CLASS-11TH
STORY
No- 5
THE
PANCH PARMESHWAR
(Munshi Premchand)
SHORT ANSWER'S TYPE QUESTION'S
Q1. What do you know about the friendship of
Jumman Sheikh and Algu Chowdhari?
Ans. Jumman
Sheikh and Algu Chowdhari were very good friends. They did not belong to the
same religion, but they used to think alike. When one of them went out of the
village with his family, he left his house in change of the other. They trusted
each other deeply.
Q2. What was the problem of Jumman Sheikh’s old aunt?
Ans. Jumman Sheikh’s aunt had a small
property. But she had no one to look after it. In fact, she had no close
relative except Jumman.
Q3. Why did Jumman laugh at the threat of the old aunt to take the
matter to the village panchayat?
Ans. Jumman knew that there was no one in the
village who was not obliged to him. He had worked for them many times. So he
was sure that he would win at the panchayat meeting. That was why Jumman
laughed at the old aunt when she threatened him to go to the village panchayat.
Q4. How did the villagers react when
jumman’s old aunt contacted them about the meeting of the panchayat?
Ans. Some of the villagers tried to console
her. Some villagers tried to put her off and others just cursed the times.
There were very few people who were law-abiding and considerate and who listened
to her sad story and offered her consolation.
Q5. How did Algu Chowdhari react when the
old aunt went to him to request him to come to the panchayat meeting?
Ans. Algu was in a fix when the old aunt
requested him to come to the panchayat meeting. He said that he would come
there, but he would not say anything during the panchayat. He said that Jumman
was his dear friend and he didn’t want to spoil his friendship with him.
Q6. How did Jumman’s old aunt present her
case?
Ans. She told the panchayat that she had
transferred her property to the name of Jumman. And in return, Jumman had
agreed to feed and clothe her. But Jumman had not kept his word. She was
ill-treated at his house. She requested the panchayat to decide the matter.
Q7. Whom did jumman’s old aunt nominated
as the head panch?
Ans. Jumman’s old aunt had transferred her
property in Jumman’s name. But when she was ill-treated by Jumman and his wife,
the old women took her case to the Panchayat. She nominated Algu Chowdhari as
the head panch.
Q8. How did Jumman Sheikh become the enemy
of his friend, Algu Chowdhari?
Ans. jumman’s old aunt nominated Algu as the
head panch. Being a panch, Algu stood by the truth and he gave his decision against
Jumman. That was why Jumman became his enemy.
Q9. What was the matter of dispute between Algu Chowdhari and Samjhu Sahu?
Ans. Algu had sold his ox to Samjhu. And
Samjhu had promised to pay its price within one month. But Samjhu took so much
work from the animal that it died. Now Samjhu refused to pay its price. He said
that Algu had sold him a sick ox.
Q10. How did Algu Chowdhari and Jumman
Sheikh become friends again?
Ans. Jumman was nominated as the head panch
to solve the dispute between Alhu and Samjhu. Then Jumman realized that a panch
is nobody’s friend or foe. A panch cannot see anything except justice. So being
a panch, he stood by truth and gave the decision in Algu’s favour. Thus they
became friends again.
Long Question’s Answer’s
Q1. Write a
note on the theme of the story, ‘The Panch Parmeshwar”
Ans. The theme of the story is that a panch
is neither anybody’s friend nor anybody’s enemy. He cannot see anything except
justice. It is believed that God resides in the heart of a panch. Whatever
comes from the lips of a panch is treated with the same respect as the words of
God. So the people accept the decision of the panches as the decision of God. A
panch sits on the highest throne of justice and dharma. So he can’t stray from
the truth. He cannot turn his back on justice for the sake of friendship. No doubt,
friendship is a divine bond. But it must be kept in a proper place in case of
justice because man’s primary duty is to be just and true. This is what comes
out in this story.
Q2. Bring out
the relevance of the story in the Panchayat Rai System of Indian democratic
set-up?
Ans. This story was written in 1916 when
Indian was under the British rule. At that time, the village community had a
set of administrative rules as an alternative to the colonial System of governance.
People used to settle their disputes quite satisfactory in their villages with
the help of the panchayat. They never went to the count to find solution to
their problems. Today even when India has become a democratic country, the
Panchayati Raj System still prevails in its rural areas. Rural people still
avoid going to the courts. They believe in their panchayat and abide by its
decisions. So this story is relevant in the Panchayati Raj System of Indian
democratic set-up also. There are two episodes in this story that prove it. One
is the dispute between Jumman Sheikh and his old aunt. The old aunt wants a
monthly allowance in return of the property that she had transferred to jumman
Sheikh. But Jumman refused to do so. The old aunt goes to the panchayat and fined
solution to her problem. The second case is between Algu Chowdhari and Samju
Sahu. Samju doesn’t pay the price of the ox that he has bought from Algu. The
ox has died. And Samjhu says that Algu had given him a sick ox. So he refused
to pay its price. Their problem also is solved by the panchayat.
Q3. Write a
brief character-sketch of jumman Sheikh.
Ans. We see many shades of Jumman’s character
in this story. On one side, he is a nice fellow. He is a true friend of Algu
Chowdhari. He is very helpful. On the other side, he is a liar, a cheat and a
greedy fellow. He wants to have his old aunt’s all property in his name. For this,
he makes many false promises with her. And when he succeeds in it, he becomes
quite indifferent and cruel to her. Here he appears to be a hateful character.
But in the end of the story, he turns out to be true and just when he is
nominated as the head panch in a case against Algu. He realizes that sitting on
the throne of justice and dharma, he must not stray from the truth. Though he wants
to have his revenge on Algu, he stands by the truth and decides in Algu’s
favour.
Q4. Write a brief character-sketch of algu chowdhari?
Ans. Algu chowdhari is a good friend of
Jumman Sheikh. He is very loving and caring towards his friend. He values his
friendship very much. But when he is nominated as the head panch in a case
against Jumman, he decides to stand by the truth only. He maintains the honour
of a panch and does not turn his back on justice for the sake of friendship. He
keeps the friendship in its proper place at that time. He knows that as a human
being, his primary duty is to be true and just. He considers the case of the
old aunt very thoroughly and gives his decision against Jumman. He never leaves
his moral values in any condition. Algu is loving and caring not only toward
his fellow-being, but also towards the animals. At his house, his oxen are
looked after very well. He takes care of the food and water for his animals. In
short, Algu Chowdhari is a man with a noble soul.
Q5. Bring out the significance of the title of the story?
Ans. The title of the story, ‘The Panch Parmeshwar’’ reflects the main
thought of the story. The main thought of the story is that rural people do
believe that God resides in a panch’s heart and the panch speaks in God’s
voice. Like God, a panch is neither anybody’s friend nor anybody’s enemy. He
cannot see anything except justice. He keeps his friendship also in its proper
place in case of justice. Man’s primary duty is to be just and true. And a
panch never forget it. In the eyes of the rural people, a panch is fair just
like a god. The characters in this story also have the same view about their
panches. They consider the words of their panches as the words of god. And they
accept their decisions and abide by them. No other title of the story can be
more appropriate than this.
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