The Voice of God

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9.

The Voice
of God

Premchand

Premchand (1880-1936) was the pen-name of Dhanpat Rai Srivastav


who was a great writer of short stories and novels in Hindi. He was born
in a village near Banaras (Varanasi). His father was a clerk in the village
post office. His parents died when he was still a student and he had to
struggle hard to support the family. After matriculation, he worked as
a school teacher and then as a Deputy Inspector of Schools. Disregard-
ing social taboos, he married Shivrani Devi, a child-widow. Greatly in-
fluenced by Mahatma Gandhi, he gave up his government job, started a
printing press, edited the journals Jaagaran and Huns and wrote many
articles about colonial rule, inequality and injustice. His book of short
stories, Soz-e-Watan, was considered seditious and its copies were burnt.
Premchand was the first great writer to introduce realism in his stories
dealing with the problems of common people, feudalism, communalism
and corruption. He presided over the first All-India Conference of Pro-
gressive Writers in 1936. Many of his famous stories have been made into
films and television serials. Satyajit Ray filmed his stories 'Shatranj-Ke-
Khiladi' and 'Sadgati' and in 1918, 'Sevasadan' was made into a film in
which the renowned singer M S Subbulakshmi played the main role.
Premchand's stories were translated into English by Gurdial Mallik, a
teacher working in Rabindranath Tagore's Shantiniketan. Mansarovar
(a collection of his short stories), Mazdoor, Godaan,
Oka Oori Katha, Nirmala and Vardan are
Pratigya, Godhooli,
some of his important works.
In The Voice of God, Premchand shows
how disputes in villages may be
settled amicably and how the
peace and harmony.
Panchayat can play a vital role in restoring

Jumman Sheikh and Algu Chaudhari were fast friends.


They were also partners in farming. They had an unshake-
able faith in each other's love and
loyalty. When Jumman
Was
going on a
pilgrimage, he entrusted his household to the
care of Algu. And the
latter, too, whenever he had an OCca
sion to leave the
village would place his family in the charge
of his friend. But
they differed from each other in their social
customs and in their
religious beliefs. Though they neither
THE Veicer Ge 97

nor worshipped together, they shared in the same


still

s and this, indeed, is friendship's real foundation. Jumn-


were still boys.
their friendship began when they
was a teacher. Algu had served him
nalt's father, Jumarati,
mal

and had scoured his pots and pans while


with all his heart
sat and puffed away at his hubble-bubble. Algu's
the teacher who
father belonged to the old school. He was one of those
that the primary duty of the pupil is the service of the
believe
tenets at his feet; he
teacher, rather than the study of certain
the blessings of
used to say that knowledge comes only by
the teacher.
different opin-
Jumarati Sheikh himself, however, held a
ion. He relied more on the
rod than on his radiant love for
students. And the fear of that
driving home the truth to his
esteem in which he was held
rod was at the root of the high
So while Algu attended on his
in the neighbouring village.
over his books.
master, Jumman pored
who had a little property. As
Jumman had an aged aunt
relations living, Jumman, by mak-
she had none of her near
all sorts of promises, cleverly managed to get the prop-
ing the negotiations he
in his own n a m e . During
erty registered and also saw to every detail of her
showed her great respect
sooner was the
deed executed than all his
comfort. But no
considerateness to her ceased. Thenceforward
courtesy and food she
Kariman, also began to season the
Jumman's wife,
with a daily phial of verbal vitriol.
The old
aunt
gave his in silence, for whenever she
woman suffered this indignity
Jumman, he would turn round and retort,
complained to
me such a princely property-just a frac-
You have not given
acre-that you should expect anything better at
tion of an
our hands.'

