God lives in the Panch by Munshi

Premchand
THE STORY ………………
Who are the two main protagonists of the story ….
The story revolves around the enduring friendship bond between
Jumman Shaikh and Alagu Chowdhary. The two were very good friends
living in the same village. Neither any discord, nor any rancour ever
blemished their friendship. When one went out of the village for some
days, the other looked after his family. The villagers admired the
friendship between the two, and loved them for it.
How Jumman and Alagu had their early education …..
The two had their basic education under the tutelage of Jumman’s
father. He was a stern teacher who believed in liberal use of the stick in
furthering the education of a student. No wonder, he punished the two
rather harshly for minor failings. Under such strict pedagogy, Jumman
grew up and became a dependable writer of deeds and agreements. The
villagers treated him with regard for this.
Alagu had a very different orientation to education. His father was a
rather liberal man. He felt the teacher’s blessings aided a pupil’s
progress more than the stick. So, he advised Alagu to be respectful and
very obedient to his teacher (Jumman’s father). Alagu kept his teacher’s
hookah and Chellum ready for use at any time by the master. Sadly for
Alagu, his reverence for his teacher didn’t quite get him any great
benefit in his education. He lagged behind Jumman.
Alagu didn’t quite lose his clout in the village for falling behind Jumman
in education. He was affluent, and that got him the prestige before the
villagers.
A dependant Aunt, and a greedy, mean wife shroud Jumman’s life …
Jumman had an old lonely aunt with no one in her family. She was lucky
to have some property in her name. For her upkeep in her dotage, she
offered to bequeath her land to Jumman in exchange of food and shelter
until her demise. Jumman agreed, and the deal was struck. The old aunt
moved to Jumman’s house, where she was accepted with warmth and
welcome. She hoped that she could live and die with dignity and love in
the foster home. The responsibility of looking after the old lady fell on
Jammun’s wife.
As days went by, the wife’s love for the old lady began to wane. she felt
the old lady to be an unnecessary burden on her means and energy.
Predictably, her dislike for the aunt reflected in her behaviour towards
her. The aunt found the cold and frosty behaviour of Jumman’s wife
quite discomforting and hurtful. At times, she remonstrated against the
maltreatment, but could do little to make the young lady mend her
manners. Even the frugal meals she ate were hard to come by. The old
lady resented such neglect, and bitterly argued her case with the mistress
of the home. It often resulteed in angry exchanges. Taunts and rants flew
back and forth. Soon, the quarrels led to a full-blown crisis
The Aunt seeks redress …
Unable to take the indignity any longer, the exasperated old aunt
complained to Jumman about the scornful behaviour meted out to her
by his wife. Being under his wife’s sway, Jumman could offer no remedy
and remained silent. As an alternative, she asked for a small monthly
dole, so that she could cook her own meals. This plea, too, was turned
down by the husband-wife duo. The hapless old lady’s misery continued.
The old lady poured out her owes to many in the village, but receive very
cold response. Only Alagu gave her a sympathetic hearing.
Aunt approaches the Panch …
The Aunt decided to approach the Panch for an end to the injustice she
was suffering in Jumman’s household. She approached the villagers to
narrate her owes and seek intervention of the Panch. Some gave her a
patient and sympathetic hearing, a few mocked her, while some advised
her to make it up with Jumman’s wife — her real tormentor. Naturally,
she drew little solace from such advice. She knocked the doors of the
Panch.
The Panch sits ….
Finally, the Panch, the time-honoured adjudicating authority of
the village, was convened. On the appointed day, the villagers
congregated under a tree to conduct the proceedings. Jumman,
the defendant, was given the option to propose one among the
villagers as the Panch (the headman for the session). He gave an
ambiguous reply. When the suggestion was sought from the
agrieved old ladyt, she proposed Alagu’s name, hoping that he
would side with her. proposed the name of Alagu, his dear friend.
Jumman had assumed that Alagu will never pass a verdict that
could harm his interest. Alagu occupied the august chair that
called for strict neutrality, and fair-play. Aalgu heard out the two
versions, one of the complainant, and the other of his dear friend
Jumman.
Alagu gives the verdict …..
Caught in a difficult situation, Alagu (as the Panch) had to
contend with two conflicting positions — the call of duty as the
Panch, and the urge to side with his dearest friend. He chose to
heed the call of his conscience. He reckoned that the sanctity of
the Panch far outweighed the duty to a close friend. After much
soul-searching, Alagu gave his verdict –Either Jumman gave his
old Aunt a monthly allowance or he returned her property.
