Raja's reign of terror

Donald Nugawela

RAMPAGE: It was yet another one of those beautiful April mornings - 55 years ago in our village of Nugawela. Situated in a valley with the main Kandy - Kurunegla highway bisecting it into two halves, it was predominantly a farming village. Blessed with the good brown earth, the green grass and cool waters life was serene with nothing disturbing its tranquillity other than the happy voices of children at play and the occasional roar of a vehicle plying past.

On this particular morning the village as usual had settled down to its chores. Yet none of us had an inkling to the frightful drama that was to unfold an hour later. It brought life to a standstill and left us dry-mouthed and stunned beyond belief. Even the very sun which warmed the village earlier failed to shine thereafter and the birds took refuge elsewhere. It was Raja's hour.

Raja the magnificent Tusker of the Sri Dalada Maligawa and the proud bearer of the Dalada Karanduwa at the Esala pageants made our hearts surge with pride when we saw him walk with so much majesty and grace. Yet, on this particular day he lost his pride, dignity and majesty. He turned himself into a raging beast, a marauder, a terrorist or call him what you may, for never in the history of our little village was so much of terror unleashed in just half a morning than one could ever, ever, imagine. The time was 9.30 a.m.

That Raja gave chase to a man who was the Mahout's understudy was later established. It was also established that the man had swilled an early morning pot of Kitul toddy. The gradual potency had made him drunk like a lord and in this state had cruelly pierced Raja's toes with the goad.

What had been a simple exercise in moving some heavy logs into a sawing area of a mill by a placid animal gently guided by his mahout, in a mater of minutes turned into a raging beast. He snapped the chain that bound his legs with contemptuous ease and flung the log at this tormentor. The log missed him but instead landed on the mill injuring two of its employees.

Then Raja gave chase. Trunk raised and tail flying he chased his tormentor who ran for his life along the highway. In the meanwhile I along with some others who were gathered at a safe distance stopped a packed bus on its way to Kandy from Kurunegala. I impressed on the driver of the danger ahead and asked him to drive into our compound. The frightened driver broke all records in the large three-ton Austin as it bellowed its way up the steep drive leading to our house and stopped with a screech in the compound.

Screaming and frightened men, women and children tumbled out of the bus some injuring themselves in the mad scramble to escape certain death as they thundered upstairs and to safety. It was later known that Raja was not after the bus but had chased his tormentor who also had run behind the bus and up the drive and into the safety of our house.

What followed were unreal scenes like out of the movies. The enraged beast its eyes glinting fury vented anger on the bus. The windscreen was smashed and then followed the incredible show of strength. As we watched in awed silence the large tusks pierced the lower part of the hood and half kneeling the large bus was turned over in a matter of minutes.

It was an awesome show of furious power. In the meanwhile the hearts of all of us cowering in fear went out to the lonely mahout seated on the back of his charge. He looked gray with fear for the poor man had hardly any time to alight or run away to safety for the drama had unfolded even before he was aware of what his understudy had set in motion.

It was not fictional what we witnessed that dark morning. Scores of others and I saw through terrified eyes an elephant galloping furiously with a scared man on his back. An elephant seeking its pound of flesh in an orgy of frenzy that made us feel puny in the face of such a titanic onslaught.

Yes, gallop he did through low-lying branches of trees with intentions of brushing off that poor man. A garden pool was sprayed on him and when it went dry, mud sprayed. Yet that brave little man held on grimly for his life as Raja charged large trees to shake off the burden which he probably thought had the temerity to perch on his back.

Time stood still for us as we watched breathlessly when the animal came into the portico. He wound his trunk round two pillars and tugged furiously while we prayed in silence to all the Gods. That the pillars stood the test of strength was to the credit of those masons of old.

Raja next paid attention to our orchard. Fruit trees were left topless and king coconut trees bearing lovely pink fruits were knocked over like ninepins and the fruits cruelly trampled to pulp. A cow was thrashed and its leg broken as he galloped round the house with the poor mahout hanging on for dear lie. Providently no lives were lost. Raja called it a day after nearly two hours of terror and then ran out of the devastated garden and to the highway.

Trumpeting loudly he ran a good two miles to his familiar bathing spot. Ironically, in spite of the great show of strength, a piece of chain on his rear leg had wedged firmly between two rocks and unable to move he was finally trapped and bound. Thus ended the caper that upset the lives of thousands of people and held up traffic and caused so much of chaos and confusion in half a day merely because of one tipsy man.

There was, however, the lighter side to all the fear and confusion experienced. When things had calmed down, my father retired to his room to rest.

It was then that he heard a snore from under the bed. Looking under he had seen the culprit of the whole grim episode fast asleep and with a smirk on his face. Needless to say what followed was hilarious. The man ran down the drive as if another ten elephants were after him and with it ended an unbelievable episode - yet true.