At last, one day, growing tired of the constant ill-treat-


nent at the hands of Jumman and his wife, the aunt said,
me
Son, as we cannot get on well with one another at the same
arth, you may, instead, give me some money every month
he

and II .shall
and cook my own food separately.
98 FAMoUs INDIAN SroRIES

Jumman replied wrathfully, "Does silver grow on trees


The aunt became furious. She threatened to refer the matter
to the Panchayat, the village council of elders.
Jumman chuckled at this, just as a hunter, seeing a deer
making unwarily for his net, might laugh to himself, and
said, 'Certainly, let the Panchayat decide, because I also do
not like your complaining constantly.'
Jumman said this because he felt sure that the matter was
bound to be decided in his favour. For, who was there in the
whole locality who was not indebted to him for some favour
of other?
For some days the aged aunt, with her back bent like a
bow, hobbled up and down the village, supporting herself
on a staff. There was not a single good man in the village be-
fore whom she did not weep out her tale of woe. Some sent
her away with an ambiguous assurance of help, while oth-
ers were shocked at the high-handedness of Jumman. A few
advised her to be reconciled to her lot, for, they added, that
as she was living withina stone's throw of the graveyard she
had better spend the evening of her life in peace and prayer.
Hardly one or two sympathized heartily with the old woman
in her sorrow. At last she went to Algu Chaudhari and said
to him, 'Son, please come to the Panchayat when my case
comes up.
Algu replied, "There is no need for me to go there, for I am
quite sure many others will attend.'
The old woman rejoined, T hope so, for I have told every
one of my trouble. Well, it is now their look-out whether
they come there or not.'
I will come, but excuse me if I do not open my mouth.
Why, son?
You know very well that Jumman is my old friend. I don't
want to break off with him.'
For fear of displeasing will you refrain from speaking tne
truth? Saying this she went back home.
THE VoICE OF GOD 99

be stolen without a man's


the wealth of consctence may
knowing it.But let him hear a challenge to his sense of
t and wrong and it is there again-vigilant and uncon-
e v e r

to the old woman's words, but


right

ble! Algu had no reply


kept resounding, 'For fear of displeasing
q u e r a b

his heart they from speaking the truth?


d will you refrain
him
last the day for the Panchayat session came. Sheikh
At
a big carpet spread
under a tree and had ar-
lumman had
of betel-nuts, cardamoms and to-
ranged for a good supply to pour in. Whenever any
hacco. The village people began
Jumman and Algu, who
were sitting ina corner

one came, welcome him. The sun


would rise and bow and
of the carpet,
trees overhead the
birds seemed to be hold-
On the
had set. barbers were busy feeding
the
council. The
ing their
own
live coal and tobacco. The
small bits of
hubble-bubbles with
scampering about. The village dogs, thinking
all round in full
children were

feast was afoot, gathered


that some group

force. the old aunt rose respect-


was in order,
When everything
and made her deposition:
fully transferred
Panchayat, three years ago I
Members of the condition that he
nephew, Jumman, on
my property
to my lived. But he
bed and board as long as I
me
and clothing and
now
would guarantee sufficient food
me
has not been givingi l l - t r e a t m e n t longer. I am a helpless
his any
I cannot stand court of law. And so I
have comne
sue him
in a
widow. I can't a m in the wrong,
punish me
If you findT
to do the
to you forjustice.J u m m a n is guilty, persuade him
If verdict u n r e -
unhesitatingly. will accept your
assure you that I
right thing. I
servedly. had n o w settled
tenants
of whose
Misra, many
Ramdhan therefore had a grudge
and who
Jumman
s Village do you appoint
down in and said, 'Jumman, whom
rose
him,
against Panchayat?
of the present
as the head that especially
those people were
replied.
noted
him. So he
Jumman

