The Union Government formed a high-level committee headed by the Prime Minister to mark the 150th birth anniversary (which falls on August 15, 2022) of Indian philosopher Sri Aurobindo.
About Aurobindo Ghosh
He was born on 15 August 1872, in Kolkata, West Bengal and his father being an admirer of English language named him Aurobindo Ackroyd Ghosh.
He was a member of a secret society of Indian revolutionaries called ‘Lotus and Daggers’.
He and his brother, revolutionary Barin Ghose contributed articles to the magazine ‘Jugantar’ which inspired many young people to take up revolutionary work.
In 1905, Aurobindo started an English newspaper called ‘Bande Mataram’.
In May 1908, Aurobindo was arrested in connection with the Alipore Conspiracy Case or Alipore Bomb Case.
In 1914, he started publishing a magazine ‘Arya’.
He attracted many followers and this led to the founding of the Sri Aurobindo Ashram in 1926.
He developed a kind of Yoga called ‘Integral Yoga’. He believed that human beings can evolve further into something truly divine.
Aurobindo Ghosh’s Theory of Nationalism
His theory of nationalism was based on Vedanta philosophy which saw unity and oneness in man and God.
He declared that India was in fact Mother India which represented the united power and Shakti of millions of her children. Mother India represented the infinite energy of her people. He said that the village should retain its autonomy
and self-government but at the same time, ‘should seek to promote national
cohesion’.
