The Donkey and Dalit Baru

9

By: Tikender Panwar

It happened in a village called Himsu, there lived a blacksmith name ‘Baru’. He was quite hardworking and, when he had no work he used to work on the fields of other villagers. Himsu village comprised a dozen houses with 5 belonging to the Dalit community, 4 Rajputs and 3 Brahmins.

It was on a sunny day that Virbal Singh, a Rajput by caste, was sloughing his fields. Baru was also assisting him in the operations. Tunnu, son of Virbal Singh packed lunch for both his father and Baru and laid it on the donkey’s back. As he was pulling the donkey through the rope and had almost reached the fields, Tunnu slipped and the donkey ran away from him. He shouted that the donkey snatched the rope and has become out of control. Immediately Baru rushed towards the donkey and tried to catch hold of him. Instinctly, Virbal screamed, “Baru don’t touch the donkey as it contains my meals.” Baru stood shell-shocked and thought is the donkey more pious than him – a human being!

(All the names of persons and places changed)

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9 COMMENTS

  1. Sir , Would you elaborate on the context here please ?

    Is it a contemporary happening

    Thank you

  2. precisely yes, this is a contemporary happening and ok the context has not been laid out. i would be reproducing some 12 incidents of such differentiation that took place with the dalits in the form of such short stories. actually i had gone to attend one convention around the satluj basin where i came across their feelings and the real incidents they have passed through and have been subjected to such actions during their life time.

  3. Good short story with a social message….

    I hardly open all the news, just go through the headlines, but the title of this compelled me to read the entire content….

    Nice if stories with messege, like this one, also come up along with news…

  4. now who will tell them…

    matti ek , anek bhant kar saaji sajanhare,

    na kuch poch matti ke bhande na kuch poch kumhare…

    how great is your setup lord..when the bloated egos of these perishable entities lay dessimated in the pyre and there goes the dust in the dust…

  5. dear Tikender,

    It is not a story Sir.It is a real incident happening in real life in many places.Such a incidents are common in rural villages still after 60 years of independence. Many "Himsu " and many "Baru" are examples of freedom India. Very realistic story with two story- vimalavidya-Tamilnadu

  6. A cogent example of how life passes into literature. Great lok laghukatha! 'm greatly interested in hearing/reading the other stories you mention. Is that possible?

  7. It is not a laghukatha,but a real story. I was posted at an interior part of district kullu ,I'll not mention the name of the village.My land lord was having a Maruti Esteem. Once, I was sitting beside him ,while going to Rampur Bushehar . A known person asked him for lift. He said "sorry , gentleman I would have given you the seat,but I am carring ROTTI. Though there was no food in the car.He this way used to avoid people ,whoever (Dalits) asked for lift.

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