Nirodbaran

Talks with Sri Aurobindo

Volume 1

10 December 1938 – 14 January 1941

30 May 1940

Sri Aurobindo (addressing Purani and smiling): Have you heard of the great and glorious British victory?

Purani: Conquest df Narvik? Yes. The Germans also admit it now.

Nirodbaran: We can say now that Hitler’s decline has begun. (Laughter)

Purani: Dunkirk is still in the Allies’ hands. There is a great concentration of navy. Perhaps the B.E.F. will be able to escape.

Sri Aurobindo: They seem to be very clever in retreat (Laughter) – the French are not.

Satyendra: It will be a great feat if they can escape.

Sri Aurobindo: Yes, it can be called a great military feat.

Purani: The Germans are leaving a great number of dead in this campaign.

Sri Aurobindo: Yes, they are always reckless.

Purani: Shaw says that what Russia has not been able to do in twenty-three years England has done in two-and-a-half years.

Sri Aurobindo: What?

Nirodbaran: State Socialism.

Sri Aurobindo: Russia has not done it.

Purani: No – only according to Shaw. And then he says that when the British people are frightened they flare up. The Kaiser frightened them and he was defeated. Hitler also will have the same fate.

Sri Aurobindo: Is he defending the war now?

Purani: Yes.

Sri Aurobindo: He has been frightened himself then? (Laughter)

Purani: He asks Ireland to join with the Allies; otherwise they will have the same fate as Poland in German hands.