All the beautiful daughters of Mara by Ashok Aatreya (books to read for 12 year olds .TXT) 📕

engaged in services of the ladies in the house.. Hair cutting and head massage was their regular job, Dholi played drums and sang songs in praise of the lord, and Gardener had to take vegetable, fruits and flowers daily and would get nothing out of this. The farmers were badly exploited as there was strong tax-system and they had to look after the fuel, fodder and food for visitors. Even traders had to arrange for all sort of facilities needed by the guest.
Anand’s Nana was against all that and he organized agitations against the feudal lords with other revolutionaries.
Since his direct links with Ajmer, Kharva, Nasirabad revolutionaries were exposed at the time of a bomb explosion near railway track of Kharva , British government had announced a prize of rupees 10 thousand for his arrest. At that time the visit of Viceroy was due in Mewar. He had a program of hunting in the forests of Mandalgirh. Maharana of Mewar, and many other high dignitaries were reaching for the game of wild animals specially Lion and Boar. All the tracts of forest were cleared and needful repairs whitewash etc was completed. At every electric pole one strong buit Bhil was appointed with torch in hand to make the arrangement tight with security.
Pujariji as his Nana was called in the local area was adamant to protest against the visit of Viceroy and his coterie. There was a collection of thousands of farmers outside Bijolia as they were ready to sacrifice their life at one call of Pujariji…There were only two entry gates in the fort and those two gates were closed and locked. Some important leaders of movement were already arrested and they were in the jail of fort.
The famous song written by the great local patriot Verma was creating new wave for freedom. The song was in their colourful ‘ghaghara-loogari’ was sung in the night gathering just a day before the proposed visit of Viceroy. The patriotic song ‘Panchhida’ was highly inspirational and became very popular. It was voiced over by his Nana also in several gatherings.…the words were magical…when it was sung in public that night it created sense of fear among the supporters of rulers….the spirit of song was ‘ calling people for liberation’…
Oh people
Why you are sleeping in the dark cloudy nights
Why you are bare
Why weeping helplessly
Immersed yourself in tears
Why you are beaten by police,
As if nobody to save you from this tyranny
Why you are still a bonded labor.
Why…why?
Agitation of farmers demanded immediate removal of game sanctuary from Mandalgirh and when the news reached the higher echelons of British Raj, the visit of Vice-roy was cancelled…and that made the position of Maharana apprehensive...although a warrant of arrest of his Nana was issued by the Collector and due to that Pujariji(Nana) again gone underground but continued his activity to support freedom struggle.
Maharana had already committed mistakes by not handling the newly emerging agitation of his own people in the liberal and democratic manner and by giving deaf years to leaders …( and that proved that the ‘state’s- emblem’ showing ‘bhil and Maharana’ standing together, was nothing but a farce) only few days back he ignored to hear public who wanted to tell him about their problems.
Maharana was on his hunting mission. Thousands of persons composed his army of hunters. They camped in Ladpura….and very closely a parallel movement against the game-sanctuary was in full swing .The farmers of Bijoliya in the leadership of Pujariji thought this time proper for requesting Maharana to consider their genuine demands…The farmers gathered on the same route by which Maharana had to pass for hunting…The moment Maharana’s horse passed from that patch, people in one voice uttered the common word of salutation-‘Duhaee hai…!’
Maharana was not prepared for any such situation…rather he was more interested to see what prior arrangements and preparations have been made for the British Viceroy whose visit was following soon. He hurriedly enquired about the matter from his close associate by asking-
‘Kaee kaive hai (what they say?)
‘Annadata kaive hai ki mhanaih shoran kau ghanon dukh hai. Ei vaste rakhat uthano chahije( My lord ,they complain of pigs problems and want removal of sanctuary)
‘Ye karshan atha ka hi rehva vada hai’ (These are local farmers?)
‘They are from Bijoliya and have no land right here’-Maharana was misled and all of them rode deep into the forest. Maharana too became unhappy over the issue.
As hunting was Maharana’s special hobby…and he was enamored of wild pig-hunting.Half of the year he would spend in forests touring his state and for this reason the forest reserve were very rich in wild life around Udaipur.On the top of hills numerous ‘haudis’ for the game were made. He had also employed hundreds of Tribal for baiting and used good number of wild dogs for his game. In those times in Mehwar the killing of wild bore lion and cheeta was restricted. In spite of all the arrangement and good environment for the hunting the visit of Vice- Roy and AGG was cancelled as the news of agitating farmers against the Maharaja leaked and spread like forest fire.
Even till next day farmers waited and hoped their appeal would be heard but the ruler of Mewar was not in a mood to listen anything and he returned to his palace through another route. Farmers remained hungry whole day and night as the collector of Bijoliya forbade local shopkeepers to extend any help to the farmer even if they want to pay.
After this incident the strategy of agitating farmers took a U-turn and people started non-co-operation with the government administration. In whole of the country there was no such movement. In the land people refused to entertain any representative from government and their terror wrecked from their minds. Even the mind-set of government employees changed and they started helping freedom fighters…some of them would work in the office in the morning but after evening they would reach the meeting grounds crossing over dense forest keeping gun on the shoulders…several times the meeting places were changed so that the police or government spies would not reach there in time...overall peoples struggle for freedom took a new direction and dimension.
Anand’s new love Bhairvi was very much impressed with the spirit of freedom struggle of his Nana. She realized and felt proud that Anand belongs to a family of a great and brave patriot, impetuous but obstinate and the masses of Bijolia had implicit confidence in him. She toured with Anand to many such places and hideouts of the freedom fighting heroes of Mewar and after around an year, also serving as nurse in small Dispensary she left for her parents home with a good feeling for Anand. She had already given her heart to him and now a big decision had to be taken by her parents about their marriage. -
Bhairvi remembered her last couple of intimate moments when ‘they’ were silently watching the tranquil waters of Pichhola lake…when the sun was setting…The image of Nehru garden like a big Shikara, stopped in the middle of flowing waves of golden water.Anand had to leave her that evening in the station and that was their departure meeting. He was still lost in the memories of his Nana.
‘Do you really love the revolutionaries? Anand asked the simple question to Bhairvi.
‘If I had not visited Mewar with you, perhaps I would never have known the value of our freedom- She had replied him emotionally.
‘But you have only one heart Bhairvi…?
‘I know that is for you …and also for every other thing you love Anand…’ each one has to believe her heart- she replied
Do you have love for your spirit?
I don’t know much about spirit but what I know is – I love you wholly from my body from my mind and the soul about which I don’t know much. She was rationally defining her own self.
If you are aware of the nature, you are also aware of the body because in the Indian philosophy of Sankhya- the body and the nature are considered one. Both are reverent. And one has to travel through the good path of nature to attain the peak experience… Anand was speaking through his internal mind.
What is that peak experience – Bhairvi inquired?
‘That is the holistic love’ – Anand replied. That can be achieved with or without marriage also…since for many marriage can be corner stone for money and kids…but for many wedlock ends in a deadlock…hence by love alone one can reach that path and change his personality if one desires. Love is the most potent tool of Psychoanalysis… but unfortunately… Anand stopped..
What but?
Unfortunately we have lost love everywhere…. In home… In office… in factory in…. traveling …. While climbing the hill or swimming… If we loose the grip of love we will die soon Anand was in a mood to describe love in detail.
You mean no one is in love in this… Bhairvi … could not make her sentence complete.
Yes in the physical world… Yes in mental state… yes in heart If love is not guided by our soul… Anand cleared his ideas.
Bhairvi was silently listening to him… She was thinking… do they love each other?
What is important in life is purity of intention and basic emotion, if this is there then nothing around matter…And since both of them were mature individuals, they were enjoying the liberty in the right direction. There was no problem of the caste or regional difference. Their growth was not in tune with age, because they were ahead of time and outside world was there to accept them since their thoughts and emotions were strong enough to prove that they could carry the cart of their married life happily without any problem.
Bhairvi remembered they had their first warm deep kiss…when the whole nature merged in them….Perhaps in that moment they were an ‘Integral’… Knowing…without going, seeing without looking and accomplishing without doing. The train separated them that late evening.


