Thakur’s Well

By Munshi Premchand
Summary: Gangi, a Dalit woman, tries to fetch water from a well that belonged
to the high-classThakur. She is not allowed to draw water from that well. So,
she tries to get water at night for herthirsty and sick husband. However, at the
last moment she is caught drawing water and rushes backto home without
water. Her husband, Jokhu drinks the stinking water because of his thirst.
Question Answers from Textbook “Indian Weaves”
1. Why did Gangi not allow Jokhu to drink the stinking water?
Ans: Gangi did not allow Jokhu to drink the stinking water because it would
make him more sick/aggravate his illness.

2. What, according to Gangi, might have made the water stink?

Ans: Gangi thought that an animal must have fallen into the well and drowned
causing the waterto stink.

3. How many wells were there in Gangi’s village and to whom did they
belong?
Ans: There were three wells in Gangi’s village. One belonged to the Thakur,
The second belonged
to Sahuji and the third was for the untouchables/Dalits.
4. What could happen to Gangi if she tried to get water from the wells which
were barred forher?
Ans: If Gangi tried to get water from the wells which were barred for her she
would be cursed,beaten or charged high price.

5. How did Jokhu explain that nobody felt their pain?

Ans: Jokhu said that even when they die, no one comes to help them or help
with their funerals.This shows that the high-class people never understand
the pain of the Dalits.

6. How do we know that the Punditji was a crooked man?

Ans: Punditji’s house was a round-the-clock den of gamblers. So, we know that he
was a crookedman.

7. Why did two other women call themselves “bondwomen”?

Ans: The two other women said that they were like bondwomen because they
were ordered todo hard work by men of the house without any return.

8. What is the significance of “amrita” in this text?

Ans: Premchand compares the water to “amrita” or heavenly
elixir because it was as importantfor survival, yet as difficult to obtain.
Why was Gangi unable to bring water home?
2

Ans: When Gangi was drawing water from Thakur’s well, Thakur discovered
her and she had to
rush back to save herself. So, she could not bring back water as the water
container accidentally
dropped into the well.
10. What was the tragedy waiting Gangi at home?
Ans: When Gangi returned home she saw that Jokhu was drinking the polluted
stinking water.
This was the tragedy
The Thakur’s well is a short story by Premchand written in the year 1932.
The story talks of caste discrimination through which the people are denied of
the basic need i.e. water. The story begins with sick Jhoku nearing the lota to his
mouth to drink the water and he finds it stinking. So he spoke a bit harsh to
Gangi, his wife. Gangi refills the vessels with water from the well which is far
away. As the couple belonged to the so called low caste they are not supposed to
drink water from the two nearby well which belonged to Thakur and another to
the shopkeeper.
Jhoku asks Gangi to bring the water and he’ll drink it. But Gangi was not ready
as the water could worse his health. She was not aware that heating the water
will make it safe. So Gangi says she will bring water from Thakur’s well to
drink, but Jhoku objects saying that she’ll be back home with broken legs or
hands. But she decides to go for the sake of her husband.
When she was out it was nine. Most of the place was calm and some were there
talking of Thakur, about how he bribed the police officials and other things he
did unlawfully. By this time Gangi was waiting near the well to fetch water.
Waiting there she also thinks how they are called as low caste and just wearing
the thread around would make one belonging to the upper caste. She thought,
they stole, they heated and they lied in court. And suddenly she heard voice of
people coming near and that was voice of two women, Gangi hears them talking
of their husbands and how badly they treat them also that they doesn’t allow
them to take rest.
After the women are gone, Gangi slowly moves towards the well and let her
rope which is tied to the bucket slowly to fetch water without any noise. And
she was praying the almighty to be her side and do the favour. And when the
bucket was reaching up, she was ready to catch it and to place it on the wall of
the well. But all of a sudden Thakur’s door was opened, by now the rope
escaped from her hand and made a big splashing sound into the wall. Thakur
starts to shout who is there and out of the fear Gangi jumped dowm and ran as
fast as she could,escaped by whiskers and reached home. When she enters the
room she witnesses Jhoku drinking the stinking water from the lota
“THE THAKUR’S WELL” BY PREMCHAND
Thakur Ka Kuan

Jhokhu brought the lota to his mouth but the water smelled foul. He said to

Gangi, 'What kind of water is this? It stinks so much I can't drink it! My

throat's burning and you give me water that's turned bad.' Every evening

Gangi filled the water jugs. The well was a long way off and it was hard for

her to make several trips. She'd brought this water yesterday and there'd

been no bad smell at all. How could it be there now? She lifted the lota to

her nostrils and it certainly smelt foul. Surely some animal must have fallen

into the well and died. But she didn't know where else she could get any

water.

