(Recap – In the previous episode, I described how Jagadari leader happened to become the permanent denizen of our village community. Besides I mentioned about his predilection for local village politics and his cherished desire. His one habit of visiting the local “country liquor shop’ was common.)
(source getty image)
In the local “country liquor shop,” Jagadari after consuming his quota with other habitual denizens of the village, begun his retreat in a group, jubilantly. That was an old time and such drinkers of the village community, who could easily be counted on finger tips were treated as “hooligan.” Even the brats of village remained feared of these drunkards. Women folk, on slight glance of their being shown, up on the roadside, at once would rush inside the house. Even, gentlemen of the village community were in the habit to avoid conversation with these people specially at evening time.
Under the impression of alcohol
Jagadari was in a habit to put a Paan ( beetle leaf smeared with paste of catechu and paste of quenched lime stone powder). His this Paan in all certainty be loaded with fragrant tobacco powder. The juice of beetle leaf smeared on his lips turn them with a tint of purple red. In the impression of alcohol his eyes would becomes somewhat sharper, as if, staring every one. Those were the moments, when his predilection for the politics would be on the high sky.
On reaching back on the “village square” with the falling of night, he was given to become eloquent. The gift of “oratory” generated by the impression of liquor in the stomach be at the excellent level. Now he would, in his eloquence praise the leaders of Indian National Congress Party. He mainly used to speak laudably about Mahatma Gandhi, Pd Jawahar Lal Nehru and Mrs, Indira Gandhi. These were his icons. After his every oratory, never he forget to shout the slogans of the type, “Long live Congress Party, Mahatma Gandhi and Pd, Nehru.” Somewhere, he cherished a dream to contest the local body election for the “village headman.”
He knew, every village might come under roster and be declared as a “reserved seat” for village headman. He was hoping to get the village headman seat declared reserved for “backward class.” He was confident, in that condition, in a certitude he was the only eligible and suitable candidate for the post. Every politically inspired man dreams as such, nothing uncommon was in this dreaming.
Jagadari in dilemma
In every community, some people are supposed to be with a propensity of quirk and frivolous one either. Once such type of person, the headmaster of the Basic Primary School of the village put him into a dilemma. The head master, once interrupted in between his drunkard oratory and connoted one point. He vehemently made him remember one important thing, ” Whole through in his life, Mahatma Gandhi propagated in favor of “prohibition. Here you are soiling his image by taking his name as drunkard. It’s shame upon you!” This fact confused Jagadari leader. By enjoying his confusion, head master said further, ” I too on occasions consume some alcohol, but never in that condition, I utter a single word to accolade Gandhi. And you are soiling his name.”
This revelation at once shattered the existence of the Jagadari leader. For days to come, he remained silent. Despite the unendurable impression of the alcohol in the stomach, that persistently prompted him to shout, he maintained a silence. He remained busy in churning of thoughts and eventually found a suitable solution. It was in his knowledge, Pd Nehru occasionally took the drinks, after that, when inebriated, never he accolade for Mahatma Gandhi, only for Pd Nehru. Of course, when he was not drunk in day time, he always proclaimed himself as the “true soldier of Mahatma Gandhi.” This was an example of his naivety.
The election drive
Here some description is needed about the “local body election of the village community, conducted by the government. That was the time, when Indian National Congress Party ruled over the entire India. In rural side, it was the party gimmick, to get “village headman” elected with “pro-congress” mindset. The strong leader ship at the district level played an important role to attain the result. This leader ship was ever inclined to favor “village headman” committed to congress ideology. Besides, he should had an impact to woo the voters in general Assembly and Parliament elections.
Secondly, in this drive, they tended to declare only those villages as “reserved seat,” which had had the majority of voters of backward people. Our village was populated heavily with general caste category denizens.To appease the “petty leaders”, the big bosses sought a solution in “another way.” Every village in local body election was scheduled to elect a “village headman” and other eleven members through direct election. These eleven members were supposed to elect a “deputy village head man,” in indirect election, under the aegis of government authority. Out of these eleven seats of executive members, authority declared two seats reserved for “backward class.”
Jagadari consoled himself
On not being declared the seat of”village headman” as reserved seat, Jagadari consoled himself in another way. He planned to contest the election for executive member ship first and upon being elected to contest for “deputy village headman.” He filled up the election paper for candidature ship of executive membership. In the same ward of Jagadari, an another contestant too filed the nomination. In fact, he had had the bright chances to win the election. But it seemed, as though, luck was favoring Jagadari.
Jagadari leader was allotted the election symbol of ” Indian wooden mortar with a pestle”. His opponent was given the symbol of “pellet drum.” In that old period, election were managed through ballet papers and quality of printing was no good. In this print of symbols of “mortar with pestle” and “pellet drum,” the poor printing made so alike that confused the voters. It became a head ache for people to differentiate between these two symbols.In fact, both resembles one another.
The voters obviously were local people, majority of them either ill- literate or unlettered one.The voters from the “pellet drum” side, in confusion caste the vote upon the symbol of “mortar with pestle.” The candidate with “pellet drum” was dead confident about his victory. But in counting, he last the battle. This made him so disappointed and frustrated. On the next to the counting, this defeated candidate approached the door of his every supporter and swore the bad epithets upon them for the deception they committed towards him. Not only this he too took an oath, never to indulge in any kind of political activities in future.
Despite the victory in membership election, Jagadari leader could not make his dream of “village headman” come true. No one supported his drive. But he consoled himself in being elected as a member and whole through his tenure he lived in high spirit as such.
End of Jagadari leader
the end of the life of Jagadari proven so pathetic. In the year of 1991 when he was in his sixties, a tremendous earth- quake hit the region in the dark of the night. He happened to sleep deeply upon a cot in his work-shop. Upon the impact of shock- waves, his cot trembled badly and all his heavy work- tools began to tumble down with a terrific din. Experiencing all this for the first time in life, flabbergasted and perplexed in sleep, he at once jumped on and ran outside.
An old superstitious rural man by nature he was. He at once got assailed by thoughts of being possessed by some evil- spirit. Aghast, a seizure of paralytic attack took him into grip, out in the yard of house he fell down unconsciously. At that time, no proper cure for paralysis ailment was available in the reach of common folk like him. After a long bed- ridden suffering, he died of that. ( End of the story) Penned By — Vinay Pharasi
