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It is the story of two villagers living in a village.
Both of them had been living from hand to mouth.
Radhakanta Saikia was a cattle farmer and Nabin Mudoi was a milkman.
Nabin used to visit Radha’s house everyday. Radha first tended to his cows and then started milking the cows one by one. He possessed four cows of Jersey breed. It took almost one hour for milking all the four cows. Keeping just half a liter of milk for family members, he sold the rest to Nabin. To while away the time, Nabin narrated stories of the nearby villages, villagers and the king while Radha continued milking. Nobody knows where from he collected the stories.
“Radha, please listen to me. You have to do so much of hard work for survival, but, there is no respect for you and me in our society. But, everyone needs milk, pure milk. People start shouting once they find their part of milk mixed with a little amount of water. Curd was not thick enough, tea was not good, so many complaints you will hear next day. Whenever you seek an increase in the cost of milk to make ends meet, people start scolding us.” Nabin opened his conversation sitting in a bamboo stool.
“Nabin, you know I hand over the milk that I get from the cows in your presence without mixing a single drop of water. In return, how much money do I get? A major chunk is spent on buying fodder for the livestock, their treatment. People do not give respect to us who rear cows and sell milk. They look down upon us and even we are not allowed to sit with upper caste in the community dinner during marriage or any other festival. We are virtually tortured by them. Also they demand money time to time.” Radha expressed his inner feelings to his friend.
“Radha, nothing would happen if we keep quiet. We have to do something to change the village, our society. If we want changes, we have to change our Sarpanch, the head of the villagers. Under the leadership of an ideal Sarpanch, all classes of people in villages should become equal. There will be no discrimination among us. Do you understand Radha?” Nabin was very much vocal.
“But how do we elect a new Sarpanch?” Radha’s tone showed seriousness.
“Please think seriously. I could not find a way.”
“Let us meet our Guruji. He will show us the path.” Radha said.
“Let us not delay. Make it this evening.”
Guruji lived in an Ashram in the village where he had built one prayer hall. He was a very knowledgeable person. He read many books published from all over the world including books on philosophy, Novel, religious books. His knowledge on every subject is praiseworthy. After traveling all around the world, he finally settled in the village. Many of the villagers after daily work came to his prayer hall in the evening. They listened to what he said attentively, about the religion, philosophy. He spoke to his disciple in simple language so that villagers can understand easily. After the hard work through the day, all became exhausted. By listening spiritual discourse attentively, people started forgetting their labour and worry.
“Lord, he is Nabin Mudoi, his profession is milkman. He is a bachelor. We come here to discuss the problem of our village and to seek your valuable suggestion.” Offering salute to Guruji, Radha submitted.
“My child, a fish rots from the head down, similarly a bad leader can destroy a village, a kingdom.”
“Lord, we want to change our Sarpanch.”
“Who wants to become Sarpanch, please decide.”
“Lord, I live with my family consisting of two children and my wife. I have to be busy whole day for upbringing my children. Nabin is a bachelor, he can devote full time for the society. He is the right choice for Sarpanch.”
“Nabin, are you ready to take charge as Sarpanch?” Guruji asked Nabin directly.
Nabin appeared to be very confident and replied, “Lord, I need your blessings. I am ready to sacrifice my life for delivering service to the society.”
From that day onwards, a concerted effort was made for Nabin to make him the head of the society. Guruji started guiding all the villagers to select a new Sarpanch and finally Nabin became the Sarpanch.
Nabin’s felt as if his chest inflated by a couple of inches. Gradually Nabin changed his personality, character, activity. The transformation was clearly discernible. He had to be busy with lots of activities for the development of the villagers. He renovated the Ashram and the Prayer Hall so that thousand of devotee across the kingdom could visit at a time. New devotees started visiting the temple and his disciples swelled in numbers day by day.
One fine morning, Nabin came to the Temple and offered his prayer in front of Guruji. He started talking to him to find out a solution of a problem he faced.
“Lord, my enemies are increasing in the village. They appear to have become more stronger day by day. Can’t say how many days I could sit as head of the village.”
