Translated into English by Saravanan Karmegam
***
Chapter 28: Atom Bomb
Pandian
returned to Singapore after attending to the works related to Security
Services. The situation on war front was growing grim. Joined by the armies led
by Marshal Ivan Konev in the south, and Marshal Constantine Rokossovsky in the north, the army
led by George Jhukav made its entry into Germany, spread its presence across
everywhere and reached the banks of Oder river.
Strands
of three colours- Green, Yellow and Red- were shot in different directions into
the sky above the Jhukav’s headquarters located in a bunker on the edge of Oder
River- A signal to announce that the war on Berlin City had just begun. Columns of tanks, mortars, war planes were
literally decimating the German forces and its capital. ‘The street fighters’ of
Stalingrad terror Suikko entered nook and corner and reached the centre of the
city. Adolf Hitler and his long time concubine and one day wife, Eva Brown
committed suicide. The city of Berlin fell on the feet of General Suikko.
The
American Air Force destroying the Japanese cities with surgical precision
dropped an atom bomb on Hiroshima city. Following this, Russia also declared
war on Japan. One more atom bomb was dropped on Nagasaki, another Japanese
city. Japan surrendered before General McArthur.
A call
from Kalik Usman came. Pandian reached Gadhe building and went upstairs. The
owners of this building would return shortly. After that, tri-colour flags,
majestic portrait of Netaji, the sounds of Indian National army soldiers’
foot-steps and code word communication would be completely absent.
“Ah…Pandian…”
colonel rose from his seat and held Pandian’s hands with his. “My work is over.
I just have to board the ship. That is it”
The
colonel gestured to Pandian a chair lying in north to his table and sat on his
chair. Pandian sat on the chair. The colonel held out a cigarette box to him,
and they both puffed at. The electric fan in the ceiling was running with
creaking noise.
“Netaji
has just passed an order to appreciate your service. It has come to effect now”
He rose
from his chair, opened a vault, took out a big green cover sealed with brown
wax, placed it on the table and sat down.
“Money?”
“Yes.
Old dollar notes. They will be legal tender henceforth. I have arranged
sufficient old cash for Sub Officer Natarjan and Havildar Karuppaiya through my
known source.”
“Thank
you so much, colonel Sahab. Had it been under the control of our ‘Napoleon’,
he would have hushed up this matter”
“My
dear young man, being honest or fraudulent is dependent on the pressure of one’s
needs. It is precisely because it, our old sages preached to reduce your needs.
Those who accumulate unnecessary things will have to sell what is most
important- Honesty, probity, and dignity- Many will be able to get rid of
unnecessary problems in life if they cut down their requirements.”
“Yathanin
yathanin neenkiyaan nothal athanin athanin ilan” – ‘A man will never suffer
from something which he consciously renounced’- he recited an English
translation.
“Ah…it
is Tirukural. I have read it. Tiruvaalluvaar is a man who studied the ups and
downs of life well. I am familiar with it only through its translation. I would
like to learn Taamil…and then Tirukkuraal. That said, I have another important
matter to discuss.”
The
colonel opened the drawer, pulled out some stacks of Japanese currency notes
and handed it over to him. Pandian received it.
“Till
Mountbatten takes charge, it will remain a money of some value. After that, it
will become some pieces of worthless paper. Keep it in your custody and spend
it as much as you can at your will”
“Worth
of something depends on the strength of who is behind it. If there is more
strength, a paper becomes a currency. If the strength gets weakened, a currency
becomes a paper. As long as we swayed power, we had been powerful. Sooner our
times gets bad, we turn into stones and copper.”
“What’s
that verse?”
“They
are the lines from a Tamil verse. A Tamil poet says even the destiny of gods is
decided by their good and bad times.”
“True…even
the gods we have created are being defined by the rules we framed for ourselves….That
said, the British forces would reach here in the beginning of next month. It is
very certain that I’ll be captured and tried”
“Isn’t
it possible to avert your arrest?”
“Why
should I? All my close relatives back home are well placed in top positions. I
will be in jail for some time. Only for name sake. You know very well what
question the god of justice would ask the weaker souls who are charged with crime”
“Yes. I
know. Can you prove that you are not guilty that could convince me beyond doubt”
“What
if the charged men are stronger?”
“Are
you weaker or stronger?”
“I am
the son of Basinpur Navab. My brother is a secretary in the central government.
My maternal uncle is a judge in the High Court”
“Ah…then
your freedom is assured”
Both of
them laughed aloud, shaking the walls of the room.
“I get
late” the son of Basinpur Navab rose from his chair. “I have a work of burning
some garbage still pending. All are some secret letters I obtained. They will
be burnt in fire soon. O! fire…come to me...” he stretched out his hands wide
and uttered with a theatrical ease. “Come to burn the falsehood and meanness”
“O.K.
Let me take leave before the god of fire is invoked” Pandian rose from his
chair, packed the green cover and the Japanese currency notes in an old
newspaper lying on the table and said, “Colonel sir, thank you so much. I would never forget your high quality humour and extensive knowledge on world affairs”
“My
dear man, I will also never forget you”
“Let me
take leave, colonel sir”
They shook
their hands.
“Dear
boy, my heartiest blessings”
***
The air
craft in which Netaji was travelling crashed at Taihoku air field lying in
eastern side of Saigon airport and burnt down completely. The fate of that
brave, dauntless son of India was sealed with that crash as he was burnt in
fire and died.
From
the first date of September, the British forces reached the shores of Penang
and extended its presence on other side of the island. That time, Pandian was
staying with his friends in Alor Star city.
The
Tamil soldiers who were evacuated from the army camps in Northern Malay regions
had reached Penang. Occasional skirmishes between the British soldiers and erstwhile
Indian National Army men were reported here and there in Penang.
A news
brought by Palanivel from Penang made Pandian burn with rage. He was informed
that one of his Havildars, Sundaram from his unit had been betraying his
friends by receiving bribes.
Pandian decided to leave for Penang on the very next day.
***Chapter 28 “Atom Bomb” ended***
Chapter
29: “Sundaram” will be posted shortly.
