Class 6 English Notes Chapter 7 (Fair Play) – HoneySuckle Book

Detailed Notes with MCQs of Chapter 7, 'Fair Play' from your Honeysuckle textbook. This story is not just about friendship but delves deep into the concepts of justice, responsibility, and the traditional Indian village Panchayat system. It's an important chapter, especially for understanding social values and decision-making, which can be relevant for various competitive exams.

Here are the detailed notes:

Chapter 7: Fair Play

Author: Based on a story by Munshi Premchand (though the textbook doesn't explicitly state this, the themes and style are very similar to his works, and adaptations often draw from them).

Setting: A rural Indian village.

Main Characters:

1. Jumman Shaikh: A village resident, initially a close friend of Algu Chowdhry. He receives property from his old aunt.
2. Algu Chowdhry: Jumman's best friend, known for his fairness. He later becomes the Head Panch in Jumman's case and faces a similar situation himself.
3. Jumman's Aunt: An old woman who transfers her property to Jumman in exchange for care, but is later mistreated. She seeks justice from the Panchayat.
4. Samjhu Sahu: A cart driver who buys a bullock from Algu Chowdhry on credit but mistreats it, leading to its death, and then refuses to pay.

Theme: The central theme is the importance of justice and fairness over personal relationships and biases. It highlights the idea that "The voice of the Panch is the voice of God," meaning the person in the seat of judgment must be impartial and speak the truth, regardless of personal feelings. Other themes include friendship, responsibility, betrayal, and reconciliation.

Plot Summary:

• Part I: The Aunt's Case

  • Jumman Shaikh and Algu Chowdhry are depicted as inseparable friends, trusted and respected in the village.
  • Jumman's old aunt owns some property. She proposes to transfer it to Jumman on the condition that he will look after her for the rest of her life. Jumman agrees.
  • For a couple of years, things go well. But soon, Jumman and his wife become indifferent and hostile towards the aunt. She is denied proper food and feels insulted daily.
  • Patience exhausted, the aunt asks Jumman for a monthly allowance so she can set up her own kitchen. Jumman refuses insultingly.
  • The aunt decides to take her case to the village Panchayat for justice. She goes around explaining her situation to villagers, seeking support. Some sympathise, others laugh, and some advise her to make peace with Jumman.
  • Finally, the Panchayat is held under an old banyan tree. The aunt nominates Algu Chowdhry, Jumman's best friend, as the Head Panch (judge), trusting his sense of fairness.
  • Jumman is initially happy, thinking his friend will favour him.
  • Algu, understanding the gravity and responsibility of the Panch's position, listens to both sides impartially.
  • Algu gives the verdict: Jumman must either pay his aunt a monthly allowance, or the property transfer is cancelled, and the property goes back to her.
  • Jumman is shocked and feels betrayed. This judgment breaks the bond of friendship between Jumman and Algu. Jumman now sees Algu as his enemy and waits for an opportunity for revenge.

• Part II: Algu's Predicament

  • Days pass, and the former friends are estranged.
  • Algu Chowdhry finds himself in a difficult situation ("tight spot"). One of his fine pair of bullocks dies, and he decides to sell the remaining one.
  • Samjhu Sahu, a village cart driver, buys the bullock from Algu on credit, promising to pay the price within a month.
  • Sahu is greedy and cruel. He overworks the bullock mercilessly, making multiple trips a day and not feeding it properly.
  • Within a month, the overworked and underfed bullock dies.
  • Several months later, when Algu asks Sahu for the money, Sahu refuses outright. He becomes abusive and claims he owes Algu nothing, blaming Algu for selling him a "wretched beast" that died soon after.
  • Algu decides to take the case to the Panchayat.

• Part III: The Fair Play

  • The Panchayat is convened again. Sahu cleverly nominates Jumman Shaikh as the Head Panch, knowing about the broken friendship between Jumman and Algu, and expecting Jumman to favour him out of revenge.
  • Algu's heart sinks, fearing the worst.
  • However, as soon as Jumman takes the seat of the Head Panch, he realizes the immense responsibility and dignity of the position. He understands that his personal feelings must not interfere with justice. The "voice of the Panch is the voice of God."
  • After hearing both sides, Jumman delivers the verdict: Samjhu Sahu must pay Algu the price of the bullock. He reasons that when Sahu bought the bullock, it was healthy; its death was unfortunate but resulted from Sahu's mistreatment and overwork, making Sahu liable for the payment.
  • Algu is overjoyed and praises the Panchayat and Jumman, exclaiming, "Victory to the Panchayat! This is justice! God lives in the heart of the Panch."
  • Jumman comes to Algu, embraces him, and weeps. He admits that after becoming Panch, he understood what it meant – that a Panch has no friend or enemy, only justice.
  • Algu also weeps, and their tears wash away the misunderstanding and bitterness between them. They reconcile and become friends again.

