The Black Day

Sitting in my armchair as I do on this day, every year, I asked to myself ‘Why did this happen to me?’ From the 15th of March 1980, I was all alone in this vide world. ‘Who is responsible for all this?’

Right from my childhood I was a boy who always revolted against injustice. Whenever I found things going wrong, I lost my self-control. My mother always used to advise me ‘Dear Son, be at peace or it will one day lead you to danger’. I was an active participant of every activity since childhood. The child in me grew into a boy and the boy into a man. With the fleeting of the time things did change, but my basic nature did remain the same. In 1978 I got married to a beautiful beloved of mine and in 1979 a child was born.

It was at this time emergency was declared and then next ruling party lost its majority, the opposition formed the government for the first time in the history of India. Political instability and hence turmoil and the desire for revenge prevailed throughout.

Whatever one party declared, the other opposed, this lead to unrest and soon took the form of strike. Strike became part and parcel of daily life. That year, on the 10th of March 1980, budget was declared and there was a rise in the prize of diesel. My friend then a bus owner, and an active participant of the opposition government brain washed me and entrusted me with the task of stopping all the vehicles from running on the 14th and 15th of March 1980. It was my first political leadership and I was enthusiastic. Various groups were formed, and posted at different places to stop the vehicle, on the 14th of march the strike was successful and my joy knew no bound on my success. I was over confident.

On the 15th of March, I got up early in the morning. It was my sons first birthday. The day seemed to be very beautiful. Each little flower that opened, and each little bird that sang, had a bewitching beauty. My wife, son and myself went to the nearby temple offered our prayers for long, peaceful and successful life and returned home. Then I got ready to participate in the strike. My wife asked me: ‘Dear, why do you want to spoil this beautiful day, by simply quarrelling and creating unrest’. I said, ‘ you wont understand, it’s a mans job’. You take care of the child; I will be back by 4 pm.

In the afternoon, I heard that a car was stopped from running but as the driver paid no heed, and was in a hurry, the young leaders threw stone at the car, which hit the driver’s head. The driver in the car lost control dashing at a near by tree, died on the spot, a lady and a child at the back seat were seriously injured. I reached that spot immediately.

To my dismay I found my child lying dead and my wife unconscious, with her head seriously injured. I was spellbound and knew not what to do. A few of my friends took them to the nearby hospital and there I realized that my child fell from the cradle, and the hand that rocked the cradle, full of woe asked my neighbours to take them to the nearby hospital. But then soon she too passed away.

My life lost its meaning. I had lost two precious things in my life. Words of my mother echoed my ears. May be if I was at home on that day, I could have saved my wife and child. I knew not what to do. But realized that doing what you like is freedom, and liking what you do is happiness. To lead a happy life in the long run, I had to be tolerant and understanding. We had broken the shackles of slavery in the year 1947, but the march for real freedom continued.

I wanted to bring about a change, in the present system and felt that it was my duty to see to it that no more families face such a situation as I did, in the past. With no one of me around, I started working in this direction. Strikes of Japan came to my mind where, on declaring strike, in a shoe factory, workers produced shoes just for one leg, thereby causing no unrest, keeping up productivity, and meeting their demand.

I field a case in the high court for the abolition of strike where I failed my case and losing it, I went to Supreme Court. Yesterday the case was in my favour. But I think did I gain something or lose…. Anyway the fight for real freedom still continues…


(This story is mere fictional, and any resemblance to any person, living or done, is mere coincidental…It was written for the story writing competition of vast on 4th March 2001.)

Thought for the day: LIFE is the first gift, LOVE the second, and UNDERSTANDING the third…ANGER is only one letter short of DANGER…