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An honourable editor of a well known as well as a frontline literary Magazine once proclaimed a declaration on the lines of Mobile Theatre Troup being encouraged by their practice — "Respected congregation of story-loving readers! We are pleased to inform those of you who claim to be one successful fresh story writer may send a story for publication in the next issue of our literary magazine. You will be reading on the page no. 60 of our magazine the most stirring story of the writer for this year, becoming popular in villages, towns and cities, being published in several magazines several times, having attracted the attention of critics and an exellent story readable to all the members of family...."
The said story will be offered welcome reception on page no. 60 of our magazine by a foppish Haiku musical story. For the benefit of the readers the price of our magazine has been fixed thus.... library edition three hundred rupees, hard binding two hundred rupees, paper book one hundred fifty and the popular normal paper binding only one hundred rupees. In exchange of this three hundred, two hundred, one hundred fifty and one hundred rupees you will get to read another popular story of this fresh story writer ... who is known by his name, whose source of popularity lies hidden in his name.
The readers of different denominations waited eagerly till the publication of the literary magazine. One or two aged readers bought new spectacles after consulting eye-specialists, readers who go for entertainment waited after devouring popcorn, nuts, tobacco and puffing cigarettes. The critical readers sharpened their pens more and showed eagerness with their grave, soft words. The readers who go through normal paper-binding gulped down one or two pints of wine and waited but the longer they waited they started shouting 'What a story will you write O Writer? Come on, In this timeless world we are unable to keep on waiting for your story'.
At proper time the third signal-bell rang. Responding to the final signal-bell and materialising the declaration of the Editor the story was published on page no. 60 of the magazine. The published story was accorded welcome by the Haiku musical story.......
The other name of life, protest and struggle,
On the uneven road of battle,
How much of sticky mud
For which in attainable many fights,
Wheel of life-chariot halts several times
In the memoir of history concrete proof
Bali the hero, Boli too, Hanuman's half
Never will be, ne'er would be born equal to Karna the Hero.
* * *
Foreword :
The village Narayanpur was established long back by the people on the bank of the river Nonoi. The village was truly an Assamese one out and out. Just like verse in school text, "Beautiful is the village of ours, full with the handsome trees, fruits and flowers aplenty on the branches, where do we get the said bottom line of fruits and flowers; Pumpkin on the roof, gourd-jika-bhol, betel nuts and leaves in garden, cows in the shed, fishes in ponds, jaha paddy in the granary." Just like in that beautiful village we may enter Madhoi-malati scented gateway and take rice blowing away the warm vapour on the dry court-yard and standing there one would ask another, 'Hey X', are you there? Someone coming out would burst into laughter. The strangers would ask, "What are you doing?" "I am spending days like a castrated goat" – the stranger would burst into peals of laughter at the reply and say 'There you are'.
This way everytime he gets a chance to laugh he does so, he is none other than an inhabitant of this village Narayanpur on the bank of river Nonoi, Raseswar Saikia. He is true to his name. Always he indulges in 'Rasa'. He is an open heart, helps all in distress, a dear elder brother to villagers at Narayanpur. He would appear all on a sudden among the group of women who surround the girl to celebrate her attainment of puberty and poke fun at her to create an amusing scene. There would be different reactions on his presence, whereas the young girls would have their faces red, the other mature women would pretend to be agressive.
He used to entertain the gatherings in the Naamghar before the start of any meeting to decide a case by putting betel nut in his mouth. People would be all ears to get delighted in search of 'Rasa' produced by him when he opens up 'Listen O masters –'.
"It has been a week I collected a fifteen-knotty cluster of bananas" — Raseswar would begin.
"What happened to the cluster of bananas?" — someone would ask to allow him continue.
"I covered it with Sonaru leaves and put into the cement bag and opened only yesterday." He would act as if the cluster in the bag was brought before the people in the open. They are anxious to know "What actually happened?" "Of such a small brain, like an epidemic and miserly banana, could not learn to get matured in a week. Grabbed the lump and then fed the farmers". He would narrate and sit calmly as if nothing took place. People would burst into peals of laughter. The eldest man of the village would laugh aloud and say, "Alas! We'll have to leave the earth. We hear that bananas have brain, that too small, may have epidemic and may be miserly and all these we learn from this 'Rasa'."