some
erudee or other against
who had
100 FaMOUS INDIAN STORIES

Panchayal 1S the decree of God. Let my


The decree of the
and I shall have no objection.
aunt nominate any one
O man of God,
the aunt exclaimed, why don't you
good
give the name?
and retorted, 'Don't make
Jumman became very angry
have had yourway,you
me open my
mouth at this time!You
one you like.
may nominate any
innuendo in his words. Fear
The aunt understood the
said. The Panchayat is neither a friend nor a foe
God,' she
not hesitate to nominate some
of any one, so you should have any
there is no one in whom you
one unless, of course,
trust Algu Chaudhari. Well, then I
faith. But I am sure you
nominate him.
Jumman felt happy inwardly but,
hiding his true feelings,
Chaudhari. As far as I am con-
said, 'All right, let it be Algu
Misra would be the same.
cerned, Algu and Ramdhan
be dragged into the dispute. So
But Algu did not wish to
know already of my intimacy with
he said to the aunt, You
Jumman. for the sake of friend-
She replied solemnly, Yes, but, son,
heart of the Pan-
the truth. In the
ship one should not sell comes from the lips of the
Whatever
chayat dwells God.
God.'
Panchayat comes from
appointed as the head
So Algu Chaudhari was ultimately
Misra and Jumman's other
en-
Ramdhan
of the Panchayat.
emies inwardly cursed the
old woman for this.
Chaudhari first
of the case commenced. Algu
The hearing are old
Jumman, '"Sheikh Jumman, you and I
addressed
But now
who have stood by each other in the past.
friends, Tell the Panchayat
and youraunt are equal in my eyes.
you
what you have to say. his
cast in
Jumman was cocksure
that the die would be
a mere
for-
was meant to be
favour and that Algu's speech
with an easy mind:
mality. He, therefore, deposed
three years ago my aunt trans
Members ofthe Panchayat,
a long as she lived. God is my witness that, ever since,
treated her as my ther and have not caused her
1 have
trouble. There has been, however, fnr some time
the least
Now my aunt demands
tension between her and ny wite.
a separate
monthly allowance for maintenance, Gentiemen,
no apprei-
aware of the fact that her pruperty yields
vOu are
at the time of the enecution of the
able returm. Furthermore,was made. However, I leave every-
deed nosuch stipulation
verdict of the Panchayat.
thing to the wise
Chaudhari working in courtsof
was accustomed to
Algu rather well and
therefore, he knew the ways litigation
of
law, sounded
to cross-examine Jumman. This
hence he began
hammer-strokes. Ramdhan Misra
on his heart like so many
croS8-Examination,
spell-bound at Algu's skilful
was simply
was wondering
what had come over this
whíle Jumman
was questioning
him in that strain. 'Even
friend and why he was chatting
with me.
'this very Algu
now, he told himself,him so quickly that he is now bent on
What has come over mine can it be for
the roots! What fault of
digging me up by even with me!
We have been
which he is now trying to get
long standing friendship of
long time. Is such
a
friends fora
no worth whatever? the mystery when
engaged in solving
Jumman was still Sheikh,
decision: Jumman
pronounced the referred
Algu Chaudharihas carefully considered the matter,
aunt
the Panchayat the decision that your
have c o m e to
allowance for her
to them, and they monthly
an adequate
should be granted
sufficient-
property is
believe that her
maintenance,
for they not accept o u r
award,
do
warrant it. If you
substantíal to
ly consider the
deed cancelled.'
had
then you may Jumman. A friend
verdict stunned
Panchayat's had pierced his
heart
The inveterate enemy,
behaved like
an need! "Truly, he
in his hour of
failed
him
with a dagzer, had OCcasions as this prove what
friends are
'such No
told himself, of ours was false.
And this triendship
what false. serious epidemics
true and in the grip ot such
country 15
wonder our
102 FaMOUS INDIAN STORIEs

