One night I had the strangest dream. The ministers of the central and state governments were standing in the midst of the city’s central park, wearing army fatigues and carrying swords in their hands (the fatigues were made of pure Khadi, naturally). As black marketers and profiteering grain merchants were frog-marched before them, the ministers sliced off their heads with their swords.
There were periodic announcements on the public address system: “Begone, you who starve the people. Bring more enemies of the people before us; we shall cut off their heads. Make it quick, we have to go to another city as well.”
The crowd was beside itself with joy. On one side women stood with their ceremonial thalis, waiting to celebrate the ministers’ deeds by performing arti before them.
The ministers’ faces were devoid of any expression of abhorrence or anger. On the contrary, their eyes were brimming with love – no doubt this discipline was the result of half a century of training in ahimsa, affection and kindliness.
*
Next morning I told Kaka about my dream. He thought for a while and then he said: “The reason for this dream is clear. Day after day you read in the newspaper the threatening statements made by ministers, hence such a dream. But the dream does not augur well.”
I said: ‘Why, Kaka? What’s wrong with such a dream? It only signals that the government is always ready to gird itself – prepare itself – to destroy the enemies of the people.”
Kaka guffawed. “Great! Gird – what an excellent word you used. It is at the root of all the trouble. It is this word which does not allow any work to be done. Ministers give out statements, saying they ready to gird themselves – tighten their belts – for this or that. Do you know what they do after making the statement? They literally tighten, or fasten, their dhotis, satisfied that they have been true to their statement – they had promised to ‘tighten their belts’ and so they have. In fact, many people deliberately wear their dhotis loose. After issuing statements about ‘girding themselves’ they fasten their dhotis. We have been troubled enough by those who strengthen the grip of their dhotis around their waists. What we need is those who are ready to strengthen their minds.”
I interjected: “But weren’t you telling me the meaning of my dream?”
Kaka responded: “Yes, indeed. Look here, Ayushman, seeing an elected representative wearing army fatigues is not a good augury. Furthermore, when a minister himself cuts off a guilty man’s head, it means a failure of governance. Do you understand? Don’t have such inauspicious dreams. It’s important not to have such dreams, even if it means not sleeping.”
I lapsed into silence.
Kaka warmed to his theme: “Don’t be in a daze. Do something. Here, read this newspaper. Once again everyone down from the prime minister to ministers in state governments have issued statements that no corrupt person will go unpunished – nothing but the harshest of punishments for them. Why don’t you stir yourself and haul some profiteers up before the administration? The officials are making daily appeals for public assistance.”
Sharma Master who was returning from his tuition classes had stopped to listen to our conversation. Now he spoke up: “I know of at least two merchants who are hoarding food grains. One has secreted about 500 sacks and the other 500.”
I said, “What are we waiting for? Let’s go to the officials so that they are caught this instant.”
Sharma ji took half a day off and accompanied me.
When we reached the crossroads, we saw a sizeable contingent of policemen directing traffic. As we started to cross the road, a police inspector shouted, “Hey, Shrimanji (sir), are you blind? Can’t you see that you don’t have the right of way yet?”
We stopped in our tracks. I turned to Sharma Master and asked, “Why are they using the word Shrimanji today? Listen, they are addressing everyone as Shrimanji.”
Sharma ji said, “The police are observing ‘Civility Week’. On these days they behave with the utmost courtesy towards citizens. They are instructed to address every person as Shrimanji.”
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We watched as a policeman stopped a passerby: “You there, sod**ng Shrimanji, can’t you see your boss is standing here?”
Then one man decided to walk in the middle of the road. The policeman screamed: “Walk on the side, bloody Shrimanji. This road doesn’t belong to Shrimanji’s bloody father.”
Then the signals changed and we crossed the road. We went straight to the Collector’s office.
I said my piece: “The government has asked for the public’s help. We are here to help. Master ji has himself seen two merchants hoard their grains. Arrest them at once and seize the food grain.”
Profusely expressing his gratitude for our assistance, the Collector said: “You are such vigilant citizens. In the years to come your names will be written in golden letters in history.”
I butted in: “Pay some attention to your history too. Take strict action.”
Saheb stated: “Certainly, certainly. I will straightaway give instructions for an investigation.”
I asked: “What is the need for an investigation? Masterji has seen it with his own eyes.”
Saheb explained: “Nevertheless, an investigation will have to be conducted.”
I persisted: “Are you saying that there might be a godown full of grain staring at us, but even so there will be an investigation?”
He responded: “Exactly. How can any step be taken without looking into the matter? Relax, there’s nothing to worry about. The matter will be immediately investigated and stern steps will be taken. You will be kept informed.”
The following day we picked up the newspaper with great anticipation, hoping to see a report on the arrest of the profiteering merchants. There was no such news. The entire city page was taken up by the speech of an illiterate politician who had stated that he too now considered Kalidas to be a big poet.
