Reading – “अठरा लक्ष पावल” – 18,00,000 steps. A traveloge of 1968 by D M Mokashi. It is an account of writer who attaches himself to “start a revolution by refusing import of wheat”. It is wonderful description of prevalent times and writer does not miss any stuff.
It also reflects the state of young nation (20 years after freedom) which faces the demons of politicians who just outright lie, officialdom which imposes corruption and treachary (in form of river dams – uprooting families)..you get the picture.
A band of writers and disillusioned fighters pick up an issue of import of food as way to illustrate the ills of dependency on government, socialist ills introducing form of begging bowl habit and try to do a trip from verrul to Mumbai (Kailash-becuase diety of Shivaji is God-Shankar at verrul to Sindhusagar – Mumbai). Idea is to awaken the true independent feeling.
There are villages where water and connectivity makes residents confident and independent and there are remote locations where old traditions die hard and people suffer due to lack of education facilities, connectivity, poor crop output and eventually lack of faith in future.
Sadly many of conditions prevail even today across lot of places.
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