Moganlal vs Shoganlal – An Independence Day Story.

Once upon a time there lived two brothers in the country of Azad, named Moganlal and Shoganlal.
Not one family in Azad has forgotten the fateful day when the two brothers faced each other in court. But that story has to wait until we hear the story of Azad’s freedom.

The cost of Azad’s freedom
The prosperous and famous nation of Azad had various governors ruling over them who sold their land, their people and their freedom into the hands of a foreign superpower for personal benefit. This superpower, for decades and decades, oppressed them, plundered away their resources, almost ruined this beautiful nation and had laid heavy taxes on them.

Anything for freedom, Credits

The people of Azad hated their slavery. Many of them often tried to fight the superpower, but were no match to the enemy’s schemes. The ruling powers always overthrew them with manipulation.
There was always some price that Azad-wale were willing to pay to let their slavery continue. It could be money, women, free bungalows or even free wi-fi for life.

Apparently everybody had a price. So all attempts of revolution, failed due to lack of integrity within the people of Azad.

The nation was doomed, but for emergence of the long-lost prince Suhan of the royal line of Azad, who traced their lineage to Heaven itself. When the superpower sensed this prince was a real threat, they tried to buy him in.

The superpower met with failure. The prince could not be brought. But one day, prince Suhan himself put forth a deal for freedom with the superpower, an once-for-all prisoner-exchange program.

The good prince offered himself for execution in return for the freedom of Azad.

As the soldiers led away the prince Suhan in chains to the dungeons to be tortured and killed, the people of Azad walked into freedom! The price no one else could have paid, the good prince Suhan had paid with his life.

What was more, each Azad citizen received new privileges, royal power and new responsibilities to take care of the people of Azad because Suhan had made them all his people, one family. Gone was the need to feel enslaved to the superpower nation, to live as if they owed them anything. They realised that they could no longer live only for themselves.

Moganlal vs. Shoganlal

The two brothers Moganlal and Shoganlal had partied mightily with other citizens when Azad was set free. But Shoganlal, the younger brother, was shocked to realise that Moganlal had planned to leave Azad and earn his living elsewhere!

When Shoganlal approached Moganlal, he said – “I understand you want to live here as per this way of Azad life. However, I have to take care of my five children, and besides I find it burdensome to share our resources with our neighbours. I have enough responsibilities and though I respect prince Suhan, I think these priorities can’t be ignored”.

Shoganlal replied with much angst – “Bhai, don’t you see that we no longer belong to ourselves, but are to spend our lives with the goal that our good prince Suhan gave us? Has he not done everything needed been done for us so far? Let’s ask the leaders, they will assist us in this situation. I am sure you don’t need to look for independence elsewhere, dear bhai! Please trust what Suhan has done for us- you must not live however you think is right.”

Moganlal disagreed vehemently with Shoganlal, who after many attempts, finally brought the matter to the leaders of Azad. Based on Shoganlal’s report, the land of Azad charged his brother Moganlal for behaving like the old evil rulers did. The punishment was no less than removal of citizenship and expulsion from .

Moganlal held that the land of Azad was oppresive and was making everyone obey them by force and called for a new revolution. The two brothers faced each other in court one fateful day.

What do you think the verdict of the Azad court should have been?

Should Moganlal be expelled for insulting the price for freedom that prince Suhan had paid?

Or was the land of Azad actually oppressive and in need of reforms?

Share your verdict below!