The Panch Parmeshwar
Author: Munshi Premchand
Class: XI (10+1) – General English
Book: A Panorama of Life
*Part C: Lessons for Extensive Study
Comprehension Questions
Short-Answer Questions
1. What do you know about the friendship of Jumman Sheikh and Algu Chowdhari?
Jumman Sheikh and Algu Chowdhari were close friends. They trusted and helped each other, managed their affairs together, and cared for each other’s families despite belonging to different religions.
2. What was the problem of Jumman Sheikh’s old aunt?
Jumman’s old aunt had transferred her property to him in return for care and maintenance. Later, Jumman and his wife began ill-treating her and refused to provide for her properly.
3. Why did Jumman laugh at the threat of the old aunt to take the matter to the village panchayat?
Jumman was confident that the villagers would support him because many of them were indebted to him. He believed that the aunt would not get justice against him.
4. How did the villagers react when Jumman’s old aunt contacted them about the meeting of the Panchayat?
Some villagers consoled her but avoided getting involved. Only a few kind and law-abiding people listened sympathetically to her complaint.
5. How did Algu Chowdhari react when the old aunt went to him to request him to come to the panchayat meeting?
Algu agreed to attend the meeting but initially refused to speak because Jumman was his close friend. However, the aunt’s words about justice made him reconsider his position.
6. How did Jumman’s old aunt present her case?
She explained that she had transferred her property to Jumman in return for food and clothing. Since he was now ill-treating her, she requested the panchayat to decide the matter fairly.
7. Whom did Jumman’s old aunt nominate as the head panch?
She nominated Algu Chowdhari as the head panch because she believed that he would uphold justice rather than favour friendship.
8. How did Jumman Sheikh become the enemy of his friend, Algu Chowdhari?
Jumman became Algu’s enemy when Algu, acting as head panch, ordered him to provide his aunt with a monthly allowance or cancel the agreement. Jumman considered the decision a betrayal of their friendship.
9. What was the matter of dispute between Algu Chowdhari and Samjhu Sahu?
Algu sold an ox to Samjhu Sahu, who promised to pay for it within a month. The ox died after Samjhu overworked and neglected it, and Samjhu refused to pay for it.
10. How did Algu Chowdhari and Jumman Sheikh become friends again?
Jumman became the head panch in the dispute between Algu and Samjhu. He gave a fair decision in Algu’s favour, and both friends realised that a panch must rise above personal enmity and friendship. They embraced and reconciled.
Long-Answer Questions
11. Write a note on the theme of the story.
The story The Panch Parmeshwar highlights the importance of justice, impartiality, and moral responsibility.
- Justice above friendship: Algu and Jumman are close friends, but both learn that friendship must not influence a panch’s decision.
- The voice of conscience: When Algu becomes head panch, he realises that he must judge the case fairly, even though it concerns his friend.
- Change of heart: Jumman initially feels betrayed by Algu, but later experiences the same responsibility when he becomes head panch.
- Truth and fairness: Both panchayat decisions show that justice must be based on facts and fairness rather than personal interests.
- Faith in the panchayat: The villagers believe that God speaks through an honest panch, reflecting the moral authority attached to the position.
Conclusion: The story teaches that a person entrusted with the responsibility of justice must act honestly and impartially, keeping personal relationships aside.
12. Bring out the relevance of the Panchayati Raj System in an Indian democratic set-up as depicted in this story.
The story presents the village panchayat as a local institution that can resolve disputes and provide justice to ordinary people.
- Local justice: The panchayat gives villagers an opportunity to settle disputes within their own community.
- Accessibility: Jumman’s aunt is poor and helpless, and she cannot afford to fight her case in a court. The panchayat provides her a platform to present her grievance.
- Collective decision-making: The panches listen to the parties and consider the facts before delivering a decision.
- Impartiality: The story shows that a panch must not favour friends or punish enemies. Fairness is essential for public trust.
- Democratic values: The panchayat represents participation, accountability, and the principle that every person deserves justice.
- Moral responsibility: The story reminds those in positions of authority that their decisions affect people’s lives and must be guided by truth.
Conclusion: The story remains relevant to India’s democratic system because local self-government can work effectively only when its representatives are honest, responsible, and impartial.
13. Write a brief character sketch of Jumman Sheikh.
Jumman Sheikh is one of the central characters in the story. His character changes as he experiences the responsibility of delivering justice.
- A loyal friend initially: Jumman and Algu share a close friendship and help each other in their daily lives.
- Selfish and unkind: After obtaining his aunt’s property, Jumman becomes indifferent to her needs and allows his wife to ill-treat her.
- Overconfident: He laughs at his aunt’s threat to approach the panchayat because he believes that the villagers will support him.
- Resentful: When Algu decides the aunt’s case fairly, Jumman feels betrayed and develops hatred towards his friend.
- Impartial as a panch: When Jumman becomes head panch in Algu’s case, he realises the seriousness of his position and gives a just decision.
- Realises the truth: He finally understands that a panch must be neither a friend nor an enemy but a servant of justice.
Conclusion: Jumman’s transformation shows that the responsibility of justice can awaken a person’s conscience and help overcome personal bitterness.
14. Write a brief character sketch of Algu Chowdhari.
Algu Chowdhari is a close friend of Jumman Sheikh and a farmer known for his sense of justice.
- Loyal friend: Algu shares a strong bond with Jumman and trusts him deeply.
- Kind-hearted: He listens to Jumman’s old aunt when she seeks his support and agrees to attend the panchayat meeting.
- Initially hesitant: He fears that speaking against Jumman may damage their friendship.
- Just and courageous: As head panch, he puts aside his personal relationship with Jumman and decides the aunt’s case fairly.
- Patient and responsible: Even after Jumman becomes his enemy, Algu accepts Jumman’s nomination as head panch in his own dispute.
- Forgiving: When Jumman delivers a fair decision, Algu expresses his happiness, and their friendship is restored.
Conclusion: Algu represents honesty, courage, and impartiality. His actions show that justice must always come before personal relationships.
15. Bring out the significance of the title of the story.
The title The Panch Parmeshwar is appropriate because it expresses the central message of the story: a panch is expected to deliver justice without personal bias.
- Meaning of the title: “Panch Parmeshwar” suggests that God speaks through the panch when the panch acts honestly and fairly.
- Algu’s decision: Although Jumman is his close friend, Algu rules in favour of Jumman’s aunt because he believes that she deserves justice.
- Jumman’s transformation: Later, Jumman also rises above his hatred of Algu and gives a fair decision in the dispute over the ox.
- Justice above relationships: Both incidents demonstrate that a panch must not favour friends or act against enemies.
- The moral message: The title reflects the belief that truth and justice have a higher place than personal feelings or selfish interests.
Conclusion: The title perfectly captures the story’s central idea that a person sitting in the seat of justice must act impartially, as though guided by divine wisdom.