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Wednesday 1 February 2017

Account of a Rupee

Devosmita Sen
  India                              


      “      Account of a Rupee    “                  
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Hello, I am going to let you guess who I am? I am round with strength of steel and have been everywhere from the rich to the poor. Yes, I am a coin but no ordinary coin may I remind you, I am an Indian coin called as Rupee .Yup, my name comes from the Hindi word rupaya is derived from Sanskrit word rūpya, which means "wrought silver, a coin of silver".

You see I was first introduced though by citizens of Indus Civilization on the banks of river Indus but I was named something else. Centuries later Mauryan emperors Chandragupta Maurya introduced me as RupayaRupa and during that time I was made of silver but my brothers and sisters were made of either copper or gold. I was and still am sadly prized by all and many people make their sole ambition to earn or find me .I continued during Mughal period where I was saw art and music flourish. I was given to them in exchange of their services .I was with the emperor when he made the beautiful ‘Taj Mahal’, it was truly a wonderful sight and it made my heart of steel melt.

Yes but you see change is the fundamental law of Nature, then the foreign masters in their ships came to my land in search of exotic spices and tea .Soon they established themselves as the rulers by wars and strife . They forced my people into submission and we did not have our freedom any more. Those periods were the darkest times I had seen, people of my country led revolts and mutiny against those imperial beings but their efforts were silenced by bullets. I was slapped and burned by the seals bearing the Emperors and Queens of the imperial breed .My efforts of revolt were only heard as a sizzle in the kiln .I was humiliated to bear the marks of those kings and queens who ruled my people and me.

In 15th August 1947, I saw my country be free and the freedom that my people won by nonviolence .But I will remember lives and blood lost to get it. I was itching to have the name of independent India on me but I had to wait .I had to wait for 3 years to get my right. But on 15th August 1950 the British King's portrait was replaced by the Lion Capital of the Ashoka Pillar. A corn sheaf replaced the Tiger on the one rupee coin. This change I bore bravely and as they were my warrior wounds and this was moment I waiting all my life. In some ways this symbolized a shift in focus to progress and prosperity.

I am now Ferritic Stainless Steel from silver .I have been in hands of old and new. I have seen my imperial sign bearing brother passed down from generations as a symbol of bygone past.

Now, though I am in free India, a sovereign, secular nation but then also I see each day people running after me and forgetting the beauty of life and forgetting to enjoy it .I speak for my brothers and sisters in other countries and myself that we long for the day where money is not all that human live for.
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