Originally posted on sciy.org by Rich Carlson on Wed 04 Mar 2009 08:36 PM PST
Surendra’s letter to Sraddhalu on Jan. 10th, 2009
Dear Sraddhalu,
As you must be aware, this petition has used saice’s forum as its chief
sponsor seemingly without permission, thus implying an
unintended/intentional negligence/error/mischief.
You were the first and if I am not wrong, the only one to caution everybody against it,
until it re-surfaced recently. I also note that you have not marked
copy of this advisory to the saice group for reasons best known to you
which I respect; yet, I am curious to know why.
It would help if the saice group is also made aware that you had not
signed the petition and, in fact, cautioned everyone against it. I
would like to forward it with a note, i.e. if you give me the
permission. Lest it be considered a violation of some kind and be
misunderstood by you, I chose to write this mail to you under cc to all
persons you had included in your original mail (I have not added any
names on my own). This fwd. could create a little much needed goodwill
and perhaps sow the seed towards bridging the gap, which is fast
threatening to boomerang into an imperative division on the lines of
the Auroville split.
Sraddhalu, any such division would only pave the ground for a govt.
takeover of ashram. It helps none to close eyes to this impending
danger and if it were to happen, we will all shed tears of blood. It
will be too late even to regret. What more need be said? These days
everything said by anyone is being clubbed either for or against, you
know what, as if there are specific two confirmed camps; and a quick
motive is being ascribed and aggregated to the either camp leaders’
thoughts, feelings and actions.
The whole scenario is becoming more and more narrow, fragile and
extremely volatile. I now turn to you despite all my hesitations. You
and other senior wiser teachers may have the key to defusing this
situation, i.e. if you all want and will it; else, if you think this is
the trajectory things have to take, then well, what I can say. Earlier
too, I had appealed to Alok bhai to step forward, prevent then what was
necessary and could be prevented. Equally so now, it still holds good
that you all take the lead, you all who hold the magic wand. If there
are some who err, there will have to be some who will have to absorb
and integrate the errant; those ‘some’ will have to find their reasons
and intuitions to endure and exceed, at least for the sake of SA&TM
and Their Work. Manoj Dasgupta, our trustee, has taken most of the actions as suggested by many of you. In his letter to Pranabda he has also clarified his thinking on the matter, cleared the author of any mala fide intentions
and shared his concerns about any precipitated legal action to enforce
a ban, suitably cautioning us of the fallouts possibly leading to a
Salmaan-effect and a takeover of Ashram on the lines of Auroville.
Yet, despite our trustee’s message of caution and prudence, a court
case was filed privately - NOT by ASHRAM. How could someone file a case
without somebody’s guidance and sanction? If trustees have not endorsed
it, who has? Because of this, now its going to be a freefall and only a
miracle can save us from the resultant consequences, the muck and the
mudslinging being only the minor ripples. Somebody has successfully
created for us our own version of Salmaan Rushdie. The PH book thus
cornered will now most probably find its way to the digital world and
very soon appear on the internet of the infinite audience, free and
powered with a new potency. This would not only defeat the very purpose
of the court case but also, on the contrary, give the book an
unprecedented length of life and momentum in time and space. Should
these probable consequences, also not be the hero-warriors’ concerns?
If there is no ownership, there can’t be any accountability; nor then
can there be any meaningful contribution to a group-life. Events and
happenings will be parented and yet paradoxically, remain perennial
orphans.
Surely, there must be some lessons for us as a collective to learn,
unlearn, re-learn! Moreover, I must add that your selective stoic
silence now, when this impending danger looms large over the ashram,
does sadden me, especially when some of you have utilized this forum’s
platform to first opinionate the alumni populace, and then to populate
that opinion to potentiate specific corrective and punitive actions to
plug and prevent perceived erosion of SA’s image. The situation has not
really changed to warrant a silence; though the form may have changed,
the substance of the danger remains the same.
Can we not NOW collectively do something to bridge this division and prevent numerous consequences?
If there are some who err, there will always have to be some others who
will have to absorb and integrate the errant; those ‘some’ will have to
find their reasons and intuitions to endure and exceed, at least for
the sake of SA&TM and Their Work. I wonder if this fire can yet be
turned into the purificatory agni. from which we all can still come out
without any irreversible damage, a little more enlightened though a
little burnt, overdone so to say! A clear message of a united alumni
support to the trustees, trusting them as the instruments of The Grace
which Operates through them, may be of profound significance to ward
off any threats to our Ashram, the laboratory of Their Work. In
suggesting this, it does seem like showing a dim torchlight to the suns
in this gathering.
Sraddhalu, I am much indebted to Sri M.P.Panditji for his
compassionate guidance to me in 1991 during my turbulent days. It kept
me afloat then and brought me closer to The Sweet Mother. Hope you too
will spare a few moments and shed some light on some of my thoughts
here. Since this is not a mere mind’s structured submission, but more
like a free flow from my heart, it might seem at places to trespass
reserved territories and trample someone’s feelings; if it does so, it
is unintended and only incidental. And if I am myself in error or my
affirmations somewhat or entirely misplaced, I humbly ask you all to
please forgive me, but also do let me know my errors and enlighten me.
Merci en-avance.
Summary of my email: Request:
1) Permission to fwd. your advisory to saice group
2) Your active participation in bridging the division
Like you, an ex-student of saice and a current student of SA&TM,
Surendra
Suri ‘75
(PS: It goes without saying that corrections, comments and advises are always welcome)
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