Slander

One can curse even the king in the privacy of one’s home.

One day I was sitting with a couple of friends and talking about the functionaries of national organizations. We felt that anyone working for the nation should be above greed and self-interest. One can serve one’s nation truly only when one is pure of heart and has a lofty sense of ideal. The behaviour of several people had upset us and we were letting out pent-up steam. It was possible that in their positions we might have done worse, but we were passing judgement on others and, as judges, we couldn’t afford to be lenient. A judge quickly forgets that he too may have weaknesses. The only difference between a judge and an accused is that the former had never faced a situation as the accused, and even if he did he had wriggled out of it without a blemish by way of cunning.

Padma Devi said, ‘Mr A works very hard, there’s no question about it. But if you look at the accounts, you’ll find that he owes the organization no less than a thousand rupees.’

Urmila Devi said, ‘Well, Mr A may be forgiven. After all, he has children. How can he bring them up? If he devotes all twenty-four hours of the day to the service of the nation, he must get something in return. You can’t find a person of his competence by paying a salary of five hundred rupees a month. Even if he has spent a thousand in the whole year, it’s not much. But how about Mr B? He has no wife or children to look after, no strings attached. But he too must’ve spent as much. What right does anyone have to spend the money contributed by the poor in car rides and organizing dinners for one’s friends?’

Shyama Devi said with aggression, ‘Mr C must answer for this. He can’t be spared. Do we gather money from people by begging so that he can invite friends over, drink liquor and go for musical soirées? He has to go to a movie every day. This is not the way poor people’s money should be spent. He has to account for every paisa. I’ll bring the matter up in the general meeting. He can go where he gets a salary of five hundred rupees. There’ll be others willing to serve the nation.’

I was the secretary of the organization for a term. I take pride in the fact that no one levelled such allegations against me. Nevertheless, people weren’t happy with me. They felt that I gave very little time to the organization and that I didn’t do anything during my tenure to enhance its reputation. I resigned in a fit of pique. I had to leave even though there were no allegations against me. But Mr C is well ensconced in his post even after embezzling thousands of rupees. Wasn’t it enough for me to bear a grudge against him? Like an artful player, I didn’t want to be openly resentful but was willing to pull strings from behind.

‘Deviji,’ I said, ‘you’re being unjust. You can’t find anyone more generous than Mr C . . .’

Urmila cut me off in mid-sentence, ‘I don’t call a person generous who spends public money in drinking secretly. He gets his drinks from the same wine shops we picket during day time. What can be a more dastardly act than this? I call such a person a traitor.’

I provoked her further, ‘But even you’ll accept the fact that Mr C raises funds worth thousands of rupees because of his personal influence. One can’t compliment him enough for his efforts to stop the use of British clothing.’

Urmila Devi was not one to be easily convinced. ‘People donate money because of the reputation of the organization. He can’t raise a paisa in his own name. As for British clothing, people love hero worship. He’s being praised. But to tell you the truth, he never went to any shop for picketing.

‘People all over the city are discussing this. Wherever one goes for donations people throw these facts at us. How many people can you shut up. He pretends to be a servant of the nation, but his lifestyle is just the opposite. The country cannot be saved by such licentious people. One needs to make sacrifices for it.’

The discussion was still on when another lady arrived. She was Bhagwati Devi. She had gone to collect donations and had now returned, exhausted. Seeing the gathering she stopped by. With her was her ten-year-old daughter who used to accompany her in this good work. She was starving. The house key was with Bhagwati Devi. Her husband would also return from office shortly. It was necessary that the house be opened. I volunteered to take the girl home.

After walking for a couple of minutes, the girl asked me, ‘Are you aware that Mr C indulges in drinking?’ I couldn’t say yes. Even a jealous person like me didn’t feel it proper to sow the seeds of bitterness, envy and duplicity in the mind of an innocent girl. At this age, she should radiate simplicity, faithfulness and sweetness and not slander and pettiness. A deity should not be adorned with a garland of thorns.

‘Who told you that Mr C drinks liquor?’

‘He does drink, you may not know of it.’

‘How did you know?’

‘All the people of the city talk about it.’

‘All of them are telling lies.’

The girl looked at me with mistrust. Probably she was wondering whether I was a friend of Mr C.

‘Can you claim that Mr C doesn’t drink liquor?’

‘Of course. He doesn’t drink.’

‘And Mr A hasn’t embezzled people’s money?’

‘This is also untrue.’

‘And Mr B doesn’t go for car rides?’

‘It’s not a crime to go for car rides.’

‘It may not be a crime for kings, aristocrats and officers who suck people’s blood. It’s a heinous crime for those who swear by patriotism.’

‘But just think how much they need to travel. How long can they walk?’

‘They can use bicycles. But no, they want to travel in style, so that people would know how big they are! Our organization is formed by poor people. Here, we should use motor cars only when no other means of travel is available. And there should be no place for drunkards here. You don’t go to ask for donations. You’ve no idea how much embarrassment we have to face.’

I said in a solemn voice, ‘You should tell people that all these are absolute lies. You and I are the well-wishers of the organization. We shouldn’t humiliate our own functionaries. We should appreciate their services. I do not say that Mr A, Mr B and Mr C do not have faults. Who in the world doesn’t have faults? But their good qualities far outweigh their faults. All of us work with self-interest. We build houses, buy property, or stay at home enjoying our leisure. But these poor fellows keep worrying about the country all twenty-four hours of the day. All three of them have come out of prison only a few months ago. It is through their efforts that the hospital and the library have opened. It is through their movement that the tax on the farmers has been reduced. If they had to drink alcohol and amass wealth why would they come in this line?’

The girl looked at me with searching eyes and asked, ‘Just tell me this—does Mr C drink?’

I said unequivocally, ‘No. Whoever says this tells lies.’

Bhagwati Devi’s home was in sight. The girl went in. Today I was happy telling lies, in fact happier than telling the truth. I had saved the mind of an innocent girl from being polluted by the muck of slander.

Translated from the Hindi by M. Asaduddin