Page 109 - Train to Pakistan

‘Besides that,’ continued Meet Singh more confidently, ‘they had already
arrested Malli for the dacoity …’

‘How do you know what they had arrested Malli for?’ interrupted the youth
triumphantly.
‘Yes, how do you know what the police know? They have released Malli.

Have you ever known them to release murderers without a trial and acquittal?’
asked some others.
‘Bhai, you always talk without reason.’

‘Achha, if you are the ones with all the reason, tell me who threw the packet
of bangles into Jugga’s house.’
‘How should we know?’ answered a chorus.

‘I will tell you. It was Jugga’s enemy Malli. You all know they had fallen out.
Who else would dare insult Jugga except he?’
No one answered the question. Meet Singh went on aggressively to drive his

point home. ‘And all this about Sultana, Sultana! What has that to do with the
dacoity?’

‘Yes, Bhaiji, you may be right,’ said another youth. ‘But Lal is dead: why
bother about him? The police will do that. Let Jugga, Malli and Sultana settle
their quarrels. As for the babu, for all we care he can sleep with his mother. Our
problem is: what are we to do with all these pigs we have with us? They have

been eating our salt for generations and see what they have done! We have
treated them like our own brothers. They have behaved like snakes.’

The temperature of the meeting went up suddenly. Meet Singh spoke angrily.
‘What have they done to you? Have they ousted you from your lands or
occupied your houses? Have they seduced your womenfolk? Tell me, what have
they done?’

‘Ask the refugees what they have done to them,’ answered the truculent youth
who had started the argument. ‘You mean to tell us that they are lying when they

say that gurdwaras have been burned and people massacred?’
‘I was only talking of Mano Majra. What have our tenants done?’
‘They are Muslims.’

Meet Singh shrugged his shoulders.
The lambardar felt it was up to him to settle the argument.
‘What had to happen has happened,’ he said wisely. ‘We have to decide what

we are to do now. These refugees who have turned up at the temple may do
something which will bring a bad name on the village.’