CHAPTER 13 :THE DISPUTED TERRITORY

As the King listened intently, he continued, “I have been in your kingdom of Pallava for some time now. From what I have observed, the people are not happy under your rule. They are having grievances but have no one to address them. As a result, there is widespread distress and anguish brewing in their hearts.

Maharaj, God has been kind enough to bestow upon you this position of a ruler. You should be utilizing this opportunity to serve your subjects to the best of your ability. I request you to open up your eyes to your responsibilities and thrive for the welfare of your subjects.”

The King’s face took a somber turn as he heard these words. Aryaman continued, “I am especially aggrieved to see the condition of the people in Amlanagar. They neither have access to proper health facilities nor education. In one expanse, the children have to cross a river with their parents and then walk miles to reach their guruji’s abode. In the absence of any authority, the Panchayat has taken it upon themselves to carry out their diktat. I have heard about some dispute between you and your neighbor regarding ownership of that land. In that case, both of you should try to reach a mutually acceptable solution.”  

The King looked glumly at the floor and did not respond for some time. Finally, he looked at his visitor and spoke his mind, “I would like to brief you about the history of Amlanagar.

Initially, it was a separate province governed by independent rulers. However, the last ruler died without any heir apparent. At that time, there was no one capable enough to take control. My ancestor and that of my immediate neighbor Sumegha decided to take advantage of this weak moment and laid claim to this territory. They also had keen interest in capturing some fortified forts of this province that could serve as a military advantage against an approaching enemy. A war ensued and the ruler of Sumegha won it! This permanently soured our relations with that kingdom. For decades, Amlanagar was under the control of Sumegha until my father decided to make yet another attempt to capture it. Unfortunately, the war produced no result and both the rulers signed a treaty. According to it, Amlanagar was henceforth a disputed territory. No one could claim its possession until this dispute was resolved and the timeframe for reaching an understanding was five years. During this period, no ruler would undertake any developmental exercise in this region without the consent of the other King.

My father met an untimely death and now despite the passage of five years, no solution has been found. The incumbent ruler of Sumegha, King Chandrashekar and I tried, but the impasse could not be broken. Our last meeting turned out to be quite a disappointment where matters boiled to such an extent that we are not even in speaking terms now.

I cannot take any initiatives on my own for the development of Amlanagar for the moment. As for the rest of the kingdom, there could be insensitivity on my part. Please give me some time to think over it. I shall tell you about the future course of action tomorrow.”

“Maharaj, both of you rulers must realize that in this battle of supremacy and selfish gains, the people are suffering. An early solution has to be reached for their sake.   I am prepared to even meet King Chandrashekar and request him to meet you in this regard.”

The King decided to think over this matter and again meet Aryaman at the same time the next day.

Both of them stood and joined their palms before Aryaman took his leave.