Bhikhari Thakur

Sahitya Akademi
Gabar Ghichor
Author(s): Bhikhari Thakur and Meenu Gupta
Source: Indian Literature, Vol. 44, No. 1 (195) (Jan.-Feb., 2000), pp. 127-140
Published by: Sahitya Akademi
Stable URL: https://www.jstor.org/stable/23343020
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Gabar Ghichor
Bhikhari Thakur
Dramatis Personae
Galiz A village youth who had gone to distant lands

for work
Gadbadi A village vagabond
Ghichor Son born to wife of Galiz by Gadbadi
Panch A respected man of the village
Wife of Galiz Wife of Galiz and mother of Gabar Ghichor,
Besides these, the executioner, chorus, audience
etc.
Chorus (Chaupai)
Bowing my head at the feet of Lord Ganesha
I narrate the story of Gabar Ghichor
Galiz came home from distant lands
Having earned money to his heart's content.
He no longer desired his wife

And swung like an intoxicated elephant
Lots of people gathered at his door
watching him.
When his wife heard of his return

her heart skipped beats
She washed his feet in a deep platter
and considered herself lucky.
Wife of Galiz : (To Galiz)
The way lotus petals open up in sunlight
Water lily blooms in moonlight
Black bees get excited at the advent of spring
Peacocks dance in rain
Swans delight in Manasarovar
Resources activate with desire
Everybody gets happiness in such ways
But my lord! My heart gets joy at your glimpse.
Galiz There is no need for all this bothering. Where is
the boy? Tell me quickly
Wife of Galiz (To her husband : Poorvi song)
Thou son of Shiva-Parvati, powerful among Gods
I fall at your feet
Oh! My husband, I am pining in your separation
You married me with proper rituals yet never
cared
You have never fulfilled your responsibility of
being a husband
I begot a son, but it was of no avail
My husband, you forced me to adopt wrong
means
Do not squash my expectations, let my son

with me
He is the basis of my life

I have fasted, remained on half-empty stomach
to bring him up
I plead you to stay here and make a home out
of this ruined house.
(To her son): Son, touch his feet, he is your father.
Chorus (Chaupai)
Son falls at the feet of his father
Father holds his arm and makes the son sit in
his lap.
Galiz Son, come with me to foreign lands
Why do you want to face problems here?
Gabar Ghichor Please take Ma along as well, we will all live
together
People will mock of us if we leave her behind
Galiz Leave this idiot, my son, and come with me. Such
a chance will never come your way again.
Galiz Bahu My son will live with me
And feel contended by just looking at him
Oh Husband! Do not shatter me completely.
Galiz (Clasping his son's arm forcefully and jerking it
violently): Come son, you have to come with me.
Chorus Just then Gadbadi came
and asserted that the son was his
The three had a fierce fight
128 / Indian Literature : 195
Witnessed by men and women present there
Who debated on the rightful guardianship of
Gabar Ghichor
(Punch is coming)
This is a fight between three people which is not
getting sorted out. We have convened the
panchayat.
(Looking at Galiz) He is Galiz. Galiz!
Yes, Baba.
He is Galiz. He confined his wife to the four walls
of the house and went to a foreign country for
taking up a job. He never sent a letter to her or
any news or even a money order of even five
rupees. This is divine illusion. You wife of Galiz,
come here.
She is Galiz's wife. Her only son is Gabar
Ghichor. Gabar Ghichor, my child, come this side.
Somebody from this region went to the foreign
country and told Galiz that a son was born to
him. Now Galiz has come back and says that he
will forcefully take away the child with him. Now
his wife says that she has given birth to the child
with a lot of expectations and has brought him
up. Hence, she says that Galiz cannot take him
away. She insists that if he wants to take away
the child, he should take her along as well. This
has become a bone of contention between the
two Gadbadi, its your turn now, how come you
have laid claim solely on Ghichor?
Why shouldn't I when Ghichor is my son?
Did you marry Galiz's wife?
No, I did not.
Did you get married to her by decorating the
ceremonial canopy? With pomp and pageantry?
By giving out invitation?
No, Baba. I did not.
Then how has Ghichor become your son, silly?
Baba, Please listen to me. I was going on my way,
Galiz's wife was coming from the other side. I did
something wrong during this time.
You should not say unfounded things like this.
How can a son be born out of something wrong
done on the way?
Bhikhari Thakur /129
Gadbadi Kindly be seated. I am giving you the proof.
I found an empty wallet on my way
A vagabond came searching for it
I took out the money kept in it
Now, if he wants he can take the empty wallet.
Panch I am putting questions to you regarding this case
and you have started singing songs.
Gadbadi I was not singing a song. I was stating my case
through it.
Panch But I can not understand it, my child.
Gadbadi Just take two steps forward and come aside. I
will explain it to you. I was going on my way. On
the way, I found a purse or say a moneybag. I
kept my money in it. After a few days, the owner
of that purse or moneybag claimed it as his own.
But sir, please explain, should he take the empty
moneybag or should he also take away the money
that I kept in it.
Panch So, you ought to have told this to me beforehand.
(Looking towards the audience) The poor man finds
a purse or a moneybag and he keeps his money
in it. After a few days, the owner of the purse or
the moneybag claims his belonging. In this
situation, he is only liable to get his the purse and
cannot lay claim to the money kept in it. Ghichor,
you will stay with Gadbadi.
Gabar Ghichor Sir, can I say something?
Panch Now what do you want to say? You can say what
you wish to say but you will have to stay with
Gadbadi.
Gabar Ghichor Panch, please be just
Or you will commit a sin
How can the person with wallet be my father
Are my parents nothing?
Panch Gadbadi, you can take your son.
Galiz Gabar Ghichor is my son, how can Gadbadi walk
away with him?
Panch Only the woman is yours, silly.
Galiz The son is mine as well.
Panch You brought your wife home with all the pomp
and show but did not father a son. Tell me, how
old is your son and after how many years have
you come back home from the foreign land?
I have been living in the foreign land
for the past fifteen years
Now I am over the hill
I will take my son

