Premchand: Ghar Main / پریم چند: گھر میں

by Shivrani Devi, Hasan Manzar (Translator)

Hardcover

Reviews

[Rajiv Choudhary · Rating 4 out of 5]

शिवरानी देवी द्वारा लिखित प्रेमचंद की संस्मरणात्मक जीवनी 'प्रेमचंद घर में' कई मायनों में पढ़ने योग्य है. इस पुस्तक का प्रथम प्रकाशन सन् 1944 में हुआ था. लेकिन वर्षों अनुपलब्ध रहा. जो पुस्तक मेरे हाथ लगी उसे बंगाल के रोशनाई प्रकाशन ने 2005 में छापा है. जिसकी भूमिका प्रेमचंद के नाती प्रबोध कुमार ने लिखी है. जो कि पढ़ने योग्य है.

कैसा होता है किसी बढ़े लेखक की पत्नी होना...? लेखक पाठकों के बीच अपनी एक खास औरा लिए हुए होता है. जिसे पढ़ते हुए उसकी छवि हमारे बीच बनती-बिगड़ती है. लेकिन जब एक पाठिका, पूर्व में लेखिका और लेखक के पत्नी के रूप में (शिवरानी देवी) जब अपने पति के साथ एक लंबा समय व्यतित कर रही होती है तो उसका तालमेल कैसा, क्या रहा होता है हमें देखने को मिलता है.

'प्रेमचंद घर में' लेखक मूंशी प्रेमचंद से जुड़े हुए उनकी पत्नी का घरेलु संस्मरण व जीवनी तो है ही साथ ही एक पति, पिता, भाई, नाना, दोस्त, अधिकारी, लेखक, संपादक आदि के रूप में उनकी अलग-अलग मोर्चे पर जो छवि प्रस्तुत होती है उसे इस पुस्तक को पढ़ने के बाद पता चलता है.

किताब पति-पत्नी के व्यक्तिगत जीवन, घरेलु दिनचर्या का ब्यौरा होने के साथ-साथ उस वक्त के राजनीतिक हलचलों, साहित्यिक जमावड़ो, लेखन, सामाजिक परिवर्तन, भारत के ग्रामीण-कस्बाई एवं ब्रिटिश नौकरशाही व्यवस्था आदि का जीवन के अनुरूप होने वाले घटनाओं के आधार पर खाका खींचता है.

एक लेखक किसी रचना को करने के पूर्व या अपने कंटेंट को अपने आस-पास से कैसा उठा कर उसे साहित्य के केन्द्र में लाता है एवं उसके किरदार हमारे आसपास के जीवन के ही होते है. इस पुस्तक को पढ़ने के बाद पता चलता है कि कैसे प्रेमाश्रम, सेवासदन, गोदान या अन्य रचनाओं के पात्र कैसे लेखक के जीवन के इर्द-गिर्द से उठाये गये है. इस पुस्तक में दिख जाता है.

पुस्तक चूंकि संस्मरणात्मक है तो लेखिका ने उनके अन्तर्मन में आने वाली घटनाओं को तरजीह देते हुए ब्यौरो को उतारा है. इसलिए कई बार ऐसा लगता है कि कई चीजों का दुहराव है. हालांकि उससे ज्यादा फर्क नहीं पढ़ता. बावजूद इस पुस्तक को हर साहित्य प्रेमी को अवश्य पढ़नी चाहिए. जिससे प्रेमचंद को और करीब से जाना जा सके.

अत: अंत में यह समझ नहीं आता कि देश के इतने बढ़े लेखक और इतना कुछ लिखने के बाद जो भारत के समाज का दस्तावेज कहा जा सकता है. प्रेमचंद पर लिखी यह पुस्तक अनुपलब्ध रही या इसकी चर्चा नहीं रही. यही कोई बाहर देश का लेखक होता तो वह कितना तरजीह पाता? दुर्भाग्य है कि हम अपने लेखकों से जुड़े रचनाओं को भी सहेज नहीं पाएं है... पढ़ना तो वैसे भी फैशन से बाहर ही रहा है. खैर.

[Prabhat sharma · Rating 5 out of 5]

