it out yet. It seems he went to see the British Consul who told him: "Don't fear, your successor will never arrive here. I can assure you." NIRODBARAN: How will a new Governor ever go to In China, then? SATYENDRA: He may go in disguise. SRI AUROBINDO: As an American? But it will be too humiliating. SATYENDRA: Yes. SRI AUROBINDO: Syria will resist. She has about one-and-a-half million troops, along with the British. Page -760 NIRODBARAN: In North Africa, there are about fifty thousand, it appears. SRI AUROBINDO: Fifty thousand? Can't be. Italy alone has ninety thousand. How can they hold out against Italy with that number and at the same time put down any insurgence of the native people, which is always likely? PUBANI: No, no. It must be at least half a million.
EVENINGSRI AUROBINDO: So Bonvain has declared himself? And Pavitra has to take up mobilisation under the order of the Foreign Minister! PURANI: Who is the Foreign Minister? SRI AUROBINDO: That is what I would like to ask. PURANI: It can't be the Minister of the Pétain Government. SRI AUROBINDO: No, Bonvain has allied himself with the British. SATYENDRA: But he has not repudiated the French Government. SRI AUROBINDO: No, but it comes to that. NIRODBARAN: Pavitra can be sent anywhere now. SRI AUROBINDO: Yes, wherever he is called. But only after training, which will require eight months. SATYENDRA: They must have an army to protect Pondicherry also. SRI AUROBINDO: Of course. PURANI: After training, the troops will be sent to Saigon, they say. SRI AUROBINDO: Added to these fifty thousand they can raise another fifty thousand in Africa, and the same from the Senegalese and about one million from the Arabs. The difficulty will be getting equipment. It is as in India. India has man-power but that is all. Mittelhauser said to America that what is required are aeroplanes and other machines. NIRODBARAN: It was half a million, not fifty thousand troops in Africa. SRI AUROBINDO : I was wondering how it could be fifty thousand for such a vast country. (Looking at Satyendra) Have you seen in today's map what a vast colony it is? Page -761 SATYENDRA: Yes, compared to it France looks very small. SRI AUROBINDO: This news about Daladier's arrest is from Gibraltar. It must be Gibraltar gossip. SATYENDRA: Otherwise I don't understand why he should be arrested in Casablanca. SRI AUROBINDO: Quite so. PURANI: We may soon hear that he has reached London. SRI AUROBINDO: Yes, like Blum. The only important man; who has reached London is Blum. SATYENDRA: Where is Reynaud? NIRODBARAN: Could he have been arrested? SRI AUROBINDO: No. SATYENDRA: America is becoming queer. Ford has refused to build aeroplanes for the British, but will build them only for U.S.A. SRI AUROBINDO: Yes. NIRODBARAN: But they can sell them to England. SRI AUROBINDO: No, the new machines can't be sold according to their law unless they declare war. PURANI: This Republican candidate Wilky is an anti-isolationist: he favours all the help to the Allies. SRI AUROBINDO: Isolationists are all those who don't want to go to war. All the rest want to help with their ammunitions and arms. NIRODBARAN: Rumania doesn't seem to have gained by her Axis sympathy and declaration. SRI AUROBINDO: No, this king is a fool. He sways from this side to that. NIRODBARAN: Hitler has rewarded the king by sacrificing him. SRI AUROBINDO: He will sacrifice anybody. PURANI: He can't afford war with Russia now. SRI AUROBINDO: No, that will be too much for him. He has started his game in England.
Radio news that Chamberlain and his party wanted peace with Hitler was strongly denied.
SRI AUROBINDO: That must be German propaganda. Chamberlain can't open his umbrella now. NIRODBARAN: As soon as he declared his Axis policy, Stalin got his chance. Page -762 SRI AUROBINDO: Quite so. NIRODBARAN: The other neutrals, Hungary, Bulgaria and Yugoslavia, are repeating the same policy - closely watching the situation. SRI AUROBINDO (laughing): Yes, watching to see whose turn comes next! NIRODBARAN: And Turkey also is getting nervous. Sent her fleet to the Black Sea. SRI AUROBINDO: That is nothing. Unless she wants Dobruja, where there are plenty of Turks. PURANI: Hungary wants Transylvania? SRI AUROBINDO: Yes. Bulgaria wants Dobruja and Yugoslavia - while Italy wants to swallow Yugoslavia. NIRODBARAN: How is Turkey going to gain by alliance with Russia? SRI AUROBINDO: Don't know. NIRODBARAN: Unless she fears an attack by Russia. SRI AUROBINDO: Yes, they have always been friendly. Russia helped to build Turkey after