Key Takeaways for Exams:

• Panchayat System: Understand its role as a traditional form of local justice delivery in villages.
• Justice and Impartiality: The core message is the supremacy of justice over personal relationships when in a position of authority or judgment.
• Conscience and Duty: The story shows how the call of conscience and duty (as a Panch) can override personal grudges (Jumman's decision).
• Vocabulary: Pay attention to words like 'allowance', 'nominate', 'verdict', 'conscience', 'ruin', 'tight spot', 'abide by'.
• Character Analysis: Understand the motivations and changes in the main characters (Jumman's initial selfishness, Algu's fairness, the aunt's plight, Sahu's cruelty, Jumman's transformation as Panch).
• Comprehension: Be able to recall plot details, character roles, and the sequence of events accurately.

Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs):

1. What condition did Jumman's aunt place when transferring her property to him?
   a) That he pay her a large sum of money.
   b) That he look after her for the rest of her life.
   c) That he give her a share of the harvest.
   d) That he buy her a new house.
   Answer: b) That he look after her for the rest of her life.

2. Who did the old aunt nominate as the Head Panch in her case against Jumman?
   a) Samjhu Sahu
   b) Another village elder
   c) Algu Chowdhry
   d) Jumman Shaikh himself
   Answer: c) Algu Chowdhry

3. What was Algu Chowdhry's verdict in the case between Jumman and his aunt?
   a) The aunt should forgive Jumman.
   b) Jumman should return half the property.
   c) Jumman must pay a monthly allowance or return the property.
   d) The Panchayat would take care of the aunt.
   Answer: c) Jumman must pay a monthly allowance or return the property.

4. Why did the friendship between Jumman and Algu break?
   a) They had a fight over money.
   b) Algu refused to support Jumman in the Panchayat.
   c) Jumman felt betrayed by Algu's fair judgment against him.
   d) Algu bought property that Jumman wanted.
   Answer: c) Jumman felt betrayed by Algu's fair judgment against him.

5. To whom did Algu Chowdhry sell his remaining bullock?
   a) Jumman Shaikh
   b) The old aunt
   c) A farmer from another village
   d) Samjhu Sahu
   Answer: d) Samjhu Sahu

6. Why did the bullock bought by Samjhu Sahu die?
   a) It was already old and sick when Algu sold it.
   b) It was bitten by a snake.
   c) It died due to overwork and lack of food given by Sahu.
   d) It fell into a ditch.
   Answer: c) It died due to overwork and lack of food given by Sahu.

7. Who nominated Jumman Shaikh as the Head Panch in the case between Algu and Sahu?
   a) Algu Chowdhry
   b) The village elders
   c) Samjhu Sahu
   d) Jumman nominated himself
   Answer: c) Samjhu Sahu

8. What realization did Jumman have when he became the Head Panch?
   a) That he could finally take revenge on Algu.
   b) That the position held great responsibility and required impartiality.
   c) That Sahu was right and Algu was wrong.
   d) That the Panchayat system was flawed.
   Answer: b) That the position held great responsibility and required impartiality.

9. What does the phrase "The voice of the Panch is the voice of God" imply in the story?
   a) The Panch is considered divine.
   b) The decision made by the Panch should be based on truth and justice, free from personal bias.
   c) Only religious people can become Panch.
   d) The Panch's decision cannot be challenged.
   Answer: b) The decision made by the Panch should be based on truth and justice, free from personal bias.

10. What was the final outcome of the story regarding Jumman and Algu's relationship?
    a) They remained enemies forever.
    b) They reconciled and became friends again after Jumman's fair judgment.
    c) Algu moved out of the village.
    d) They decided never to speak to each other again.
    Answer: b) They reconciled and became friends again after Jumman's fair judgment.

Study these notes carefully. Understanding the plot, characters, and especially the underlying theme of justice is crucial. Good luck with your preparation!