QUEST FOR JUSTICE
-4. The Silent Protest

In a short while, the villagers saw Shubam walking along with two pots in his hand.  “Shubam!  Where are you going?”  one of them shouted. 

Shubam only looked at the person and continued to walk.  After a long time, he reached that pond which was now open to them for only once in a week in the afternoon.  There were some Brahmin ladies who were taking water from the pond.  One of them recognised Shubam for he used to work in her house as a sweeper.  “Shubam!  What are you doing here?  It is not yet afternoon!” 

Shubam looked at her with intense eyes and dipped one of his pots in the water.  All the ladies present there talked among themselves in whispers for a few moments and hurriedly went away from there.  Shubam filled his pots with water and was leaving when a Brahmin came by.  Looking at his attire which consisted of a tattered lungi and the absence of the holy thread around his neck, the Brahmin realised that the boy belonged to a low-caste community. 

“You are a shudra?” the Brahmin asked Shubam. 

The youth only looked at him and tried to walk past him.  However, the Brahmin would not let him go!  “Answer me!” he shouted. 

Again, Shubam did not respond.  “Are you dumb?  I am asking you something and you have the audacity to just ignore me and just walk away like this!  I know that you are a shudra!  Do you know that you are not supposed to come here before afternoon for drawing water from this pond?  And, that too, as per what the Panchayat has decided today, you can come here only once in a week.  It is still morning and how dare you come here and use this pond at this time?  I will take you to the village sarpanch for violating rules in this manner.” 

Just then, some more Brahmins entered the scene.  They were the husbands of those ladies who were filling water from the pond in their pots when Shubam came.  As they were living very nearby the pond, these Brahmins had come here immediately after their wives informed them about what Shubam was doing.  “You are the one who has come here to use this pond in the morning?” one of them asked him in a threatening tone. 

“Yes!  He is the one!” the Brahmin who was planning to take Shubam to the village sarpanch apprised the others indignantly. 

“All of you have come to see me?  Won’t your day get spoiled if you come across a Shudra?”  Shubam taunted the enraged Brahmins.

“Shut up!  We could not believe our ears when we heard that a Sudra had come here to use this pond in the morning and thus came here to confirm!” one of them shouted.  A brahmin pushed Shubam, which made him lose grip over the pots he was carrying and they fell to the ground.  Shubam tried to lift the fallen pots but he was rudely pushed to the ground by the Brahmins and even slapped on his face.  The boy bore all this silently.  Thereby, all of them took him to the village sarpanch, abusing and even assaulting him on the way.  All this while, Shubam did not speak a word and maintained silence.  His eyes did not reflect any pain and he, in fact, appeared composed!  When the sarpanch learnt about this event, he asked Shubam the reason for his act.

“The atrocities on our community have been steadily increasing!  Therefore, I have decided to raise in revolt against this injustice and what I did today was a step in that direction.”  Shubam responded.

The sarpanch wanted to consult the Panchayat and then decide upon the punishment to be taken on Shubam.  He alongwith the Brahmins took him to a member of the Panchayat and apprised him of all that had happened. 

“I will meet the other members of the Panchayat and then come to a decision.  Till that time, keep this boy under your custody.”  the village sarpanch was told.

Thereafter, the brahmins took leave and Shubam followed the village sarpanch to his house.  

The sarpanch said  looking at Shubam thoughtfully, “Aren’t you that same boy who had criticised me in front of all the people of your community that evening where I had called you to meet me?”  Shubam looked at the sarpanch as he spoke and then looked at the ground. 

“Why don’t you speak?  The young blood in you is getting far too aggressive for which you may have to pay a very heavy price.  Do not think that you will get away with all that you are doing! What you did today will spread like wildfire in the village!  You have needlessly invited the wrath of the Brahmins.  Remember, that if you have to stay here, you must never go against the Brahmins and, of course, the verdict of the Panchayat.”  the sarpanch threatened the lad. 

Shubam was made to sit under a tree near the house of the sarpanch where two guards stood beside him.  Shubam had neither taken water nor imbibed any food on this day.  Still, he was not feeling weak for the revolt that was brewing in his heart like never before.

In the evening, a message reverberated in the village, “Shubam, a sudra, has committed  a grave offence by using the common pond of our village in the morning.  He would be summoned before the Panchayat tomorrow where his punishment would be announced.” 

As soon as this promulgation was heard, the sarpanch came outside and glared at Shubam who responded with a sedate look.

Later in the night, Shubam was offered some food, which he declined to take.  Before sleeping, he prayed to the Almighty in his mind, “O God!  Please help our community!  May my people never get disheartened and revolt against injustice.”   So praying, he lay on the ground and had a good sleep.  He was not bothered about what fate would meet him on the morrow.  He had left that to God.

The next day, Shubam was taken to an open ground where many Brahmins had assembled and the members of the Panchayat stood facing them.  As Shubam was escorted towards where the Panchayat members stood, all eyes were glued at him.   One of the Panchayat member asked the youth, “So you are the shudra who took water from the common pond of our village yesterday morning?” 

Shubam nodded his head in the affirmative. 

“Were you aware that a shudra should not take water from that pond in the morning?”  Again, the boy consented with a nod of his head.  “Then, tell us as to why no punishment should be taken against you for what you did yesterday?” 

Shubam spoke up fearlessly, “Sire, punish me in whatever way you deem fit for that least bothers me.” 

As the brahmins, which included the village sarpanch, who had assembled there looked at Shubam indignantly, the Panchayat had a small discussion among themselves.   

Then, one of the Panchayat members addressed Shubam, “Since you are a young boy, despite your mistake and arrogance, we are ready to pardon you if you express regret over what you did yesterday.”

Shubam flew into a rage as he heard this and he gave vent to his feelings.  “Regret?  For what? For taking water from a pond which you yourself say is a common one of the village?”