Puducherry’s contribution to intellectual heritage is not known enough, feels author Sachidananda Mohanty, and instead has been relegated to just another weekend destination. Mr. Mohanty, who examines afresh the idea of ‘cosmopolitanism’ through his book ‘Cosmopolitan Modernity in Early 20th-Century India’, says Puducherry has much to offer as an intellectual destination. In fact, the book is a criss-crossing of little-known narratives of six people, who have on some level, been influenced by this coastal town. Thus, the book features not just Sri Aurobindo and Mirra Alfassa or The Mother, but also James and Margaret Cousins, Rabindranath Tagore, Paul Richard, Agnes Smedley, Ananda Coomaraswamy, Taraknath Das, and Dilip Kumar Roy.
The book itself would have unlikely been conceived if there was no autobiographical Puducherry connect, says Mr. Mohanty, who received his early education at the Sri Aurobindo International Centre of Education here. The book looks at cosmopolitanism being the idea of the local co-existing with the global, the traditional co-existing with modernity, and where boundaries of nationality do not exist. In essence, it reflects an idea which took shape here: The Mother’s idea of Auroville. “Globalisation has come to mean the death of cultures and languages. It has meant severe consequences for the developing world. Through the narratives of these six people, we get insights into an alternate view of cosmopolitanism, where negotiations between the local and the global take place on equal terms,” says Mr. Mohanty, who is currently Professor of English at the University of Hyderabad. He attributes his understanding of ‘internationalism’ as envisioned by The Mother because of his upbringing here.
“I wanted to look at marginalised narratives. We do a disservice to Sri Aurobindo and The Mother by not looking at people and ideas which have influenced them,” says Mr. Mohanty. He says that The Future Poetry by Sri Aurobindo finds its genesis in work by James Cousins. Also not well-known is Paul Richard’s contribution to spirituality, he says. Mr. Richard had spoken of a pan Asian movement at the end of the 2nd World War, an idea whose time should have come, says Mr. Mohanty. On the other hand, Dilip Kumar Roy had spoken of yoga as cosmopolitanism, where unity is in diversity, and not in uniformity, he says.
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On Puducherry’s role in this re-looking of cosmopolitanism, Mr. Mohanty says, “We should be looking at the potential of Puducherry in intellectual tourism, and not just as a beach resort. Spirituality is found in everyday life here. The six narratives have a cultural and intimate connect with Puducherry.” Taraknath Das, who played an important role in India’s geopolitical role abroad, had visited Puducherry in the 1950s. Ananda Coomaraswamy, who took Indian art to the West, had also visited and been influenced by this town, he says.
The important thing, Mr. Mohanty says, is that the six people offer a wholesome and relevant approach to issues plaguing today’s world as well.
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