Long, long ago, for the convenience of administration, the King of Dhenkanal had divided his kingdom into twenty-four praganas or vishas (districts), appointing a vishayapal (district governor) to oversee each domain. Each pragana or visha comprised eight to ten large villages, alongside numerous smaller hamlets.
An official named Baishnab Charan was appointed as the vishayapal of the Parimal pragana. Though highly intelligent and efficient, Baishnab Charan suffered from poor health. The primary duty of a vishayapal was to tour the various villages and address the grievances of the subjects. However, unless it was absolutely necessary, he seldom left his quarters due to his ailment. Nevertheless, he had employed a network of deeply loyal subordinates who kept him well-informed with detailed reports about the state of every village.
One day, one of the vishayapal’s officers arrived at a village called Kantapal within the pragana. He approached four prominent elders of the village and informed them that the vishayapal had summoned them for a meeting. As the elders prepared to leave, a crowd of villagers suddenly gathered and surrounded them. Leading the crowd was a young man named Bhagirathi. Having spent a few years at the royal headquarters (garh), Bhagirathi had recently returned to the village. He was an eloquent speaker, and his striking appearance and charismatic demeanor made him highly popular among the villagers. He began to instigate the crowd, shouting:
"Brothers! Are we, the residents of Kantapal, such untouchables that the respected vishayapal will never set foot in our village, yet our people must go and dance attendance on him? Tell me, brothers, is this not an insult to the dignity of Kantapal? I know for a fact that the vishayapal has personally visited villages like Sadashivpur, Bhojdeipur, and Baulpur in the neighboring Kulakashia pragana. Do only those villages possess human beings, while Kantapal does not? Are those villages prestigious, and is Kantapal utterly insignificant? On behalf of our villagers, I request our four elders not to go and meet the vishayapal!"
"Yes, yes, absolutely right! They should not go," cheered the villagers. The four elders found themselves in a terrible dilemma. If they did not go, the vishayapal would be displeased; if they went, they would face the wrath of the villagers. Moreover, in their absence, Bhagirathi might further provoke the villagers against them.
Observing the plight of the four elders, the officer who had brought the message whispered to them discreetly, "There is no pressing need for you to come right now. To be honest, there is no urgent business. The vishayapal merely called you to get a routine update on the village’s well-being." With that, the officer departed.
A fortnight later, the officer returned. This time, he brought a letter addressed to the four elders, in which the vishayapal had written: "Due to my persistent illness, I am unable to personally visit not just your village, but even prominent places like Rayanrusinghpur in Parimal, or the famous Payakan Garh, Garh Parajang, and Kamalanga in the Parajang pragana. I have several friends and relatives in these villages who are upset with me because I haven't been able to visit them. Therefore, I would be highly pleased if you could come and meet me. I have also heard from various sources that there is a remarkable young man in your village named Bhagirathi. I would be delighted if he accompanies you as well."
The elders called Bhagirathi and showed him the letter. Upon reading it, Bhagirathi instantly changed his tune and said, "When the respected vishayapal is so unwell, how can we refuse to go? It would be highly discourteous of us." They sent word back with the officer that they would arrive the following day. Seeing him prepare for the journey, Bhagirathi’s wife questioned him, "Weren't you the one arguing that the vishayapal should come to the village, and that the villagers should not go to him?"
"What I said then was correct on principle, but a wise person must act according to the reality of the situation," Bhagirathi replied smoothly.
When the officer informed the vishayapal that the four elders of Kantapal and Bhagirathi were on their way, the governor burst into a hearty laugh. A friend sitting beside him asked, "Why are you laughing?"
"My friend," the vishayapal replied, "this young fellow Bhagirathi has acted exactly as I had anticipated. If the village truly had any genuine grievances, what was stopping him from coming and informing me directly? But no, his real desire was to be recognized as the fifth prominent leader alongside the other four elders. That is why he instigated the villagers. Was my visiting or not visiting their village a real crisis for them? Not at all. Yet, he framed it as a matter of village pride. The moment he secured the status and respect of being the 'fifth leader' for himself, he no longer felt the need to say anything to the villagers. If such self-serving people become leaders, what will be the fate of our villages? It is this very thought that makes me laugh out of sheer sorrow."
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