Prabhupāda: "So if you make propaganda and pay money to go against the Hindus and incite them"—gradually it developed. And the money was being paid by the Britishers. And he saw that money is coming. He had no feeling, national or . . . He wanted money, that's all. For money you can purchase anything nowadays.
Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Why did the British build all so many railroads?
Prabhupāda: For drawing raw materials from villages and bring it to the Calcutta, Bombay port and export to their country. Because their country does not produce anything. They’re starving. Still England, London, is maintained by importing goods from Africa, India, here, there. They have no food . . . (indistinct) . . . They can grow some potato, maybe. Potato only. That was the reason of expanding their empire. They had no food at home, England. They were manufacturing cotton cloth. That cotton was not grown in their country. It was brought from Egypt. They manipulated things in such a way. In America also they wanted to do that, but Americans, just understanding, separated, George Washington. In America I have heard that each family was to maintain a British soldier. You know that?
Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: No, I didn’t know that.
Prabhupāda: Yes. And they brought tea from India and other places and sell it in America. Their whole policy was they exploit the whole world and bring money in London. That's all. And one who will do that, he will be honored by the state, given Earl of some small village. It has no value. Earl of this whole . . ., this man . . ., place, Lord of this. (laughter) A few acres of land, and he is Lord of Chelmsford. And they will be given big, big post—governor, viceroy.
Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Why did Nehru, though . . . He was so closely associated with Gandhi, and Gandhi was for getting the foreign products out. Why did Nehru go so much against that policy? Why did Nehru?
Prabhupāda: No, Nehru, he was searching after some big post, that's all. All these political agitators, they want the big post, that's all. You give them big post and they will be satisfied. They will no more agitate. Political agitators mean they want some prize post from the government, that's all. Make them some minister, and they will be no more agitator.
Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: But he is considered to be very religious man in the eyes of the masses.
Prabhupāda: Who?
Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Nehru.
Prabhupāda: Nehru?
Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Yes. I know one Gujarati school, they have a book. And in the book it is taught that Gandhi, Nehru . . .
Prabhupāda: That is propaganda.
Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Yes.
Prabhupāda: That is propaganda. (break)
Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: . . . in the last fifty years or so that especially that the Indian culture has been squashed and perverted by the British.
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Is that because of mass communication, Prabhupāda? Is that because of mass communication?
Prabhupāda: Mass communication or no . . .
Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Radio, and things like this?
Prabhupāda: Yes, if you want to make mass communication, you can do anything. (break) . . . but due to industrialization, all intelligent men, they came in the city. In the village it was deserted. So there was no improvement in the village, and people preferred to come to the city, means industry, business. So India's basic principle was village life. Now that is lost. The intelligent-class men—brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya—they left villages for earning more money in the cities, and only the śūdras, less intelligent class of men, less than śūdras, they remained. So what they will do? So village became deserted. Still you’ll go and see in Indian villages, especially in Bengal, so many big, big palatial buildings, they are lying vacant.
Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: In the villages?
Prabhupāda: Yes. Because the proprietor left, and the poor cultivators, śūdras, they are accustomed to live in cottages. India's civilization was based on village residence. They would live very peacefully in the villages. In the evening there would be bhagavata-kathā. They will hear. That was Indian culture. They had no artificial way of living—drinking tea and meat-eating and wine and illicit sex. No. Everyone was religious and satisfied by hearing—what we are just introducing—Bhāgavatam, Bhagavad-gītā, Purāṇas, and live simple life, keeping cows, village life as it is exhibited by Kṛṣṇa, Vṛndāvana. Kṛṣṇa, if He liked, He could have lived in the cities. (pause) So the education was meant for teaching people to hate everything Indian.
Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Hate everything Indian.
Prabhupāda: Yes. That was the policy of education. So as soon as one became graduate and educated, he began to hate everything Indian original, and if he would get some clerk's business, service in some office, and his life is successful. That is still going on. So our car is here?
Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: It's just up here, Śrīla Prabhupāda.
Prabhupāda: The brāhmaṇa became by caste brāhmaṇa. He will do everything nonsense and still, he remains a brāhmaṇa. But you can introduce the original Vedic culture in this Europe and America. You have understood. You can do it. By this material civilization they will never be happy. And it is risky. That they do not know. They do not believe in the transmigration of the soul. So irresponsibly . . . Or just like these elderly person, how they are wasting time.
Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Just sitting on the beach.
Prabhupāda: Yes. Not only sitting; they have no other engagement. They do not know how human life should be utilized. They do not know. They are simply taking consideration of the body, running or skating or this or that, but they have no other engagement. They do not believe that there is soul and that soul's business is first business. They do not know that, neither they do accept it. They are under nature's law, very simply explained in the Bhagavad-gītā, dehino ’smin yathā dehe kaumāraṁ yauvanaṁ jarā (BG 2.13). By nature's law you have to change your body. It is evident. Still, they will not believe. We’re changing body every moment, and they will say, big, big professors, that after the body is finished, everything is finished. This is ajñāna. And that is going on as education, whole world. "It is folly to be wise where ignorance is bliss." The whole world is in ignorance, so we are giving them wise instruction; they are thinking, "These people are crazy men." That's all.