While in Dehra Dun, each day Baba discussed with Chanji Japan's military movements and affairs, as well as India's unpreparedness to fight and its internal political instability.
Yet he likewise always stressed, "It is all God's plan."
To the women, Baba remarked on the 11th, "Life will be like a whirlwind in a few weeks!"
On Thursday, 12 March 1942, when Baba heard the news that Sir Stafford Cripps was coming to India, being sent by Winston Churchill to meet with Indian independence movement leaders, he commented on the current political situation in the country and abroad, and about different political figures in India and elsewhere. With perfect mimicry, Baba imitated the typical expressions of each one, and said:
Cripps is clever, sincere, shrewd and sympathetic toward India... Jinnah is cleverest of the whole lot, has politics on the tip of his finger, is the best speaker, but he is not as sincere and sensible as Gandhi and Azad, who is a great scholar of Islamic literature.
Rajaji [Chakarvati Rajagopalachari] is the best among the whole lot: sincere, clever, capable, sociable and above all, bold enough to face all situations, flexible to adapt himself to changing conditions, though not through weakness, but cleverness. Rajaji is not obstinate or rigid. He is the only man who could face Gandhi and tell him boldly what he feels. He would confront even a separation, if need be for principles, and is the only person whom Gandhi fears. He is a perfect Vedantist, spiritually inclined, who has the courage of his convictions, which impresses all.
Nehru is clever, sincere and selfless. He has sacrificed a lot, but is rather rash and quick-tempered, so as to spoil the whole thing.
Of all the Indian leaders, past and present, I like Tilak the best. He had the best combination of the qualities of head and heart. I liked him more particularly for the spirit with which he braved all difficulties like a lion, roaring all the while with all the force of his soul, with all his brainpower, and with a spirit of tremendous self-sacrifice that was amazing. It took not only his brain but also the skill of his astute political diplomacy to fight against the ruling forces of a mighty power such as Britain. Tilak was a great lawyer, a great orator, a great writer and a great student of shlokas, fit to write a commentary on the Gita.1
Regarding Europe and America, Baba observed about its leaders:
Hitler, however cracked [crazy] and brutal, is sincere in his contentions that what he does is for the good of humanity, with unselfish motives and sincerity.
Footnotes
- 1.Baba sent this comment on the Bhagavad Gita for the 1936 edition of Tilak's book on the Gita, Karma Yog Shastra: "The Bhagavad Gita has exerted a tremendous spiritual influence on humanity at large. As the blessed Lord Sri Krishna was born a Hindu, the Gita is more often than never regarded as a sacred book of the Hindus; but really speaking, it is a sacred book of not merely the Hindus but of the entire human race. The message that it contains was meant not merely for India, but for the whole world. Let mankind act in accordance with its message, and the universal brotherhood will surely be automatically brought about. "Those who cast doubts on the perfect sainthood of Shri Krishna, know not what they are doing. He was certainly a God-incarnate; and because he was a Sadguru, a Perfect Saint, he was successful in inundating the world with spirituality and lofty spiritual teachings."