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A street scene in Calcutta:

He’s collected
22,000 names

HIS is the story of a man
who has collected 22,000
signatures for peace, at least
that was his total at the end
of May, for he is still on the
streets day after day adding
more names to the Appeal
Against Preparations for
Atomic War.

His name is Sushil Roy, his
home is in Calcutta, and this,
in this own words, is ‘his story:

bes To te

I had no idea I would be
able to collect signatures in
such large numbers. But the
first day’s experience collect-
ing them gave mesheart.

In the afternoon in Welling-
ton Square, I held the appeal
out to several middle-aged
gentlemen. It was a new thing
to them; one of them read the
appeal out loud to the others
—but each one was busy in
his own mind thinking wheth-
er to sign or not.

An old gentleman of 85 sit-
ting to one side was the first
to take up -the pen. ‘

“You are doing very good
work, my son,” the said. ‘I
am signing not only for peace,
but also against ithis misuse of
science. . . . I. may ‘have to
depart this life quite soon,
still my protest will surely.
bring peace in your lives—
you, at any rate, will live in a
good and fine world.”

His trembling Hands. wrote
an indistinct name and he ask-
ed me to write the name legi-
Dly beside it. There were nine
persons by his side, all of
them signed up one by one.

Since that I have ‘raised
thousands of signatures. Nine-
ty percent thave signed with-
out any objection. But I have

“not been able to forget my

first signatory, that white-hair-
ed gentleman, Sri Monibhusan
Mitra. Nor his words: “To
sign for peace is to sign for
building a new life and a new
world.”

Tailors of the city of Cal-
cutta Save me an unprecedent-
ed response when I approached

“them for signatures. A few

of them were thesitant and I
asked. them how they could
have any objection to signing
for peace against these weap-
ons of destruction.

But as soon as I looked at
their faces I knew. It was not
objection; they could not write
and so they said “No” out of
shame.

While their thumbprints
were being taken one of them
said: “We know that as soon
as war comes they will raise
prices and it will be the death

of us—but I am such a fool
that I don’t even know how to
SSN: 4h?

When I went to the Taltola
bustee area .. . the bustee
dwellers were at first terribly
afraid—they thought this was
some device to trap them, poor
men. With great difficulty in
our “own” Hindi and Urdu we
tried to persuade them—and
it gave good results. Several
young men came forward ‘and
helped in: the collection.

“Those who would destroy
God’s world, let them go to
hell,” said a small owner of
a biscuit shop there.

Later, wherever I went in
this area for signatures, com-
mon men came forward to
help.

At Smith Lane they took me
to the office of the Bustee Im-
provement Committee. The
committee gave us people who
went collecting signatures from
house ito house.

I had a unique experience
with the rickshaw-pullers at
Janbazar. Most of them thought
war would bring military men
into the city and that they
would bring fares ‘to them,
the rickshaw-pullers. “But it
will bring famine too,” said I,
and they fell silent. They
were thinking.

With a sigh arold man said:
“You are right, Babuji. .. . I
earned money during the last
war too, but prices rose four ,;
times and there was not enough
to eat... . dost my nephew
at Calcutta.” His nephew died
of undernourishment during’
the war, his neighbors told me.

It was thus that I raised
22,000 signatures. But I never
imagined that this was the re-
sult of my individual initiative
only. The collection signified
that people had come out on
the side of peace.

The other day at the Peace °

Committee office I heard,
amidst laughter, that someone
was collecting signatures by
racing after people. But my
experience is different now.
Every day people would often
call from behind, “I say,
Dada, here is one more signa-
ture to take.” I feel proud of
such calls—that I am recog-
nised as a peace partisan.

A new translation of Rabindranath Tagore’s story

The tale

ee

of a parrot

HERE was once a bird. It was
a foolish bird. It sang, did
not read Shastras. Hopped, flew;
never knew what manners were.

The King said: “Such ‘a bird is
useless, and moreover it is a
liability on the royal fruit market
‘because it eats up the fruits of
the forest.”

Summoning the Minister, he
ordered: “Arrange for the bird’s
education.”

On the King’s nephews fell the
task of educating the bird. The
Pandits sat and argued a lot. The
problem was: ‘“Wihat could be

the reason for the said creature’s
jack of knowledge.”

The conclusion was that the
bird’s nest, made up of simple
bits of grass and straw, could not
hold much knowledge. So the
first thing that was needed was
to build a fine cage for the bird.

The royal Pandits received
their fees and returned home
satisfied.

C

The goldsmith got busy with
getting ready the golden cage.
The cage was so wonderful that
people from countries far and
near crowded to have a look at
Ite s-3 ;

“This is the climax of educa-
tion,” some said.

- “Even if the training fails,
there is the cage at least. Look
at the bird’s luck,’ commented
others.

The goldsmith’s bag was laden
with gifts, and immediately he
made for thome with a happy
heart.

The Pandit got down to educat-

‘ing the bird. After taking a gen-

erous pinch of snuff, he remark-
ed: “This is not the job of a
few books.”

The King’s nephew then sum-
moned the writers. They piled
up quite a mountain by copying
books and copying in turn from
copies. Whoever saw this said:
“Bravo, knowledge seems to be
overflowing.”

The literary men took rewards
which they heaped up on bul-
lecks and in a moment scurried
cowards their homes, which were
ever after free from want.

The nephew’s vigilance over so
costly a cage knew no bounds.
Repairs to it became ‘a constant
affair and noticing the great
vomp of brushing, cleaning and
polishing, everyone said: “There
is improvement.”

