Sri Aurobindo
Autobiographical Notes
and Other Writings of Historical Interest
Part Three. On Indian and World Events 1940–1950
2. Notes and Letters to the Editor of Mother India 1949–1950
On the Commonwealth and Secularism1
India can’t remain in Dominion. It had decided to be a free republic and that can’t be changed. On that basis it can have relations with Commonwealth if it wants.
Spirituality cannot be affirmed in a political constitution. You can add spirituality in a matter of the Spirit and not of constitutional politics.
April 1949
1 This note was written in reply to two remarks in a letter from Sethna dated 5 April 1949. Sethna’s first remark was: “Perhaps a concluding para should be added in which the suggestion could be made that the term ‘secular’ in our constitution should as soon as possible be qualified and the significance which does not contradict but rather confirms spirituality be openly introduced; or else the term ‘spiritual’ should be substituted, with an explanation that it goes nowise against but supports all the best that ‘secularity’ might connote.” Sethna’s second remark was: “What i