West Bengal of today has become synonymous with horrific assaults on women and the protection of the perpetrators. It is a far cry from the great sons and daughters from this land of divine mother who once carried the burden of freeing their motherland on their shoulders. It is today a nightmare, a sanctuary for the perverse, enjoying the support of their political mentors of different hues. The so-called intellectuals have lost their moral conscience and, like most of the aam admi there, thrive on the pittances and bones thrown at them by the machinery that perpetuates a hegemonistic crime syndicate. I remember a book written in 2005 called Bengal's Night Without End. It seems that the darkness of the night has only intensified. A strange Machiavellian fear grips the intelligentsia, and one after the other, the icons fall, bowing in front of the altars of monumental ego and opportunism.
Compare and contrast the wonderful legacy, starting with Swami Vivekananda, Rabindranath, Sri Aurobindo, Bagha Jatin, and the band of revolutionary leaders who followed in their wake, culminating with the departure and disappearance of Subhas Chandra Bose. With Subhas's disappearance, Bengal's lady luck also went into permanent hiding, starting with the calamities of the famine and the devastating cyclone of 1943, the attacks of fundamentalism in the form of Great Calcutta Killings, the marauding Partition - the cup of woes were full to the brim. The Naxal movement and the subsequent reign of terror of the leftist domination shattered a very brief period of relative calmness in the 50s. And then came a "change" - but for what? To see our daughters and sisters becoming the victims of hooligans audaciously protected by the state machinery and supported by the state-sponsored media and the spineless sold-out "intellectuals."
Netaji had one vision. He formed the Jhansi Rani Regiment to prove that women could play an equally effective combative role as men. He sent a strong message to the world not to think of women as weak and vulnerable. He was aware of the inherent dangers. He saw the suffering of the "estate women," who were brought to serve as coolies by the British, and inducted them into the Rani Jhansi Regiment alongside the well-to-do. Members like Lakshmi Rath, Rasamma Bhopalan, and many others testify to Netaji's confidence in her female soldiers. Some of them were inducted as spies alongside the Bahadur group and Major Swami's secret service. These Abhayas knew what they meant to Netaji. Therefore, while we learn about a few deserters from among the INA male soldiers, there were almost none from the Jhansi Rani Regiment. They forebore all the hardships and smilingly shouldered all the responsibilities. Netaji knew the impending dangers from among the Japanese, from within INA, and, of course, from the British American soldiers, especially the African corps and the Whites. For the Japanese and the INA, he had one order - if anybody, even casually, violated the barriers to cause any damage, he would be shot. Nobody dared, nobody did. For the women soldiers, he allotted one bullet to protect their honor in the event they were caught by the allied forces, and they saw the danger of their dignity being compromised. The Abhayas of Rani Jhansi Regiment did not bat an eyelid to learn the art of self-defense.
Today, we need them most. We need the Ranis once again, who would lead the Abhayas of today, to be able to fight back. Years ago, a great man named Bhagwanji analyzed the reason for the arrogance of today's political class - they know that public memory is short, and they have mastered the art of deception. They know that the public cannot sustain or continue with any form of agitation without capable leadership. That is why they can get away, and the perpetrators can be devoid of any fear of reprisal. But certainly, a time will come to pay the price. The masters and the servants of malpractices and misdeeds will realize the wrath of Durga-Kali, the divine mother. After all, the Abhayas originate from there and come to fulfill a mission.
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