One
day during the Chinese aggression against India, I saw Baba in a house
in Allenganj, Allahabad. Sitting by his feet, I was brooding over the
morning news. The Chinese forces had penetrated deep into the country
via Tejpur, and the Indian army, caught by surprise, was not able to
hold them back. Depressed by this state of affairs, and the crisis it
caused, I expressed my disappointment to him. He simply said, "India
is a country of saints and follows the dictates of religion. Communism
cannot stay here. China will go back." I thought, How
indifferent we Indians are even at a time of crisis,
and felt further sadened. I humbly expressed my doubts and asked,
"Baba, why has China invaded India if it has to go back?" His prompt
and brief reply was, "To awaken you." It
did not satisfy me, but I kept quiet.
On
the third day after this conversation, I was surprised to read the
headlines in the morning newspapers, stating that the Chinese had
withdrawn unconditionally without giving any reason. Baba's statement
from our last meeting immediately flashed in my mind, however, the
truth of his words did not dawn on me until shortly after this event,
when the government of India took concrete steps for the defence of the
eastern, western, and northern boundaries of the country.
-Rajida
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