The youths with their newly-grown moustache would need only to receive the information that he is sitting on the raised bamboo platform under the pipul tree adjacent to the village library, he would be totally surrounded. He would press tobacco on his palm and go on unearthing mystery of many prohibited and unlawful secrets. Even he would impart the elemental lesson of sex. Sometimes the comments on the dress and manners of girls in the town would be freely discussed with the youths.
The bhaona of Narayanpur is famous all over the world. People here would create a mountain out of a mole-hill. Bhaonas on special dates of the years and many more are held. If on one occassion the story of Ramayana is chosen, then it will be followed by Mahabharat or any imaginary tale, whatever it may be, there will be Bhaona. People would hire garments and swords etc from 'Tilak Dress House' located seven miles away and paint their face with powder and all, the long-legged Lombu (tall) drummer, thin hairy Ambu drummer or lean-bodied Jeng-Khori drummer would enter the stage with the beating of drums and recite verses.
Raseswar or the God of 'Rasa' is inclined towards Bhaona. To make throne, to show chariot for the entry of the King, to confront Ravana – the kidnapper of Sita he would make Gorur bird, to show ocean for the purpose of Samudra-Manthan, to exhibit Kalnag in Kalio Daman and such types of acts he could grasp and putting on the dress of clown he would also remain prepared for the singing of the song of the messenger. Whatever misfortune may be there or whatever problem may arise, he would waver the four-foot chopper and must enter the stage dancing his buttock with the music of Lambu drummer. He would have enthusiastic spectators who come to the Naamghar being tipsy and cheer at his dance. Being encouraged by the shouting of the spectators Raseswar would make the flow of 'Rasa' on the shores of the universe. He would start with his extempore creation to.produce more fun, "Don't cry at Bhim, see Bhim is lying with powdered rice." His titillation with waves of humour would engulf people. They would listen him "I went up the mountain boldly eating potato and arum root, but there is itching on my buttock in times of war", saying this would scratch that part of his body. He would have a look at his wife sitting among the female audience in this bustling humour and smile through the corner of the mouth to utter his last speech, "O my dear dove, I'll be chewing the bones of the little kids."
The people of Narayanpur are are not deficient in money and riches. The flood-water of the river at times inundates 'Shali' paddy though, but the pulses-corns-sugarcanes that grow on the bank would assist them to store the thrashed paddy in their granary. People here know very well the appropriate period or season when the grains should be sown. If they are not followed properly, one won't have good harvest. This is the faith of the people, this is their tradition.
Raseswar keeps faith on all these. He assists the neighbours at the time of harvest without fail. He also helps people in distress, he will be ready with money or even bear physical labour, do these at the risk of his heavenly throne.
At the approach of Bihu festival too he would be restless. He would go to any extent to attune his inferior 'Dhol'. Put on he must the 'Gamosa' woven by his wife. He must take a frying item made up of hundred and eight pot-herb. He would smear turmeric paste on the body of the cows and bathe them with all the rituals. During night he would be dancing Bihu on every premise of his neighbours and shower blessings to every household keeping garlic, onion, a small piece of pot-herb. In the month of Magha, he would feed his buffalos dew-soaked 'bent-grass'. He would break the front part of a bottle and sharpen the horns of the buffaloes. Actually he wants his buffaloes to win the local buffalo-fight. He would arrange feast of pumpkin and duck's meat on the day of 'Uruka' and burn the 'Meji' next day. People would pay reverence to 'Agni' and pray for the welfare of all in the village shouting the name of 'Hari'. In fact, the people of Narayanpur on the banks of river Nonoi are happy. The elder brother Raseswar is the owner of the ocean of humour in this village and is happy and satisfied man.
* * *
Middle Voice :
Country. How, why and at what time do we constitute a country. A country is formed with people. People means all. This group of people is led by a leader. Leader goes for progress. The progress of the country. In the open, it is made to believe that progress means progress of the people, of all, of crowd. But in reality....... The leader at least dreams of development of village....... lots of progress....... progress of information and technology, progress of rapid communication, progress of industrialisation, attainment of energy and power for maintenance of industry, progress of tourism, progress of establishment of shopping mall, progress of '60% off'....... in fact on the right and left, under and above only progress and progress. The leaders mark out the area of progress on the map of the Country. They draw circles to declare 'Special economic zone' lots of round circle make the map a beautiful flower. Looking at the petals of flower the leader becomes absorbed in that and starts dancing.