And I will never return again
Wife of Galiz Now when the son is thirteen years old
The father has come looking for his son
Every body is laughing
But he is unashamed
Shut up, you shameless one.

I have never seen such an unashamed woman in
the world. Go and hide your face somewhere.
Baba, please take your seat. I am providing proof
to you.
I planted a pumpkin creeper
One of its branches stretched towards the
backyard
And bore a fruit on the neighbour's thatched roof
But as the creeper is mine
So is the fruit
I am inquiring about the case and you have started
singing Dhrupad.
Baba, I have only stated my story.
You have stated the whole case in a roundabout
way, I can not understand it, my son.
Baba, please come aside. I will explain. I got a
pumpkin creeper from some where and I planted
it in my courtyard. I nurtured it. Its branch grew
enough and stretched to reach the thatched roof
of the neighbour and bore a pumpkin there. In
this situation, is the pumpkin mine or the neigh
bour's? Please decide.
Then you should have told this to me before.
(Looking towards the audience) The poor soul got
a pumpkin creeper from somewhere. He brought
it and planted it in his courtyard. He looked after
it. Its branch grew and climbed on the roof of the
neighbour's house and bore a pumpkin there. So
can the neighbour claim the pumpkin just because
he owns that thatched roof? The one who owns
the creeper should get the pumpkin as well. Gabar
Ghichor, my child, you have to live with Galiz.
Gabar Ghichor Baba, I would like to say something.
Panch What do you want to say? Say what you wish to
say but you will have to go with Galiz.
Gabar Ghichor Please listen
Father is right
What more can I say
except that I am an ignorant child
Panch Take away your son, Galiz, take him away.
(All three of them claim the boy loudly- 'He is my son,
'He is my son')
Wife of Galiz (To the Panch): Oh, Baba, they are pulling out the
arms of my son. Please Baba, stop them.
Panch Keep quiet. Who can dare to pull out the arms
of your soñ? He will be sunk into hell by a fist's
blow.
Wife of Galiz To hell with your judgement.
Panch You are getting angry unnecessarily.
Wife of Galiz Why should I not get angry? You jump to award
my son to this man and then to that man. He is
my son but you are not even asking me.
Panch I will hit you if you keep crying and dripping
your nose. You are crying for such a long time
saying that you have not been asked. Whom did
you ask before doing all this? Come here, come
to this side. You will also be questioned. Tell us,
do you have something to do with Gadbadi or
is he just spinning a yarn involving you.
Wife of Galiz Baba, I am telling this only because you have
asked me. Baba, this Gadbadi used to visit me,
without fail, every morning and evening.
Panch He must have come in the afternoons as well. No
matter how blistering the heat may be, he must
have been undeterred.
Wife of Galiz Baba, some times he used to sit on the window
sill. At other times, he used to stand holding one
of the shutters of the door and God knows the
kind of expression he had on his face. I did not
know how to hide my reaction when I saw that
this had become his daily routine. I thought that
I must have got the thing for which he has put
himself in such a pitiable state.
Panch Have you got. any proof?
Wife of Galiz Please be seated, I will provide you the proof.
There was five litres of milk in my house
Somebody gave a bit of curd to curdle this milk
But there is no reason for debate
As the ghee is rightfully mine.
Panch I am asking about your side of the story and you
are singing Jhoomar.
Wife of Galiz Baba, I am not singing Jhoomar. I am only
pleading my case. If you cannot understand it
then please come two steps forward, I will explain
it to you.
Panch Say what you have to say. You should not feel shy
while pleading your case. (Looking towards the
audience) She is very good at heart.
Wife of Galiz Baba, I am citing an example of five litres of milk,
referring to my body. But I feel shy to explain
about the curd used to curdle the milk.
Panch Say, say it fast. You should not feebshy about
pleading your case. The case has now reached a
decisive turn.
Wife of Galiz (Pointing towards Gadbadi) Sir, the curdling source
and sweat were his.
Panch You should have told me this earlier. Let us say
that there is three-four litres of milk in some one's
