REALITY BURNS

Dr. Ambedkar’s movement had created unprecedented upheavals in the country. It had different impact on different segments of the society. Mahatma Gandhi saw him as a rival who would overshadow his leadership in backward communities. Hindu fundamentalists considered him as an imminent danger to Hindu religion, as Dr. Ambedkar relentlessly was criticizing their caste system and irrational ceremonies. Congress politicians looked him as a formidable leader who would dislodge their hegemony in near future. Being ardent champion of democracy, communists kept good distance from him.

But being himself an untouchable and of Mahar caste, Dr. Ambedkar was being regarded by Mahars not less than  a God!

Now Gunaji, we called him “Dada”, my elder brother was getting more and more involved in the movement. There was a string of daily visitors. His stage performances increased considerably, so did his absence from home. Raghunath was tending cattle. In my village female labourers were paid lesser wages than male. There was no guarantee of daily work. As such to earn even to get two morsels of food literally became difficult for my mother and two sisters-in-law being women.

My mother would take me with her to work in the fields. There were always unpleasant talks and complaints from farm owners who would not allow me to work in view of my age. They considered it waste of their money and loss of work. But my mother somehow used to assure them that there would be no loss of work and spoiling of the crop. In fact the farmers knew very well child’s work was fully shared by his/ her mother and their such talks no body took it seriously. But my additional work would put strenuous burden on my mother. It enabled us to earn two person’s wages, a small amount – nearly four anna – but a help beyond description.

There were specific periods when there was no work in the farms. During summer when fields were cleared, prepared and farmers would be waiting for monsoon rains to sow the seeds. Further when sowing was over, farmers would be waiting for sprouting of the sown seeds. When crops were up and weeds removed and ploughing done twice-thrice   in   the crops, then there was no work as all would be waiting only for harvest. Famine meant no work at all.

My family being daily wage earner and that also totally depending on agricultural work, no work periods meant literally “less food” or “no food” or simply “starvation” periods! Alternate work meant “Pittance – help”. During monsoon sometimes incessant rains for three-four days, providing no field work, my mother would ask me to go to jungle to fetch some particular leaves of green creepers. I would pluck it quite in large quantity. My mother would boil the leaves, prepare its paste pulp and mixing a little quantity of Jawar floor, make the flat breads and bake them on fire. Chilli was not available, then she would serve a pinch of salt to take these leaves-paste-breads.

Sometimes Raghunath who was tending cattle on yearly basis salary and two times daily meals, would remain purposely absent and send me to tend the cattle which would enable me to get his two meals at his master’s house.

Collecting Jamun fruits with my elder brother Gunaji was another source of alternate work. We would get up early in the morning, walk to a faraway forest of Jamun trees. These fruits were properly ripe when it was continuous raining. My brother would climb the trees; shake its branches bearing Jamun fruits. As there were wet but dried leaves, bushes, grass and rain waters beneath the trees the fallen fruits remained intact. After reaching back home my brother would go to sell them in nearby villages while I attended my school.

I was considered a good and studious student. When school was visited by any important person or inspector of school our Head Master Mr. Hedau used to tell them that I was pride of their school. All teachers liked me. They were also aware of my condition. In order to help me buy my books our Head Master engaged me to sweep the classrooms on payment basis. I was getting monthly Rs. 2/-. It proved a tremendous help for me and my family. Anyway, somehow I crossed my third standard.

But for my mother, I was really a problem. Not a single day would pass when I had no quarrel with any boy. Daily and without fail there was somebody’s father, mother or brother waiting for my mother’s return from field in the evening at our house to complain about my beating their child. Sometime my mother would thrash me thoroughly for getting complaints  daily, But after thrashing she would ask me to stand and cry also.

My weapon was stone. Once I broke my locality boy’s hand and in turn he broke my arm. It was fractured and my mother was taking me to our locality man for treatment. He would tie my arm with bamboo sticks, cover it with cloth, and again tie the arm with thin long cord. As the whole process was painful I used to cry and also abuse the man. It took 6-8 months to join the broken bones together.

Once while swimming in the  river I hit a girl with a stone   she also hit me with a big stone which drenched me with blood but it left a permanent mark on my forehead. In that condition also I went to her house, a high caste Hindu locality, dragged her and beat her in the presence of her parents. Many times I threatened my mother that I  would  commit suicide by getting drowned in the river and my mother would tie my legs with a rope and as usual would weep sitting by my side. Since it had become a regular scene none would take it seriously. But my brothers and sisters loved me very much. Interestingly I was calm, quiet and disciplined student in the classroom.