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I present “The Indigo Planting Mirror” to the Indigo Planters’ hands;
now, let every one of them, having observed his face, erase the freckle
of the stain of selfishness from his forehead, and, in its stead, place
on it the sandal powder of beneficence, then shall I think my labour
successful, good fortune for the helpless class of ryots, and
preservation of England’s honor. Oh, ye Indigo Planters! Your malevolent
conduct has brought a stain upon the English Nation, which was so graced
by the ever-memorable names of Sydney, Howard, Hall, and other great
men. Is your desire for money so very powerful, that through the
instigation of that vain wealth, you are engaged in making holes like
rust in the long acquired and pure fame of the British people? Abstain
now from that unjust conduct through which you are raising immense sums
as your profits; and then the poor people, with their families, will be
able to spend their days in ease. You are now-a-days purchasing things
worth a hundred rupees by expending only ten;—and you well know what
great trouble the ryots are suffering from that. Still you are not
willing to make that known, being entirely given up to the acquisition
of money. You say, that some amongst you give donations to schools, and
also medicine in time of need—but the Planters’ donations to schools are
more odious than the application of the shoe for the destruction of a
milch cow, and their grants of medicine are like unto mixing the
inspissated milk in the cup of poison. If the application of a little
turpentine after being beat by Shamchand,[1] be forming a dispensary,
then it may be said that in every factory there is a dispensary. The
Editors of two daily newspapers are filling their columns with your
praises; and whatever other people may think, you never enjoy pleasure
from it, since you know fully the reason of their so doing. What a
surprising power of attraction silver has? The detestable Judas gave the
great Preacher of the Christian religion, Jesus, into the hands of
odious Pilate for the sake of thirty rupees; what wonder then, if the
proprietors of two newspapers, becoming enslaved by the hope of gaining
one thousand rupees, throw the poor helpless people of this land into
the terrible grasp of your mouths. But _misery and happiness revolve
like a wheel_, and that the sun of happiness is about to shed his light
on the people of this country, is becoming very probable. The most
kind-hearted Queen Victoria, the mother of the people, thinking it
unadvisable to suckle her children through maid-servants, has now taken
them on her own lap to nourish them. The most learned, intelligent,
brave, and open-hearted Lord Canning is now the Governor-General of
India; Mr. Grant, who always suffers in the sufferings of his people,
and is happy when they are happy, who punishes the wicked and supports
the good, has taken charge of the Lieutenant-Governorship, and other
persons, as Messrs. Eden, Herschel, etc., who are, all well-known for
their love of truth, for their great experience and strict impartiality,
are continually expanding themselves lotus-like on the surface of the
lake of the Civil Service. Therefore, it is becoming fully evident that
these great men will very soon take hold of the rod of justice in order
to stop the sufferings which the ryots are enduring from the great giant
_Rahu_, the Indigo Planter.
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Footnote 1:
_Shamchand_ is an instrument made of leather, used by the Planters for
beating the ryots.
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