as cholera and plague, for with such cheats and liars as this,
how could things be otherwise?
Ramdhan Misra and other members of the Panchayat,
however, were openly praising the righteousness of Algu,
This, they said, 'is what a true Panchayat does; like a swan
it separates water from milk, milk from water, truth from
falsehood. Of course, friendship has its place but it should
always be subordinated to truth and justice. It is because of
such truth-speakers as Algu Chaudhari that the world goes
on, else long ago it would have sunk to the bottom of Hell!"'
This decision shook the roots of Algu's and Jumman's
friendship. No more were they to be seen chatting together.
One breath of truth had blown down their tree of friendship
as it had been planted on the shifting sands. And whenever,
if at all, they happened to pass each other on the road they
met as sword meets shield. Jumman now harboured a secret
desire to take revenge on Algu and so all the while he was
devising ways and means towards that end.
Good deeds take a long time to be accomplished, while
bad deeds are done overnight. So Jumman got an early op-
portunity to avenge himself on Algu.
Algu Chaudhari had a pair of strong, beautiful bullocks
which he had purchased the previous year. They were the
cynosure of the whole village. As luck would have it, a month
after the Panchayat's decision one of the animals died. Jum-
man exploited the incident, saying Algu had been rightly
served by God for his unjust award. Algu began to suspect
that, perhaps, the death of the bullock was due to its having
been poisoned by Jumman. Algu's wife also was of the same
opinion. So one day she picked up a quarrel with Jumman's
wife and an endless exchange of abuse and invective fol-
lowed between their ladyships till, at last, Jumman dragged
his lady from the battlefield and silenced her with strong
language. Algu Chaudhari, on his part, silenced his queen
with his highly argumentative bamboo club.
THE VOICE OF GoD 103

bullock, sigly, useless for any service.


was
surviving
The
tried to get another animal to complete
the
herefore,
Algu, the
decided to sell it.
failed. Eventually he
ir but
pain
lived a cart-driver, Samjhu
Sahu by
Naw in the village the vil-
various commodities from
who used to carry
ame, on the bul-
set his heart on
and back. He had
n a m e

market
lageto the to himself, that if his cart was drawn by that
ock, for, he said three trips instead of
he could make two or
strong creatureincrease his daily income. He therefore, ap-
and thus last a
one,
after a great deal of higgling,at one
nroached Algu and, to pay rupees
and Sahu promised
was struck
bargain month.
and fifty to Algu within a
hundred What was
the poor bullock to the limit.
tax
Sahu began to What a contrast to
its ease-
worse, he
did not feed it properly. In those
of its former master!
as the property in service
ful existence months or so it was yoked
o n c e in six But now
days only and ran for miles in pure joy.
round of
and then it jumped, n o w there
was an unending
such play, of
there w a s no starvation! No wonder
that a month
of
work -and well-nigh out. Why, the very sight
stick
made its ribs r u n cold.
such t r e a t m e n t to make its blood
bullock-cart was
enough the usual
the the cart double
afternoon Sahu
stowed in three previous
One exhausted by
creature, already it hard to
make
load. The poor Sahu whipped
its feet. but
hardly lift short distance
trips, could started and covered a
time harder
bullock this
it go. The master whipped
it again,
stopped. Its down on the
ground, alas!
again fell
before. The poor thing perhaps, the c r e a t u r e
than Sahu feared that, to w o n -
never to rise
again.
unyoked it. Then he began
therefore,
cart home.
He raised a
dead. He, the
was
be able to get because the
how he would was to be s e e n
der but no one closed in
cry for help, of
children-

