Democracy no longer signifies an ethical or disinterested enjoyment of power. The fig leaf of the proletariat has long since fallen away. Still, ideologies are necessary for catching votes. So whatever attracts people acquires instant validity. Doesn't matter if it is a cockroach or a chameleon. Getting viral in real time is the whole thing.
Sri Aurobindo’s writings have both political and philosophical utility. But something prevents it from being attractive on both counts. It needs to be analysed why Ambedkar is the darling of our politicians, at present, or why Savarkar is poised to take the place of Gandhi in the national imagination. The underlying emotions, however, are, certainly, not very salutary.
Till now, followers of The Mother & Sri Aurobindo have been voting for different political parties, but Hindutva has been able to entice them, en masse, of late. Besides, Modi's charisma has proved to impart a blinding effect on people, in general. So imagining any alternative avenue or appreciating some critique is, totally, out of question.
But change happens. This periodical play of evolution is the greatest merit of democracy. And we have reaped two benefits in the meantime. One is Hindutva has exhausted itself, ideologically, without producing any dependable framework. So no more the claim of, we are different. The second is, maximum harnessing of publicity by Modi has already been practiced. No one will ever dare to imitate him.
Thus, the search for authenticity is imminent, and no one else fits the bill, more perfectly, than Sri Aurobindo. The problem with those who have read Sri Aurobindo is that each one feels he or she is a mountain peak. Hence, the formation of any political party is almost impossible. Intricacies of The Letters on Yoga are also used for dumbing down, wherever a crowd gathers. Question hour is suspended!
Be that as it may, the outlook for Sri Aurobindo as the most potent political icon appears to be the most bright, at the moment. Let's hope that another decade is not lost in some other useless experiment. Sri Aurobindo occupying the centrestage is not only required for India but also for the big powers like America, Russia, and China. The Five Dreams Manifesto is athirst for implementation.
One word about RSS which is drawing flak from diverse quarters, right now. The way it is remolding its worldview, the day is not far when it completely identifies with The Mother & Sri Aurobindo. That looks almost logical and propelled by evolution. But the word Hindu will have to be replaced by the phrase Savitri Era. Hindus can, safely, be left to Rao's care! https://x.com/SavitriEra - https://bsky.app/profile/savitriera.bsky.social
Misc. References:
1. Rethinking the Political Philosophy of Sri Aurobindo Ghose - Dr. Rashmimala Sahu
https://www.amazon.in/Rethinking-Political-Philosophy-Aurobindo-Ghose/dp/B0BG33Y35Y/
2. The Essays of Chitta Ranjan Das on Literature, Culture, and Society: On the Side of Life in Spite of - Ananta Kumar Giri and Ivan Marquez
https://www.amazon.in/-/hi/Ananta-Kumar-Giri/dp/152754558X
3. Adam Smith's Lost Legacy - Gavin Kennedy
https://www.amazon.in/Smiths-Legacy-Professor-Gavin-Kennedy/dp/1403947899
4. SELF - Plain & Simple: Be simple, Be happy, Remain quiet - Collated by Tusar Nath Mohapatra
https://plasim.blogspot.com/2026/09/be-simple-be-happy-remain-quiet.html
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