Autobiography of Nilakantha Das - XII

This is the 12th in the series of recapitulation in my own words portions of Pandit Nilakantha Das's Biography in Odia. Enjoy...

PANDIT NILAKANTHA'S TRYST IN JAIL

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Nilakantha Das went to jail for the first time in 1923. The stint lasted 6 months. Those days political prisoners were treated with utmost respect. He told police sarcastically - "Don't request me to be handcuffed. Drag me on the street like a common criminal". The constable cried - "I can never do that to you". He was sent to the Railway station on a horse driven carriage, accompanied by a subinspector and two constables to be trasported to Hazaribagh Jail in Bihar.

Pandit Nilakantha boarded the 2nd class compartment (those days 3rd class was the lowest travelling class in Indian Railways). But bad news was awaiting him on the way. At the Sakhigopal station, his friend Acharya Harihara in a chocked voice conveyed the news - "Your 2nd daughter Basanti passed away".

Sad but not shocked in an era when child mortality was very high and chances were even for someone to cross the age of 5, he asked Acharye - "Were all the necessary and required treatments done" ? We tried our best", replied Acharya Harihara. 

As the train stopped at Jatani (Khurda Road) Station the two policemen accompanying him exclaimed - "Are you human or God. You are so calm and composed, even after receiving the news of your daughter's death !" Maintaining composure in the event of personal tragedy is the hallmark of public leadership. Sri Nilakantha Das had it in him.

In Hazaribagh Jail he found a companion in Dr. Rajendra Prasad (the first President of Independent India). During their stay , every night they engaged in tete a tete til 10 O'clock. Before sleeping Rajendra Prasad would eat ripened Papaya and share it with Pandit Das. 

During his would Nilakantha Das kept himself busy, transating RAGHUVANSAM into Odia. Another fellow prisoner was JB (Acharya) Kripalini. Whenever possible Sri Das would read him a passage or two from Raghuvansam. He also wrote a reference book of Odia BYAKARANA (Grammer) during his stay in Hazaribagh jail.

Sri Das has his 2nd and last stint in jail for a duration of 1 1/2 years during 1932-33. After his release, the long stint in jail had already taken its toll. He was diagnosed with stone in his Urine which caused him a lot of pain. Eventually he got cured due to the timely intervention by his doctors.

In Hazaribagh jail Nilakantha Das was the only Odia who was an 'A' class prisoner. His wife Mrs. Radhamani Devi who was already into Freedom movement was also an 'A' class prisoner, in Puri jail. When he heard about how she endures the pain of watching their young daughter Ramaa crying inconsolably during her visitation to her mother in jail, it brought tears to his eyes. 

The insecurity in the eyes of his daughter whose parents were in jail was forever imprinted in the mind of Pandit Nilakantha Das (On another note, the insecurity in the daughter of another Pandit, Jawaharlal Nehru who was often jailed stayed forever in her. Later as the Prime minister of India, she trusted none, never would allow anyone other than her children grow in Congress party. An insecure Indira imposed emergency and arrested opposition leaders when she saw an imminent loss of power).

(TO BE CONTINUED, AS I READ 📖 FURTHER)