The noble-hearted professor and the Nirguda River

Age seldom matters or constitutes any barriers to creative writings. An octogenarian Dr Manohar Jilthe’s auto narrative, ‘Ripples of Nirguda (2023)’, stands a testimony there of. Authoring nine books and a plethora of seminal articles, the former professor of Milind College, Sambhajinagar finally turned to an autobiography. The small work of 112 pages, dedicated to his students at Milind College, who carry Milind’s message, ‘love and knowledge’, countrywide and overseas. Reciprocally, his students Ram Dotonde and Mahendra Bhavre - brought out an excellent commemorative volume – Charittha (fine Buddhist), in honour of their favorite teacher.

‘Ripples’ constitutes a sincere, simple and precise endeavor, mirroring no self-praise, exaggeration or hypocrisy of any kind.

The work highlights the author’s sweet as also thrilling childhood memories of the Nirguda river and his village, its social systems and people. Beauty spots of ‘Nirguda’ take a reader to a magnificent world of the nature.

As a child the author was stubborn, obdurate but adventurous. While at 10, once his mother went for collection of tender leaves with a group of women. Unnoticed by her, small Manohar goes behind the group. The child loses its way in dark thick jungle, wanders all alone for hours, gets hungry, thirsty, fully tired, as if half-dead. Scared of beasts, ghosts, snakes, Manohar cries for help but in vain. Finally, he hears female group tone. The kind women give him food and water thus making him fresh and energetic, as if he gets back his life. Now instead of going home straight, the crazy child jumps in Nirguda to cool himself for hours, after a fatal episode.

The author’s school days were full of agony and poverty-born hunger, undernourishment, helplessness. While appearing for the Matriculation exam, he would leave for town early in the morning, without food. His father would wait for him at 2 pm, below the mango tree, with bhakri and red chilly chutney, tucked into a cloth. How disheartening! A teenager breaking his night-long fast at mid-day or late.

‘Ripples’ introduces a variety local characters – greedy, poor, venerable, victimized, noble (like the author). Sambha, a poor man aspiring for a ‘wind-fall gain’ by gambling (Akada), gets fully ruined along with his family. Sambha’s greediness-born addiction teaches, ‘What not to do.’ Massive blood-thickening incidents of violence and bloodshed during Indian Partition period 1947 are penned by the author. Babu Miya, the Muslim friend of Manohar, with wet eyes used to recite the agony, “Hridayi Amrut, Nayani Paani, Stree Janma Hi Tujhi Kahani.” Nirguda calm apart, the author interrogates the mass silence over the tragedy.

Soft-spoken and quiet Dr Jilthe gets saddened and wild to witness the socio-economic and educational issues, particularly encountered by the youth and the Ambedkarite’s mass-indifference towards them. He unfolds, “Our future generations face dark future. We are answerable to them. At present, we have not done any thing for them.” He reminds Ambedkarites and rest beneficiaries of the movement the sacrifice of Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar in making them ‘hero from zero.’ At this juncture, when the chariot of Ambedkarites movement stands on clumsy foundation, the panacea remains, follow the historical message of Babasaheb ‘Educate, Organise and Agitate.’

Dr Jilthe’s ailing mother rightly remarks, “Whatever journey you undertake Manohar, in whichever direction you want to go, remember, there is one road you have to return to, and it is Bhimrao Ramji Road.”

The veteran professor even at 87 is fresh, energetic and active in his literary endeavors reminding one of Robert Frost’s famous lines:

The woods are lovely,

Dark and deep,

But I have promises to keep.

And miles to go before I sleep

And miles to go before I sleep.

Three cheers to the noble-hearted persona.

(The writer is former principal, Sydenham College, Mumbai).