Osman was returning from Chowdhury's house with a depressed expression. On the way, Osman met some more farmers who were suffering like him. Seeing Osman returning home, the other farmers tried to intimidate him to take to Chowdhury’s cottage. At first, both hesitation and stress were working in Osman’s mind. Later his fear waned and it swerved into uproar and he said-
হঁ, চল। রক্ত চুইষ্যা খাইছে। অজম করতে দিমু না, যা থাকে কপালে।
The clause above is the last panorama of the remarkable story জোঁক. Osman is a grower who cultivates land from the Chowdhury’s and in return the land owner gets half of the harvest. This year he has cultivated jute on his land and the jute shoots have grown sharper than other years. Seeing such a beautiful crop, Osman's mind romped with elation, but soon that joy turned into revulsion, because he had to pay half of the fruits of his labor to the owner of the land. In this story, the plight of a farmer is highlighted.
Osman used to go to cut the jute on the land with his 10-year-old son. Due to the stream waters that year, the shots in the jute field were almost submerged and Osman had to cut the jute by drowning. At one phase of jute cutting, he got on the boat to rest, just then his son saw a bloodsucker at his feet. Osman’s 10 years old son Tota (তোতা) had an odd question to his father, why bloodsucker consumes human blood. This is exactly what Osman said in his reply-
দুর বোকা! এইডা আর এমুন কী জোঁক। এরচে’ বড় জোঁকও আছে।
The Tevhaga (তেভাগা) law was ratified in the country so that the farmers get two portions of the crop. But the powerful people decipher this law as their own. This is exactly what Mr. Chowdhury mumbled in the story.
আইন! আইন করে কি আর আমাদের আটকাতে পারে! আমরা সুচের ফুটো দিয়ে আসি আর যাই। হোক না আইন। কিন্তু আমরা জানি, কেমন করে আইনকে ‘বাইপাস’ করতে হয়।
The disparity between the affluent and the needy in today's world is apparently visible. Those who are rich have a lot and others do not have nothing. I have no resentments against the affluent, but the question ensues only when the money is misappropriated and the poor are defrauded. If we address about our country today, we can see that every sector is full of corruption. No job can be obtained without bribe in any government office. A fourth-class official in a government office builds a gigantic building and drives around in a Pajero car. On the other hand, after finishing the higher studies of the university, a meritorious student does not have the money to pay the bribe, eventually, he roams around unemployed. That is the reality.
In numerous cases, despite the goodwill of the government, many good initiatives do not see the light. One of the reasons for this is the corruption of high level leaders and workers of political parties. The image of the government is being tarnished due to a class of greedy and unscrupulous leaders and activists. No matter how hard the Prime Minister of a country tries alone, it is not possible for him/her alone to do anything for the country if the leaders and workers around him do not support him. Consequently, in order to make the country free from conspiracy, the Prime Minister as well as the people around him and the countrymen have to be conscious. And if that is not possible, then these bloodsuckers will remain in our society like the story of জোঁক and will suck the blood of the poor.
When I read this anecdote in textbook, I did not fully comprehend its meaning at that young age. At that time, I could only feel the trauma in Osman's body due to the injury, but it took a long time to realize that there are many human beings in our society who sucks blood like leech from impoverished.
If you want to read the জোঁক story of Abu Ishaq, you can find it here
