________________
DISCOURSE 56
IF THEY ARE BRAHMINS WHY SHOULD THEY WEAR THE DRESS OF MUSLIMS ?
All Hindus went to the fair; and not a single Muslim came there. Even among Hindus, mostly only brahmins went to the fair in thousands. The two brahmin youngsters went to the fair, one day. But they were wearing lungis. It seems at that time, the fashion among college students was to wear lungis. But in that area, Hindu did not wear lungis, and only Muslims wore lungis. It was a fair attended only by brahmins; and it was a religious fair but these two intelligent boys went to the fair dressed like Muslims, in lungis. The people at the fair stared at the two young men angrily. When the two young men went near the temple, the people surrounded them and began beating them, mistaking them for Muslims. Eight or ten lathis also were used to beat them; and they fell down on the ground. Meanwhile, some two or three men of that village happened to come there. They said, "I say! these boys are from our village; and they are brahmins". Then they said to those who were beating them. "Don't beat them. They are brahmin boys from our village". Those two boys had no breath even to say that. They had been so severely beaten. Some said, "If they are brahmins why did they wear the dress of Muslims? They do not have even tufts. What is the matter with them? Do they want to become Muslims ?" Then the men who belonged to the village said: "Brothers! these boys are studying in a college in Banaras. You know the boys that go to colleges forget their dharma and traditions. They become victims to fashions and blind imitation. That is the case with these two boys. They have put on this dress for the sake of fashion; and in imitation of other boys". The two boys had been severely beaten. They took rest in a hospital for some days; and lungis disappeared from their minds !
109
THE LOCKET TOOK AWAY HIS LIFE
A similar incident took place in Ahmedabad. Just then India had been partitioned. Hindu-Muslim disturbances were going on in Ahmedabad. Nobody could come out of his house. The poor people who were living from hand to mouth; and who
Jain Education International
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
