‘Babaaaaa’
He looks very disappointed. ‘If people oppose, then I shall fight with whom? And do for whom? Damn it, there’s no point in fighting anymore.’ Raja Rammohan Roy was walking restlessly across the drawing room, muttering to himself.
At that time the doorman came and said that an old Brahmin wanted to meet. A little annoyed, he said, ‘I don’t have time now.’ The doorman said, ‘I told him. But he doesn’t want to go.’ Then Rammohan Roy said, ‘ok, send him.’
A Brahmin entered the house. Short dhoti, nambali across the chest, tiki on the head. It irked Rammohan Roy, when he saw namaboli and tiki which is an identity of Brahmin. He said in a rough tone, ‘what do you want?’ Brahmin began to speak narrating a fact in his life.
I am Mahadev Bhattacharya from Nadia. He stopped a little, his voice was cracking. He started again. It was a hot and humid day of Baisakh month. I just returned from toll. My little daughter Aparna came and jumped on my lap. Gave me water, gave me towels, wiped my sweat and fanned the air with a handmade pankha. She cares about me as much as possible though she was a little girl. For her, I was the world. When I and my little daughter Aparna were cuddling each other, her mother Mandira called from the small kitchen placed on barandha, ‘Aparna already crossed 7 years. How long will you keep her at home? The neighbourhood is telling me everyday to arrange her marriage with a kulin Brahmin without further delay.’
I said, ‘Where can I get the kulin Brahmin groom? I am trying a lot. No one is ready to marry in less than 1000 rupees.’ Mandira whispered, ‘Not everyone has good luck. But caste and religion must be kept. Yesterday a noble Brahmin came to the next village by the river. The age is high. Around 70 years. But the lineage is high. He has been marrying (read rescuing) Brahmin brides for 50 rupees. Give Aparna to his hands.’ Aparna asked me, ‘Baba (daddy) what mother is telling?’ As she had no idea of marriage.
I screamed to Mandira, ‘No no this won’t happen!’ But I understand the pressure of neighbours. I understand the pressure of samaj (society). After a lot of fighting with myself, I had to agree.
The girl looked like my goddess in the red cheli, bangles, jewellery, alta & sindur (vermilion). What a majestic beauty Aparna looked I can not explain it!! The father’s sight could have brought bad luck for her. She did not understand what for all these rituals and who was the old person sitting beside her.
The next day, the son-in-law left my daughter and went to some other village to rescue someone else’s daughter. He said he would come again next year.
Our father and daughter’s happy life was going well. She was behind me all the time. Learned all the household work from her mother. Couldn’t just cook as she got a minor burn in her finger and suffered from a blister for days? I told her mother not to teach her cooking as she developed a fear of fire. Aparna was delighted hearing it and hugged me tight with so much of love. ‘Yes Baba, I am afraid of fire. Promise me that you will never allow mamma to take me near fire. I shall learn everything else.’ I promised her.
Ashwin month came and Durga Pooja started knocking on the door. Nature decorated her all around. I brought a red saree, alta for Aparna from the market. Aparna was very happy. He asked, ‘Baba when will I wear these? Baba, shall I look like a queen wearing these all, tell me?’ My eyes filled with joy. Happiness overflowed in the needy world.
The day after that, you know, just one day after that. Someone came from daughter’s in-laws house with a letter. Narayan Banerjee, so called husband for a day, laid body yesterday. They ordered the girl to commit Sati according to the prescribed rules. I thought I would tear the letter. But that person came to my house after informing the village elders.
Rammohan Roy asked rudely with full of suspense, ‘what happened after that?’
The villagers threatened me that they would snatch the girl if I did not agree to accept Sati Daha. Then I dressed her. Aparna, my little girl in a new red cheli, saree, jewellery, alta, sindoor was looking so beautiful. Festival in the village, Dhak was playing. All of them were coming to our house and were putting vermilion of her head, alta on her feet. And Aparna was very happy. Villagers came with her favourite curd and sweet. You know, Aparna was busy feeding me as she was loving me so much. She was beaming with happiness as she couldn’t fathom the significance of the celebration. Brahmin stopped talking. He wiped his tears and started again. She just didn’t understand what the festival was about.
Then the news came that the chita was arranged on the river bank. The noble Brahmin society ordered to take her there. I took my daughter in my arms. I did not cry at all. I didn’t want to let Aparna understand anything. All formalities were done by the side of the pyre. The girl was surprised to see everything. The pyre is set on fire. The chita roared and burned. Aparna told me, “Baba, let’s go home. You know I’m terrified of the fire.’ I replied, ‘Don’t worry maa, I am here’, and hugged her strongly in my chest with my trembling hands. She holds my neck tightly crossing her small soft hands. I untied the knot of her hands around my neck and threw her into the fiery pit. From within the flames, I heard a loud cry, “Babaaaaaa….!”.
I could not forget that call. Since then I could not sleep a single night. Whenever I tried to sleep; one voice flew to my ear ‘Babaaaaaaaaa’.
I could not save her but you can save many such girls, Mahadev Bhattacharya holds the feet of Rammohan Roy. Thousands of girls in the villages are looking for your help. We, Aparna’s parents could not save her but you can save many from this brutal act.
Raja Rammohan Roy stood up and said, ‘You gave me strength. I have to. I should. If I am not, who will do it in this spoiled society full of uneducated cruel people? If not here, I will go to Britain. I will court the Privy Council. I shall make it a punishable offence. This is the way we can stop such inhuman activities of so-called society in the name of religion. I promise you.’
The rest is history. It cannot be explained how difficult his struggle was in that era. He was from the royal family of Calcutta but the Brahmin society of India was against him who were majority. A storm of insults and censures rained down on him. But he was steadfast like a banyan tree. Rammohan Roy, India’s ‘First Modern Man’.
I know, today it sounds like an impossible story but it was the reality. We all have child girls in our families. All are absolutely safe today. We got this confidence, peace and happiness against the sacrifice of many such people like Rammohan, Vidyasagar, and few such reformers at that time. Reformers never find majority support but they are the people who came as a blessing for society and people.
Narrated by Subrata Halder