(I)

Today is the 20th September, 2020, the first death anniversary of eminent lawyer-cum-politician Ram Jethmalani. These days whenever anyone takes the reference of Mr Jethmalani, one story comes in the mind Bibhu. It’s a story of some candid truths of self-realization which transcended in his mind just a few days after the death of renowned lawyer. Bibhu Bhattacharjee was then posted as an Assistant IG of Police at state police headquarters, Tripura. It was a hectic day. In the morning there was a meeting in the conference hall with sister organizations of police for maintaining law and orders during Durgapuja. The meeting ended in a cordial note and during the high-tea that followed, he had a good chat with Thinktank. It’s a pseudo name given by him to a friend from Para-Military Forces. He is an officer of his age and his actual name is Tomthin Nganba. There may be some additional alphabets before and after. Their professional symbiosis made them natural friends though Bibhu couldn’t pronounce his name properly. So he has chosen the short-cut practice of calling him, ‘Hi Thinktank!’

His friend does not object, rather he seems enjoying it. He is from Churachandpur District of Manipur. Their state is still struggling with the tacit insurgency due to conflict of interests amongst different ethnic groups. Prolong discussion with him made him a bit pessimistic as he could make out that the problem is not going to end up very soon. His friend is a genius in the sense he can speak in fourteen- fifteen languages. Apart from English, Hindi, Bengali and Assamese, the rest, of course are languages or dialects of local indigenous population.

Bidding him adieu, he sat in his room alone. The lunch break was hardly half an hour away. Most of the officials had left for home. Bibhu brings his Tiffin in his office. This helps him in carrying out his task silently during recess. But presently he got engulfed in the thought of insurgency days in his State. Unlike his friend Thinktank he has very poor knowledge on the Kokborok. It’s the official language of a great majority of indigenous population in Tripura. His stock of Kokborok vocabulary may not exceed double figures and it was a major hindrance for him in those days when they were fighting insurgency. Often, he used to come across a peculiar sight

during meetings, especially during breaks. The Kokborok speaking officers used to make some huddles together to chat merrily and on his approach they would have turned silent. There is nothing objectionable in it, but it did hurt his conscience as if he were an alien for them. Similar huddles, he noticed in schools, colleges, offices, courts and other public places. He was ashamed of his Kokborok knowledge.

(II)

Bibhu’s thought process was interrupted at the arrival of a guest with a file. Santanu Majumder is his junior colleague and proud father of a brilliant boy who was cherishing his MBBS degree outside the State. His boss praised him for grooming his son. He grinned and said, “Sir, if you permit me, I can disclose”.

The chief nodded his head allowing Santanu to tell his story, “Sir, I am indebted to Gopalda, I mean to say constable Gopal Debbarma. Perhaps you know him. His son is completing MBBS this year. In fact, he topped in the Joint Entrance Examination amongst the ST students that year when he was selected. His daughter has completed B. Tech from BIT Mesra and pursuing her M. Tech presently. One day, I asked him how he managed to provide guidance to his children despite working 24x7 in the interior areas. With a pleasing smile, he said, ‘I gave only one instruction to my wards. You can speak in Kokborok in your house but, outside you should speak in English, Bengali, Hindi and other languages. You should prefer to mix with students irrespective of tribal or non-tribal. In fact, you may get better guidance from non-Kokborok students. The result is amazing which you have seen.’

The advice of Gopalda was an eye opener for me. In our State, the basic education stands upon private tuition. My son was a student of Kendriya Vidyalaya, Kunjaban, Agartala. Usually, I dropped my son to private tutors where students from other reputed schools of Agartala like Ramakrishna Mission, Holy Cross, Don Bosco, Bharatiya Vidyabhavan, Pranavananda, Hindi School, Srikrishna Mission etc also attended. Their guardians also assembled for dropping or taking their wards for next assignments. Many a times, I kept on waiting for completion of lesion of my son. Soon, I could able to identify the guardians of students who topped in different schools. At the beginning, I stood in their close proximity for eavesdropping. Occasionally, I offered them tea or snacks to continue chatting. One day, I realized that I had become a trusted member of their group. This indirectly helped my son as he also developed friendship with these brilliant students. They started exchanging notes. Since that time, my son earned the desired confidence to go without the support of parents and it was reflected in his academic results.”