Premchand Ghar Me by Shivrani Devi Premchand- The book documents the family life of the celebrated Hindi writer. She has described Munshi Premchand’s life from what she was after her marriage with him. She author has a sharp memory. He was the son of Post office clerk. Thus, he moved from one place of another when his father who was transferred. His mother expired when he was 8-year-old. His father remarried. A tobacconist was his neighbour where he stayed during the day and heard stories. His step mother did not look after him properly. In 1900, he secured the job of Assistant Teacher in Government School, Bahraich. He was soon transferred to District School, Pratapgarh. He was required to complete his teacher’s training which he completed at Allahabad. He was posted to Kanpur after completion of training in 1905 where he remained up to 1909. He visited his home village Lamhi during summer vacation but he did not stay there because of his wife and step- mother quarreled and the atmosphere was not conducive to writing. His wife left and in 1906 he married Shivrani Devi who was widowed at a young age. In the Book, Shivrani Devi writes about his work as Sub-district Inspector of Schools. He had to travel at lot. Shivrani Devi brought financial stability of his life as she maintained the house as well as saved money for future. He met Munshi Daya Narain Nigam editor of Urdu magazine Zamana in which his several patriotic articles written on contemporary subjects were published. Shivrani Devi also wrote stories which were published in Hindi journals. Premchand was staying at Mahoba and travelled to attend his inspection duty. She saved enough money so that Premchand could purchase a bullock cart and travel to schools for inspection with his staff. One of his articles Soz e watan on British raj was brought to the notice of the Collector, Hamirpur. He was called before the Collector who ordered him to provide all copies of the magazine to him to be seized being seditious. The author has a grand memory. The book is filled with dialogues between them. Premchand has to support his step mother and his step brothers with financial assistance throughout his life. From this time, Premchand wrote as pseudonym Dhanpatrai. His stories Prema, Kishna, Soz e watan, Vardaan, Seva Sadan were published. Up to 1914, Premchand wrote in Urdu script, from 1914 he started writing as Premchand in Hindi script. In 1916, he was transferred as Assistant Master in Normal High School, Gorakhpur. He was hostel warden for some time for which he was paid separate allowance. Effect of first world war made food and other items costly. Illness of himself, his wife and his children brought him in a tight financial position but he kept writing regularly and earned money. The importance of this book is that it brings to ligiht the impact of freedom struggle on life and thinking of Premchand. By 1920, freedom movement was on its zenith. Mahatma Gandhi visited Gorakhpur. From 1918 onwards, Premchand was thinking to resign from British Government service and serve the country by writing and by participating in charkha andolan with the help of Hanuman Prasad Poddar. The author convinced that Premchand must resign and join the mainstream of the country. Premchand resigned and joined Mr Poddar for Charkha spinning sale and collection of spun cotton for indegeneous manufacture of khadi products. Premchand was offered another job at Kanpur where he met Ganesh Shankar Vidhyarthi, editor. He was impressed with this hardworking journalist who did all his work on his own with the work of publication of newspaper. He was offered editorship of another magazine Saraswati to be published from Varanasi. Year 1930 came and Gandhi philosophy brought Salt Satyagraha, picketing of sale of liquor shops and picketing sale of foreign goods. Both were living at Lucknow. Shivrani Devi was chosen to lead these programmes with women. She was jailed. She was regarded as a selfless leader in whom all congressmen had confidence. After being released, she was made in-charge of Salt Satyagraha. She garlanded all volunteers to take lead in various areas. In jails, prisoners were classed as A, B and C. C Class where women political prisoners were kept, had less human facilities. Congress started a movement for better facility for C Class prisoners. She led the movement in Lucknow. Premchand put the photograph of his wife in his drawing room. People understood this and respected them. Her daughter was married to a groom from Jabalpur. The country was in turmoil against the British. Shivrani Devi, the author led from the front. Her husband was writing novels on social subjects. His books Rangbhoomi, Nirmala, Prtigya, Gaban were published. In 1931, he was located at Banaras where he edited magazines Maryada and Madhuri. Mahatma Gandhi said that as the average income of an Indian is 6 annas and less, therefore, women should not wear jewels. Shivrani Devi did not wear jewels and they purchased gold jewels for their daughter. Premchand was invited to write stories for Hindi films and a contract for one year was signed. First Premchand left alone. He established himself then brought his family after three months. His sons were admitted to a hostel in Prayag. Descripton of life in Bombay has been done by Balraj Sahni, Amritlal Nagar in their autobiographies but the description scribed by the author is different. Her husband went to the studio to work and returned home and still completed the work. The cook who used to prepare food for Premchand, started absenting himself more. The author asked him not to come from next day. Premchand was well of and paid fees for his sons and invited his son in law also. HIndi Prachar Sabha invited them to Madras. They were further invited to Mysore, Banglore and Pune. The author has praised the effort of Hindi prachar in these south Indian towns. Premchand was offered to visit England for one one year for a contract amount of Rs. 10000/- but thre author did not agree as she was missing her children. They returned filled with love from the journey. After some time they returned to Banaras. On the way they stayed at Khandwa with Makhanlal Chaturvedi. Her daughter was staying in Sagar MP. From Khandwa they visited their daughter at Sagar. Next target was Allahabad. Here they went to Soraon where the sister of the author stayed. Prem Chand settled at Allahabad. He was unwell and was treated at Allahabad and Lucknow. During this period, he shifted to his new house. Maxim Gorky died on 18 June 1936. A meeting was held at Allahabad in memory of Groky. Prem Chand went to attend the programme. He had written a speech but was quite weak and could not read it. Another participant read his speech. This was his last public appearance. He established the press. The author, her sons and daughter served him, looked after him well but he ultimately succumbed to illness and expired. The author has scribed a day to day dialogue with her Prem Chand. It is a good read book for all.

[Riddhima Rajput · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is written by Shivrani Devi w/o great writer Premchand ji. It shows hardships and family life of Premchand ji and how was he as a person, his ideologies and views on different things.Great book to read.