what was jumman's opinion about panch in9th 5chapter justic above self
English
Answers
‘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 follow.
A Build-up to the Panchayat Proceedings
We are given another peep into the past and are acquainted with events that have brought matters to their present state. Jumman’s old aunt had handed over her whole property to Jumman on the assurance that in return she would be looked after and provided for till she lives. For some time things went off well but as it usually happens, the old aunt and Jumman’s wife Kariman began having daily skirmishes over minor matters like the quality of food being given to the aunt not being good, the dal being given without any ghee and so on. The aunt complained to Jumman, but he just turned a deaf ear. He, along with his wife, was of the view that they had agreed to look after the old lady thinking that she did not have much time left. But now it seems she will live forever and already the amount they had fed her would have been enough to buy them the land she had handed over to them. Such was the talk that the old aunt had to listen to. She tolerated it for some time but then having failed to make Jumman listen to her complaints, the old aunt now demands that she be given some money so she can cook her food separately. The short exchange that follows between the aunt and Jumman is packed with suppressed emotions. On being told that money doesn’t grow on trees, the aunt replies in an apparently polite manner that though her needs are very little she has to somehow make both ends meet. The politeness carries with it a sense of simmering anger in the original, which threatens to burst any moment. Jumman’s cruelly insensitive comment ‘I had no idea, that you were determined to live for ever.’ puts a question mark on all his learning and wisdom which ought to have made him more humane but seems to have succeeded in making him just more materialistic and insensitive.