July 2004-05 is the 125th birth anniversary year of the great Hindi literateur, Munshi Premchand. Two programmes were recently organised in Delhi and Allahabad in this context where writers, critics and intellectuals analysed his views, as reflected in his writings and his legacy as is relevant today.

In the seminar organised in Rajendra Bhawan Auditorium at Delhi, on November 6, 2004, speakers said that the exploited and deprived peasants and workers that Munshi Premchand always wrote about, are yet to accomplish their dream of being free. Thus his novels and stories find relevance today as well. In his historical period of the 19th and 20th century, Premchand was giving cultural expression to the new awareness developing in the fields of thoughts, philosophy, politics and society. He moved from idealism towards realism. In the 1920s, before Gandhi became a national figure, the desire for freedom from foreign rule, exploitation and injustice and the need of Hindu-Muslim unity for the freedom of Indian masses could be well sensed in his literary works. Later he was influenced by Gandhi as well, but by the 1940s, he was disillusioned by Gandhi’s idealism and he reflected an active support to communist revolutionary principles in his writings, letters and discussions. Thus, the ideal of actual liberation of the poor Indian peasants was of the prime importance in Premchand’s thoughts, while liberation of peasants from feudal exploitation did not find any place on Gandhi’s agenda.

This seminar at Delhi was organised by a cultural organization named ‘Sanskriti Sarokar’ in association with Rajendra Prasad Academy and the programme was conducted by Shri Pankaj Singh. The speakers present included intellectuals and writers like Shri Rajendra Yadav (Editor, ‘Hans’), Dr. Vishwanath Tripathi, Prof. Alok Rai, Prof. Sudhish Pachauri, Prof. Gopeshwar Singh, Shri Raj Kishore, Dr. Jyotish Joshi, Shri Murli Manohar Prasad Singh, Dr. Rekha Awasthi, Shri Trinetra Joshi, Shri Rajiv Kunwar Singh and Dr. Khagendra Thakur.

In Allahabad, a series of programmes were successfully organised in the memory of Premchand.

On December 3, a poster exhibition reliving the characters and events of the creative world of Premchand was organised.

In the Students’ Union Hall of Allahabad University, two sessions were devoted to a discussion on “Premchand ki Virasat” (Premchand’s Legacy) on December 4, 2004.

This convention predominantly revealed that Premchand utilized his complete humanitarian concern to create a consciousness for struggle and resistance against injustice. He desired the defeat of feudalism, growing capitalism and colonialism. In his last incomplete novel, ‘Mangalsutra’, he presented armed struggle as the only way against the criminals responsible for oppression and exploitation. He clearly understood communalism and he forewarned his readers against its designs of penetrating the human mind under cultural disguise. He also said that it is this capitalist economy and culture which harbours communalism. Premchand constantly remained active in the field of literature and culture, living with the dream of a new, exploitation-free society. His works had a strong love for the country hidden in them, that was based on the development and liberation of the hardworking common people.

The convention also discussed the current threats and challenges from imperialism being posed in the name of globalization, in the light of Premchand’s views and it expressed disagreement with the anti-peasant, anti-labour policies being imposed on India on the dictates of World Trade Organization, International Monetary Fund and World Bank. Such issues as more than 18,000 peasants committing suicide during past few years in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Punjab and some others parts of the country, which prove the comprador character of Indian Government, were also discussed and it was concluded that Indian ruling classes, i.e. the nexus between feudals and capitalists acting as brokers for imperialism, are shamelessly exploiting Indian masses. Premchand’s legacy can be taken ahead only by building up an awareness for social resistance and struggle against all this.

In this programme, the Dalit writer Kanwal Bharti, expressing his anger against the burning of the editions of Premchand’s novel ‘Rangbhoomi’, condemned that act. He said that just like other writings of Premchand, ‘Rangbhoomi’ too gives the message of a united struggle against exploitation and in the era of oppression by the New Economic Policies, this is an important message.

The other speakers of the programme included Prof. Ali Ahmad Fatmi, Prof. Rajendra Kumar, Prof. Lal Bahadur Verma, Krishna Mohan, Pankaj Singh and Akeel Rizvi etc. The written essay by poetess Katyayni was read out. The programme was conducted by poet Neelabh.

On December 5, at Ghoorpur, 25 km from Allahabad, Parivartan Sanskritik Manch organised a programme for the farmers based on the creations of Premchand, where Premchand’s stories were depicted in the form of folk music and folk-drama. The director of these presentations was Munna Rahi- a farmer and an artist. Parivartan Sanskritik Manch is known for incorporating revolutionary ideas into its presentations. In this convention of Ghoorpur peasant leader Dr. Ashish Mital, Retd. Justice Bhagwant Prasad, Prof. Rajendra Kumar, Neelabh, Vijay Singh Chitori and Pankaj Singh addressed the village gathering.