hue and are like the eyes


village
roads ofa comes.
as evening about two hun-
had earned
soon
sleep a s That day he This
Sahu w a s
in rage.
the sale of gur and ghee.
from
the cart there
were
and fifty rupees belt. In
dred in his
he was carrying
amount
104 FaMOUs INDIAN STORIES
several bags of salt. He could not, theretore, go home leav
in
ingthe cart behind. He finally decided to sleep the cart for
the night. He had a few puffs. Thus he spent half the night
in warding off sleep. Then he fell asleep. He tried to sleen
lightly as he was afraid lest somebody might rob him of his
money. Nevertheless, when he got up in the morning he
found that the money was missing. Several tins of oil were
also missing. He threw himself on the ground weeping and
then made for home. On arrival he told his wife of his mis-
hap, whereupon she burst out, 'What an ill-omened bullock
that fellow Algu sold to us that it died so soon and we have
lost our life's savings
Three months passed. One day Algu went to Sahu's place
to demand his dues. No sooner did the cart-driver and his
wife see him than they flew at him like mad dogs, You
wretch, we have lost our life's savings and you have come to
ask for money. Are you not ashamed of yourself for
throwing
dust in our eyes by selling a bad animal, an aged bullock, to
us? Go and first wash your face in a ditch and then
try to get
the money. The best we can do is to make payment in kind
and that, too, in part. You can take
away our own bullock
and you can yoke it for a month or two and then return
it.
Algu, at first, felt like returning home crest-fallen but he
had not the heart to let go his one hundred and
So he, too0, got angry. Sahu went inside the
fifty rupees.
house to fetch a
stick while his wife held the field. From
arguments
vanced to blows. Then Sahu's wife went inside the they ad
house and
closed the door and raised a in a moment a crowd
cry. gath-
ered in front of the house. At last
some of the
villagers persuaded both Algu and Sahu to have good-hearted
their quar-
rei settied by the
Panchayat.
Preparations for the holding of the Panchayat began.
Both the parties to the
dispute commenced canvassing the
support of their friends. On the third
In the fields the day the Panchayat met.
crows were in council.
wiether they had a They were discussin8
right the peas growing in the fields. It
to
THeVe Go o
aeared that until this matter was decided they were bent
of the
watchman'e vigi
upon
expressing their disapproval
lance by
cawing ociferously. The parrots on the trees were
debating whether
men had
any right to call them faithlese
too, one s own friends do not refrain at
when, amongst men,
one another.
times from deceiving
Ramdhan Misra asked Algu Chaudhari whom he would
ike to nominate as the President of the Panchayat. Algu re
plied meekly. 'Tet Sahu doit. Sahu rose and said in a harsh
voice. 1appoint Sheikh Jumman.
Hearing the name of Jumman, Aigu's heart began to beat
fast and he felt as if somebody
had slapped him in the face
Ramdhan observed this and asked, 'Algu, have you any ob-
jection? Algu replied despairingly, 'No, why should I object?
Yerily, the sense of responsibility often works a great
change in a person. Behold the editor in his sanctum with
-

what recklessness he launches his fiery denunciations of our


Ministries! But the day comes when he, too, takes his seat in
the Cabinet and then how prudent, how full of sound judg-
ment and good sense and understanding his writings are!
This is the sense of responsibility. Or take the hot-headed
voung man of yesterday over whom his parents were griev-
ing, for a little while the weight of responsibility for a family
lies on his shoulders and how patient and moderate becomnes
our lawless youth!
Sheikh Jumman in like manner began to feel a sense of re-
sponsibility, for now he was sitting in the seat ofjustice, and
he knew that whatever he would speak from there would be
accepted by the people as the very voice of God. He should,
therefore, not allow his own personal teelings to sway him
one way or another.
Algu and Sahu made their respective statements fully and
forcefully. The menbers of Panchayat, after hearing them,
were all agreed on al least one thng, namely, that Algu must
the prnee lor his bulluck. Two of then,
get the however, were
favouro reducton n the Dice because Sahu hat lost
106 FAMOUS INDIAN STORIES

his of livelihood. But at the same


means
time they wanted
an example of him so that others
to punish him and make
be deterred from treating their animals cruelly.
might
his verdict. 'Algu Chaudhari
At last Jumman announced
have considered your dispute carefully. Our
and Sahu, we
Sahu should pay the price in full be-
decision is that Samjhu
transaction was made, the animal was not
cause, when the
disease. The creature died of starvation
suffering from any
and hard work.
'Samjhu Sahu deliberately
Ramdhan, interposing, said,
creature and he must be punished severely
killed the
Jumman replied, That
is a different question."
pleaded for a reduction in the price.
Sahu thereupon
That is left to the goodwill of Algu
Jumman answered,

Chaudhari.'
He rose and shouted,
beside himself with joy.
Algu was
and the whole audience
Panchayat!'
Hurrah! Victory to the
echoed that cry. verily, in
w e r e heard saying,
This is justice, the people
Panchayat dwells the Divine.
the to Algu and,
em-
Jumman went up
Shortly afterwards, realized today that
the
have
him, said, At long last I
bracing
is the voice of God.' and dying
Panchayat watered the dry
tears
began to weep. His lease of life.
Algu it another
and gave
their love
creeper of

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