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Premchand 30min Speech

The speech explores the life and works of Munshi Premchand, a significant figure in Indian literature known for his commitment to realism and social justice. It highlights three of his powerful short stories: 'Shatranj ke Khiladi,' 'Sadgati,' and 'Poos ki Raat,' each addressing themes of apathy, injustice, and human suffering. Premchand's legacy lies in his ability to make the marginalized visible and challenge societal norms through his unornamented yet impactful storytelling.

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Aryansh Raj Saxena
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32 views4 pages

Premchand 30min Speech

The speech explores the life and works of Munshi Premchand, a significant figure in Indian literature known for his commitment to realism and social justice. It highlights three of his powerful short stories: 'Shatranj ke Khiladi,' 'Sadgati,' and 'Poos ki Raat,' each addressing themes of apathy, injustice, and human suffering. Premchand's legacy lies in his ability to make the marginalized visible and challenge societal norms through his unornamented yet impactful storytelling.

Uploaded by

Aryansh Raj Saxena
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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30-Minute Word-to-Word Speech on Premchand

Good morning everyone,

Today, I want to take you into the world of a writer who didn’t just write fiction but
sculpted the conscience of India. A man who turned words into weapons of truth, and
stories into mirrors for society.

That man is Munshi Premchand.

In the next 30 minutes, I’ll explore three of his most powerful short stories:
1. Shatranj ke Khiladi
2. Sadgati
3. Poos ki Raat

Each of these stories, while very different in tone and form, reflect Premchand’s bold
commitment to realism, social justice, and human emotion.

Let us begin by understanding the man behind the words.

---

Introduction to Premchand (4 minutes)

Born in 1880 as Dhanpat Rai Srivastava in Lamhi village near Varanasi, Premchand lived
during a time of massive social upheaval — the British Raj, social reforms, nationalist
movements. He adopted the pen name "Premchand" and became known as Upanyas Samrat
— the Emperor of Novels.

What set Premchand apart was his ability to capture the everyday pain, dignity, and
hypocrisy of Indian life. He wrote in both Urdu and Hindi, bringing realism to the forefront.
His language was not ornate, but it was powerful. His characters were not extraordinary,
but they were real.

He didn’t escape into fantasy. Instead, he made literature face reality — harsh, cruel, but
also deeply human.

---

Story 1: Shatranj ke Khiladi (7 minutes)

Set in the princely state of Awadh, in the year 1856, Shatranj ke Khiladi is a satire wrapped
in quiet absurdity. The British are preparing to annex the kingdom, and society is on the
verge of collapse. But where is the nobility?
Two noblemen, Mirza Sajjad Ali and Mir Roshan Ali, are busy playing chess. Day after day,
they meet not to discuss politics, not to protect their land or people, but to engage in a game
that consumes them.

They are so addicted that they neglect their families, ignore the warnings of invasion, and
even when the king flees, they flee too — but only to find a quiet place to continue their
game.

The chessboard becomes a metaphor — a symbol of their indifference, and by extension,


the larger apathy of the Indian elite during British colonization.

Literary Devices Used:


- Irony: The ultimate irony is that the players, obsessed with imaginary wars on the board,
lose the real war outside.
- Symbolism: The chessboard is a miniature kingdom; the game represents life, strategy,
politics, and ultimately, failure.
- Satire: Premchand uses gentle mockery to expose the moral decay of the feudal class.
- Foreshadowing: Their obsession hints early on that they will lose everything.

A key line: "Unhe desh ki chinta nahi thi, unhe sirf apni chaal ki chinta thi." (They weren't
worried about the fate of the nation, only about their next move.)

This story critiques both colonialism and the Indian elite, and remains painfully relevant
today.

---

Story 2: Sadgati (9 minutes)

Now, from satire we move to tragedy.

Sadgati, which translates to "deliverance," is about Dukhi, a Dalit laborer who visits a
Brahmin priest to request a date for his daughter’s wedding. Instead of helping him, the
Brahmin exploits him, making him chop wood for hours under the hot sun. Dukhi, underfed
and overworked, collapses and dies.

His body lies there all day.

The Brahmin, obsessed with caste purity, refuses to touch the body. Finally, he uses a
bamboo stick to drag Dukhi’s corpse and dump it in a ditch.

That’s how the story ends. No redemption. No closure. Just silence.

Literary Devices Used:


- Irony: The title "Sadgati" is deeply ironic. There is no spiritual liberation here — only
physical disposal.
- Realism: Brutally honest in its depiction of caste violence and social hypocrisy.
- Symbolism: Dukhi’s rotting body symbolizes the decay of moral and religious values.
- Juxtaposition: The priest’s calm ritualistic life is placed against Dukhi’s suffering and death.
- Allusion: The story alludes to religious texts promising moksha, and questions whether
such salvation exists for the oppressed.

Premchand shows how rituals without compassion are empty. This story is short, but it hits
like a hammer.

It forces us to ask: If society treats its weakest like this, what kind of salvation can we claim
to offer?

---

Story 3: Poos ki Raat (8 minutes)

Let us now turn to Poos ki Raat, a story that is quiet but devastating.

Halku, a poor farmer, finally gets three rupees. His wife, Munni, wants to use it to buy
materials to protect their crops from animals. But Halku, who has been sleeping in the open
during freezing winter nights, chooses instead to buy a blanket.

That night, he sleeps peacefully for the first time. He wakes up to find that animals have
destroyed his entire crop. His wife is furious. But Halku simply smiles and says:
"Raat bhar ek pal ko bhi to thand nahi lagi." ("Not even for a moment was I cold last night.")

Literary Devices Used:


- Irony: He finds comfort at the cost of survival. His smile is not victory, but surrender.
- Pathos: The reader feels deep sorrow for Halku, not because of what he says, but what he
doesn’t.
- Minimalism: The story is sparse, quiet, and every word matters.
- Metaphor: The cold is not just weather, it’s a metaphor for suffering and indifference.

This is not a dramatic tragedy, but a tragedy of fatigue. Halku is not foolish — he’s just tired.
Premchand shows us that sometimes, even comfort is a form of rebellion.

---

Common Themes & Literary Brilliance (5 minutes)

Across these three stories, Premchand explores recurring themes:


- Injustice: Whether it’s colonial injustice, caste violence, or economic despair, his
characters are always crushed by something larger than them.
- Apathy: The failure to act, the refusal to help, the turning away from suffering — all deeply
embedded in Indian society.
- Silence: Premchand is a master of what is not said. The pauses, the silences, the unspoken
pain — these speak louder than any dialogue.

His literary style is:


- Unornamented: He uses simple, accessible Hindi/Urdu that connects deeply with readers.
- Symbolic: From chessboards to corpses to blankets, his objects carry deep meaning.
- Layered: His stories operate on multiple levels — social, political, emotional, and spiritual.

---

Premchand's Legacy (4 minutes)

Premchand laid the foundation for social realism in Indian literature. He didn’t just
entertain — he challenged. He didn’t just describe society — he interrogated it.

He influenced generations of writers like Bhisham Sahni, Phanishwar Nath Renu, and
Harishankar Parsai. But more than that, he changed how we see the poor, the outcast, the
invisible.

He made them visible. He made them human.

He made us uncomfortable — and that is the mark of great literature.

---

Conclusion (2 minutes)

To conclude: Premchand didn’t write for applause. He wrote to awaken.

Shatranj ke Khiladi warns us about the dangers of inaction.


Sadgati exposes the rot of caste and religious hypocrisy.
Poos ki Raat reveals the quiet despair of the poor.

In Premchand’s world, even silence screams.

And maybe, if we listen closely, it will change us too.

Thank you.

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