the last war. 29 JUNE 1940Radio news had it that Mittelhauser under Weygand's persuasion had given up resistance and accepted the armistice. PURANI: There is unconfirmed news that General Nogues is also doing the same. SRI AUROBINDO: It must be true then. PURANI: The Belgian Minister also seems to be negotiating with Hitler about terms on which they can return to Belgium. SRI AUROBINDO: The general is out then! After his walk Sri Aurobindo took up the discussion again. SRI AUROBINDO: Rajagopalachari is getting uneasy. He says that India is like a pet cat kept in the jungle by the British. (Laughter) SATYENDRA: He wants to support the war effort. SRI AUROBINDO: Yes, he wants to go to war. Page -763 SATYENDRA: He wants to go back to the Ministry also. It seems about thirteen people voted against him in the Working Committee. SRI AUROBINDO: He is a practical politician. If the colonies Surrender, England remains all alone. If she gets India with her, then she can get India's man-power and resources and in that case America also may join. That is the only way left to meet Hitler. In America the two parties are pro-Allies. I hope she will have the grace to do what is necessary. SATYENDRA: I don't think the British are likely to concede anything to India yet. They will say, "If we go down, let them go also", and if they want to retain authority after the war, they won't want to arm India. Besides, it is very difficult to part with power. SRI AUROBINDO: Oh yes! NIRODBARAN: The English psychology is to give in when they are forced to and no other way is left. Otherwise they don't act. SRI AUROBINDO: If they want to act, they can do so provided they have the right man. For instance after the Boer War, Sir Campbell Bannerman gave self-government to South Africa. Self-government has also been granted to Iraq and to Egypt. In Egypt they have kept control of the Suez only. That is the advantage of England over Germany, that you can deal with England, while with Germany — (Sri Aurobindo began to shake his head.) NIRODBARAN: I suppose Britain has a fear that we may not help her in the war if Dominion Status is given. SRI AUROBINDO: There can be an understanding. I hope the Viceroy will come to an agreement with Gandhi. If the Government does not want to make any advancement on previous terms why do they call these people? SATYENDRA: What is the Congress' stand now? SRI AUROBINDO: Constituent Assembly, I suppose, Ramgarh Resolution. NIRODBARAN: The Congress' stand is to sit, till their demand of Constituent Assembly is acceded to. SRI AUROBINDO: I suppose it is Nehru who leads now. NIRODBARAN: Now that the Viceroy has four Muslim Ministers on his side he can easily make some compromise between the Congress and the League. SRI AUROBINDO: Quite so. Page -764 PURANI : The best way is for the Viceroy to tell Jinnah that he is going to give self-government to India in spite of the League's refusal and resistance and if Jinnah goes against it, he will be brought under the Defence Act. One thing Jinnah is afraid of is jail. He will never go to jail. That is the only way. (Sri Aurobindo began to smile.) SATYENDRA: It seems Hertzog is also clamouring in Africa for peace with Germany. NIRODBARAN: That he has been doing since the beginning of the war. SRI AUROBINDO: Yes, that means there will be a split there, Natal and Cape Town are mostly English and they will form a separate state. The others want white domination in Africa over Indians and natives. The old race superiority under German rule - they can safely carry it through. This Mittelhauser has been brandishing his sword all the time and now he quietly puts it down. PURANI: Now German and French troops will kiss and embrace as in Bessarabia. SATYENDRA: But why did he brandish it at all? He could as well have kept it inside. SRI AUROBINDO: Quite so. If Africa also accepts, then it will be difficult for Indo-China and Madagascar to hold out. PURANI: The Belgian Minister also is speaking of submitting. SRI AUROBINDO: Like Norway? SATYENDRA: Only Poland remains. SRI AUROBINDO: Yes, Poland has the best record so far. SATYENDRA: The Poles won't submit, I hope. SRI AUROBINDO: No, they are not politicians. PURANI: Besides, they have nothing to gain. Their whole country is now under Nazi rule. SRI AUROBINDO: They have had long training in resistance to subjection and they have never yielded. SATYENDRA: When the world becomes free from Nazi domination, France should be kept in subjection. SRI AUROBINDO (laughing): Yes, she doesn't deserve freedom.
