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
_Torapa._ This is only the intrigue of the wicked Amin. Does the
Saheb know every thing about land? This fool goes about like a
revengeful dog: when he sees any good piece of land, he
immediately gives notice of it to the Saheb. The Saheb has no want
of money, and he has no need for borrowing money on credit. Then,
why is it that the fool does so; if he have to cultivate Indigo,
let him do so; let him buy oxen; let him prepare ploughs; if he
cannot guide the plough himself, let him keep men under him. What
want have you of lands? If you can cultivate the whole village;
and we do not refuse to give the village. In that case the land
can overflow with Indigo in two years. But he will not do it.
—(_Aside, ho! ho! ho! má! má!_) Gazi-Saheb! Gazi-Saheb! Durga!
Durga![19] call your Rama. Within this there are ghosts. Be
silent, be silent.
(_Aside_, Oh Indigo! You came to this land for our utter ruin. Ah!
I cannot any more suffer this torture. I cannot say how many other
Factories there are of this Concern. Within this one
month-and-a-half, I have already drunk the water of fourteen
Factories; and I do not know in what Factory I am now; and how can
I know that, while I am taken in the night from one Factory to
another, with my eyes entirely shut. Oh! my mother where art thou
now?)
_Third Ryot._ Rama! Rama! Rama! Kali! Kali! Durga! Ganesha! Ashra!
_Torapa._ Silence, silence.
(_Aside_, Ah! I can make myself free from this hell, if I take the
advance for five bigahs of land. Oh! my uncle, it is now proper to
take the advance. Now, I see no means of giving the notice; my
life is on the point of leaving the body. I have no more any power
to speak. Oh my Mother, where art thou now? I have not seen thy
holy feet for a month-and-a-half.)
_Third Ryot._ I shall speak of this to my wife; did you hear now?
Although these are become ghosts after death, still have they not
been able to extricate themselves from the Indigo advances.
_First Ryot._ Art thou so very ignorant?
_Torapa._ A person of a good family; I have understood that by the
words. My uncle Prana, can you once take me up on your shoulders,
then I can ask him where his residence is?
_First Ryot._ Thou art a Musulman.
_Torapa._ Then, you had better rise on my shoulders and see—(_sits
down_) rise up—(_sits on the shoulders_) take hold of the wall;
bring your face before the window—(_seeing Gopi Churn at a
distance_) come down, come down, my uncle, Gopi is coming (_first
Ryot falls down_).
_Enter_ GOPI CHURN _and_ MR. ROSE _with his Ramkanta[20] in his
hand_.
_Third Ryot._ Dewan, there is a ghost in this room. Now, it was
crying aloud.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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