“Child, have you noticed the ant? Bring some black ants and some other ants. Keep them in a glass jar. You will find that they are living peacefully. Once you rotate the jar vigorously, you can see the black ants started fighting with the rest of the ants. Finally those with greater members will win.”
“Lord, for my survival, some unrest in the society is necessary.”
“Child, you are very clever, you understand very fast.”
Though all the community of the village lived peacefully, suspicion and distrust was injected among the communities. Two communities started fighting with each other. Most of the members became ardent supporter of Nabin. A communal riot broke out in the village. A few innocent lives belonging to both the communities were killed, many lost their dwellings, blood spills was distinctly visible in the roads. The after effect of the riot was that Nabin became the un-disputed leader of the village. The incident made it easier for him to occupy the Sarpanch’s chair indefinitely. Unfortunately, Radha lost his youngest son. He had to go out to buy medicines as his mother was suffering from fever and in the busy market place someone stabbed him from behind. He succumbed to the injury. Radha did not regret for his continuous support to Nabin. His son was martyred for the noble cause of the society. The Almighty will give him a place in heaven. Nabin met him and started crying remembering his son.
“Radha, look, what was happened is very unfortunate. Our king is responsible for it. His unruly act, price hike of household items, the threat coming from neighboring kingdom created all this situation. The result is that our enemy could resort to all sorts of vandalism and incite unrest in the society. Like you, many of us lost their son, their husband. We have to overcome these, we have to fight against the king. It is the high time to unite all of us to revolt.”
Nabin met Guruji. He expressed his willingness to become the king of his kingdom. He sought blessings from Guruji.
“Child, have you heard about the Novel ‘Brave New World’ written by Aldous Huxley.” Guruji asked him.
“Lord, how can I read such foreign book, I am not so knowledgeable person that I could understand. “
“Now please listen carefully, you can learn many things from this novel. In this novel it is established how you can change the mindset of the people through latest technology. Here People are offered to take drugs to keep them away from reality. People started enjoying drug induced happiness. They started losing their own identity, decision making power. What the leader says they accept. They lose their emotion, inner thought and the end results is, people literally turned emotionless like machines. With the help of drugs, the ruler imposed totalitarianism in his kingdom where there is no individual freedom. The same formula you may apply here. Let us start drug induced Prasad to all the devotees. All will be addicted soon. Everyone will come to the Ashram and will stand up in a queue every day to get the Prasad. They will not be able to pass a single day without taking Prasad. Within a very few days this Ashram will become a big institution. Similar Ashram can be built in every village in the Kingdom. That will help you to become King of the kingdom.”
“Lord I need your blessings.” He bowed down before Guruji.
With the blessings of Guruji and with the help of many trustworthy followers like Radha, Naveen Mudoi could gradually bring the kingdom under his control.
Nabin Mudoi became the king of the kingdom.
Justice prevailed in the kingdom.
People started believing that this was the kingdom of heaven.
Nabin’s felt his chest inflated by a couple of inches more.
The common people found their heavenly happiness listening to Naveen Mudoi’s speech. Everyone started queuing for Prasad in the Ashram. Life had no meaning without Prasad. New Ashrams were established every passing day. All the people became intoxicated. Guruji once said that the brain needs stronger drugs for intoxication than the drugs required by the rest of the body. Nabin Mudoi applied different drugs time to time as use of one kind of drug for a long period of time became ineffective to the people.
Guruji’s Ashram got expanded day by day.
Nabin Mudoi’s political power also increased day by day.
One day Nabin Mudoi was called to offer some advice. Guruji started telling him.
“My child, if you want to rule the kingdom for a longer period of time, please try to understand what I am telling."
“Lord, kindly advise me what to do.”
“There is a novel written by George Orwell, named ‘1984’. In the novel it is shown how tactfully the leader suppresses the opposition and act like dictatorship in the kingdom. All the eminent intellectuals and journalists should be brought under your control. People should not be considered as neutral. They should be biased either in support of you or in opposition. No one should be allowed to survive opposing you. So everyone have to support you. Once people start thinking neutrally it would be very dangerous. One famous dialogue in the novel is ‘Big brother is watching you’. The dialogue was shown in big hoarding, in front of the buildings so that people should feel how the king monitors and controls its citizens by suppressing the will of the populace.”