No one would let her walk up to the Thakur's well. Even while she was far

off, people would start yelling at her. At the other end of the village, the

shopkeeper had a well but even there they wouldn't let her draw water. For

people like herself there wasn't any well in the village.

Jhokhu, who'd been sick for several days, held back his thirst for a little

while. Then he said, 'I'm so thirsty I can't stand it. Bring me the water, I'll

hold my nose and drink a little.

Gangi did not give it to him. His sickness would get worse from drinking

bad water-that much she knew. But she didn't know that by boiling the water

it would be made safe. She said, ‘How can you drink it? Who knows what

kind of beast has died in it! I'll go and get you some water from the well.'

Surprised, Jokhu stared at her. 'Where can you get more water?'

'The Thakur and the shopkeeper both have wells. Won't they let me fill just

one lota!'

'You'll come back with your arms and legs broken, that's all. You'd better
just sit down and keep quiet. The Brahman will give a curse, the Thakur will

beat you with a stick, and that money-lending shopkeeper takes five for

every one he gives. Do you think people like that are going to let you draw

water from their wells.’ Harsh truth was in these words and Gangi could not

deny it. But she wouldn't let him drink that stinking water.

By nine at night the dead-tired field hands were fast asleep. Gangi reached

the Thakur's property to get water from his well.

The dim glow of a small oil lamp lit up the well. Gangi sat hidden behind

the wall and began to wait for the right moment. Everybody in the village

drank the water from his well. It was closed to nobody; only those unlucky

ones like herself could not use their buckets here.

Gangi [suddenly felt very angry.] Why was she so low and those others so

high! Because they wore a thread around their necks? There wasn't one of

them in the village who wasn't rotten. They stole, they cheated, they lied in

court, [then how were they so high and mighty?]

She heard people approaching the well and her heart began to pound. If

anybody saw her, she'd get an awful kicking out of it. She grabbed her

bucket and rope and crept away to hide in the dark shadows of a tree.

Two women had come to draw water and they were talking. One said:

‘There they were eating and they order us to get more water.' 'The men folk

get jealous if they think they see us sitting around taking it easy.'

'That's right, and you'll never see them pick up the pitcher and fetch it

themselves.’ They just order us to get it as though we were slaves.'

After they had filled their buckets and left, Gangi came out from the

shadow of the tree and drew close to the well platform. The idlers had left,
the Thakur had shut his door and gone inside to the courtyard to sleep. Gangi

took a moment to sigh with relief. On every side, the field was clear. Gangi

tiptoed up on to the well platform. Never before had she felt such a sense of

triumph. She looped the rope around the bucket. Like some soldier stealing into
the enemy's fortress at night she peered cautiously on every side. If she were

caught now, the slightest hope of mercy or leniency won't be there. Finally,

with a prayer to the gods, she mustered her courage and cast the bucket into

the well. Slowly, slowly it sank in the water. There was not the slightest sound.

Gangi yanked it back up with all her might to the rim of the well. No
strongarmed athlete could have dragged it up more swiftly.

She had just stooped to catch it and set it on the wall when suddenly the

Thakur's door opened. The jaws of a tiger could not have terrified her more.

The rope escaped from her hand. With a crash the bucket fell into the

water, the rope after it, and for a few seconds there were sounds of

splashing. Yelling 'Who's there' Who's there?' the Thakur came toward the well
and Gangi jumped from the platform and ran way as fast as she could. When
she reached home, Jokhu, with the lota at his mouth, was drinking that filthy,
stinking water.
1) Jokhu was thirsty. Why did he not drink the water his wife had brought?
2) What was the ‘harsh truth’ Jokhu pointed out to his wife?
3) i) Why was the Thakur not convicted in a certain case even though he Social
Injustice was guilty?
ii) What trait of the Thakur’s character does this bring out?
4) Why did Gangi go to the Thakur’s well at night?
5) Which of these words describe the so-called ‘high-caste’ people?
dishonest, corrupt, innocent, rotten, kind,
high-handed, cruel, generous, powerful
6) Why did the women consider themselves to be slaves? What do you think
was the position of women at that point of time?
Burning Issues ii) Gangi faces “double discrimination. Discuss.
7) Why did she leave the bucket in the well?
8) What do you think happened to Jokhu after he drank the stinking water?
9) Should everyone in society be treated as equal? What do you do in your
life to bring this about?