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A day later we came upon a copy of a letter which the administration had written to the merchants. It went thus:
Dear Seth so-and-so,
The administration has been informed by some persons that you are hoarding a stock of foodgrain which you sell in the black market for profit. They are putting pressure on the government to take action against you. You are being informed that we will continue our investigation till the coming week. Do whatever you want to do to for your protection in those days. Later the administration should not be blamed that it did not warn you beforehand. A week later we shall conduct a surprise raid.
I made a beeline for Saheb’s office and asked him: “What on earth is happening? Why is the administration giving them time to save themselves?”
Saheb said: “It is nothing but official policy. The government is not coward enough to go and catch someone through deception. The government is courageous. It forewarns before apprehending. Even our police acts the same way – he blows his whistle when he goes to catch a thief. It is his way of warning the thief – if you have finished burglarizing and are faint-hearted in the extreme, start running. If you are brave, then come and face me.”
I spoke up: “But, sir, the government’s courage may well be proved thus, but they will move their stock here and there, whisk it away. Will you arrest their empty godowns then?”
Saheb remarked: ‘Keep watching. This is not the work of some petty pickpocket who can spring up anywhere. This is the work of a government that is serious and honourable.”
I asked Saheb: “So what do I do now?”
Saheb reassured me: “You don’t have to do anything. For now, even we don’t have to do anything. It’s the merchants who have to do the needful.”
Two days later I got my hands on a copy of the elucidation provided by the merchants.
The following is what the merchant with 5000 sacks had written:
Some anti-social elements have made this accusation against our firm. The allegation that we have stocks of grain which we are selling in the black market has no basis whatsoever. The truth of our assertion is proven by the clinching evidence given below:
- At present seven members of the municipality happen to be our men. In the event of our displeasure, all seven of them will move from the government camp to the opposition. The reins of the municipality will slip out of the hands of the former.
- MLA Banke Babu was once an accountant in my father-in-law’s shop. Today he has considerable influence in the government. Banke Babu has 15 MLAs in his faction. It is only due to their support that the ruling faction has had a say in the formation of the council of ministers. If Banke Babu becomes angry, that will change. Not only do we pay their election expenses; we also round up the votes of our community. Banke Babu has already conveyed our misgivings to the powers that be in the capital.
- Also, we liberally contribute to the party fund and election kitty each and every time.
- When the food minister came here, we threw a huge feast in his honour.
These facts prove that we have not hoarded even one grain. If you still harbour suspicions about us, then I suggest you place a call to the Capital.
The merchant with 500 sacks had this to say:
We may be small merchants but we follow the regulations to a T. We pay without fail the ‘rates’ that the government has fixed for everybody down the line, from officials to the peon. We make contributions according to our capacity. If something more is required, we are ready to do the needful. When we obey the law to this extent, it is inconceivable that we should be hoarding grain. We are being falsely accused.
After four or five days I presented myself at the Collector’s office once again: “Saheb, is the investigation over?”
He replied: “Yes, it is over. It turns out that both the merchants did not have any stocks.”
I asked: “Who conducted the investigation?”
He went on: “The fact that they did not have any stocks has been borne out by their clarifications.
I said: “Sir, it is a lie. The merchant with 500 sacks has moved his stocks around, but the godown of the merchant with 5000 sacks is still full. You can go there and seize the stock this instant.
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Saheb was insistent: “When there is nothing there, what is there to seize? In fact, I have received information from the Capital that he doesn’t have any stock. When news from the Capital is conveyed to us, there is no doubt that it is the only truth. It cuts down to size all the information we have. One Capital eye is sharper than our one lakh probing eyes. When the Capital eye opens, our eyes are blinded.”
I returned disheartened.
The following day I was summoned by Saheb. With a great deal of affection and kindliness he explained everything to me: “Brother, don’t take offence. The administration has fulfilled your demand. You had wanted us to arrest two merchants, but we have arrested three of them for you today. One of them was hoarding half a sack of rice (stock from the 1965 war), the second one had a stock of 20 kg and the third had 15 kg of grain. Are you satisfied now?”
A couple of days later a teary-eyed Sharma ji came to see me. He said: “You got me into this. My job is as good as gone.”
He held out a piece of paper. It was a cautionary letter from the school manager to Sharma Master: “Ignoring your duties in school you are getting involved in politics nowadays. If you do not make amends, your services shall be terminated.”
Then a man from the intelligence department started tailing me. I knew who he was, so I asked him: “Brother, why are you wasting your time shadowing me?”
He replied: “I have received instructions to keep an eye on you.”
I asked: “But what have I done to merit this?”
He responded: “The government has received information that you are engaged in anti-national activities.”
The words just slipped out of my mouth: “Anti-national! Are they the only people who constitute the nation?”
He asked: “Which people?”
I held my tongue. What would he know anyway?
Translated from the Hindi original by Chitra Padmanabhan.