१८५७ का स्वातन्त्र्य समर (वीर विनायक दामोदर सावरकर - अंग्रेजों द्वारा छपने से पूर्व प्रतिबन्धित महाग्रन्थ)

TEMPORARY PACIFICATION
gallows became wet with blood and the country became
wet with tears ! His fault was that he suffered innumer-
able hardships for the sake of his country’s independence;
the baseness of a traitor’s double-dealing was his reward;
and the end ?—he was hanged on the gallows of the Eng-
lish like a criminal ! Tatia ! Oh ! Tatia ! Why were you
ever born in our unfortunate country! Why did you fight
for these wretched, stupid, and treacherous people? Tatia,
can you see now the tears we shed for you ? For the
tears of weaklings, your blood !—What a bargain, indeed!
Seeing Tatia’s body hanging mutilated there, the Eng-
lish heroes of the day turned back in satisfaction at their
valour. His bleeding body was left hanging there till
sunset. When the surrounding guard was withdrawn,
the European spectators rushed forth in a crowd and
there was a regular stampede to get hold of a
lock of his hair as a souvenir.
In the sacrificial fire of the War of Independence of 1857,
this was the last and culminating sacrifice !
The terrible volcano, which had opened wide its jaws
and had vomited forth in rage a regular torrent of
flesh, of blood, of corpses, of lightnings, of thunders, of
burning red lava—that volcano then began to close its
mouth again ; its heated lava began to cool ; its sword-
tongues re-entered their scabbards ; its fiery lightnings,
its deafening thunders, its whirl-winds, its terrible mov-
ings, and its dread awakenings—all entered again the
magicians’ bag and melted away into the invisible air.
And the crater closed and green grass began again to grow
on the top ; cultivation recommenced ; furrows were
active ; peace, safety, and softness reigned. And the
surface of the volcano has now become so soft and
smiling that nobody does believe that there slumbers a
volcano under that surface !
Published by Asian Educational Services, New Delhi, 2014.
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