’

A large number of people were
nut to ‘work and a great many
more were engaged to keep watch
over them. They drew | their
wages in handfuls month after
month and filled up their own
safes;

These men and their numerous
cousins and relatives bubbled
with satisfaction as they lay back
on the cushions in their pleasure
houses.

ta

The world suffers from so
many wants, but has critics in
plenty. They said: “The cage is
improving, but nobody knows

what is, happening to the bird.” |

This remark reached the King’s
ears. He sent for the nephew

and asked: anenhon, what is this
1 hear?”

The nephew said: “Your Maj-
esty, if you desire to learn the
cruth, please call the goldsmiths,
the Pandits, the writers; send for
the men who repair the cage and
those who supervise the repairs.

The crities slander ‘as they do not °

have enough to eat.’

Hearing his answer, the King
realized the position clearly and
immediately a golden chain was
put round the mephew’s neck. _

The King riow wished to see
fur himself how vigorously the
training was being carried on. So
cne day he made his appearance
at the schoolhouse along with his
Ministers, courtiers and friends.

Immediately conchshells blew
at the doorway and bells rang
followed by the beating of trum.
pets and drums of various sizes,
the jingling of cymbals and the
playing of flutes. The Pandits
cleared their throats, shook their
tufts and started chanting hymns.
The mason, the workman, the
SZoldsmith, the writer, the super-
viser and all their cousins and
relatives cried: Glory to the
King!

The nephew said: “Your Maj-

esty, do you see what is happen-
ing?”

The King said: “What a mar-
vel. This is not a little noise.”

The nephew said: “Not noise
alone, there is good sense behind
it too.’

The King was delighted and as
he was about to climb on the ele-
phant after crossing the entrance,
the critic, who was hiding in the
bush cried out: “Your Majesty,
have you seen the bird?”

The King was startled and
said: “Look there, I quite forgot
it. ZI have not seen the bird.”

He came back and told the
Pandit: “I must see the method
of your training the bird.”

He saw it and was highly pleas-
ed. The method of training was
so much bigger than the bird it-
self that the bird could hardly

Rabindranath
Tagore

RABINORANATH TAGORE,
the great Indian poet, °
was born on May 7, 1861.
His work breathes his hat-
red of oppression and his
love and faith in his peo-
ple. Over the years -his
was one of the most, power-
ful voices in the struggle
to free India and his mem-
ory is today revered by the
Indian people, to whom he
wrote:
“Come young nations
Proclaim the fight for
freedom
Raise up the banner of
invincible faith.
Build bridges with your
life across the
Gaping earth blasted by
hatred
And march forward.”
Opponent of fascism, foe
of imperialism, believer in.
the future of a free Asia,
his confidence in the future’
of humanity took him to the
Soviet Union to see for him-
self the new socialist so-
ciety in the building. He
died in 1941.

pAaG
PACIFIC TRIBUNE — JULY 15, 1955 — es

not
be seen; it seemed it Ae i
necessary to see it at

Y

The King was satisfied that
arrangement was a food 3
cage contained neither fo
water; only piles and pi a
pages torn out of piles an + dow!
of books were being ee tip
the bird’s throat with thi ous!
a pen. Singing had ci ‘
come to a stop — ali nd & had bee!
little opening for crying ne eas
sealed — a thrilling »
deed!

n the

This time ‘before getting order

elephant, the King gaV€ ins

to that Sirdar whose job i o bos

ing people on the ears, 10
the ears of the critic wel

snd DY
As days went by, the Prd f
came half-dead, in othe

refined. ,
t! «quilé

The guardians thought:
hopeful.”

ould

Yet out of habit the bird ova
gaze at the first light of the most
and clap its wings ae 5
unruly manner. On ae the
it would even hana eryin’ {0
bird would be seen urs cage
break open the ‘bars of
with its feeble beak. sit

“What impertinence!” oy
claimed the Guard- in-Chi

Immediately the - “placks
arrived at the schooly4 Bite
his bellows, hammer 3 m
And what a hectic ham “eft
followed! The iron chal yet?
ready and the bird’s wit
clipped.

The King’s brothers ~ 5 on
made gloomy faces ae obi
their theads said: “In olf
dom, the birds lack matte
commonsense but also 8"

on
Then the Pandits, pen put
‘aand ‘and spear in ay be © alle
up a show which coul
education.

The blacksmith’s busin rd al
came brisk, his wife en yard
and jewelry and the oan m th?
Thief received a rewal
Xing for his vigilance.

O

The bird died. xovoll
when it happened. The ome
critic spread the news:
is dead!”

Calling the nephew, ! he eH
asked, “Nephew, what is
I hear?” y Mal

The nephew said: “YOU is 00”
esty, the bird’s training *
plete.”

The King asked:
any more?” 3
“Goodness, no,” replied
nephew.
‘Does it fly?” -
SND ste, re?
“Does it sing any ™° i
“No.” nth on give
“Does it cry if it is ™
food?” ;
: “No. ” the pind
The King said: Bins ee iM
here at once. I eG to ng Wise
The bird came. ‘
came the ame. jechsh a
fuotman and the horsemy made
King pressed the bird: pag f
no sound. Only the dry '
books ‘inside «its ‘belly se
rustling mumbling 1 pret
Yonder — the sout the pried ° 5
of the new Spring ¢ jeans
deep sighs of the YOUR? abl!
and made restless my 5:

the flowering fores
*rranelted BiachF
ANJAL!

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