Armed resistance and passive resistance has always been alternating features of Irish Freedom Movement, as well as Indian Independence Movement and freedom struggles in African Continent in the past century. Ireland was an exploitation field for Britain who maintained expensive Concord flights even for domestic services, suffering heavy economic losses, in the name of colonial pride. If we have colonies to exploit at will, we can afford such luxuries. In 1981, the Irish Republican Army set aside armed resistance and guerrilla warfare and turned to fasting in prisons, demanding humanitarian facilities in British Prisons. In Maize Prison, leader of revolution and poet, 27 year old Bobby Sanderson, entered a fast unto death. Though elected to Irish Parliament from South Tyron Constituency while in jail, he was not allowed to swear in. Mar Papa John Paul II requested his mother Rosalyn Sands to persuade her son to withdraw from hunger-strike but that brave mother refused. The Pope was but not willing to request Britain to keep prisons human. On the 55th day of fast, Bobby Sands was removed to water-filled bags to prevent body skin from peeling. On the 65th day of fasting, on 5 May 1981, this Satyagrahi breathed his last. Next, 25 year old Francis Hues Maize and other seven revolutionaries dropped dead in the same prison in this relay fasting. Since then, Irish Republican Army reverted to guerrilla warfare.
Written in 1981, the brief life of Bobby Sanderson was the inspiration for this poem. All news papers and magazines refused to publish this poem then, without stating reason, except Malayala Mannu Weekly in 1987. It was later included in a book of poetry titled Kaalam Jaalaka Vaathilil (Time Upon My Window Sill) by P.S.Remesh Chandran, released in Press Club, Trivandrum on 10 February 1999 by Mr. Gopinath Muthukaadu, the renowned magician, the first copy to Mr. M. Rajagopalan Nair, District Public Prosecutor and Government Pleader of Trivandrum, in the presence of Mr. Sukumar, writer and Narmma Kairali President. This book held three records to its credit- the first book in print in Malayalam to appear in author’s own handwriting, the last book in Malayalam to appear in the old, real Malayalam script, and the first poetry book ever to appear in print with an introduction written in poetry. This book is now out-of-print.
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