RAMIYA
This time, we decided to organize the National Service Scheme camp in Ratanpura village. Ratanpura is a backward village ten kilometers from the city. The village has a high number of illiterate people.
The bus had left the boys here in the morning. Sharma Ji and I came later. We had to stay with the boys for ten days. Today was the first day of the camp. The boys were busy working the whole day, so after having food, everyone slept early.
It was 11 p.m. The blanket of darkness was spread all around. Everyone was sleeping unaware. There was silence all around. Being in a new place, I was not able to sleep as per my habit. I was changing sides lying on the cot.
When quite a bit of night passed, I tried to sleep. I had just fallen asleep when I was startled to hear the sound of a woman crying. I got up and sat down. A woman was crying in a very pitiful voice. There was silence for a while. Then the sound of the same woman singing was heard. She was singing in a very painful voice, 'Chhitki Chandaniya, Piya Nahi Aaye'. The ups and downs of the song were filled with the pain of separation. Every hair of my being shivered.
I was unable to understand what pain this woman was suffering from when she was crying like this. Thinking all this, I did not know when I fell asleep.
I woke up late in the morning. The incident of the night was still echoing in my mind. My curiosity to know about that woman was increasing. So after taking a bath, I set out to find out about her. I had met the Pradhan, so I went straight to his house.
It was a coincidence that I met the Pradhan at his home. After having tea, I told him the entire incident of the night and asked him about that woman.
The Pradhan took a deep breath and then said that she was a crazy woman. Her story was very painful. It is said that she was the daughter of the Pradhan Chandrapal of the neighbouring village Kanchanpur. Chandrapal was a very rich man. He was feared in the nearby villages.
Ramiya was his only child. When Ramiya was four-five years old, her mother died. The Pradhan brought Ramiya up. The Pradhan loved her a lot. He never let Ramiya feel the absence of her mother. Ramiya was very beautiful to look at. Her nature was also magnificent. If there was any shortcoming in her, she did not know how to read and write. Due to excessive pampering, the Pradhan did not send her to school. Ramiya did not lack anything. Happiness was spread all around her.
But who can avoid what is written in destiny? Ramiya was just sixteen years old when a mountain of troubles fell on her. Due to old enmity, someone murdered the head of the village. His dead body was found lying in the sugarcane field.
Now Ramiya has become a complete orphan. She remained unconscious for many days in grief for her father. Relatives gathered. All of them got Ramiya married to a distant relative.
Ramiya went to her in-laws. Her in-laws turned out to be greedy for money. They had their eyes on Ramiya's property. Slowly, by cajoling Ramiya, her in-laws got all of Ramiya's property transferred to their name. Illiterate Ramiya unknowingly kept putting her thumb impression on all the property papers on her husband's instructions. Slowly, her in-laws took over all of Ramiya's property.
The purpose of her in-laws was accomplished. After taking away everything from Ramiya, her in-laws kicked her out of the house
Ramiya cried a lot holding her husband's feet but his heart did not melt.
This incident made Ramiya mad. Since then she keeps wandering like this. Eight-ten months ago she came here wandering. Since then she has been here. If someone gives her something to eat then she eats it, otherwise, she goes to sleep hungry.
Ramiya loved her husband a lot. Even now she believes that one day he will come to take her. That is why she keeps singing while waiting for him, 'Chhitki Chandaniya, Piya Nahi Aaye'. This is her story sir. After saying this, the Pradhan became silent.
On hearing Ramiya's story my heart was filled with pain. I started thinking that even today there are many such Ramiyas in the villages, who ruin their lives by putting their thumb impression on the wrong papers due to being illiterate. I decided that at least I would go to this village only after making arrangements for education.
The next day I gathered the important people of the village at the village head's Chaupal. I told them- "Times are changing rapidly. In today's world, a person should at least know how to read and write. That is why the government is running village literacy programs. You people should also open adult education centers in your villages so that illiterate people of the village can learn to read and write. Uneducated people are exploited at every step. I also gave them the example of Ramiya.
People were impressed by my words. Due to the insistence of the people, a boy named Harpal from the village agreed to run the adult education center. Now there was a problem with the women's center. There was only one educated woman in the village. On the persuasion of the village head, she also agreed to run the women's center. I took both of them to the adult education office and got the materials to run the center.
From the third day, both the adult education centers started running at the village head's Chaupal. I was happy with my success. I was thinking that now no Ramiya or Ramdas of this village will have to put their thumb impression on any paper.