27/GINGER –BREAD MADE IN INDIA


And Anand was returning by the bus, back to his job. He was feeling and seeing a new India, emerging after independence. He was in his streams of thoughts… ‘Doubtlessly a new national ethos was being encouraged in the name of development…In all spheres of life the elites were talking of revolutions and everybody was interested to see that the benefits of developments should go to the grass root level.
Suddenly he became excited to see the latest issue of literary magazine ‘AAYAM’ in the hand of a fellow traveler. He couldn’t hold his curiosity and asked the gentleman politely- ‘Sir, do you read this magazine regularly?
‘Yes I subscribe this too…I get it by mail. Are you interested to see this-The person seated closely wanted to present him that…’
‘No sir I have already read it.. Anand answered.
‘How so early…It’s not available in the book-stalls?
‘Actually I got my complimentary copy before publication- Anand answered in the dignified manner.
‘Are you Pablo Picasso…the cover page Artist..? The stranger seated next was taunting on him.
For a minute Anand was silent, then suddenly in attacking mood he boomeranged his way of questioning , told the gentleman- ‘I am not Picasso but Anand and my forty page long poem on Guernica is published in this same issue.
While replying the strnger he was little bit perturbed but then the tone of his fellow traveler changed-‘Oh so you are Anand. I am really glad to meet you. But I am sure you are not from Udaipur! Hope you don’t mind of what I told you.’
‘I never mind all that, still