Jumman seethes in anger ….
Jumman was very angry at his dear friend’s stance, not realizing
that Alagu had only done his duty as a fair, and just Panch.
The fall-out of the Panch verdict on their relationship was bitter. Their
relationship was frayed beyond repair. Jumman’s heart burned with a
desire to avenge Algu’s ‘indiscretion’ of siding with his Aunt. Jumman’s
resentful mind blinded his inner vision.
Misfortune for Alagu…..
Some days later, misfortune befell Alagu. One of his bullocks died. He
was forced to sell off the other bullock to a cart owner, named Samjhu
Sahu. Samjhu was a petty trader who carted goods to and fro between
the village and the nearest town. The more trips he made, the more he
earned. In his greed to make more, he made the bullock slog harder and
harder. One fateful day, the over-worked, under-rested bullock died
leaving Samjhu in a quandary.
Samjhu defaults, and a controversy is born…….
As per the agreement, Samjhu, the buyer, had one month time to
pay the cost of the bullock. Sadly, the bullock died before the
one-month period ended. Not admitting that he was behind the
loss of the animal, he refused to pay the cost of the bullock to
Alagu. Much acrimonious exchange followed between the buyer
and the seller. As a concession, the buyer offered to loan his
bullock to Alagu for a few days as a bargain. This was no
consolation for Alagu. He wanted to recover his money from
Samjhu, but a few villagers inimical to Alagu prodded Samjhu not
to pay the outstanding amount. The feud led to a nasty fisticuff
between the debtor and the creditor.
Alagu approaches the Panch….
Finally, Alagu decided to take the matter to the Panch.
A meeting of the Panch was arranged at his behest. Samjhu was invited
to suggest a name for the chair of Panch. Sensing an opportunity, he
suggested Jumman’s name. Alagu was clearly dismayed at the prospect
of Jumman hearing his plea. He felt, he could not get a favourable
verdict from his erstwhile friend Jumman, who had become a foe by
then. With fear and nervousness he awaited the Panch’s verdict.
Jumman as the Panch hearing his enemy’s case …
For Jumman, it was a big call of conscience. He surely couldn’t
undermine the reputation of the Panch by letting his vengeful
mind cloud his sense of fair-play. The chair of the Panch was too
sacrosanct to be a prey to one’s petty-mindedness.
Jumman rises to the occasion ….
Jumman made up his mind as his conscience dictated. He
solemnly ruled that the cart-owner, Samjhu (the buyer) must pay
the full outstanding cost of the bullock to Alagu despite the fact
that animal had died before the one-month credit period. After all,
the bullock was fit and healthy on the day of sale. Its subsequent
death could not be a ground for non-payment of the agreed
money to Alagu.
Alagu breathes a sigh of relief ….
The verdict came as a huge relief to Alagu. He could hardly
fathom the fact that his arch enemy Junmman had set his
acrimony aside, and decided to give a fair and just verdict.
Overwhelmed with joy, he proceeded to embrace Jammun.
Past is buried and the two friends turn a new leaf …
The duo buried their past, and became friends again. Thus, the
Panch’s time-honoured reputation of dispensing fair verdict was
kept. The moral question – should friendship override call of
conscience, when both are at odds with each other – was settled
once and for all.
——————END————-
Characters of Jumman and Alagu …..
Jumman .. He appears to be a man with a meek personality. His
wife was petty-minded, selfish, and insensitive to the aunt who
had given her land to Jumman for sustenance. Obviously his wife
reneged on the solemn promise made to the aunt. She maltreated
her relentlessly. Jumman turned a blind eye to the way his wife
treated his hapless old aunt. Such attitude was immoral and
condemnable. To add to his folly, he did not take the Panch’s
decision in right spirit, and harboured a grudge against his
dearest friend Alagu, whom he began to see as his enemy.
However, while acting as the Panch in deciding Alagu’s matter, he
realized his solemn obligation to be impartial and just. By doing this, he
redeemed himself to a great extent. He made up with Alagu later. On the
whole, Jumman emerges as a normal human being with common
failings.
Alagu .. While hearing the case against his dear friend Jumman,
Alagu, as the Panch, did not waver from the path of morality. He
delivered a wise decision although it went against Jumman. By
doing this, Alagu upheld the noble traditions of the Panch. He
must have gone through painful dilemma before giving a
judgment in favour of the aggrieved aunt. But, he did what the
seat of the Panch called upon to do. Friendship with Jumman did
not stand on his way. Thus, Alagu emerges as a sagacious
person with strong moral moorings.