“He looked at the noose and gave a smile
The blood of the hangman froze a while
They can cage a man with lock and chain
But his revolutionary thoughts will definitely rain!”
What do you want to be when you grow old?! or What is your plan or what do you want to do?
even when you were in your 20s or 30s many elders may ask you this much to your annoyance!
Do you know there were young revolutionaries who had done so much for the country at the young age of 22?!
read on!
Most kids start with astronaut! or a rocket scientist! After they grow up and realise that they cannot be king or queen when they grow up no matter what their parents had told them that is!
My “I want to be a doctor” phase started when I was in the 7th class after a visit to my village in Kerala! There I saw the real respect my uncle who was a doctor used to get from all over!
Then again most kids keep all options open! Many may not even think what they want and just follow the ‘crowd’! So when a young kid in those times decided to be a freedom fighter then that is a mighty big achievement indeed!
The other day during an online tuition session my kids were asked to name some freedom fighters! Of course after the select few names that everyone knows and in spite of the freedom fighters from all over India special I had done last year; it was still difficult to remember many names.
Just for that will have a refresher sketch series soon!
We are Indians very easily forget so many young revolutionaries who gave up their lives for the very freedom which we enjoy!
The movie Rang De Basanthi was a testament for just this sentiment! When the Producer suggests the lead actress that she must make a movie about the “famous or more recognisable” freedom fighters. She replies with desperation that these revolutionaries were so young when they did what they did! Meaning they deserve more recognition!
At the age when majority of population do not even know what they are going to do with their lives, you have young fighters who were ready to give up their life for freedom!
Just think about the mind of Bhagat singh when he collected the blood soaked sand from the Jalianwala Bagh after the cruel massacre?
That jar was a constant reminder of the Homicide which should have immediately shaken the system! Instead the officers of the British army were busy collecting donations for the pension for the ‘inconvenient’ early retirement of the perpetrator of the massacre.
What prompted them to shun the western attire and be proud of their own dress and culture?
Or the fact that these young Indians were staring at their deaths and just bravely smiled and accepted it.
It is just their love for their country and nothing else! The love for your motherland is a pious one indeed!
A humble sketch dedication to the birthday celebrity who was just 22 years when he became Shaheed. Sri Shivaram Hari Rajguru. Hopefully that is one more name my kids remember forever.
A sketch made with pride and it shows!
Shubh ratri…
Jai Hind…
ramadocblog 