EVENINGSRI AUROBINDO: Pétain seems to have adopted the Fascist method. He has arrested Mandel and said it was by mistake. When Page -765 Mandel demanded that, in that case, he should make a public apology or keep him in custody, he kept him in custody. Then this motor accident of Reynaud looks a suspicious affair, nobody knows where he is. If it is an accident everybody ought to know where he is. Either they have tried to assassinate him or Reynaud has used it as a cover to escape. SATYENDRA: Why has Mittelhauser given up resistance? SRI AUROBINDO: Weygand, it seems, flew to Syria and persuaded him. PURANI: I think he must have said that the colonies wouldn't be touched and that they would remain with France after the peace. SRI AUROBINDO: Are they such fools as to believe in Hitler's words? NIRODBARAN: It would be surprising indeed if even now they were taken in by him. SRI AUROBINDO: That is the Asuric influence cast all over the world. The Mother says that in Apocalypse there is a prophecy that before the millennium when the anti-Christ will come everybody will believe in his sweet words and be deceived and no one will judge him by his acts. SATYENDRA: Japan also is turning Fascist. SRI AUROBINDO: Yes, she has asked for "hands off the East" and is trying to adopt an Eastern Monroe Doctrine. But that has been her well-established policy for thirty or forty years, to drive out the Europeans from the East. Now is the best opportunity for her. NIRODBARAN: I won't be surprised if France uses her army against England. SATYENDRA: That will be the last step. SRI AUROBINDO: That is what Weygand must have told Mittelhauser — that the French should get whatever they can, Japan is not like Hitler. She can wait patiently, but she never gives up her policy. When the right time comes she will strike. SATYENDRA: She has recognised the Bordeaux Government, SRI AUROBINDO: Of course. The Bordeaux Government had accepted Japan's demand not to send arms to China through Indo-China. NIRODBARAN: But Japan intends to occupy it, it seems, unless America comes in. Page -766 SRI AUROBINDO: America can't do anything because Japan will come by land. In the Dutch Indies America could have intervened with her fleet. That is why Japan kept quiet. NIRODBARAN: Britain is now all alone; she hasn't replied to the Japanese note yet. SRI AUROBINDO: All my life I have wanted the downfall of the British Empire, but the way it is being done is beyond all expectation and makes me wish for British victory. And if I want England to win, it is not for the Empire's own sake but because the world under Hitler will be much worse. NIRODBARAN: The world is already getting darker and darker. SRI AUROBINDO: Yes, but that has been foreseen. SATYENDRA: Foreseen by whom? SRI AUROBINDO: Foreseen since the age of the Bible that the Asura will dominate the world for a time. (After a while) Gandhi's interview with the Viceroy seems to be the same old story. There is likely to be no change in Simla's attitude. Poor Gandhi, he was in such high spirits! Simla's atmosphere has spoiled Linhthgow, it seems. NIRODBARAN: Roosevelt has invited Wilkie, the Republican candidate, for a talk. SRI AUROBINDO: Yes, to discuss the defence policy - to ask whether he will follow the same policy. He is also pro-Allies. PURANI : Nishtha says nobody knew him in America and he is a big businessman. SRI AUROBINDO: Because he is from the West? Perhaps. SATYENDRA: Dr. Kher has given a lecture in favour of a war committee and asked everybody to sink all differences now. He has tried to imitate Rajagopalachari by using metaphors and examples. He says that India and England are two goats; the Indian goat must allow the English one to pass over her. SRI AUROBINDO: Rajagopalachari's examples are more apt and come more easily. The example of the pet cat is a very fine phrase and it describes the situation exactly. 30 JUNE 1940PURANI: Russia has penetrated thirty miles further into Rumanian territory. Page -767 SRI AUROBINDO: Thirty miles beyond Bessarabia? Or thirty miles into Bessarabia? She had said she would cover the first zone; it may be that. If she occupies more than Bessarabia, then it becomes interesting. PURANI: Hungary and Bulgaria are also pushing their claims. SRI AUROBINDO: Hitler and Mussolini have asked them to wait for the present. SATYENDRA: Why are the English people being evacuated from Hongkong? SRI AUROBINDO : Because Japan is going to blockade the coast; in that case it will be very distressing for them. NIRODBARAN: China will be put in a very difficult position then. SRI AUROBINDO: There is Russia. She helps China with all that is necessary. NIRODBARAN: Why is Russia against Japan? SRI AUROBINDO: Because she doesn't want Japanese supremacy in China and, besides, Japan is her traditional enemy. Nirodbaran (after a while): The Gandhi-Viceroy meeting is another failure. SRI AUROBINDO (laughing): Yes. SATYENDRA: Is any proclamation issued? NIRODBARAN: No; since Gandhi is talking of leaving Delhi one infers that the meeting is a failure. SRI AUROBINDO: If the Viceroy is willing to give only three more seats in his Council, he can't expect anybody to agree.
EVENINGRadio news: Gandhi telephoned Azad to come to Delhi and the Working Committee meeting is called on Wednesday, 3rd July. This was the last item in the news written down from the radio. SRI AUROBINDO (as Purani was reading out the news): The last item is interesting. Seems to be encouraging. I hope both the parties will have some common sense. PURANI: Yes. SRI AUROBINDO (when Satyendra arrived): Gandhi is staying on. He has called Azad and the Working Committee. There may be some hope. Something more than three seats, perhaps. (Laughter) Page -768 SATYENDRA: Better to end this stalemate now. They have been sitting idle for so many months. PURANI: Gandhi also may now pressure the Working Committee. Since they have given up non-violence for defence, they have a good opportunity for training. SRI AUROBINDO: Gandhi after thirty years doesn't find a single Satyagrahi as his follower. NIRODBARAN: Azad seems to be more moderate and would like some compromise. SRI AUROBINDO: Yes. But Nehru is stiff. (After some time) The Pétain Government is adopting the Fascist method of giving news — ambiguous and insufficient. They say that Reynaud had a motor accident but the doctors are not able to decide what is wrong. Motorcaritis? He was himself driving the car and for some unknown reason dashed against a tree. They don't say who was with him and where he is. NIRODBARAN: Why don't the doctors know whether it is a fracture or not? If it were a matter of some disease, I could understand the uncertainty. SRI AUROBINDO: That is why I say motorcaritis! (Laughter) You remember Daladier also had some accident. It was an attempt at assassination by some communists. The news was not given out but kept as official. Page -769 |