AT THE FEET OF THE MOTHER
Ask Alok da

I don’t feel that Jawaharlal Nehru was the right prime minister of India and India did many blunders during his term. He even mentioned himself that he was the last British to rule India. But both Mother and Sri Aurobindo had very positive outlook towards him. Can you please elaborate on it 🤨?

The Divine takes human beings as they are and uses them for what they yet can do in terms of pushing the Divine Will further. No instrument is perfect and there is also the right time for certain instruments to appear on the scene. While a scene is being enacted with faulty instruments, a great preparation is going on behind the scene by the very misdeeds of those actors to prepare the instruments of the future. 

Mr Nehru was the man of that moment. Sri Aurobindo saw in him certain sattwic tendencies and a rational scientific outlook that were needed at that time to push India beyond the shadowy immediate past towards a more modern outlook. His trust in socialism, trust in the Chinese, giving away Tibet or offering the UNSC seat and Veto to China all point towards a sattwic idealism. Of course he was a poor strategist and made great blunders. So did the Sattwic Yudhisthira. We do not know if others would not have made even greater blunders. People often say that Sardar Vallabh bhai Patel would have been a much better PM and surely few would disagree. But perhaps Sri Aurobindo saw that he is going to depart very soon leaving his body in 1950. Who else could have led? At least Nehru’s personality could come handy to impress the Western world and get advantage of pushing India in the direction of Science and Technology. Perhaps Sri Aurobindo also foresaw the possibility in his daughter, Indra who could continue the development in a certain direction. Of course once their time was over everything began to collapse and with the downfall of the oldest party there started the uprising of a party that would eventually balance Science and Sanatana Dharma which we see happening today. 

No doubt Nehru had his own flaws, – all human beings have it. The Mother herself remarked how restless he was when he came to meet the Mother. He was very impressed with the Ashram Education and to his credit recognised it despite there being no exams. A mixed bag no doubt but perhaps better than the other options. He had to be given his chance in the secret Providence of things. 

It is also important to understand that the Divine does not see as we do, painting things as either all black or all white. He has the full chart before and after and beyond and the decisions are made on this total vision and not on personal likes, dislikes or retrospective opinions.

Affectionately,

Alok Da

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