(My sincere Thanks to "The Donkey sanctuary press Images " for this Photograph )
A NOVEL WITH DONKEY
AS THE LEAD CHARACTER
KRISHEN CHANDER AND
MR. .DONKEY ( Humour and satire )
People say that a
donkey is stubborn and foolish . Contrary to popular perception I find this
creature intelligent , friendly and dependable in work. I believe urdu writer
Krishen Chander ( 1914-1977 ) was also fascinated by this animal . He wrote a
full fledged Novel on this creature in urdu titled " Ek Gadhey Ki
Sarguzasht ' which was later published in 16 Indian languages . In English we
had “ Mr Donkey’s Autobiography ”and in Hindi we had its version as “ Ek Gadhe
ki Aatm kathhaa ”. I have all the three versions with me . The one in Urdu is
original and super followed by the Hindi version . English translation is also
good . The Book l is a moving satire on Indian Bureaucracy , film world ,
Banking , politics and the licence Raj that existed in the country . Musicians,
Journalist and Artists have also not escaped scrutiny in this Book. Pandit
Jawahar lal Nehru too figures in this Book as Mr Donkey decides to meet Pandit
ji as well. The opening Para of this great book reads like this ;-
“ Gentleman , I am
neither a saint nor a Mahatma . I am also not Shri 108 Swami Geham Gehama Nand
‘s follower . I am not Sufi Gurmukh singh Majhelaa the Herbal medicine seller.
Neither a Vaid nor a doctor. Not a film star or a politician. Just a donkey who
has been suffering from a congenital fatal disease called News paper reading .
So much has this disease spread in my body that I have left carrying bricks on
my back and am now focusing only on reading news papers . I lived with Dhaboo
Potter of Barabanki and Donkeys of Barabanki are famous world over. I was
assigned the task of carrying bricks to Barrister Syed karamat Ali shah’s
building under construction. Syed sahib was a well read man who had built a
library in his vacant plot much before constructing the new house. The library
had a reading room and syed sahib would read all sorts of news papers sitting
on the verandah while simultaneously supervise the construction in progress. I
developed a routine at this construction site .Once I threw the load of bricks
, I would slip inside the library and start reading newspapers . Barrister
sahib was himself too occupied in his newspaper reading that he hardly noticed
me…………………………………………. And once the house was complete , Dhaboo potter drank Hooch
one day and beat me mercilessly with a stick . He asked me to get out crying
loudly
“ I do not want a
donkey who reads newspapers . I need a donkey who can carry bricks on his back
’
After being thrown
out by Dhaboo Potter, Mr Donkey now settles with Ramu Dhobi ( Washerman ) who
uses this creature to carry dirty clothes to Jamuna river .And then something
sad happens . Ramu is killed by a crocodile in jamuna and the family has no
source to fall back upon . Mr donkey now runs from pillar to post to get relief
for the family . He approches the Department of Relief new Delhi
" Say what you
want " office superintendent in the relief department .
" I have come
here for some relief " Mr donkey .
" Only those who
have come from Pakistan
" If some one is
ruined in this country only , tell me where has he to go for justice and relief
? " Mr Donkey .
The superintndent
askes his peon to throw Mr Donkley Out from his office .A lady inside the
office tells Mr donkey to approach department of labour .
Mr Donkey meets Mr Rangachaari and Shri Subramaniam Deputy secretary and Additional secretaries respectively in the Ministry of labour Government of India
" It is
decidedly a case fit for Ministry of fisheries . Crocodile lives in water and
so do fish .Now that Ramu has been killed by a crocodile , it is the department
of fisheries which has to settle this relief case ."
Subramaniam politely
hands over Ramu's file to Mr Donkey and asks him to go to Department of
Fisheries .
Mr Donkey goes to see
the Anglo Indian Head of department of fisheries where this pipe smoking
gentleman declares
" Look Mr Donkey
, your problem is strange and i can not see a solution . I have one solution
for you. Look ! washer men use soap for washing dirty clothes ; You get my
Point and soap falls under ministry of commerce ,Relate your story to commerce
Minister . May be he would like to help Washermen of the country who otherwise
remove the dirt by repeatedly striking wet clothes against hard stones ."
Mr donkey goes to meet
commerce Minister Mansukh lal .
" Look Mr donkey
, I can supply hardest stones to washermen to rub these clothes . I can abolish
duty on soap.I can order the cloth mills to use stronger threads so that once
clothes are hit against hard stones ,nothing is torn but Your story is
different . It is the story of people with empty stomachs ..It is the story of
helpless people of our nation. . Even a minister is helpless over here . I
advise you to meet pandit Jawahar lal Nehru our Prime minister .
What does pandit ji
say ????????????????????????
As advised , Mr
Donkey goes to see pandit ji . But then a donkey is a donkey and prime minister
is a prime minister. No donkey is allowed to meet prime Minister . So Mr donkey
hides behind the wall of Pandit ji’ official residence for the night and at
dawn jumps in . Challenged by Guards and the gardener of pandit ji’s rose
garden , Mr donkey runs here and there in the lawn. Suddenly pandit ji emerges
.Now the conversation
“ Sir I have come for
an interview . Just fifteen minutes . I happen to be a donkey .”
“ No issue if you are
a donkey . Many donkeys keep coming to me daily for interviews ”
Mr donkey is elated
to meet pandit Ji . He forgets Ramu and his widow and starts discussing
national and international issues with Pandit ji .Many problems are put forth
by Mr Donkey for solution .Finally Pandit ji says
“I have now learnt
many things from a donkey . But then I do not have Alladin’s lamp in my hand to
overnight change the condition of the poor people of this country . We have
planned everything . Wait for some time . Wait for 25 years and see the change
.”
Before leaving Mr
Donkey says
“ I know Pandit ji
you enjoy Horse rides . Ride this donkey as well. I shall feel grateful and
obliged . “
Pandit ji rides the
donkey and makes it to gallop. Mr Donkey is surprised by pandit ji’s swiftness
. Requests pandit ji to stop and moves out.
A meeting with pandit
ji adds value to the personality of a simple donkey from Barabanki .
Recognition . Praise . Crowds .. Press photographers . Newspaper correspondents
. Media attention . He loses control over his affairs . The world takes him
over. Interviews by New York Times , Le Monde ,Manchester Guardian , London
Times and many National and International magazines follow.
“ Sir what is your
opinion about co existence ? ”
“ every donkey should
obeys the law of coexistence . I cannot say about man .”
“ What is your
opinion about social equality and division on the basis of race or colour ”
“ The world of
donkeys is different . It has total equality and no race or colour division .”
“ Sir what would you
say about the cold war ? ”
“ We donkeys do not
believe in hot or cold wars . In fact we hate wars and fights . You must have
seen how peacefully many donkeys graze together on any vacant piece of land
.Together we carry bricks or sand and help in construction and development . ”
Mr donkey is then
entertained by Seth Barjotia for securing an oil refinery contract from
government .The film world requests for a comedy film to be made on Mr Nehru’s
donkey .Mr Donkey receives a marriage proposals from Seth Mansukh lal’s
daughter Roopwati . He is invited to as a chief guest in a beauty contest. Our
Mr Donkey addresses writers and intellectuals in a seminar organized by Sahitya
Academy. Relishes a classical music recital by Gunkali . Read the book and
Learn more interesting stories of Mr
donkey.
( Autar Mota )
CHINAR SHADE by Autarmota is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 2.5 India License.
Based on a work at http:\\autarmota.blogspot.com\.
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