I was at my doctors clinic. Come any time of the day. By the time you reach your turn it would be at least one hour past.
Meanwhile I read a short story penned by Manto of a couple who fell in love amidst the frenzy of freedom movement. It takes you through the history pages of Jalianwala Bag, and finally to a central plot where the protagonist Ghulam Ali who is leading a freedom struggle.
Ghulam Ali is portrayed as a mediocre guy who by some fluke reaches centre stage of freedom movement of 1930’s. He is seen leading processions of Congress with many volunteers (chelas) around. The setting is of Amritsar, a place as per Manto, is known for Godmen and Politicians, and they have a penchant for it. So this procession is also led by a God man, behind the curtains.
Ghulam Ali is much under the awe of the spiritual guru. In the midst of all the political life, he falls in love with a women volunteer. He seeks permission of his Guru. He advised him to change decision. Annoyed Ghulam Ali retorted that some decisions can never change; they can at most be delayed. So finally guru acquiesced. But under the grip of emotional charge Ghulam Ali declares that he would marry but would not maintain a carnal relation with his wife. For the sake of country’s freedom and under the emotional pressure of baba he declares that he won’t have children unless India gets freedom, lest his child should also be born as a slave!
But soon he understands the reality. He finds himself in dual mindset. He lives with his lovely wife and tries not to touch her. They under great restrain live this ascetic life. Meanwhile Ghulam Ali is jailed for his political activities against the Raj. After two years he comes back to join his wife, but this time utterly demoralized. The frenzy of political activities took a chill from now on. And finally day by day he starts breaking his public vow. First the couple ensure that they would live like any other husband wife, but would take care not to beget children. They continue on like this for some time. But finally they get fed up with the rubber thing and moreover the human instinct and emotional baggage of begetting a child starts haunting them and finally, one fine day, Ghulam Ali reads in some Holy Scripture that “If a man and women are in a wedlock then it is obligatory for them to have a progeny”. J And you know what he does nextJ
Few of the thought provoking insights from Manto:
“I have always hated ashrams, seminaries, saints, shrines and orphanages. There was something unnatural about these places. I had often seen young boys walking in single file on the street, led by men who administered these institutions. I had visited religious seminaries and schools with their pious inmates. The older ones always had long beards and the adolescents walked around with sparse, ugly hair sprouting out of their chins. Despite their five prayers’ a day, their faces never showed any trace of that inner light; that prayer is supposed to bring about…”
At another place he says
“Man may be good or evil, but he should remain the way God made him. You can be virtuous without having your heads shaved, without donning saffron robes or covering yourself with ash. Those who advocate such things forget that these external manifestations of virtue , if that be indeed what they are, will only get lost on those who follow them. Only ritual will survie. What lead to the ritual will be overlooked . Look at all the prophets. Their teaching are no longer remembered, but we still have their legacy of crosses, holy threads and unshaven armpit hair. They tell you to kill your baser self. Well if everyone went ahead and did that what sort of a world would it be?”
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