Mansarovar - 6

Munshi Premchand was the pen name of Hindi and Urdu writer Dhanpat Rai Shrivastava (1880-1936), born to Ajaiblal and Anandi Devi in Lamhi, in Uttar Pradesh. His skill earned him the title of ‘Upanyas Samrat’ (King of Novels) by Hindi literature enthusiasts. His work includes 14 novels, 250 to 300 short stories, several translations of English classics, and innumerable essays and editorial pieces. He also published and edited two literary journals: Hans (The Swan) and Jagran (Awakening).

Many of Premchand’s short stories were collected posthumously in an eight-volume series titled Mansarovar. Compact in form and style, they draw, as do his novels, on a wide range of Indian life during the British rule for their subject matter. Through simple yet rich narratives of ordinary life, he addresses topics such as caste, class, poverty, loyalty, courage, love, sin, patriotism and women's role in a patriarchal culture.

This sixth volume constitutes 20 stories. The first story is titled 'Yeh Meri Matrubhoomi Hai'. At the beginning of the story, the narrator tells the readers that he is returning to India after 60 years of living in America. He is 10 years short of turning 100 years old and does not hesitate to give up his beloved wife and sons to get a last glimpse of his homeland. On returning to Bombay, he is awed at how different his country looks from when he left. He says, again and again, “This is Europe, this is America, but not my beloved homeland.” Witnessing his changed village, the narrator is considering returning to America when he overhears people praying. He follows them to the Ganga river where he finally finds a familiar scene and settles on its banks to spend the remainder of his life chanting god’s name.

Set in pre-independence India, several stories in the collection, including 'Raja Hardaul', 'Rani Sarandha', 'Paap ka Agnikund', and 'Jugnu ki Chamak' have kings and queens as the protagonists. Premchand uses these characters to display human flaws, and emotions of envy, fear, jealousy and chivalry, while posing questions about religious and cultural traditions.

The last story is a farcical play commenting on the purdah system or women’s confinement to the house. Sevati is supposed to prepare a meal for her husband Dayashankar and his friend Anandmohan on the occasion of Holi. However, she is unable to light the cooking fire as her husband accidentally carries the matchsticks with him to work and she being a woman is not permitted to go to the marketplace or be seen by male neighbours and other men on the street. The tradition also forbids her from calling out to her husband from the stairs for fear of her voice being heard by other people. Her subtle resistance plays out by keeping an unlit house on the occasion of a festival and not preparing a meal for the guests.

The story begins with Dayashankar defending the purdah system when Anadmohan asks him his views on it. The end sees him embarrassed for not being able to feed his friend and thus changing his opinion on the practice. Premchand smartly titles the play 'Durasha' meaning a hope that will never see light in the context of the hungry friend who doesn’t get to feast as promised.