“Lord, I will try my level best to eliminate the opposition. May your blessings shower on me.”
All the people were intoxicated by the effect of the Prasad from Ashram. People started looking at the things the way they were shown by the king. Their thought process was guided by the king.
There was only one person left who declined to take Prasad.
He was Radha’s son, Biplab.
Radha tried to make him understand, but he did not listen to him. He declined to take Prasad. He did not want to become a slave of somebody. He wanted to think in an unbiased way and act independently. He engaged in a war of words with his father.
"Father, tell me what good work your friend King Nabin Mudoi has done for the common people. The price of all the essential goods has increased manifold. No one can speak openly, freedom is lost. You have to buy a kilo of rice at ` 25 that was available earlier at ` 10, similarly mustard oil at ` 150 instead of ` 50."
"You misunderstood my son. We all have become rich now. All are buying rice, oil, wheat flour, white flour at such a high price. Are not we? So we all have become rich."
Yes, Radha was right. The price of everything has been increasing day by day and everyone was buying it. No one protested against price hike. Surely the common people’s purchasing ability has increased as they became richer. No hardship was faced by the people in the Kingdom of Nabin Mudoi. Everyone is happy with the Prasad in the kingdom.
Radhakanta has been facing a fresh problem for quite sometime now. Due to excessive price hike, Radha could not purchase sufficient fodder required for cows and the calves. Jersey cows are very selective in food. At the juncture when he could not provide sufficient food for his family members, how could he arrange fodder for his cattle heads. As a result, the cows became ill due to malnutrition. Unfortunately, two cows and two bull calves died within a short period of time.
Since then Radha was in pensive mood. He thought that he was responsible for the death of the cows & calves. So he has committed a great sin. At the time of death, cows and calfs cursed him. Radhakant could not sleep at night. He lost his appetite. As per Hindu religious diktats,, cow had to be treated as Holy Mother. He has to do something for atonement of his sin.
He went to meet his Guruji. But, Guruji could not spare time to meet him as he was busy with pre scheduled important works. Only after waiting patiently for three days in the Ashram, Radha was finally able to meet Guruji.
Radha offered his prayer lying prostrate before Guruji.
“Lord, kindly show me the path for atonement from the sin from cow slaughter.” Radha sought advice from Guruji.
Radha was instructed to tie around his neck a piece of rope that was used to tether the cattle heads with and to visit every household in his nearby villages mooing like a cow. People feeling pity for him would offer something to eat. He would have to survive on the offerings of the people. For four cow slaughters he needed to spend four years like that.
Obeying what his Guru said, Radha started visiting the villagers mooing like a cow. He lost weight very fast and soon became emaciated. He became so weak that he lost his strength to walk much. His legs were swelling and festered with wounds walking entire day. But, he had no time for rest. He had to complete the punishment given for atonement of his sin. He should get a place in heaven after his death. Else hell would be the only place waiting for him.
He died within four months from commencing the ritual of atonement. It is not known whether his soul had a place in heaven or in hell. However, immediately after his death, his body was cremated with royal dignity by the orders of Guruji.
Radhakanta was recognized as a real devotee of Sacred Mother cow.
Radha's life story was written and included in the school curriculum.
A statue of Radha was constructed in the village.
The king and all the villagers paid homage together by offering garlands to the statue of Radha. Biplab said that Radha’s atonement was not for cow slaughter but because he trusted a person who was not at all trustworthy. But, who would listened to him?
Biplab did not take Prasad offered by the Ashram.
He had the courage to criticize the king's misdeed.
Biplab was a traitor.
A few days later, the king's army had captured Radha's son Biplab and executed him at night.
People discussed about the death of Biplab. Everyone felt that the king's decision to kill a traitor was correct.
“Does the Biplab’s murder result in planting new seeds in the kingdom. Is a decade time enough to grow plants from the seeds and to have fruits from it?” This type of questions have arisen in the mind of a young man. How can such thought come into his subconscious mind! A foolish thought that will never happen. Is it so?
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