‘Sujaan Bhagat’ is one of Premchand’ most notable stories. In the story, Premchand very delicately and passionately brings out the issue of self-respect. He says through his story that, be it a sexagenarian or a youth when it comes to the question of one’ self-respect one can go to any extent to protect it. Sujaan Bhagat is the central character around whom the story revolves. His wife is Bulaki. His older son is named Bhola, while the younger son is named Shankar.
Sujaan is an unassuming but well natured, altruistic farmer. Through the heat and cold and rain, Sujaan works hard on his fields. For several years Sujaan’ crop yields well and it rains riches for him. That is enough to turn him towards the observation of religious and moral prescriptions. Simple-minded farmers, once they become affluent, turn towards religion and want to gain social prominence. *** and religion became Sujaan’ new passions. Paying respects to saints and ascetics, the assembling of visitors, the gathering of police officers, the singing of devotional prayers and songs – all of these became everyday affairs.
Sujaan offered his service with a gentle and tolerant attitude and was never arrogant. He irrigated the fields of his neighbours. Since there weren’t enough wells in the village, Sujaan had a well dug, and directed the water to his neighbours’ fields. However, after becoming pious and devoted to ***, Sujaan Bhagat became a much disappointed and defeated version of his earlier self. Slowly, the authority and decision-making power began to slip out of his hands.
Bhagat was a highly respected man in the village, but within his home, he was not shown any respect. His boys did him every service and attendance that was expected, but there was no real power in the hands of Sujaan Bhagat anymore. He was no longer the lord of his house, but an idol in the temple.
Sitting under a tree, Sujaan would always be lost in his thoughts. He was not a handicapped person; in fact, he did all the household chores expected of him and yet, he was not given any respect in his own house! He was now treated like a dog guarding the house – he had to make do with whatever leftovers were thrown at him. Sujaan had nothing but disdain for this kind of lifestyle that his family was forcing him to live. He had worked day and night, borne all the troubles of the world, and today, even the right to donate and give alms was denied to him.
Gradually, all of Sujaan’ rights and privileges were withdrawn. Nobody consulted Bhagatji about anything. Neither the two sons nor Bulaki, looked up to Sujaan. They began to settle matters by themselves. Sujaan’ credibility and estimation were on the rise among the village folk but within his own household, it was on the decline. He was no longer the patriarch of the household.
Sujaan had become a non-entity in his own house. He lay in bed thinking over it for a long time. Sometime in the middle of the night he got up and began to chop the food for the oxen in the chopper. He worked so hard that never in the past had he exerted himself so much. Whatever grass the sons collected every day
was insufficient for the oxen. When Bulaki woke up early the next morning she noticed a huge heap of chopped fodder in the courtyard. Everyone at home was surprised to see it.
By the time his son Bhola arrived at the field, Sujaan had already ploughed half the field. In the afternoon, all the farmers released their oxen and stopped work. Only Sujaan continued to work. Bhola was very tired but he did not have the courage to stop work. Finally, with a great deal of apprehension, he requested his father to stop tilling and Sujaan consented. Bhola began to return home with the oxen but Sujaan continued to scatter the seeds. He returned home after half an hour. After some time, Sujaan lifted the plough and began to walk towards the fields. A sleepy Bhola saw his father walk out of the house carrying the plough but could not bring himself to get up. He had never worked so hard because he had inherited a readymade domestic sphere which he had been managing somehow. Sujaan’* hard work became the talk of the entire village.
It was the month of Chait/Chaitra (first month of the Hindu year). The fields had yielded their crop. Heaps of grain were piled up in several places. This was the time when the farmers realised the worth of their laborious toil – when their hearts filled up with pride for the success that they had reaped. Sujaan filled up the wicker baskets with grain and passed them on to his sons who dispatched them to their house. A considerable number of beggars, tramps and flatterers gathered around Sujaan Bhagat, hoping to receive something. Among them was the sadhu who had approached their house about eight months ago and had to return from their doorstep disappointed. Sujaan not only gave him enough grain but also carried it himself to his village. Today, he had been able to restore the respect he had lost.
After eight months of hard work and toil, Sujaan was getting the fruits of his labour. That day, he also regained all the authority and decision-making power that he had lost. Love and affection is a very important part of human life. It can make an old man young again. Sujaan was filled with love and affection. He looked at Bhola with eyes full of pride and proclaimed, “ of the fakirs and tramps standing here should leave empty-handed”. Bhola stood there with his head bowed low. He did not have the courage to say anything. He had been defeated by his elderly father.
