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… Two gifts come to me tonight: A.R has made an embroidered bag decorated with
beads; and C gives me a wonderful rock-crystal sphere, which I place before Sri
Aurobindo…
*29-2-1980, Auroville:
Several of us gather in “Dana”; it is soon agreed: we go out in the topes with long
bamboo poles and start beating the flowers off the trees… Joan, who has come to
help, gives me worrying news: Krishna had to be taken to Jipmer Hospital this
morning, due to severe pain in his side…
We work there till 1 pm and, afternoon, R asks me to replace him at the
“Envelopes” meeting; so I have to change my routine and to ask C.E to do my
watch-duty at Matrimandir… Then I collect the monies all around and cycle down to
“Abri”: Diane is the centre of it, accounting for all the monies in and out, while Pete
helps her checking the amounts; there are the representatives for various areas,
about a dozen people in all; at first I find it so confused and undisciplined that I
can’t help commenting on it, to which Diane readily agrees… Then I watch and
listen, sitting quietly by myself, and writing a note for M.D in Delhi… Later, I talk a
while with Al.B about starting a “hydroponics” experiment in Auroville…
On my way back, I go to Krishna’s; he has already returned from Jipmer, diagnosed
with a weakness in the kidneys – he’d been passing blood… A is there, looking after
him…
… Kannan tells me he couldn’t find any of the men who had beaten G.M, as they’d
all gone to Cuddalore, perhaps to file another case…
I stop by at Rod and Kirti’s: their baby boy was born yesterday night: I see him in
Kam’s arms, healthy and strong, “Aurorishi”; but there is tension in their
atmosphere and Rod’s eyes are tormented…
Later, when I bring their money to Narayana and Bhavani, I find Alok lying with a
high fever…
*1-3-1980, Auroville:
We all gather at Matrimandir. The Inspector Thomas has come with his constables;
he is sitting on his new motor-cycle, smugly chewing on his sandwich, relishing his
role… He has orders for another 10 days of 144!
We all decide not to have any further discussion with the police and to move away
to “Tapoloka”…
But nothing clear comes out of a tedious two hours…
… The Guard is called at “Samriddhi”… but we are not really welcome there: the
people of “Samriddhi” are contemplating some sort of compromise directly with the
SAS’ hired men… I walk back through the fields and find C quietly sitting under the
“Service” tree here; soon she tells me more about her work and her experiences…
… Ramalingam comes to see me; I feel a call to be attentive to him: he is rather
desperate at the moment and I must be available… He is very near and dear,
within; it is always, with him, as if we have known each other already…
… G.M asks me to prepare a written report on the latest incidents on the land, to be
communicated to the Collector so as to counteract the propaganda made by the
SAS…
*2-3-1980, Auroville: