Feeling
great sorrow and unceasing grief in his heart, teenager Thauk Kyar Maung Ga Lay
was very sad after reading the shocking poem of an aerial bombing over Yangon
City in the Myanma Alin newspaper during the Second World War.
Residing
at Thayet Taw Village near the mighty Ayeyawady River, northwest of Nyaung-U,
Thauk Kyar Maung Ga Lay lamented that his dream of visiting Yangon was being
shattered due to the bombings in Yangon.
Yangon
city dwellers had run away from their homes to safe havens after the series of
aerial bomb attacks occurred on 23 December 1941. However, the desire of the
16-year-old Thauk Kyar Maung Ga Lay to visit Yangon City could not be suppressed.
“I
have heard that media guys and writers are very much important and crucial in
Yangon. Therefore, I will go to Yangon when I grow up and settle down there.
This desire comes deep from inside my heart”, he told his peers in his younger
days.
First
trip to Yangon to pay respects to martyred leaders
His
first visit to Yangon was at a time when the whole country was in grief and
sorrow over the loss of the nation’s independence architect, Bogyoke (General)
Aung San, and other Arzarni (martyred) leaders who were gunned down by
conspirators on 19 July 1947. Carrying the sad news in his heart, Thauk Kyar
Maung Ga Lay headed to Yangon.
The
remains of the fallen leaders lay in state at the Yangon Jubilee Hall for the
general public to pay their respects and tribute.
This
is how Thauk Kyar Maung Ga Lay recounted his experience, after traveling to
Yangon together with a venerable monk:
“Immediately
on arrival in Yangon, we rushed straight to the Jubilee Hall. I saw the remains
of the fallen leaders lying in state for the public to come and pay their
respects. A person on duty would alert people when to salute, and the waiting
mourners would do give their salute one group after another. I also had the
honor to salute the fallen leaders, and I was filled with grief at that
moment.”
“The
whole county was in grief, and no sound could be heard in the city of Mandalay.
All the newspapers carried headlines similar to, ‘Bogyoke and others have
fallen, what are we going to do now?’,” remarked U Maung Ga Lay while he was in
Mandalay.
Thauk
Kyar Maung Ga Lay is now the 96-year-old U Maung Ga Lay, and he is still
excited as he reflects and remembers the brief encounter with Bogyoke Aung San
during his younger days.
Recollection
1
“One
day, I heard that Bogyoke Aung San was scheduled to visit Nyaung-U to deliver
an organizing speech. I duly noted the important day. Since I am curious by
nature, I went to this place where the mass rally was held,” he recounted about
his teenage experience.
It
was a time when Bogyoke and leaders were struggling hard to regain the
country’s independence and the name ‘Bogyoke Aung San’ had become popular among
the entire population, he said.
In
the evening, the compound of the government state high school in Nyaung-U was
all set for the important event, and the crowd was there filled with
excitement. On a makeshift stage, Bogyoke Aung San was flanked by U Kyaw Nyein
and U Ba Pe. The first speaker was U Kyaw Nyein, and U Maung Ga Lay quoted what
he said: “In a Myanmar traditional orchestra, an unmarried young woman would
start entertaining the audience. Therefore, I am the non-married single girl of
this show”.
Thauk
Kyar Maung Ga Lay was quite eager to see Bogyoke Aung San, and therefore, he
went to the back of the makeshift stage to take a little peep of him. Suddenly,
out of the blues, Bogyoke Aung San appeared at the spot where he was, put out
his arms around the teenage’s neck and asked “Hey, what are you looking at?”
The now old man smiled, recollecting his unforgettable encounter with Bogyoke,
and added, ‘’Bogyoke had a muffler around his neck”.
He
also remembered what Bogyoke said on the stage: “Bogyoke urged the people to be
united and also explained how degrading it was to be subjugated. He expounded
that he was fighting for independence of the country and was seeking strong
support from the people. I do not remember each and every word, though. Well,
Bogyoke has been assassinated 71 years ago, and that’s a long time, right?”
Recollection
2
The
second recollection of U Maung Ga Lay was the event in Mandalay, when Bogyoke
came to the city for a political campaign and it coincided with a time Thauk
Kyar Maung Ga Lay was also there. The elderly man remembered, “The location was
at Ywar Hine Market near Maha Myat Muni Pagoda. It was indeed an open wide
space with green and shady large tamarind trees.”
He
continued “At that time a prestigious man from Mandalay had enlisted to compete
in the parliamentary election. Bogyoke heard about it and traveled to upcountry
for that matter.”
Bogyoke
was scheduled to arrive at 1pm, but he was delayed for two hours and arrived at
3pm. Later, it was learnt that large crowds of people had stopped Bogyoke on
the way and requested him to deliver speeches for them.
U
Maung Ga Lay recounted with much excitement, “As soon as Bogyoke arrived, large
crowds rushed forward to the nearest place from the stage as they wanted to see
Bogyoke as close as possible. I also moved quite quickly towards the stage.
There were no security personnel or body guards. His fame had already spread
around.”
While
close aides Tetkatho Nay Win and Bo Htun Hla stood on guard at each corner of the
stage, Bogyoke stepped out of the car and rushed straight onto the stage like a
young student. He waved at the rallying crowd and praised, “Mandalay is
behaving better”, and the crowd clapped with exuberance.
“Bogyoke
dwelt on many issues, which I don’t remember in detail,” the old man remarked.
“The
next day, newspapers in Mandalay, namely Mandalay Thuriya, Ludu and a third
daily, the name of which I have forgotten, printed in bold and large headlines,
‘Bogyoke Aung San praises Mandalay,’” according to U Maung Ga Lay.
Recollection
3
After
regaining independence in 1948, U Maung Ga Lay came to Yangon for the second
time and joined the literary circle in 1952, putting his heart and soul in his
profession. While editing a short story about Bogyoke Aung San, Thauk Kyar
Maung Ga Lay had daringly edited some paragraphs that might hurt and damage
Bogyoke’s reputation, he still remembers that decision with great satisfaction.
He
also recounted one funny event of Bogyoke, written by one U Pu Lay. When Daw
Khin Kyi, spouse of Bogyoke, was feeling dizzy while traveling by car, Bogyoke
had to massage her. While doing that, with a sense of humor, Bogyoke remarked,
“I took her along with me to nurse me, but now I’ve got to be nursing her”.
For
nearly 60 years, until now, Thauk Kyar Maung Ga Lay has been producing his
Thauk Kyar journal. In conclusion, this prolific writer, showing a picture of
currency notes with Bogyoke Aung San’s portrait that appeared in Aung San
Mawgun magazine, wished, “I would like to hold again and spend legal currency
notes with Bogyoke’s pictures on them, like we used to do until U Ne Win’s
time.”
Translated
by UMT (HK)
By
Thi Thi Minn
Ref;
The Global New Light of Myanmar
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