Chachaji

Sharma: Mr Jauhar, what were your activities after you came out from jail?

Chacha Ji: After the 1942 movement, as I have explained before, I had already visited Sri Aurobindo Ashram and was regularly going to the Ashram four times a year, on every Darshan. So to be frank, I was in two boats. The Ashram was pulling me, and in 1942 I left my children and also my wife there and since then they are in the Ashram. And my children were from the ages of 2-3 up to 11-12 or 13. At that time I had six children, out of them four were in the Ashram. And after that I had three more children. Eight stayed in the Ashram. Only my eldest son was here who was studying in college, and he continued to study. I remained only an ordinary member of the Congress. I did not take much part in power politics that was going on in those days, because gradually day by day I became more and more devoted to the Ashram. In 1947, Pakistan was created, which of course we did not like because Sri Aurobindo was very seriously against the partition of the country. So I practically gave up all connection with the Congress. I did not subscribe and I did not remain even the ordinary member of the Congress.

The “Pakistan” Puzzle

I belonged to a place in the interior of Pakistan in district Jhelum, near the North-West Frontier Province. To give up my homeland to which I was very much attached was very painful for me. But it had become a fact. But Sri Aurobindo had said: “The partition of the country must go.”

I was hoping, because Sri Aurobindo has said so, that a day will come when there will be some sort of movement and Pakistan will cease to exist. But day by day our Government accepted Pakistan as a separate nation. So I was disturbed. How Sri Aurobindo said so clearly that “by whatever means the partition must go”?

I was quite close to the Mother. So as and when I went to the Ashram I used to have long talks with Her. And I asked Her: “Mother why this…? When is this partition going?” The Mother never replied. But I persisted and I went on harassing Her: “You must tell me when is it going?”

Then one day she said: “I will ask Sri Aurobindo and tell you.” The next day again I went to Her and asked: “Have you asked Sri Aurobindo?” She said: “Oh no, I forgot.” So for a few days She went on just like that—dodging me... telling me that She could not have any talk on this matter with Sri Aurobindo.

Then, when I was very persistent, one day She said: “Yes, I asked Sri Aurobindo and He said: “Within 10 years it will go.”

So all these ten long years I went on waiting, waiting and waiting for that. Soon these ten years were over but there was no sign of the partition going. So I began to lose faith in that. Then again I would ask the Mother: “Why did Sri Aurobindo say it. That means Sri Aurobindo’s prophecy has become untrue? What is the matter?”

And one day, when—I am using a worldly word—I cornered Her : “You must tell me why is it so?” She said: “Where is Pakistan? I don’t see any Pakistan. I can’t see any Pakistan. There is no Pakistan at all.”

I was surprised...what is this reply? I had such a great love and regard for the Mother. It was like a child that I was always asking Her. She tried to explain to me: “We see the things here in this world in a different manner. I can explain to you but you will not understand, Here it is just a ‘puppet show’. All these destinies are being decided somewhere else in higher heavens.” I accepted that and then gradually I forgot about it.

Now when suddenly the miracle of Bangla Desh happened, then I accepted the Mother & Sri Aurobindo— that the prophecy was true. Because, after all, these ‘fights’ are also fought at some other levels and there are Asuric powers which fight the divine forces. Bangla Desh becoming a country, to my feeling, is far better and more valuable for humanity than Pakistan having gone.

The future is in the hands of the Divine, because what has happened is certainly not man’s doing.

Flashback—Gandhiji’s Assassination

Sharma: Were you present at Gandhiji’s prayer meeting in Birla House when he was assassinated?

Chacha Ji: I was fond of Gandhiji’s prayer meetings. In my young life probably hardly there was any day when I did not attend the meeting when Gandhiji was in Delhi. When he was shot dead in 1948 it was just by chance that I was living quite close at No.1, Albuqurque Road and Birla House is No.5, Albuqurque Road. And there was only one bungalow in between. From the backside I used go for the prayers every day. It was hardly one-minute walk from my house.

I was probably one of the first persons who reached the spot when he was shot dead. At that time his body was taken in and placed in a hall in Birla House. So I was sitting by the side of Mahatma Gandhi’s body. On one side I was sitting and on the other side Dev Das Gandhi was sitting. The body was very hot at that time. Both my hands were on it.

In the meantime, hundreds and thousands of people, one by one, came pouring in to have the last Darshan. And crowds naturally had to come. They were sobbing, weeping and crying. They were sad and sorrowful and ashamed. But what I felt at that time was that the whole nation was in sorrow. Anybody and everybody felt so bad and sad—whether they agreed with Mahatma Gandhi or not they were sad over such an incident.

But the Mohammedans, and especially the Maulanas of the city—they came beating their heads and crying that their everything was lost...what had Allah done!! It was as if the death of Mahatma Gandhi was a loss to the whole Mohammedan community. I do not remember their names now. In those days I knew everybody because they were directly or indirectly connected with the Congress— Maulana Ahmed Sayeed and Maulana from Matia Mahal.