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The Salt Inspector: Page 4
A week passed. It was evening time. The old Munshi sat chanting God's name when a grand vehicle stopped at the door. The windows of the carriage were draped in green and pink curtains. A pair of foreign breed bullocks with blue ribbons around their necks and bronze-capped horns pulled the carriage. Several servants with lathis resting on their shoulders had followed the vehicle. The old Munshi hurried to welcome the guest; the guest was Pandit Alopideen. The Munshi bowed in reverence and gushed, "It is our great fortune that you should visit us. We worship you. But I feel ashamed to show my face because my son has blackened it. My son is a disgrace. There would have been no need for me to hide my face from you, otherwise. It would have been better if God had kept me childless instead of giving me such a son."
Alopideen said, "No sir, do not say such things."
"What else can I say of such a son?" Munshi asked in surprise.
Alopideen said in an affectionate voice, "In this world, which glorifies the deeds of men, how many dutiful people can you find who can sacrifice everything for the sake of duty?"
Alopideen turned to Vanshidhar and said, "Inspector, I have not come here to flatter you; there was no need for me to take all this trouble to do that. You arrested me that night on the strength of the powers vested in you; today, I have come voluntarily to surrender myself. I have met thousands of rich and wealthy people; I have dealt with thousands of high officials. But the only person who could triumph over me is you. I enslaved everyone on the strength of my wealth. If I have your permission, I would like to say something."
When Vanshidhar saw Alopideen, he welcomed him, but proudly. He assumed the man had come to humiliate and make fun of him. He did not ask for Alopideen's forgiveness as his father; his father's wheedling tone irritated him. But when he listened to Pandit Alopideen, his misgivings vanished. He glanced at Panditji's face; it showed only goodwill. Pride bowed down before shame. "You are generous to say such things," he said. "I ask for forgiveness for all my insolence. I was bound by duty; otherwise, I am but your servant. To whatever you have to say, your wish will be my command."
Alopideen said humbly, "You did not listen to my prayers on the river bank that night. But you must agree to my request today."
Vanshidhar said, "I do not have any qualities, but I will try my best to fulfill any service you demand from me."
Alopideen removed a stamp paper from his bag and presented it to Vanshidhar. "Please sign this paper and accept this job. I will not withdraw from here till you sign the paper."
Munshi Vanshidhar read the paper and his eyes filled with tears of gratitude. Pandit Alopideen had appointed him as the manager of his entire property. Over and above the annual salary of six thousand rupees, the manager was entitled to daily expenses, would get a horse for riding, and would be served by servants at no extra cost. "Panditji, I do not have enough words to express my gratitude for your generosity. I do not think I am competent to hold such a high position," he said in a shaky voice.
Alopideen laughed and said jocosely, "At present, I need an incompetent person!"
"I am your servant. It will be my great fortune to serve a distinguished gentleman like you. But I do not have the knowledge, or the wisdom, or the disposition to compensate for my inabilities. You need an experienced person for a job of such great importance," Vanshidhar said gravely.
Alopideen removed a pen from the pen holder and gave it to Vanshidhar. He said, "I do not need a person with learning, experience, insight, or expertise; I have come to understand the worth of these qualities. Now, fortune and luck have handed me a pearl before which the brightness of all qualifications and knowledge turn pale. Take this pen and, without thinking further on the subject, sign the papers. I pray to God to always keep you as the same arrogant, insolent, stern but devoted-to-duty salt inspector whom I had met on the river bank."
Vanshidhar's eyes welled with tears. His heart proved to be only a small pot that was incapable of holding so much gratitude. He glanced at Panditji with respect and signed the papers with trembling hands.
Alopideen embraced Vanshidhar joyfully.
Summary
"Namak ka Daroga" is a simple story with a moral like most stories by Munshi Premchand. One of the takeaways from the story is that honesty and dedication to duty get their due reward even in a society ridden with corruption.
Vanshidhar has completed his education, and it is now time to look for a job. His father, who has knowledge and experience of the world, advises him to find a job that can earn him extra income over and above his salary.
Vanshidhar gets the job of a salt inspector, a position that can earn him a large extra income. Within a few months after joining duty, Vanshidhar has an opportunity to make lots of money fast. He catches Pandit Alopideen, an influential landowner, in the act of smuggling salt. Pandit Alopideen offers to pay as much as forty thousand rupees, which must have been a fortune during the days the story was published, to settle the matter. But Vanshidhar, much to the chagrin of his staff, refuses to accept the money. Even his jamadar, Badlu Singh, thinks he is a fool.
The case goes to court. The magic of Alopideen's wealth works even in the court. The court dismisses the case while observing that the evidence against Alopideen is misleading and that Vanshidhar, though conscientious of his duties and responsibilities, has caused much suffering to an innocent person.
A few days later, Vanshidhar is suspended from his job. A bleak future stares at Vanshidhar. But the tale has a happy ending when Alopideen comes and offers Vanshidhar the job of the manager of his property. The salary is grand, and there are other perks besides. Vanshidhar accepts the job. That is the story in a nutshell.
But readers might feel somewhat puzzled as to why an upright officer like Vanshidhar should accept the job offered by a smuggler. To understand this, one needs to go back in time to when the story was published. Here is a possible explanation. But be warned that it is a personal interpretation and may lack general appeal.
This story was published in 1925 (source: Wikipedia). Salt, the God-given commodity, was a heavily taxed commodity at that time. The reason for this was to discourage its local use so that it could be imported or to compel people to buy at a high price to earn more profits for the British. The people were naturally against this tax and protested. The protest eventually led Mahatma Gandhi to launch the Salt Satyagraha in 1930.
In such a situation, if Alopideen smuggled salt to reach the homes of people — at a profit to him, of course — he might not have been looked down on as a grave sinner.
Vanshidhar, as a salt inspector, owed his allegiance to the British Government, and he performed his duties honestly. But following his suspension, the loyalty ended and, then, there was no reason for him to see Alopideen through the eyes of the British Government.
But, as mentioned earlier, this is a personal interpretation; you may choose to disregard it and arrive at your own conclusions from the context provided.
Some useful links for
your career:
- Union Public Service Commission - www.upsc.gov.in
- IIT-Kharagpur - www.iitkgp.ac.in
- Indian Statistical Institute - www.isical.ac.in
- Indian Institute of Technology Madras - www.iitm.ac.in
- Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad - www.iimahd.ernet.in
- Indian Institute of Mass Commission - www.iimc.nic.in
- IIT Bombay - www.iitb.ac.in
- Indian School of Mines, Dhanbad - www.ismdhanbad.ac.in
- Birla Institute of Technology, Ranchi - www.bitmesra.ac.in
- Central Institute of Fisheries Nautical and Engineering Training - www.cifnet.nic.in
- Indian Institute of Information Technology, Allahabad (Deemed University) - www.iiita.ac.in
- Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute, Kochi - www.cmfri.com
- Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai - www.tiss.edu