Location: Madhuban Village. Time: Late afternoon, end of Phalguna (early spring). Villagers gather in concern.
First Peasant: Forced labor (begar) was abolished entirely by Thakur Sahib! Why is pulse-grinding forced labor being demanded from our homes suddenly now?
Fattu: The landlord's whim! He abolished forced labor by his own decree, and now he reinstates it by his own decree.
Haldhar: What made him so angry at us? It was only four or five days ago that he entertained us with the magic lantern show! We left no stone unturned in extending warm hospitality to him.
Fattu: Brother, landlords are like kings—their moods shift constantly! Today they are pleased and shower wealth on you; tomorrow they take offense and get you trampled under an elephant's foot.
Haldhar: A landlord's mood doesn't change without reason! He used to tell us never to perform forced labor for any government officer. Now he issues this harsh command! Something must have happened against his wish.
Fattu: Who knows? Maybe someone at home taunted him that the tenants have become spoiled and arrogant, so he decided to show us who is boss by demanding pulse-grinding labor! Or maybe he has a huge store of un-milled lentils that he wants ground for sale.
Several Peasants: Yes, that must be it. Whatever command he issues, we have no choice but to obey—otherwise where will we live?
First Peasant: What if we refuse to perform forced labor?
Fattu: Don't even dream of it! He will make our lives living hell. If he does nothing else, he can simply withhold our rent receipts! Where will you appeal, who will listen to a poor tenant, and how many times can you run to the law courts? And even in court, who will side with a poor farmer against a wealthy landlord?
Several Peasants: We don't even have time to die right now, let alone run to law courts! Harvest is standing in the fields, sugarcane must be planted, and grain threshed. It is better to obey whatever the landlord commands than ruin our crops in litigation.
Fattu: Send one woman from each household to perform the pulse-grinding work, but pick the elderly women!
Haldhar: Not every household has an elderly woman, Uncle!
Fattu: Well, I will never advise sending young daughters or daughters-in-law to the estate headquarters!
Haldhar: Is there any danger there?
Fattu: You don't know the estate guards and constables! Are they all saints sitting there?
Haldhar: Who will go from my house then?
Fattu: Send old Aunt Saloni on your behalf. Look, here she comes herself!
(Enter Saloni.)
Fattu: Aunt Saloni! You'll have to go to the landlord's estate house for pulse-grinding labor on behalf of Haldhar's household!
Saloni: (Laughing) Why not, son? I'll gladly go! I'll grind five pounds of pulse and get a full stomach of food in return!
Significance & Themes
- The Fragility of Feudal Benevolence: Sabal Singh's sudden reinstatement of forced labor (begar) after Rajeshwari's rejection exposes how landlord benevolence is often a personal luxury, easily revoked when feudal ego is wounded.
- Peasant Vulnerability: The villagers' helplessness demonstrates how legal systems and land tenure rules leave poor farmers completely at the mercy of landlord whims.