One petal of this progress falls in this region consisting of the village of Raseswar Saikia. People including Raseswar are dazzled at this show. There is no warning, suddenly demolishing the premises, foundation area of majority of the people a big road is constructed in the middle of the village. Even the important portion of the old Naamghar is being trampled by the road of progress. People can not claim compensation for the sake of progress as they occupied the land of this country for a long time. They think of earning energy by creating embankment on the bank of the river. This energy thus gained empower them to build industrial area on the plots where Raseswar and the people used to grow mustard, pulses and sugarcane. Leaders open up the door for industry to the people so that they can participate in the path of progress. Helpless people become participants and all day long labour hard and at the end of day the little remuneration received by them is spent on the products produced by themselvess at the '60%' or '50% off' price rate.
The ocean of 'Rasa' of Raseswar starts drying up. The very village, villagers, the region begins to appear unfamiliar to him. Like a directionless person he starts wandering stealthily with a grumble. He does not need this progress. He would never be a participant of the progress. He starts muttering, 'Bittter gourd grew at the consideration of the leaders. The fellows have become bankrupt.' People have now dispersed on all sides. The newly promoted labours (turned from farmers) starts living on daily basis Female members forget the myth of Sati Radhika. Everything appear to be possible under the changing circumstances. Big hoardings with the writing 'Wine and Dance with Live Girl' shine at places in the region. The slogan for progress grip the air and touch the Sky.
At the end of a long wait, Raseswar attains the company of a group of organized people who are unable to receive the message of progress like himself. With the inspirarion of this organized group behind him he initiates a struggle against progress through an organisation called 'Land Rights Protection Committee' consisting of some people of the locality. At first no one bothers about him. But gradually as he gains popularity the leaders get alarmed at the opposition of progress. When all wicked tricks and alluring to bring him under possession failed the leader branded him as 'fascist' or 'anarchist' and stamped him as 'Anti-National' or 'Anti-Progressive'.
At one moment the owner of 'Rasa', what is full to the brim, Raseswar departs from that area, being helpless he takes refuge in the city with his wife and children.
I * N * T * E * R * V * A * L
Last Word :
Deception is born due to loss of obtainable. Infinite agitation is brought out by deception. The howling of agitation is the name of protesting voice.. In this way thousand of protesting voice set the ball of struggle rolling, which are called new social movement or movement revolution or agitation by the modern sociologists or scholarly theoreticians. But it is a matter of regret that here too presence of leader or... leader is natural. because wherever you have men, you'll have group there and wherever you find group, there'll be crowd and leader is desirable there. Of course the character of this leader is just the opposite of the character of that leader, who is out to spend sleepless night for the sake of progress. This leader is the leader of the mass, leader of the people. This leader guides the struggles on its correct direction by realising the agiation and deception and unites protesting voices. The leader leads the protesting procession by popularising the slogan 'struggle, the other name of life', 'we should get our rights, the obtainable', 'the landless should get the right to the land', 'there should be radical reform of land-policy of the country', 'people living in the hilly areas of the city should be provided with land etc. and all these.
For last five years listening to all these, learning and realising, Raseswar is staying on the top of a hill in the heart of the city, on a rectangular area measuring one 'kotah' five 'lesa'. Fixing six bamboo post in that rectangular space, tying some 'Nippon' marked tins with thick wire, putting bamboo enclosure, bringing two bucketful water from the foothill Raseswar, the person from the bank of river Nonoi is pulling on the personal struggle of his life.
For the maintenance of his family and to meet the demand of his belly Raseswar has got the taste of different professions in the heart of the city for last ten years. At the very start he could not manage any other job but the work of a daily labourer. While he was engaged in cleaning the dirty rubbish as a labourer, on one occassion he noticed a signboard. A stern warning from the final point of disgust – 'Do not urinate here like a dog.' Being devoid of humour, drying up at the devastation of the tempestuous life he dimly saw one or two drops of humour, which is poured there. He just erased the word 'not' from sentence on the signboard. After completing the task he was certain that now at least no citizen in this city would be doing the work like a dog!
Next time he chose the profession of a waiter in a Chinese Restaurant named 'Momo House'. Throughout the day he serves the customers PM (Pork Momo) and CM (Chicken Momo) on the plate and injects the thoughts in their mind that now it is time to eat actually the PM (Prime Minister) and CM (Chief Minister) as they are ruining the country.