Bibhu knows Gopalda, whom Santanu was referring to, since his posting in a district. He was a personal guard of an SDPO. The gentleman was also from indigenous population and fond of creating huddles with Kokborok speaking officers. He earned enough reputation and got berth as SP before retirement. He has also established huge landed property which includes rubber plantations more than hundred acres. Like his personal guard Gopal, he was blessed with a daughter and a son. The girl married a tribal boy of her choice before completion of her graduation. The bride-groom is running transport business. The boy is looking after his paternal property after completing civil diploma.

(III)

That evening, returning home in a relaxed mood Bibhu was recollecting the happenings during the day. His ignorance of the Kokborok language no longer hurt him like before. His focus fell on a poem ‘My dying conscience’ circulated in social media after the death of eminent lawyer Ram Jethmalani who passed away at the age of 95 a few days ago. It was claimed that the verse was composed by the celebrated lawyer-cum-social activist. Though he does not endorse the philosophy of Mr Jethmalani he loved his attitude of calling spade a spade. But there was a twist. The poem was actually written by one poet Rashmi Trivedi. He visited the profile of the lady in facebook to get the confirmation. In fact, Mr Jethmalani’s son had also given a rejoinder. Once more he read the poem as he loved it by heart. The poet has portrayed some day to day happenings of life to tell how she behaves contrary to her ethics. Thus, after a lavish meal she shrugs away seeing a poor-paid guard opening the door or does not mind seeing a small child Chhotu selling vegetables without going to school. In a gorgeous dress when she comes across a woman in tatters, trying unsuccessfully to save her dignity she ignores. Similarly, during Christmas after buying expensive gifts for her children when she finds poor children selling Santa caps at red light, or when the daughter of sick maid is compelled to perform extra work despite knowing that she has bunked school for attending her mother’s work, she remains aloof. She allows her son to come late from party but tells her daughter to

stay home, it’s not safe outside. After passing some worried time getting information of a rape or a murder of a child, she expresses a sigh of relief that it was not her wards. Seeing our country going to astray due to fighting of people over caste creed and religion, she absolves responsibilities by blaming corrupt politicians. Her city is choked and breathing is dangerous in the smog but she prefers to drive her personal car to public conveyance system. After all these finally, when she revisits her conscience and finds still breathing she gets surprised.

(IV)

Against the backdrop of this poem   he recollected a   famous quote of of Lord Thomas Babington Macaulay which he came across during law classes in police academy. The Indian Penal Code or IPC was drafted under the Chairmanship of Mr Macaulay. In his speech in the British Parliament in February 1835, he said, "I have travelled across the length and breadth of India and I have not seen one person who is a beggar, who is a thief. Such wealth I have seen in this country, such high moral values, people of such calibre, that I do not think we would ever conquer this country, unless we break the very backbone of this nation, which is her spiritual and cultural heritage, and, therefore, I propose that we replace her old and ancient education system, her culture, for if the Indians think that all that is foreign and English is good and greater than their own, they will lose their self- esteem, their native self-culture and they will become what we want them, a truly dominated nation."

Bibhu realizes that the intention of the ruler has become successful. The India which he wants to visualize is the eternal India. In this perpetual India, Santanu, Gopal, he himself and many other common citizens are the competitors and they are involved in true struggle for life with conviction. There is another India which he also perceives every now and then. The Britishers became our ruler after coming for business. They taught us English, etiquette, rules and regulations. The common people love the age-old oriental customs of our country, yet they have accepted the good qualities of the English, especially their sense of discipline and respect towards law. Side by side, there is another group of people who have preferred to follow the bad qualities of the English, the tyrant genes. They make avail of the loopholes of

the law to defraud our banking system and amass wealth in foreign banks. They take it as an opportunity to weaken our government institutions and of course the economy. Often, one finds lawyers like Mr. Jethmalani stand for their defence ignoring that it sends a wrong message for a great section of people. They have become slave of these corrupt people unknowingly which Mr. Macaulay dreamed almost two hundred years ago. They are defending their clients which are not a sin as per the Act enacted by that gentleman. Thus, when a person accused of rape and murder gets acquitted from the Court by using his wealth people cannot but accept the reality though their eternal voice asks them to protest. It is against the Indian culture, which expects truth will prevail over false. The Dharma will concur against Adharma. Bibhu can make out that the spiritual and cultural heritages of the country have been shattered. There exists twofold India, both loyal to law yet mutually antagonist.