Nirodbaran

Talks with Sri Aurobindo

Volume 1

10 December 1938 – 14 January 1941

18 December 1939

Evening

Nirodbaran: Russia seems to have given no reply to Finland’s peace offer.

Sri Aurobindo: Molotov says he has not heard it and is not going to hear it.

Nirodbaran: The poor Finns are fighting all alone. Nobody gives military help. How long can they resist?

Purani: Everybody is busy with his own interests and safety.

Sri Aurobindo: Except Russia and Germany who are trying to save others! But the Russians don’t seem to have advanced much. It doesn’t reflect much credit on their army. Of course, in the long run, Finland doesn’t have any chance. Russia will throw in its huge mass. The Finns have destroyed nearly two hundred of their tanks.

Satyendra: Premanand was showing me a picture of the tanks. These tanks can cross wide ditches, it seems.

Sri Aurobindo: Yes, but they are not so formidable now. Many weapons have been devised to destroy them and the Germans claim that the iron of the tanks can be melted.

Nirodbaran: How could the German pocket-battleship escape from the strong British squadron?

Satyendra: British cruisers were not near her. They had to keep far away.

Sri Aurobindo: Yes, about three miles from the coast, which is the limit of the territorial waters. The ship was scuttled five miles from the coast.

Nirodbaran: It is surprising that they could hit accurately from twelve miles’ distance, while German hits were all wide.

Sri Aurobindo: The German ships were outmanoeuvred. The cruisers, being light and small, could easily change direction while battleships take more time. It is a foolish thing to scuttle such a ship. It could have remained interned during the war.

Then the talk turned to democracy and war aims.

Nirodbaran: The Bengal Home Minister says the war is not fought for democracy but for the protection of small nations.

Sri Aurobindo: When the Muslim League thinks democracy is not suitable for India, how can he say otherwise?

Nirodbaran: When some member asked whether it was the Government opinion or his personal one, he said it was his personal opinion. (Laughter)