A New Age of internationalism prevented

A PROPOSAL FOR INTEGRATION Surendra Mohan Ghose reveals

Almost immediately after India’s independence on August 15, 1947, which coincided with Sri Aurobindo’s seventy-fifth birthday, I received at Calcutta a telegram from Sri Aurobindo signed for the first time with his own name. It asked me to come at once to Pondicherry.

I came. When I met him, he explained to me his ideas on the relationship to be brought about between independent India and the French possessions in the Indian subcontinent. Then he told me that the Governor-General of French India, Monsieur Baron, had already gone to Delhi to discuss a proposal for integration under certain significant conditions. Sri Aurobindo asked me to proceed to Delhi, meet M. Baron and take him to Mahatma Gandhi, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, Rajendra Prasad, Sardar Patel and Maulana Azad.

I left for Delhi and met M. Baron. I took him to all the leaders above-named and explained to each of them the ideas of Sri Aurobindo. Pandit Nehru called a meeting of the Working Committee and personally reported the talk he had held with M. Baron. The working Committee appreciated Sri Aurobindo’s ideas and welcomed M. Baron’s proposal. Several factors intervened to prevent the successful carrying out of these ideas and that proposal. If the success had not been prevented, a New Age of internationalism both for India and the world would have dawned long ago. I should like M. Baron to confirm this report of mine which is meant to provide an important piece of historical information.

FUSION OF TWO CULTURES François Baron clarifies

I agree with the above report [Surendra Mohan Ghose’s statement on previous page]. But I should like to make some explanatory remarks. I did not go to Delhi in my official capacity as Governor-General of French India. Although I held the highest Government post in the French colonies I was never imbued with the spirit of Colonialism. And I carried my proposal to Delhi in my strictly personal capacity as a representative of French Culture and Literature to which I had myself made some contribution. I also went as one who agreed with the vision of one of India’s most luminous sons: Sri Aurobindo.

I was in favour of the ultimate establishment of India’s sovereignty over the existing French possessions but the integration was essentially to be of a cultural type and bring into close rapport the great liberal traditions of France and the great spiritual traditions of India. The important fusion in French India between the two cultures should continue and increase. Pondicherry and other prominent French places were to be windows of India upon France and windows of France upon India.

As a French patriot I would always fly the Tricolour over my residence in India but I would simultaneously raise over my residence the Indian flag. A double or multiple symbol of human culture would be my ideal. After discussing my proposal with the Indian leaders, it was my plan to submit to the French Government the results of my unofficial talks and try and help the New Age for which Sri Aurobindo stood. . Courtesy Mother India, August 1976 golden chain fraternity.org/ nov2004