You haven't spoken of Sri Aurobindo in a long time.Me, I have nothing to say. What about Sri Aurobindo, is he saying anything? (after a silence) He's very busy with ... (gesture to the north) with everything happening in the country. It's serious, you know.But what is India waiting for?Waiting for what? Well, to recognize that country.[[To recognize officially the "provisional government" of Bangladesh under the leadership of Sheikh Mujibur. Only eight months later, on December 6, would India recognize Bangladesh. ]]Oh, she has recognized it! No, Mother, she hasn't.They told me.... She has expressed her "sympathy," that's all. But she hasn'trecognized it.I received news from the government today. They told me they were waiting to hear from America before granting official recognition.[[t was more a matter of making sure America would not oppose the independence of Bangladesh! ]] Good.... Well, it's about time. (silence) But she shouldn't need America to do that!It's against China, you see. China is the only country that supports Pakistan. [[President Nixon will send warships to threaten India in case she intervenes on the side of Bangladesh. ]] I think the whole world is waiting for India to recognizeBangladesh in order to follow suit -- they're waiting for it.Not quite -- they've all made up their mind.[[Alas. . . . ]] (silence) Because a lot of people are dying up there.Oh! ... (Mother makes a gesture of horror) it's dreadful. Yes.It's a massacre. Yes. And then every day they send troops [West Pakistan] and tanks and planes.... It seems to me.... I don't know ... there's no time to lose. (silence) But India should have the courage to intervene, Mother. (Mother goes deep within, then, after a long time, makes a gesture as if to say, page 75-77 - Mother's Agenda , volume 12 , 31st Mar - 1971 |
What is India doing, Mother?I received some news from Indira, who told me that they're sending all the help they can up there [to Bangladesh]. They are taking a very positive position. But she says that the outcome will probably be war with Pakistan, and maybe even with China -- they're expecting it. That's good! Let the Falsehood burst open!You know that they had asked my advice? And I told them that they had to help urgently [[On April 3, Mother sent a written message to Indira. ]] (that letter was hand-delivered to her). And her answer was brought back to me. She said she agreed, that they were already doing it: even medical assistance and everything. They're sending everything. But West Pakistan wrote to Russia ... (Mother tries to recall). They're angry [Russia?], because they had advised them not to start a war, and the advice was not followed. So now they say [the Pakistanis]: India had better not help because ... that would mean war. And Russia sent this information to India. And China has clearly taken a position for Pakistan. So it may get very nasty. It has to be straightened out once and for all, Mother.Both England and America are still like this (vacillating gesture). For them it's Pakistan's "internal affair."Yes. But it seems to me that India is too slow in taking an effectivestand to recognize the country.Oh, it was done these last few days. Already two or three days ago.... ??... I'm speaking of the official recognition of the government of Bangladesh.There isn't any government. But they said there is a government -- a provisional government.When did they say that? Already at least 5 or 6 days ago.Yes, but the man [Sheikh Mujibur] has been made a prisoner -- and tortured into the bargain, to make him say what he doesn't want to say.[[To coerce him publicly to abjure the independence of Bengal. ]] It's horrible, mon petit! Oh, yes. (silence) But I feel that the more India procrastinates or beats aroundthe bush, the more difficult the situation will become for her.Oh, but it's over, she's not procrastinating anymore. Yes, except that she doesn't want to recognize the government of Bengal officially.Yes, she does. ??They have even helped to form it. !?That was these past few days -- the news hasn't come out yet. I get news that hasn't come out. (silence) It's far more serious than it seems.page 84-85 - Mother's Agenda , volume 12 , 7th Apr - 1971 |
It looks as if they're letting that country be crushed withoutdoing anything.No. Three or four countries have already recognized it. I don't remember. Oh, no, Mother, no one!They told me so this morning. No one, Mother! Not a single one.Well, yes, they told me this morning. The people of Bangladesh have sent emissaries to try to securerecognition, but up till now....Oh, yes. They've worked. Three countries have already recognized it. But not at all, Mother, I can assure you!... Unless the news is secret, no one has recognized Bengal.But the news we get is not at all complete.... Well, anyway I don't know anything. According to the news, Pakistani troops are now recapturingcities, and not only that, but they are sealing off the border with India, so that even secret help that might have been given cannot get through anymore.Where did you get that news? Well, that's the official news. (long silence, You wrote: "The urgent recognition of Bangla-Desh is impera tive."Yes, "the urgent recognition...." That's the second note, the one of the fourth. "The urgent recognition of Bangla-Desh is imperative."