Ambivalence pertaining to Sri Aurobindo in the public mind persists for
a plethora of reasons. Bengal renaissance is a
lengthy and complex subject and the definitive role that Sri Aurobindo
performed within it has not been fully examined. As a result, his place vis-à-vis
other eminent actors is yet to stabilize even after a century. The second reason
relates to the Congress politics and its distorted portrayal by the historians.
Value of Sri Aurobindo’s contribution is judged depending upon one’s sympathy
for either faction of the then Congress Party. The third cause ensues form his
reformulation of a metaphysics that is at variance with the received
interpretations of Indian Philosophy. Closely allied to it, his tweaking of the
established Vedic ritualism by a symbolic hermeneutic, too, continues to
confuse scholars and believers alike.
The fourth reason is a sensitive one as Sri Aurobindo, along with The
Mother, has categorically denied of subscribing to any specific Religion. Related
to this is his status of a competitor with a large number of other Spiritual
Gurus. The fifth one stems from his deep engagement with the West. Besides his
education, his writings are so steeped in inputs from the Western tradition
that Indian readers feel frustrated. Even his poems and plays are overlooked for
the same reason. Sixthly, although Sri Aurobindo is described as a nationalist and
freedom fighter, his subsequent socio-political writings lean more towards
Internationalism and Human Unity. This prevents many to accept him as a true
patriot.
Last but not the least, conflicting claims as to his being an
ideological progenitor of the Hindutva doctrine has cost Sri Aurobindo dearly
in the short run. Sentences culled from his writings without context on
controversial topics like Hindu-Muslim antipathy or Congress politics and
Gandhi etc. circulate so widely that they prejudice people on a large scale.
Since it’s not easy for many to refer to original writings, the
misrepresentations and the resulting misunderstandings tend to crystallize. Moreover,
a hostile biography by an American inmate of Sri Aurobindo Ashram, Puducherry
has put the proverbial nail in the coffin. [TNM55]
No comments:
Post a Comment