Do you think The Holy Panchayat is an appropriate title for Premchand’s story?
Give a reasoned answer
Answers
Detailed ANALYSIS.
‘The Holy Panchayat’ or ‘Panch Parmeshwar’ is set in a village and begins quite characteristically with Premchand at first introducing the reader to the physical as well as the emotional backdrops of the story. Jumman Sheikh and Algu Chaudhary show a deep bond of friendship, which goes back to their childhood days. The two belonging to different faiths shared nothing, not even food or religion. There was nothing to bind them except their mental and emotional affinity. The omniscient narrator intervenes at this point to tell us that this of course is the basic rule of friendship. Then he proceeds to describe how if Jumman had to go to Haj he would entrust Algu with the responsibility of looking after his house. Algu did the same if he had to be away anytime.
We are given a glimpse of the beginnings of this friendship in the boyhood days of these men when both used to be students of Jumman’s father Jumrati. In a short paragraph Premchand sketches a vivid picture of the method of imparting and receiving education in a village. Algu is ever willing to run odd errands for his teacher and to get his hubble-bubble ready for him. We may recall how Premchand too received a similar coaching in the Persian and Urdu letters from a Muslim teacher and was ever trying to please his teacher though at times for reasons other than the apparent ones. Despite Algu’s numerous odd jobs for his teacher, he could never succeed in studies and consoled himself by saying that education was not in his kismet. Premchand is here giving us a peep into the mind of an average Indian who is always ready to blame hiskismet for his own failures. Jumman on the other hand did well and became known for his learning in the surrounding villages. Algu was known and respected for his wealth.
Having set the story against this backdrop of a village scene and against this background of friendship and harmony, Premchand proceeds to develop it further and introduces a new character - Jumman’s old aunt. At this point we may stop to take note of a few things. Two things are important here. Firstly the rural background of the story, which is going to necessitate the calling of the Panchayat. The Panchayat used to bring justice to remote areas of the country especially to people who could either not afford the city courts or simply could not reach them. Equally important is the strong bond of friendship that existed between the two friends because it is this bond which will be dealt a severely damaging blow during the proceedings of the Panchayat. At the same time it will be used for making a very important point as far as meeting out justice to the accused is concerned. Thus in a very skillful manner Premchand is going to connect the opening of his story with the events that follows.
HOPE IT HELPS U...
PLS MAKE IT THE BRAINLIEST ANSWER.PLS...