[[The first version, the one of the third, read: India must recognize Bangla-Desh. This is urgent. ]] There you are, they just haven't listened to you! They're notlistening to you.They told me it was done. No, Mother, it's not done at all!And that there was even a government formed and everything. That, yes! They've formed a provisional government in Bangla desh, but it has not been recognized. (silence) And so the longer they delay, the more impossible it becomesto do anything. (after a silence) But the news coming from there is very conflicting. I get news through Surendra Mohan [an advisor to Indira], who is working actively....Then it must be a secret recognition, because officially it's notrecognized at all .[[In fact, again on the 18th, the day after this conversation, the president of India, V.V. Giri, in a press interview in which he was spiritedly asked why he still had not recognized Bangladesh, said, "The central government is studying the question whether recognition should be granted to Bangladesh." Then he added, "Our sympathy is with the people of Bangladesh. It is up to the Prime Minister [Indira] and the central cabinet to decide the question." (P.T.I) ]] At any rate, the fact is that Pakistani troops are recapturing territory and they're trying to set up a provisional pseudogovernment under their control. That's what they're doing. A government of traitors, you know, like Petain [the head of the Vichy government during World War II which collaborated with the Nazis]. (Mother goes within for a long time, (Mother goes back within) The truth must be something else altogether, I am sure -- neither what some say nor what the others say. But what is it?...[[One wonders what kind of news Mother was getting from her entourage. ]](silence) In any event, there is something far more dangerous still: there's going to be famine.Yes, Mother.And Surendra Mohan is going to try to get all the necessary supplies from America. Yes, but Pakistani ships off-shore are confiscating everything.It should come from India. But they're sealing off the borders!... Mother, the fact is thatthey have not listened to you and they have missed the chance -- they are missing it! page 98-100 - Mother's Agenda , volume 12 , 7th Apr - 1971 |
And it seems that almost all of India is officially in favor of the recognition of Bangladesh. page 130 - Mother's Agenda , volume 12 , 12th May - 1971 |
The latest argument is that Pakistan wants India to declare war so she can call China to her aid, you see. But in any case the Chinese are on Pakistan's side. In any case. The Chinese are already there in Pakistan, do you know?Yesterday P. returned from Calcutta and showed me a rifle bullet, and it's a Chinese bullet. Already they have some ... [men there]. page 130 - Mother's Agenda , volume 12 , 12th May - 1971 |
And already over two million refugees have come into India, and they're expecting the two million to swell to ten million. And India won't have anything to eat. That' what's going to happen tomorrow, immediately. It's really a bottomless pit.... Ten million swarming into North India. page 136 - Mother's Agenda , volume 12 , 15th May - 1971 |
Do you know, there's an interesting phenomenon. The American ambassador to India [Kenneth Keating] is for Bangladesh, while the president of the American republic [Nixon] is for Pakistan!! (Mother laughs) So, now, they say, there are two Americas! A Pakistan America and a Bangladesh America!... The American ambassador is in total agreement with what you wrote. page 205 - Mother's Agenda , volume 12 , 28th July - 1971 |
Everything is like this (hanging gesture), everything. They're ready to fight up there [on the borders of India and Bangladesh], and they're forever waiting to be told to fight. The armies are ready, everything is ready and they're waiting. Everything is like this (same gesture). What are they waiting for?For the government to give the order. But the government won't budge!Oh, yes (Mother smiles), it will. It will be forced to move. But it's resisting. Someone came here from the government, sent by a "commission," and through him the General in command of the armies has communicated with me, and he asked for my blessings. They are all ready. They're waiting -- they are told tomorrow, tomorrow, tomorrow, always tomorrow. I have news from up there. page 245-46 - Mother's Agenda , volume 12 , 18th Sep - 1971 |
(On December 2, eight months after the bloody repression in Bangladesh, India launched a general offensive against the Pakistani troops.) So they've declared war.page 317 - Mother's Agenda , volume 12 , 4th Dec - 1971 |