Page:Anandamath, The Abbey of Bliss - Chatterjee.djvu/57

From Wikisource
Jump to navigation Jump to search
This page needs to be proofread.
Chapter
35

look at Magadha, Mithila, Kasi, Kanchi, Delhi, Kashmir, — where do you find such misery as here. Where else do the people eat grass for want of better food ? Where do they eat thorns and white-ants' earth and wild creepers ? Where do men think of eating dogs and jackals and even carcasses ? Where else can you find men getting so anxious about the money in their coffers, the salgram in their temples, the females in the Zenana, and the child in the mother's womb ? Yes, here they even rip open the womb ! In every country the bond that binds a sovereign to his subjects is the protection that he gives ; but our Mussalman King — how does he protect us ? Our religion is gone ; so is our caste, our honour and the sacredness of our family even ! Our lives even are now to be sacrificed. Unless we drive these tipsy long-, beards away, a Hindu can no longer hope to save his religion." " Well, but how can you drive them away ?" " We will beat them." " Alone, will you ? With a slap, I presume." The outlaw sang : " Resounding with triumphal shouts From seventy million voices bold, With devotion served by twice As many hands that ably hold The sharp and shining rapier bold, — Thou a weakling wc are told 1 M. " But I see you are alone" Bh. " Why, only now you saw two hundred of us." M. " Are they all Children ? "