Baba Mama Foreword

MY MEMOIRS By BABA MAMA FOREWORD It is a great privilege to write a few words about this book which narrates, in vivid detail, the life story of a family which, under the leadership of Mahatma Gandhi, played an important role in India's battle for freedom from the British Rule, which gave to the country a brilliant, self-less, wise, cultured, learned, courageous and visionary political leader, Shri R K. Salve, and which, in Independent India, has given to the world a Divine Incarnation for the emancipation and evolution of human beings to a higher spiritual plane - Mataji Nirmala Devi. The book, My Memoirs, has been written in his inimitable style, by the youngest member of this illustrious family, H.P.Salve, popularly and affectionately known as Baba Mama. No person is better qualified to write about these jewels of India than Baba Mama. From his birth, he was the darling of the entire family. He had personally lived through the thick and thin of those tumultuous years preceding and following Independence and has enjoyed the trust and affection of all members of his family, especially of Mataji Nirmala Devi. He had been a witness of and participant in all the events which he had recaptured by graphic narration. In essence, the book is a life story of Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi who, from the earliest days of her life, has demonstrated her infinite love and compassion for men, women and children, especially children, of all creeds and communities. This book carefully describes Her life stage by stage. In Her childhood, Nirmala displayed qualities which showed that she was a prodigy. Whenever, in the course of freedom struggle, Her parents were imprisoned by the British Rulers, the household responsibilities were entrusted to Her and not to any of Her older brothers and sisters because She was the most responsible child of the family. In normal times She would continue Her studies but would also join Her parents in political activities. Once, while She was about five years old, She was asked to address a large gathering. Without the slightest hesitation or 'stage fright', She spoke with patriotic fervour and carried the day. Sometimes, She would accompany Her parents to Mahatma Gandhi's Ashram. There She instantly became the favourite of Gandhiji who off and on, talked to Her about the aims and objects of his movement based on the concepts of truth and non-violence. For Nirmala, those were most elevating and memorable moments. When Mahatma Gandhi launched the 'Quit India' movement in 1942, calling upon the foreign rulers to leave the country, Nirmala then a young girl of 19 years in age, threw herself heart and soul into risky underground activities, motivated by intense and burning patriotism. As a result, Her studies were interrupted. Later She pursued medical studies in Lahore but because of impending partition of India, She left Lahore early in 1947 and arrived in Her parents' house in New Delhi where her father was then a Member of the National Assembly. Left to Herself, She would have liked to complete Her medical graduation but in obedience to the wishes of Her parents, She agreed to get married. At that time I was living temporarily in Her parent's house as a guest of Her brother who was a friend of mine from University days. Nirmala's parents thought, to my surprise, that I could be a suitable groom for their daughter. Nirmala did not wish to disappoint Her parents and, therefore, did not demur. That is how, due to my good fortune, Nirmala and I got married in 1947. Ever since our marriage, Nirmala has been an ideal wife, bestowing immeasurable love and utmost care not only on me and our children but also, in equal measure, on many other children who came to our house for support and comfort. In the beginning of my career as a government official, my salary was rather limited but She managed the household affairs cheerfully within the available resources. Once our house was burgled and we lost most of our possessions. She was left only with some cotton saris and just one silk sari. To put me at rest, she carried on cheerfully even in the situation as if nothing had gone wrong. She never made any demands whatsoever and always gladly lived within the available means, however meager. It is because of Her unfailing support and encouragement that the family was able to maintain the highest standards of integrity. As time passed and I got promoted, things improved. But all this while She displayed the virtues which are attributed in Indian scriptures to Goddesses Mahalaxmi and Saraswati. While Nirmala had come from a family of freedom fighters and enlightened persons, I belonged to a conservative family of lawyers and landowners. Numerous close relatives of mine with whom Nirmala came in touch were persons full of antediluvian ideas. By her patient, caring and loving ways and by sincere attention to each person, She won their hearts in no time and became the favourite 'Bahu Rani' (daughter-in-law), leaving me far behind in the family reckoning. She gave all that She could and never expected anything in return. From the earliest days of our life together, Nirmala began to take active part in the promotion of numerous social, Cultural and humanitarian activities. In Meerut District, She supported the establishment and running of a Lepers' Home. In Mumbai then Bombay, she organised welfare activities for the handicapped, especially the blind. She was also the leading light of the Children's Film Society and Hindi Theater. Nirmala has always taken very keen interest in all cultural activities, especially classical music, dance, drama, painting etc. She was the life and soul of many such events organised for the Shipping Corporation of India guests from foreign countries, when I was the Chairman of this national enterprise. She has taken great interest in the promotion of classical and devotional Indian music and towards this end, She has established the late P. K. Salve International Academy for Music, Dance and Drama at Nagpur, in memory of Her late esteemed father. She has provided financial support for this project entirely from Her own resources and has entrusted its day-to-day management to Baba Mama. This Academy has received students from many countries and has given them high quality training. I have myself seen and heard amazing and breath taking performances from the alumni of this Academy. Classical and devotional music is now an essential component of all Sahaja Yoga programmes and activities. I must recall also, though in lighter vein, one area in which Nirmala has displayed less than adequate technical knowledge - financial matters and banking. For all this She relies heavily on Sahaja Yogis. The most important phase of Her life began in 1970 when, She founded SAHAJA YOGA and has, by a single-handed effort, created a mass movement. Through Her benediction, hundreds of thousands of people, in more than 85 countries, belonging to different faiths, races and communities have attained an inner transformation through the awakening of their Kundalini and through the resulting self- realization. She is transforming the present-day selfish and immoral human society into a new universal human family of truly elevated, pure, chaste, compassionate and loving men and women of all ages and of all continents. Drugs, alcohol, immorality etc. disappeared overnight from the lives of all these transformed people. I am personally aware of numerous instances of this kind. Instead, She has enabled all of them to get connected to the all pervading power of Divine Love. This book enables the reader to get a clear understanding and knowledge of this fascinating story of global transformation through the medium of love and Divinity. There are numerous other facets of the many splendoured personality of Nirmala Devi. Her knowledge of the Holy Scriptures of all the major religions of the world is profound. It is thus that She has been able to enunciate, with great felicity, a synthesis of the fundamentals and essentials of all faiths as a new uniting and elevating philosophy for all human beings. She is a powerful speaker and a great communicator. Large gatherings comprising thousands of people, listen to her in pin-drop silence. She is able to recall and narrate anecdotes , events and parables with amazing precision, clarity and speed as if She is in constant communication with some storehouse of knowledge, possible the Torsion Area' as described by Einstein. Amazing though it may seem, Nirmala Devi is running and managing the entire global Sahaja Yoga movement without any Secretariat. She does not have even a personal secretary. In every location, the Sahaja Yogis provide the requisite assistance with great joy and devotion. Because of absolute integrity all round, nothing ever goes amiss. 1 am frankly unaware of any other movement which runs so efficiently and only on the basis of voluntary labour of love. That is a tribute both to Sahaja Yogis and to their beloved leader. By writing this book, Baba Mama has rendered an invaluable service to the entire Sahaja Yoga Movement and to the Sahaja Yogis who will now have a glimpse of the many facets and events of Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi's life presented so authentically by the author with his personal and intimate knowledge. I commend this book to all those who are seeking a better way of life through spiritual experience. In conclusion, a few personal observations. Baba Mama says in his Memoirs that when he saw me first in 1947 just prior to my marriage with his sister, he took an instant dislike to me because of my 'bureaucratic' appearance.

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