house. This milk is heated and boiled and a bit
of curd is borrowed from someone in the
neighbourhood and added to curdle it. Does this
mean that in lieu of it that neighbour can walk
away with the entire curd? The ghee should
belong to the person who owns the milk.
Wife of Galiz Baba, why shouldn't the ghee belong to the person
who owns the milk? For a bit of help, he is
claiming my son.
Panch Son, you have to go with your mother.
Gabar Ghichor Baba, can I say some thing?
Panch What do you wish to say? Say whatever you
want to say but you have to go with your mother.
Gabar Ghichor My heart says that Ma is telling the truth
Please listen to her
As this is a fight over a non-issue
And you are all learned men
Panch (To Galiz's wife) He is your son. You can take him.
(The trio start fighting again and they term the Panch
as prejudiced)
Galiz (Gets up and drags the Panch)
Bhikhari Thakur / 233
Are you trying to sort out the matter or are you
instigating us to kill each other?
What can I do? I am awarding the son to the
person who has the just right and authority on
him.
Kindly come this way. No one should call you
prejudiced.
What do you wish to say?
I want to say that if you award the boy to me,
I will give you two hundred rupees.
What are you talking about, Gadbadi? I have
never had any lust for money. Do you think I
can spend the rest of my life on your two
rupees.
I never said two rupees.
It does not matter whether you have said two
hundred rupees or four hundred rupees. I am not
even going to look at that money.
I did not say two rupees. I said that I would give
you two hundred rupees.
I understood it as two rupees, my child. Did you
say two hundred rupees?
Yes Baba, I did.
Go and sit there, that side. You should not get
nervous in such cases. How can Galiz take away
the son? If I give an inkling of this to my family
members, these people will be skinned.
Listen Baba, please come aside.
Whatever you want to say, you have to say it
from there.
No, kindly come two steps aside. I have to discuss
some inside stuff with you.
You can say whatever you wish to say. But you
too know that I am a very God fearing person.
I do not take my bath without eating food.
If you can use your influence and push to award
me the boy then I will give you five hundred
rupees.
It is really sad to come across a selfish person like
you. Will five rupees be enough for the rest of my
life?
Baba, I did not say five rupees.
Forget five rupees, I am not going to be swayed
by money even if you offer me five thousand or
even twenty five thousand.
Galiz Didn't you hear that I said five hundred?
Panch Did you say five hundred? I thought you were
offering me five rupees. Listen, son. Money is
nothing. It is not forever. My family and your
family have been close for a long time now. We
should carry it on further. You have said five
hundred rupees. No?
Galiz Yes Baba.
Panch Go, and sit there, that side. How can Gadbadi
take away the boy? You should not get nervous
in such cases. (To Galiz's wife) Listen!
Wife of Galiz Yes Baba.
Panch I will have to look into your case again.
Wife of Galiz Have you not looked into it already?
Panch Earlier I had examined it very lightly.
Wife of Galiz I do not have money. But if you let the boy stay
with me then I will accord you a befitting
treatment.
(Song) He is my son, as I have given birth to him

They cannot digest this truth
If you want, you can ask the barber or the midwife
After my son I gave up all culinary tastes
For the sake of my son
I never cared for the taste
And now I am being exploited

Surrounded by conmen and robbers
Scheming started right from the beginning
And many contenders have emerged
Everyone here is of the opinion
That none of them have a right over my son
You can ask the barber or midwife
I nurtured him in my womb for nine months
I offered prayers to gods and goddesses
I experienced excruciating pain at the time of his
birth
but with the name of God on my lips
I could bear that killing pain
A son was born, my expectations rose
But now the two madcaps have surrounded him
There is a lot of pressure from both sides
What kind of time is this
I am a poor woman who knows nothing
O! Panch, give me justice
I do not know the reason for this fight
But it aches my heart
I cry and pray to Goddess Kali to give me my
son.
(laments in a song to the son)

