Ila Das was much concerned with the sorrows and sufferings of the village people:
It is necessary to mention that Ila Das was much worried about the sorrow and sufferings of the people of the village for whom she had been working as a Welfare Officer. She was very unhappy to find the people very poor, illiterate and orthodox. The village priest was misguiding them in many ways. She thanked her stars that she had some security and position but the village people used to starve when their cows went dry or weevils destroyed their potato crops.
She was a true Christian, so she was much worried to find the people grovelling in the dust but the priest did not care for them in any way. On the other hand, he continued to misguide them more and more. She remembered the case of Mayadevi's little son who had cut his foot on a rusty nail. Ila Das advised the mother of the little boy that she should take her son to the doctor to get an anti - tetanus injection but the priest stopped him from going to the doctor saying that injections were the work of the devil. So Mayadevi did not take the child to the doctor and that unfortunate child died after a short time.
Ila Das further said that some of the village children had become blind due to conjunctivitis and trachoma but they did not follow her advice to take the children to the doctor. On the other hand, they used chilly powder and cow dung as medicines. That woman believed that she could convince the village women to take treatment from a doctor if the priest did not advise them against it.
Ila Das was against child - marriages:
After reading the story of the present novel, ‘Fire on the Mountain’ written by Anita Desai we note that Ila Das was totally against child marriages. She tried to stop child marriages and she explained to the parents of the boys and girls that the marriages of minor children were very harmful to their health. Such a child marriage was in the offing in the village, so she tried to go and advise that family that they should not do so. She hoped that women would listen to her because they could understand her better. She wished that they should note that a minor girl should not bear children at the age of twelve.
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| Novel, Fire on the Mountain | Rape and Murder of Ila Das | |
Ila Das feared that the priest would become a serious obstacle in her efforts. Its reason was that he had set the young men against her but she could not do anything without the help of those young men. Ila Das had heard that a minor girl of seven years was going to be married to an old man who already had six children. The reason of that marriage was that man was the owner of one acre of land and two goats. The village people also supported that marriage on the basis that the minor girl would be happy with that prosperous old man. They could not imagine that the girl should not be married because neither she could remain healthy with that old man, nor she could bear children without any risk. They were ready to sacrifice the minor girl only for the sake of a piece of land and two goats. Ila Das went to Preet Singh, the father of that minor girl to inform that it was an inhuman act to marry his minor daughter to an old man but he became angry without understanding anything properly. The practical lady became silent when her advice fell flat on the ears of Preet Singh.
Life of Ila Das after she had left the house of Nanda Kaul:
Ila Das had left the house of Nanda Kaul after living with her for some time with great satisfaction. She had enjoyed the hospitality of her old friend who had studied with her in the same school and college. She decided to go to the market to buy some corn - meal, or potato at a cheap rate.
As usual people laughed at her when they saw her jerky movements. For example, a boy on the bicycle pushed her into the ditch outside the Pasteur Institute gate. When she was thinking to get a job in that institute a jeep passed besides her with a very fast speed and it covered her with dust from her head to feet. Then some school girls laughed at her embarrassment.
When Ila Das went to the market lane, she came across some people who pushed her aside and they also laughed at her, thinking perhaps she was not hurt by their jolly manners. She advanced without making complaint. Then she came to the grain seller who knew her well because she used to buy her provisions from him every month. That grain dealer had full sympathy for Ila Das because his own daughter was club - footed.
That grain dealer advised Ila Das that she should not wander all alone in the market at night. He further told her that Preet Singh was very furious because she had been trying to stop the marriage of his minor daughter to an old man who was rich. He could go to any extent because he was a wicked man. Ila Das felt that it was her mistake to wander all alone in the market at night. On the other hand, she did not have any fear because she was not under debt to anyone in the market. Even then she advanced towards her house at a fast speed and she did not care for the hootings of the boys around her.
Preet Singh raped and murdered Ila Das in the most cruel manner:
Ila Das continued to march towards her house with a thumping heart. She was moving down to her village which was covered under total darkness of the night. The dogs were barking and women jeered with a good humour. That evening was so cold that the teeth of Ila Das were chattering when she was in the open. As she was walking towards her home, she thought what she would have for her dinner. She wished that Nanda Kaul had asked her to stay for some time more, or she could ask the grain seller for some more corn - meal. Her family pride and the high position of her father did not permit her to ask any favour either from Nanda Kaul or from the grain dealer.
At last Ila Das reached the last part of the hill and she stopped under the rock to recover her breathing. Just then a black figure came out of the group of the rocks and sprang upon her. The devil caught her throat. She struggled hard to get rid of his grip, cried loudly for help but he made his grip still more tight. She recognised that he was Preet Singh who was showing his teeth with great anger on his face. Ila Das raised her hands to make herself free from the tight hands of Preet Singh. Preet Singh made his hands free from the throat of Ila Das, took off his scarf from his neck and put it round the neck of Ila Das. He went on tightening his scarf round her neck until she gave up. He tore her clothes: pushed her down to the ground, raped her in a cruel manner and after that murdered her in the most tragic manner. Was it the reward, or punishment of Ila Das who got it from Preet Singh because she was trying to rescue his minor daughter from the old land owner? The girl was minor with seven years of age, so Ila Das was trying to stop her marriage. He had killed an innocent woman who was going to do a good act for him and his daughter.
Nanda Kaul and Raka were deeply shocked after hearing the news of the rape and murder of Ila Das:
Telephone rang at Carignano after an hour of the murder of Ila Das. Nanda Kaul did not pick up the receiver because she thought that it could not be lla Das. Ramlal received the call and he found that it was the call for Nanda Kaul.
P. K. Shukla, police officer incharge, Gorkhal thana informed Nanda Kaul that Ila Das, the welfare officer had been raped and murdered , so she should go to the thana to identify that body . The police officer added that her body was found on the way to the village Timarpur by the village people. She was strangled and raped as the doctor had reported. After hearing this news Nanda Kaul was deeply shocked and she could not believe the news. The receiver fell down from her hands. She thought who would kill such an innocent and helpless woman. She felt that everything in the world was false without any reality or truth. She lost faith in everything including herself. When Raka heard that tragic news of the rape and murder of Ila Das she also felt deeply shocked. She took a match - box in her pocket, slipped out of the house in order to set fire to the whole forest because there was fire burning in her own heart.
