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DECEMBER, 1889.]
KANARESE BALLADS; No. 4.
353
A SELECTION OF KANARESE BALLADS. BY J. F. FLEET, BO.C.S., MB.A.S., C.I.E.
(Continued from Vol. XVI. p. 361.)
No. 4.- THE CRIME AND DEATH OF SANGYA. THIS ballad, a very favourite one in the Belgaum District, owes its popularity to the
1 pointed way in which it comes home to many & poor cultivator, who, situated as Sangya was, would very heartily endorse the sentiment at the end of verse 8) that "very strict are the English laws; no one can play any tricks under them."
The action is based on a murder, which took place on the 13th October, A. D. 1863 (see notes 16, 32, below), at Hongal, or, as the town is more usually called, Bail-Hongal or “Hongal of the open country." The victim was a money-lender named Basalingaạna, whose business and personal habits are described in the opening verse. Among his debtors was a cultivator named Sanga, Sangya, or Sanganna, who, in the usual manner, had pledged his field as security for the advances made to him. At length the creditor, who, as the song says, “took care to shew no harshness beyond what the law allows," sues Sangya in the Subordinate Judge's Court at Saundatti, and obtains a decree against him. Sangya appeals to the District Judge at Dharwad; but without success. And then in due course a clerk of the court is sent to execute the decree, by selling the field by auction; and, Sangya being unable to buy it in, and failing to obtain any further respite from his creditor, the field is made over into the money-lender's possession. Then Sangya, taking counsel with his brother Parsya, determines to have his revenge by killing Basalingaņņa. Rising at dawn next day, Sangya prostrates himself at his mother's feet; and then he and Parsya, after a prayer for succe88 to their patron-god Basavanna, set out. They think first of killing Phakirama, one of Basalinganna's brothers, but cannot find him; for, “Paramèśvara (the supreme god) protected him," and he had fortanately left his house. Again they do worship to Basavanna, and then decide upon killing Basalinganna's other brother, R&chappa ; but him, again, they fail to meet with, since, happily for him, " the protector is more powerful than the slayer, and very fortunate was his luck." Then they go straight to Basalinganna's house, and find him there, engaged in business ; "his thoughts being only on his rupees." And without any more ado, heedless of the spectators, Sangya pulls out his sickle from where it is hidden up his sleeve, and cats him down; "the blood poured out in torrents from his mouth; his senses failed; he fell and died." No parti. cular attempt at escape is made ; in fact, Sangya's remorse allows him not to try; and straightway he and Parsya are seized and taken to the village police-station. Two very characteristic touches are introduced here; the binding of Sangya and Parsya face to face to a post, where they are beaten till they confess; and their attempt to implicate an innocent man, Høvina-Rama, to gratify some private spite against him. The Chief Constable then comes to investigate the matter; and the prisoners are taken on to the Mamlatdâr at Sampgaam. From there they are forwarded to Belgaum, to stand their trial. And at length, Hůvina-Râma is duly acquitted; Parsya is let off with transportation for life; and Sangya is sentenced to death. Sangya is first taken to the jail at Dharwad, which then was the principal jail for the two Districts. But, in accordance with a frequent custom in the case of exceptional murders such as the present one, it was decided to carry out the sentence at the village of Hongal itself. And the rest of the ballad is occupied with the journey, with Sangya's farewell to his parents, with his lamentation over his untimely fate, and with the description of the execution. Here there are many touching passages; and the whole account is extremely graphio.
A short addition at the end shews that this ballad was composed by a professional balladmonger named Appa, a Maráthâ; and that the great merit of it obtained at once for his party the victory in a contest of singing with some rivals of the same profession.
