Panchlight Questions and Answers

 

Question 1: Why did the village leaders want to do puja of the petromax lamp?

Answer: The village leaders wanted to do a puja of the petromax lamp because they thought that it would not be appropriate to use a technical object with nuts and bolts without first having it suitably blessed.

 

Question 2: Who was Agnu Mahto? What did he ask the villagers to not do?

Answer: Agnu Mahto was an orderly. He asked the villagers not to touch the panchlight.

 

Question 3: Why did the chief get a discount while buying the lamp? What effect did this have on the villagers?

Answer: The shopkeeper thought that the chief himself has come to his shop for buying panchlight so, he gave him a discount. The villagers looked at the chief with new respect.

 

Question 4: Read and answer the questions:
“Don’t take me for an ignorant rustic. I have seen lots of Panchlights.”

(a) Who said this and to whom?

Answer: The chief of Mahto Toli said this to the shopkeeper.

(b) What did the listener say or do in response?

Answer: The listener offered discount to the chief thinking that he himself came to his shop for buying the Panchlight.

 

Question 5: Did the opinion of the villagers about the chief begin to change later? Why?

Answer: Yes, the opinion of the villagers about the chief began to change later. This is because even though the chief purchased puja material with the ten rupees that were left over but he did not purchase spirit which was important to light the panchlight. He also didn’t think before making purchase about how and who would light the panchlight.

 

Question 6: Why were people from neighbourhood community not called for help?

Answer: People from the neighbourhood community were not called for help thinking that they would taunt the villagers at the slightest pretext.

 

Question 7: Why were the people from the Rajput Toli laughing at the villagers?

Answer: The people from the Rajput Toli were laughing at the villagers because the offerings for the puja were ready, the singers were waiting with their drums, cymbals and bells while the Panchlight stood in the middle of it all and no one from the villagers knew how to light the Panchlight.

 

Question 8: Why was Godhan banned from interacting with the villagers?

Answer: Godhan was banned from interacting with the villagers because Munri’s mother Gulri Kaki complained against him to the panchayat that he would look at her daughter and sing songs from the film. Moreover, he had come from another village and had not given a single paisa to the Panchayat.

 

Question 9: How did the Panchayat solve the issue of Godhan, who is ostracized in the community, lighting the Panchlight?

Answer: The chief said that they should forget about his banishment. Now, the honour of the community was in danger. The secretary and other members also agreed. The chief sent his orderly to Godhan with the request to come and light the panchlight. Godhan refused to come. The chief was in dilemma. But then, Gulri Kaki went and persuaded him to light the panchlight.

 

Question 10: How did the Panchlight prove to be a boon for Godhan?

Answer: No one in the Toli knew how to light the panchlight. Then, they came to know that Godhan knew it. Now the panchayat was in a dilemma. They had taken a unanimous decision to ostracise Godhan. The entire village was fed up with Godhan singing lewd songs and staring at girls. Munri’s mother had complained against him. He had come from another village. But he had not given a single paisa to the Panchayat. He was banned. He was not allowed to talk to anyone from the Toli. But the chief said that they should forget about his banishment. Now the honour of the community was in danger. The secretary and other members also agreed. The chief sent his orderly to Godhan with the request to come and light the panchlight. Godhan refused to come. The chief was in dilemma. He did not know what to do. Then, Gulri Kaki said that she would go and try to appease him. She went and persuaded Godhan to come. He came and lighted the panchlight. The Panchayat forgave him. In this way, the panchlight proved to be boon for Godhan.