Reliving Premchand: A Recap Of Thakur Ka Kuan (Thakur's Well)

Munshi Premchand is one of the most renowned Hindi- Urdu writer all over the Globe. All of his writings are based in the Indian subcontinent exploring the mundane normative practices of the society in Pre-Independent India. The themes Premchand explores places his novels and short stories into an intense genre for understanding the societal structure of caste and high born/low born and the discriminative practices in the society, its horrors and repercussions on the victimized.

Amongst many famous works of Premchand like Godan, Poos Ki Raat, Gabaan and many more there is a short story named "Thakur ka Kuan" which translates as Thakur's Well in English and here is a small recap of this story which tells us about the extents simple Thirst for water can take one to.

Thakur ka Kuan starts with a low born couple (untouchables at the time story was written) Jhokhu and Gangi. Jhokhu is very sick and he felt the thirst for water and thus asked Gangi to hand him a Lota of water. As he took the Lota to his mouth he flinched away as the water was stinking like hell. Gangi too confirmed that water was stinky and suggested that some creature must have died in the container. But the real problem was Gangi was more terrified. Being a low born Gangi was only allowed to draw water from one well which was far from her home and she was the only one to go and fetch it every evening.

The nearest well belonged to Thakur
( high born) who would have never allowed her to draw water from his well. It was a scorching afternoon of summer and Jhokhu's thirst reached such a level that he was even ready to drink filthy water to quench his thirst. Gangi condemned him of drinking it and asked him to be patient as she went out to arrange fresh water. Jhokhu even warns her regarding the beating and abuse she can receive if she was caught drawing water from Thakur's well. Premchand in this scene has tried to show the misery low born had to go through in pre-independent India and how a natural resource like Water was someone's personal property.

It was until late night Gangi waited outside the house of Thakur to creep in like a thief to get some water. Gangi while waiting for the whole Thakur family to sleep overheard the conversation of the high born women. They were complaining about how these Thakurs never come to fetch water and just order the women to do all the stuff as slaves. Though Gangi didn't realize it there she also was the sole person responsible to bring water to the male of her family. Here Premchand makes the readers realize a deeper fact regarding the oppression all women have to face in one way of another.

The last scene where Gangi creeps into Thakur's courtyard to fetch water is described just like a thief trying to get away with the theft. Though she manages to get the water safely while tiptoeing backward she was almost caught. The ending scene of the story shows the helplessness and extent of Jhokhu's thirst as the moment Gangi arrives home with fresh Lota of water, She watches Jhokhu drink that filthy water, which makes her realize that Jhokhu's thirst has defeated all the efforts she put into bringing that one Lota of water from Thakur's well.