L903 held on to his baba's sweaty shirt, hoping not to fall off the bicycle as they passed a mammoth gathering of lowlies witnessing the public execution of yet another conformist writer.
"Baba, what are they watching?"
"It's their favourite movie. They play it only once a year."
"Why are they crying?"
"They are sad that he's leaving them, their hero."
"Where is he going? Why is he wearing a rope?"
"Just hold on to me, son. Tighter," he said, as L903 wrapped his little arms around his waist.
"Son, promise me you will never write."
"Baba, I can't stop writing. How will I complete my home-work then?"
"Hug me and close your eyes, son."
As the writer was hanged, a loud gasp echoed and he promised himself, "Come what may, I won't let you write. Never ever. It's a sin for a lowly to write. A bloody sin."
L903 held on to his baba's sweaty shirt with his eyes shut tight, hoping not to fall off the bicycle, while another lowly writer was left hanging till death.
***
2025. India. A nation torn between its two categories - uppers and lowlies.
Ambedkar died just months after organizing one of the largest mass religious conversions in the history of mankind. What if he died before the mass conversion of the then untouchables?
Literally then figuratively now. The untouchables.
While a nation was busy fighting for its freedom, a man was fighting against his own nation. A fight far difficult than our freedom struggle. A resolution to annihilate caste altogether. A nation mired in caste won't be free even if British left India. Ambedkar was fully aware.
He ensured that the untouchables had their own identity and valiantly empowered them. A man needs spiritual comfort, a guiding force, a cure for your soul - a religion. And which religion guided you, yet suggested to follow them only if it makes peace with your rational self? Buddhism was the answer. Ambedkar studied all the religions thoroughly and managed to isolate the untouchables as well as uplift them.
But what if he died before converting to Buddhism? What would happen to the social hierarchy that existed back then? What if the shackles were never broken by an Ambedkar?
What kind of a nation would we be looking at in 2025? What would be the state of society and literature? A dystopia.
"Baba, what are they watching?"
"It's their favourite movie. They play it only once a year."
"Why are they crying?"
"They are sad that he's leaving them, their hero."
"Where is he going? Why is he wearing a rope?"
"Just hold on to me, son. Tighter," he said, as L903 wrapped his little arms around his waist.
"Son, promise me you will never write."
"Baba, I can't stop writing. How will I complete my home-work then?"
"Hug me and close your eyes, son."
As the writer was hanged, a loud gasp echoed and he promised himself, "Come what may, I won't let you write. Never ever. It's a sin for a lowly to write. A bloody sin."
L903 held on to his baba's sweaty shirt with his eyes shut tight, hoping not to fall off the bicycle, while another lowly writer was left hanging till death.
***
2025. India. A nation torn between its two categories - uppers and lowlies.
Ambedkar died just months after organizing one of the largest mass religious conversions in the history of mankind. What if he died before the mass conversion of the then untouchables?
Literally then figuratively now. The untouchables.
While a nation was busy fighting for its freedom, a man was fighting against his own nation. A fight far difficult than our freedom struggle. A resolution to annihilate caste altogether. A nation mired in caste won't be free even if British left India. Ambedkar was fully aware.
He ensured that the untouchables had their own identity and valiantly empowered them. A man needs spiritual comfort, a guiding force, a cure for your soul - a religion. And which religion guided you, yet suggested to follow them only if it makes peace with your rational self? Buddhism was the answer. Ambedkar studied all the religions thoroughly and managed to isolate the untouchables as well as uplift them.
But what if he died before converting to Buddhism? What would happen to the social hierarchy that existed back then? What if the shackles were never broken by an Ambedkar?
What kind of a nation would we be looking at in 2025? What would be the state of society and literature? A dystopia.
