2. BEFORE WE PROCEED
Has your best friend ever done something you
thought was wrong ? What did you do then? What
was your reaction? Did you keep quiet or did you tell
your friend what you thought ?
In this story, there are two friends who had to decide what
was more important โ friendship and enmity or the sense
of what is right and what is wrong?
3. ABOUT AUTHOR
BY PREMCHAND
Premchand passed his matriculation exam with great
effort in 1898, and in 1899 he took up school-teaching
job, with a monthly salary of eighteen rupees. In 1919 he
passed his B.A. with English, Persian and History.
Premchand whose original name was Dhanpat Rai Srivastava, was born on
31 July 1880, in village Lamahi near Varanasi, where his father was a clerk
in the post office.
Premchand has written about 300 short stories, several novels as well
as many essays and letters. He has also written some plays. He also
did some translations. Many of Premchand's stories have been
translated into English and Russian.
Godaan (The Gift of a Cow), his last novel, is considered the finest
Hindi novel of all times.[2] The hero, Hori, a poor peasant, desperately
longs for a cow, a symbol of wealth and prestige in rural India. Hori gets
a cow but pays with his life for it. After his death, the village priests
demand a cow from his widow to bring his soul to peace.
In Kafan (Grave), a poor man collects money for the funeral rites of his
dead wife, but spends it on food and drink.
He passed away in 1936.
4. LET US ENJOY THIS STORY:FAIR PLAY
๏ข
๏ข
๏ข
๏ข
๏ข
Jumman Shaikh and Algu Chaudhary were two good
friends with great bond of friendship .
Jumman had an old aunt . She transferred her property to
her nephew Jumman on a condition that he would take
care of her as long as she lived.
For few years it went well but soon Jumman and his wife
grudged even the food and insulted her .
She swallowed these insults but when her patience
crossed her limits. She talked to him and said โmy son, it
is now obvious that I am not wanted in your house. Kindly
give me a monthly allowance so that I can set up a
separate kitchenโ.
Jumman turned red and insulted her . As a result the aunt
decided to take the case to the Panchayat and nominated
Algu Chaudhary her head Panch and said โThe voice of
Panch is the voice of Godโ.
5. ๏ข
๏ข
๏ข
๏ข
๏ข
The Panchayat held under an old banyan tree.
Algu said to the aunt โChachi, you are aware of my
friendship with Jummanโ . She replied โGod lives in the
heart of the Panch and you listen to call of your
conscienceโ.
He forgot his friendship and gave a fair verdict in the auntโs
favour. Jumman took it in the wrong way and became his
enemy and wanted his revenge.
After sometime Algu had a problem of the payment of his
bullock from Samjhu Sahu . Samjhu Sahu refused to pay it
because the sold bullock died before the expiry of the
period of the payment.
So , Algu Took the case to the Panchayat and there Samjhu
nominated Jumman as his head Panch, now his enemy. His
heart sank his all hopes collapsed.
6. ๏ข
๏ข
๏ข
๏ข
As Jumman became the head Panch . He realised the
responsibility and dignity of the office. He gave the verdict in
Alguโs favour forgetting his revenge and enmity.
This verdict was to Alguโs surprise and amazement. He stood
up and said โ This is the victory of the Panchayat. This is
justiceโ.
Both friends embraced each other and their tears washed away
their all dirt of their hearts and misunderstanding was removed.
The moral of the story โ one should not deviate from the path
of justice and truth for friendship or enmity