An extract from my novel THE VISION on Indian Independence: What does the morning speak? Before you could read its script over the sky, the fog would float into the balcony. Dadu, Ranjita’s grandpa with a hot cup of tea in his hands, would recollect relaxing in his giant armchair and say, “In those days, the British were ruling our country. I grew up under the guidance of Benimadhab Das . Before we could decide on a career we were swept off into the freedom movement…” Little Ranjita jumping ropes would pause and ask “Didn’t you study?” “Not in the literal sense. Nevertheless, the results in the examination were not bad after all. Subhash Chandra Bose gave the clarion call and we joined the Congress party. With our heart and soul, we devoted ourselves to the only mission of our lives – to drive away the British out of India” “Why dadu? What wrong did the British do?” “At that point of time we didn’t really know the difference between right and wrong or good and bad…the only thing that struck our mind was, we needed to be free - free of the British Rule in India. We will not serve any foreigner”. Dadu had gone back to his younger days. Reflecting on the incidents of his past dadu said, “Gandhiji said ‘The way to swaraj is steep and narrow’. He had been in prison countless number of times for that swaraj” Little Ranjita could not fathom, what difference it would make if the British ruled India or anyone else did. The sky would still be visible anyway, from this balcony. Dadu shut his eyes and recollected the ballad. As if Mukunda Das was singing ‘Chere de ma reshmi churi banga nari…’ “Rabindranath Tagore denounced the Knighthood conferred on him by the Queen of England, after the Jallianwala Bagh massacre...Benoy, Badal, Dinesh were hanged...so was Khudiram” Ranjita stopped skipping and shot back, “How did that matter to you?” Dadu thought this was progeny questioning the beliefs, the deeds, and the values of the older generation. Ranjita was young. She did not realize what a major question she had raised. She thought dadu was mad.
Posted on: Wed, 14 Aug 2013 16:39:04 +0000
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