Patriotism that overcame affection
Patriotism that overcame affection
I never go home. I would be sad to see my mother’s face after my brother death. We are twins, he will be like me.
We are four boys and two younger sisters. My elder brother disappeared somewhere when military activities increased in our land. He may have been killed by the military in some forest. After that, my other brother and I went to the movement, and my younger brother was the one who stayed at home.
My mother resolved all the affection and longing that we had in my younger brother. He was also a freedom fighter at home. One day in 1988, a man who had been good to my younger brother took him and threw him into the murderous trap of anti-nationals. What my mother hugged and admired was his decomposed body.
After that, only my two younger sisters were at home. (Sudarmina) My little sister, when we were all at home, was a little girl, we all beat her or pampered her,
Sudha, first joined the movement. The movement sent her back. We might have thought that there were already two of us in our house and I was also in the movement. But she came back to the movement. She stood up for the right to fight for her land. I told the national leader that I could give her that opportunity. After that, Sudha also joined the movement. The impact of the liberation struggle penetrated deeply into our house.
The attack on the Mangulam army camp began. I was in charge of the medical unit. I knew that my sister was also going to the attack. But due to the burden of work, I did not pay any attention to her.
While the fighting was going on fiercely, the number of injured and martyred people kept increasing. The bodies of 40 of our comrades were laid out in the medical ward and I was looking at each one of them. When I removed the cloth covering one face… I didn’t know how to describe it. I saw the disfigured face of my little sister. My heart was crying, and my body was shaking.
I looked back. There were 39 more people – they were also my sisters and brothers – and I strengthened my mind, for our freedom struggle to succeed, losses were inevitable. Like me, each one of them is going to lose so many brothers and sisters for our nation to live with their heads held high. Just like my mother – there are going to be mothers all over our country.
Even today.
The red dirt road leading to our house, which is in the forest, and the wild trees that have come into the village at an irregular angle, call me, “Come, come.” But why did I run away from the mother who gave birth to me and raised me, the land and trees where I crawled and played? The truth is that a mother’s tears are more powerful than the weapons of a strong invader. But this is the destiny of this nation.
– Divagar
– Viduthulaipuligal Magazine
December 1990.
Edited by: Tamilarasan Abdulkadhar
Image: Erimalai Magazine, Aadi 1992 (Ai)
(Translation by Tamilpriya)
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