Nil Darpan; or, The Indigo Planting Mirror, A Drama.: Translated from the Bengali by a Native.Mitra, Dinabandhu
History
Nil Darpan; or, The Indigo Planting Mirror, A Drama.: Translated from the Bengali by a Native.
Mitra, Dinabandhu
Indigo industry -- India -- Bengal -- Drama
_Gopi._ Sir, he is one of the principal enemies of this Factory.
The burning down of Polasapore would never have been proved, had
Nobin no concern in the matter. That fool himself prepared the
draft of the petition; and it was through his advice and intrigues
that the Attorney so turned the mind of the Judge. Again, it was
through his intrigues that our former Dewan was confined for two
years. I forbade him, saying, “Babu Nobin, don’t act against our
Saheb; and, especially as he has not burnt your house.” To which
he replied, “I have enlisted myself in order to save the poor
ryots. I shall think myself highly rewarded, if I can preserve one
poor ryot from the tortures of the cruel Indigo Planters; and
throwing this Dewan into prison, I shall have compensation for my
garden.” That braggart is become like a Christian Missionary; and
I cannot say what preparations he is making this time.
_Wood._ You are afraid. Did I not tell you at first, you are very
ignorant? No work is to be done through you.
_Gopi._ Saheb, what signs of fear hast thou seen in me? When I
have entered on this Indigo profession, I have thrown off all
fear, shame, and honor; and the destroying of cows, of Brahmins,
of women, and the burning down of houses are become my ornaments,
and I now lie down in bed keeping the jail as my pillow (_thinking
of it_).
_Wood._ I do not want words, but works.
SADHU RAY, _the_ AMIN, _and the two Servants enter, making
salams_.
Why are this wicked fool’s hands bound with cords?
_Gopi._ My Lord, this Sadhu Churn is a head ryot; but through the
enticement of Nobin Bose he has been led to engage in the
destruction of Indigo.
_Sadhu._ My Lord, I do nothing unjust against your Indigo, nor am
I doing now, neither have I power to do any thing wrong; willingly
or unwillingly I have prepared the Indigo, and also I am ready to
make it this time. But then, every thing has its probability and
improbability; if you want to make powder of eight inches’
thickness to enter a pipe half-an-inch thick, will it not burst? I
am a poor ryot, keep only one-and-a-half ploughs, have only twenty
bigahs of land for cultivation; and now, if I am to give nine
bigahs out of that for Indigo, that must occasion my death, but my
Lord, what is that to you, it is only my death.
_Gopi._ The Saheb fears lest you keep him confined in the godown
of your eldest Babu.
_Sadhu._ Now, Sir Dewanji, _what you say is striking a corpse_
(useless labor). What mite am I that I shall imprison the Saheb,
the mighty and glorious.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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