QUEST FOR JUSTICE
-3. The Shocking Verdict

As Shubam and the other villagers assembled near the house of the Sarpanch, he came out and asked all of them to be seated on the ground.  The Sarpanch did not look sick like it was made out in the morning and appeared hale and hearty.  However, he did appear perturbed.  “I gather that all of you had gone to the King to complain about some altercation you had with the Brahmins yesterday while using the common pond of our village.”  As all of them agreed, he continued, “Why did you go to him when I was around?” 

Shubam instantly got up and said loudly, “We have been coming here for the past two days but it is you who did not have time to meet us under some pretext or the other.  Under the circumstances, what were we to do?  We even went to a member from the Panchayat but he, too, turned us down.  Besides, when have you come to our aide, sire?  Years ago, I remember that we were allowed to use that pond at any time during the day.  Then, the Brahmins restricted us to use it only during the afternoon.  We protested but did you help us at that time?  Even now, when the Brahmins are disallowing us from using that pond completely, you never helped us when we knocked at your doorsteps.” 

All the others supported Shubam’s views and the Sarpanch raised his hands gesturing them to be quiet.  “Alright!  Alright!  Please be quiet!  I never told you that I did not have time to attend to your grievances or would not help you.  Henceforth, I do not want you to go directly to the King with any of your complaints.  Meet him only after consulting me.  I wanted to make this clear! You may now leave.”  So saying, the sarpanch went inside his house. 

The villagers were engaged in some murmuring for some time and then went back to their homes.  On the way, one of them aired his views, “The sarpanch is afraid if the King would call him and lambast him for not caring to meet us when we came to see him.  Therefore, he is speaking like this.”  Those who heard this statement agreed.

The next day, all the Sudras were chastised by their masters for not coming to work yesterday which they silently listened.

 For the next two days, Shubham and his villagers had no problem in taking water from the pond.   On the third day, King Rajneesh made his decision known through a drummer.  The King had referred this matter to the village Panchayat.  Further, he had also stated that he would agree by whatever the Panchayat decided on this issue!   This sent shock waves among Shubam and the people of his community.  They could not understand as to how the King could arrive at such a decision.  That day they were not even allowed to use the pond and were driven away by the Brahmins.  The very next day the Panchayat gave it’s verdict on this imbroglio that further stunned the shudras of the Ramnagar village.  According to the Panchayats, the Brahmins were right in saying that the water level of the pond was unusually low that year due to inadequate rainfall.  Therefore, the shudras should not take water from it regularly as that would spell trouble for the Brahmins.  Thus, the members of the Panchayat had come to the conclusion that the shudras could use the pond only once in a week in the afternoon!  And there was more!  The Panchayat promulgated that there were several complains from the Brahmins that when they came across a Shudra while walking on the street, it spoiled their day due to the occurrence of some inimical event.  Therefore, from the next day onwards, which was the beginning of a new month, the sudras were required to take a plate and hit it hard with a stick shouting that they were coming by!  The reason being that should the voice of the shudras fail to reach the Brahmins the hard sound of the plate being hit by a stick would certainly be heard! This would enable the Brahmins to change their route without coming in contact with the shudras! 

While all the Brahmins hailed this verdict of the Panchayat, Shubam and his villagers were confounded.  All of them sat under the basement of a big tree looking very dejected and depressed.  One of them said with a lump in his throat, “Oh God!  What have we done for all this?  There is no meaning in staying in this village any longer.  These people will not let us live.  I have decided to migrate to our neigbouring kingdom of Aravalli that is ruled by a noble ruler.  I have heard that he does not discriminate among his subjects and treats everyone equally.”  Many others agreed with his views. 

All this while, Shubam did not say anything except looking at those who were speaking.  “What about you, Shubam?  It is best that we move out from here.  Or else we are sure to die of thirst!”  one of the villagers told Shubam. 

“No!” Shubam said stoutly, “If we leave this village, it would mean that we have given up our fight against the injustice that we are being subjected to.  You are right!  If we stay here, we are sure to die out of thirst!  So, let’s die with our heads raised high and revolt against this injustice!” 

“That is what we have been doing for the past few days, Shubam!  What did we get by raising our voice against this unjustness?  The more we turn against these people, the more savage they are going to become!  This is enough!” deduced a villager.  “Okay!  If this is enough for you, so be it!  But I have decided upon my course of action! I wanted to revolt against this practice of casteism a long time ago but wavered to do so for I was not sure about it’s repercussions.  But now I can tolerate this no longer! I will not bow down to the verdict of the Panchayat but instead act against it.   I will show that we will not accept any unjustifiable decision the Panchayat takes with regards to our community.”  Shubam spoke with a strange determination in his eyes. 

“What are you going to do?” 

“How does it matter you anyway?  You have lost heart and the will to fight!”  So saying, Shubam got up and walked away leaving all the others perplexed.