Then at the following stage he went without work for some days and therefore he joined the shop of a butcher. Prior condition before joining the new job was that he would not be able to use chopper on the neck of the goats. He was given task of purchasing goats from markets and bring them to the shop. The flock of goats were pulled on by Raseswar and he became tired with this work as the unwilling goats were forced to move on and they would groan in protest. He imagined himself to be in that group and thought that though the rope was in his hand, it might be that the people like him would be pulled on by the invisible rope....
Now he wanted to do something on his own and started a business on the city footpath dealing in vegetables. At the end of the day his daily earning stands at rupees two or three hundred to run his family fairly well. At times there are eviction drives on the hills as well as on the footpath. But the evictions are temporary. So his struggle of life continues. But one day suddenly there was an accident. On that hot day an elderly woman came to his shop to ask the prices of vegetables. He was telling the prices with a smilling face. All on a sudden the elderly woman fell on his baskets of vegetables feeling dizziness. There was a hue and cry. Churning out last drops of 'rasa' from within, Raseswar allowed it to flow out, "Price rise in this country could not throw out a goverment, now the price list from my mouth made the woman to fall down. Fie! Fie! It was unsavoury indeed."
...And now at long last i.e. before the incident took place he started a tea-stall in the open space at the opposite side of Goverment Office of the 'Land Records Departmemt' with the covering of a blue tarpaulin. The last particles of sugar that one can bring out from the jar Raseswar leaving no remains, collected the granules of 'rasa' and wrote on a piece of paper 'sudden cabin' with big-sized letters, "Tea to be taken at one gulp is available here"...
This time the job of Raseswar is like the job of a Government Official. He arrives at the 'sudden cabin' at 10 A.M. and starts the pump-stove and closes everyday around 3 or 4 P.M. counts the earnings to calculate the amount of profit.
After the closure of the tea-stall, his only duty is to stand by the side of the 'leader with opposite character'. Being mesmerised at the attraction of the leader he engaged himself to popularise 'struggle, the other name of life'. At times his hands over charge of the tea-stall to his wife and joins the line in the proseccion. He unites his voice with the voice of incessant protesters. The rows voicing anguish and deprivation marches on. Slogans are emitted like bursting of fried grains.
* * *
Suddenly the story-teller proclaims the declaration on the line of mobile theatre troupe.
"Dear respectable readers, only three story moments are left for the completion of the story. At the very outset the great Magazine which provided the scope for the publication of this story of mine, I offer my thanks to that Magazine. Alongwith this I offer my heartfelt gratitude to the honourable readers who went patiently through the trifling and worthless story wasting their valuable time. I take the opportunity to mention that I sent this story to the Magazine with the promise of sending only one story. My level of thought and reservoir of knowledge is so immature that the presentation of the story may bear many undesirable inaccuracies. I apologize to the readers for this. Your kind counselling as well as unbiased criticism will be my guide. So, let us look back to the last three moments of the story.
* * *
Moment one : The heart of Raseswar is devoid of 'Rasa', which has gone dry, is full of several stains, who would provide fomentation?
The diary of sorrow and provocative lecture inspires him. Every moment the desire to demolish everything rises in him. He gets prepared mentally.
Moment two : The brain of Raseswar do not sleep, though it may go dry of 'Rasa'. So there is fire in his body. He bathes in engulfing mobile-fire for three minutes. He makes a long river of fire to flow.
Moment three : Raseswar, whose 'Rasa' has dried up, is at a tragic end, actually the road in the midst of fire is not perceivable. Many protests, 'talk show', rivalry, fault-finding, showing compassion go on. At last, being declared as 'National martyr' Raseswar with a smilling face gets into a photo-frame remains hanging by the bamboo fence of the house made up of tin on the hill.
* * *
JIKA :A kind of creeper and its fruit.
*BHOL:Another variety of Jika.
*GAMOSA:An Assamese Napkin.
*BHAONA:A play introduce by Sankardeva, an vaishnavite saint.
*MEJI :A ceremonial structure made of straw & bamboo erected during Magh Bihu.
*URUKA:The community feast arranged on the previous day of each Bihu festival.
Translated Assamese into English by, Ashok Kumar Nandy.
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