Onam Story: A Reversal

Amrit Kaal

Onam Festival: Somewhere in the capital

As per the tradition, great Mahabali was gifting people who walked into his home and greeted him. Sometimes people would ask for a position in the party or a ministerial post; or heading a corporation or a commission; or a governorship; a tweak in the rule so that you get first mover advantage. Poor people would seek admission for their children or a job; some would seek bail from jail for justice had gotten too blinded. Anyway, Mahabali would grant them. The Onam festival was growing bigger each year and had political tones. 

It was at that time a little boy walked in. The chief of intelligence who was scanning the screen came running to Mahabali and whispered to be cautious of this little boy. Mahabali nodded in understanding. A little boy came and greeted Mahabali. Mahabali offered him beef and parotha which the little boy declined and said all he wanted for three steps of land. Mahabali said the land shortage was acute in the country where the population has grown to more than 1.4 billion and said could be allotted to those with Aadhar cards only. Anyway, the procedures involved registration etc and Aadhar was a prerequisite. The little boy said, “ I don’t know anything about Aadhar, where can I get one?” Mahabali advised me to go to Bangalore and ask for Bangalore One booth where all help would be rendered. Even the original author lived in the city should there be any special help needed. A little boy asked, “won’t it take time?” Mahabali said,” it even takes a year you could come for the next Onam.”

The little boy was persistent and came back the next year but he was a man now as he wasn’t a normal human being, with an Aadhar card. “wonderful” said Mahabali. “Why don’t you aspire to become the PM instead of asking for three steps of land?” “Is that even possible for me?” countered the little boy. Mahabali with a wink of an eye said “sure enough. The sky is the limit in this holy land. All you need to do is carry out a pogrom against the termites.”

And where would I find these termites? Asked the little boy. “Go to the land where Gandhi was born and ask for Motabhai. He would render all assistance. In the process, you won’t leave any evidence. In case the law catches up with you the court after a decade will not find any evidence to prove your guilt and let you go scot-free. 

Ekalavya read the story and gave out a good laugh. He knew the history got rewritten and expected a twist in the story. He was getting ready for the world archery championship. He wanted to represent the country but the elite Drona academy would have none of it. He was too black they said and was a tribal too. But Ekalavya was not the one to be cowed down. He had made his own bow and arrows and practised using a dummy of Drona. Luckily for him, he got a wild card entry into the championship. He beat Arjunas, Karnas, Odins, in the championship. In the interview, he revealed that he was self-taught but he used a dummy of Drona. The chief of Drona academy came to ask for guru Dakshina and asked for his thumb. Ekalavya thumbed him down and said the history is being rewritten. 

Dr Ambedakar finished writing this story as he wanted his fellow Dalits to empower themselves. He had earlier argued with Gandhi that unless social empowerment happens there will be any freedom for Dalits and Adivasis. But Gandhi and other leaders were too keen to get political freedom. They felt that social empowerment would follow. The history of independent India proved how right was Ambedkar. Although there would be a Kovind or a Murmu who would find a place on the seat of Rashtrapathi Bhavan the lots of Dalits and Adivasis remained the same.  

Nowadays casteism has caught up with Indians where ever they go. Harvard University has taken note of casteism as equivalent to a form of racism. In the company, CISCO in The US casteism is being fought via a legal suit. 

The upper caste who still practice untouchability doesn’t hesitate to rape a Dalit woman. Indians are being judged by the colour of their skin and their surnames. 

2022, Ahmedabad

Magan Yadav was sipping his chai at a tea shop. He was employed to clean the ravages of Ahmedabad floods. Some people at the tea shop were arguing about the Gujarat model when someone asked “is this the model that has left Ahmedabad at the mercy of rain gods?” Some others talked of Khejriwal and his promises and said they would vote for him this time. He remarked, “Gujarat needs a fresh breath of air.”

Yadav thought good times are going to come. Election means attending meetings, slogan shouting and money in hand apart from free food. His back was strained due to hard work. The doctor at the municipality clinic had been advising rest. But who can rest? He has got mouths to feed and pay for his daughter’s education at a private school. If she gets educated there would be some emancipation towards the twilight year for him and his wife. He wasn’t aware of the politics of Mahabali, Ekalavya and Ambedkar. He only knew one thing he missed the bus by skipping his education. But he would ensure that his daughter takes the bus on the road to emancipation. He too would vote for AAP as he liked their promises especially the one on education. 

2022, Karnataka

Munni screamed and ran away from the seer. She was a teen-Dalit girl studying in the ashram school and occasionally swept the room of the seer. But today the seer tried to grab her. But she was made of sterner stuff and bit his hand and freed herself. Luckily for her, a woman journalist had come to interview the seer and she rescued Munni. Later the seer was arrested but he faked heart problems and got admitted to the hospital. 

Come September 

As he read about Munni in the newspapers Mahabali wondered to himself why was he visiting his beloved land. Nothing of substance had changed even though ages had passed. His community were still being oppressed. Some sections were trying to change the festival to Vamana Jayanthi to celebrate the cunningness of the God of the con. He took a vow that he would not partake in the goodies during his visit until the situation changes.