Nov 25, 2003 04:01 PM
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(Updated Nov 27, 2003 09:54 AM)
Premchand needs no introduction to patrons of Hindi/ Urdu Literature. His Godan, Karma bhumi, Premashram, Ghaban, Nirmala etc., are classic novels painting different vistas of the multifarious Indian society of early twentieth century and can be best described as “a true description of an epoch.” His short stories also echoed the contemporary times through the real flesh and blood characters ranging from khadi-clad satyagrahis to ordinary peasants, men & women and even animals. In this translated collection published by Crest Publishing House - New Delhi, there are 20 such beautiful short stories. These stories are maximum 4-5 pages each in length but thrive with contemporary themes and plausible plots, all taken from real life.
“An ideal short story, must throw light on some aspect of life; it must examine critically, and courageously, the conventions of society; it must deepen the inherent instinct in man for the good, the true and the beautiful; it must quicken his sense of curiosity and must be based on a psychological truth” – Premchand
In “The secret of culture”, the author ridicules the prevailing two-facedness of people and the justice system. A poor mali - Damri, as a punishment for allowing his hungry bullocks to graze in the neighbouring fields, is sentenced to rigorous imprisonment by his own master - Rai Ratan Kishore that shouts hoarse about his virtue of impartial judgment. However, the same Rai Ratan on the very same day, bails out a rich man convicted of murder after accepting bribes through the lady of the house.
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“Why don’t you get some clothes made, Damri?”
“I can hardly provide a square meal for the family, Sarkar.”
“Why don’t you sell off the bullocks? After all why can’t you understand even such elementary thing?”
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The story of Dukhi - the tanner, is even more heartrending where he breathes his last due to exhaustion of overworking at a miserly Panditji’s place. The corpse of Dukhi is abandoned by both - the upper and lower class - people.. since pious Brahmins won’t “pollute” themselves by passing the side of a tanner’s body and the tanner community stays away for the fear of police harassment. The decomposing body is then dragged and flung into the far off fields outside the village by the Panditji himself who later undergoes rigorous cleansing process while the “Salvation” for Dukhia’s life of devotion, service and faith is through the vultures and jackals that gather around the carcass.
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“How can I ask a Brahmin for food? One gives to them. One doesn’t take from them.”
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If the above 2 tales speak about society’s class and caste discrimination respectively, the other story ”Son-in-law” shows how familiarity breeds contempt within a household. Haridhan has severed all connections from his natal home to become ’ghar jamai’ to his affluent in-laws. But over a period of time, all members of the house including his wife Gumani shower him with scorn & insolence turning blind eye for his hard toiling. Haridhan realizes his folly and returns back home to his stepmother and brothers who welcome him with open arms. From a beggar at in-law’s place he is now elevated to the position of breadwinner of the family.
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“Now it is your responsibility to bring up these youngsters. After all, even if the mothers are different you are all sons of the same father.”
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The clear advantage and favoritism English has over local languages and the associated false prestige with it is finely pointed out in ”The Poet.” It is a sorry tale of a poverty stricken Hazrat Qumer and his devoted wife Sakina. Qumer gets an invitation from the local Raja sahib to recite his poetry in one of the evening parties. But he is ridiculed by one and all of the elite society for not knowing/ writing in English and his compositions in mother tongue are harshly abased.
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“It has been a great lesson. How foolish of me to seek glory like this. A lamp is made only to burn and it must keep on burning. Its pursuit is its reward.”
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”Box of Jewels” is all about overpowering greed and ensuing pinpricks of the scruples. Chander Prakash, a private tutor to a Thakur’s son, steals a box of jewels from his benefactor’s place in one of those weaker moments. The Thakur ignorant of this misdeed still places implicit confidence in Prakash, keeps helping him all through and also gets him a job. Prakash’s goading conscience is struck even more fiercely when his wife Champa, suspecting his foul play, does not approve of his ways and behaves indifferently. Thoroughly ashamed of himself and sorry for his crude act, Prakash finally replaces the box and breathes a sigh of relief.
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“To cheat a man who trusts you so implicitly is a crime in my eyes.”
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The other stories are equally marvelous and have something or the other to deliver. “The Child” contrasts the middleclass morality of narrow-minded persons to that of courage, sincerity and goodness in Gangu who accepts a widow for wife and her new born as his own child. “The Wristwatch” and “Lottery” speak all about money over matters while “Navier” is a story of penniless pauper turning into a holy man. There is also a short autobiographical composition of Premchand’s childhood illustrating the warm and respectful relationship he shared with his “Elder Brother.”
“The majority of my characters are drawn from real life, though they are sufficiently veiled. Unless a character has some basis in reality, it’s shadowy, uncertain and unconvincing” – Premchand
The beauty of Premchand’s writing is the effective way he brings forth the exquisiteness of the langsyne through his simplistic style.. say, by mere mentions of mundane things like hookah (smoking pipe), achkan (long coat), pau/ seer (quarter of a kg/ litre), biswas, bighas (measurement of land) or festivities like Satya Narain Katha, Janam Ashtami, Durga path etc. The terms of address like Panditji, Thakurain, Durvan, Dhobi, Mali, Maharaj so on, succinctly recreates the then existing social stratification. Revisiting those times, you are rapt with officers and authorities like Daroga sahib, Munimji, Zamindar, Naib Tehsildar, Raja Sahib and other Babujis as much as you are enthralled by the uncanny ways of Babajis, Sadhu Maharajs and Krantikaaris too.
Though I would have appreciated reading this one in Hindi (as translations cannot bring forth the precise flavour as that of the original work, imho) it still makes for a very good reading and aptly conveys across the intended points. Last few pages of dedication “Premchand – A critical appreciation” by Madan Gopal beautifully summarizes the times, life and works of Premchand.
