THE RISING The day after the trial there was to be a by-election in neighbouring constituency, and it had been openly announced in the media that if Abdullah was languishing in gaol on polling day the ruling party candidate would be "ousted" to a certainty. Unfortunately, there could be no doubt or misconception as to Abdullah''s guilt. He had not only pleaded guilty, but had expressed his intention of repeating his escapade in other directions as soon as circumstances permitted. The jury could not possibly find that the prisoner had not deliberately and intentionally tried to blow up the Parliament House. The verdict and sentence were made known to the public at five in the afternoon.people in general were happy to hear this, but at half-past five a dense crowd assembled outside the Home Minister''s residence raising slogan, "And should our Hero rot in gaol, For even a single day, There are Fifteen thousand Voters who would vote the other way." "Fifteen Thousand" said the Home Minister, with a shudder; "it''s too horrible to think of. Our victory margin last time was only a ten thousand and seventy." hyped release," said the Home Secretary; "they say we put him in prison, and it''s our affair to see that he leaves it in a respectable manner. Anyway, he won''t go unless he has a band,garlanded heavily in front of media." The telephone squealed shrilly; it was a call from Party head Quarters. "Poll opens in five minutes. Is Abdullah out yet? In Heaven''s name, why --" The Chief Poll Organiser rang off. "This is not a moment for standing on dignity," he observed bluntly; Abdullah must leave with band and fanfare." "Where are you going to find the band?" asked the Home Secretary wearily; "we can''t employ a military band, in fact, I don''t think he''d have one if we offered it, and there ain''t any others." Eight o''clock struck. The crowd outside chanted with an increasing volume of sound: "fifteen thousand will vote the other way." Telephone rang in. It was from the central committee room at Party Head Quarters. "Losing twenty votes per minute," was its brief message. Ten o''clock struck. The Home Minister, the Home Secretary, the Chief Poll Organiser, and several earnest helpful friends gathered in the inner gateway of the prison, talking desparatly to Abdullah, who stood with folded arms and squarely planted feet, silent in their midst. Golden-tongued legislators whose eloquence had swayed the Advani Inquiry Committee, or at any rate the greater part of it, expended their arts of oratory in vain on this stubborn unyielding man. Without a band he would not go; and they had no band. A quarter past ten, half-past it was enquired "Have you any band instruments of an easy nature to play?" Jail Superintendent said "The wardens have a private band of their own, "but of course I couldn''t allow " "Lend us the instruments," said the Chief Poll Organiser. One of the earnest helpful friends was a skilled performer on the cornet, the Cabinet Ministers were able to clash cymbals more or less in tune, and the Chief Poll Organiser has some knowledge of the drum. "What tune would you prefer?" he asked Abdullah "Hum Honge Kamyab Ek Din," replied the Agitator after a moment''s reflection. It was a tune they had all heard hundreds of times, so there was no difficulty in turning out a passable imitation of it. To the improvised strains of "I didn''t want to do it" the prisoner strode forth to freedom. The word of the song had reference, it was understood, to the incarcerating Government and not to the destroyer of the Parliament House. The seat was lost, after all, by a narrow margin. The local Trade Unions alongwith general public took offence at the fact of Ministers having personally acted unlawful and even the release of Abdullah failed to pacify them. The seat was lost, and public had scored a moral victory. They had shown that they knew when and how to yield.They have arisen and shown to the wcost of national honour and interest. By: Ravindra Nath Srivastava, 2/413, Vivek Khand, Gomtinagar, Lucknow-226010(U.P.), Phone: 91 522 6536507
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