O! Lord Shiva Parvati and Ganesha
Give me wisdom
Do not forget this humble servant
I have been wishing for you even before I
conceived
Being your bearer I forgot that you would belong
to someone else
I bore you for nine months
I went through a lot of pain
My gait became unsteady
At the time of morning sickness
There was no one to take care of me
O! my son, what I am telling you
Is nothing when compared to what I have suffered
O! my adorable one, four days before you were
born
I was in palpitations
Somebody said it is a son, another said it is an
angel
Someone said you were dead
It was a terrible moment
But somehow the midwife managed
It was a new birth for me
I oiled and scrubbed your body
0 son! Please consider the time of your birth
And do not abandon me
Will you stay with your mother only because
your mother is crying?
Gabar Ghichor 1 will stay where you order me to stay.
Panch Great! It is you who have to say. Why should I
corrupt my conscience? Will you jump into the
well if I tell you to do so?
Gabar Ghichor Yes, I will jump.
Panch Will you kill yourself if I tell you to do so?
Gabar Ghichor Yes, I will.
Panch If I say that all three have equal right on you and
your body should be measured and cut into three
pieces? I will devise a way for an impartial dis
tribution of the cut pieces of your body. Will you
accept that?
Gabar Ghichor Yes, Baba I will accept it.
Panch All right, call the executioner.
Chorus The executioner was informed
who sharpened his knife
and happily arrived at the gathering
Panch : Lie down, my child.
Gabar Ghichor : I wish to say something.
Panch : (To Gabar Ghichor) All right, say what you want
to say.
(Executioner sits on one side)
Gabar Ghichor : (crying)
The Creator has destined me to
The human; form yet He snaps all my ties
Friends and well-wishers are of no help
My own parents have turned foes.
Oh! God I am being killed in an assembly
The way I have been mocked
Cannot be explained in words
Three had a fight
Due to which Ghichor is going to lose his life
Portions of the body
Will be distributed impartially
This is the result of past deeds
Which has been transformed into ill-fate
Oh! God, this moment of untimely death
Is indeed tragic
In the beginning, Ma did something immoral
Due to which I am being slaughtered now
Oh! Lord Rama, the son of Dashratha
The streams of blood are about to flow
Oh! Lakshmana, Bharat and Shatrughna
Please save me from this situation
Kindly take up your bow and quiver
And help me out
I have not fasted, done charity or gone on
pilgrimage
As I am still a child
I have not yet served my parents
Getting a human birth was futile
Oh! Lord Rama, it's too late now
My ill fate is indeed untimely
I have been made a laughing stock
As I have one mother and two fathers
Its better to die than live such a life
Now O lord! Please get me out of this
I hail you, the son of Kaushalya
I do not even know the correct way to pray
Please do not deny your kindness as I am ignorant
I will be soon dead
Please do whatever you think is right
(Song)
Oh God you are omnipotent
Your justice is great
This is what the world thinks
And scriptures also sing the same tune
One reaps what one sows in this world
Mother, father, brother, family
All worldly relations are false
Gabar Ghichor is going to the land of death today
A witness to the slitting of his own throat
Life is only till the sunshine
Now the night is about to descend
Scared of darkness
The human heart is crying and repenting.
Panch : That is enough. Just lie down here.
(Ghichor lies down. Panch measures the body and
makes marks on it. The executioner is ordered to slice
him into three pieces)
Gadbadi : Baba, please measure him properly. There should
not be any discrepancy.
Galiz : Yes Baba, please measure him accurately.
Panch : Don't be silly. How can there be any discrepancy
when I am here? (To executioner) Carve one part
from this side and carve the other part from that
side.
Exectioner : Baba, Can I say something?
Panch : What do you want to say?
Exectioner : I will take twentyfive paise per piece that I cut.
Panch : All right, it is a just remuneration. Gadbadi, give
twentyfive paise.
Gadbadi : Here it is Baba.
Panch : Galiz, you too have to give twntyfive paise.
Galiz Here, my lord.
Panch : Hey you! Galiz's wife.
Wife of Galiz : What, Baba?
Panch : You also have to give twentyfive paise.
Wife of Galiz : Why do I have to give twentyfive paise?
Panch : You have to pay the executioner as well.
Wife of Galiz : Baba, give him to either of the two but let him
live. Please do not cut him into pieces.
Panch : You want him to live? Do you say that I can
award him to either of those? Don't you want
your share?
Wife of Galiz : No, Baba. Let him live and give him to either one
of those two.
Panch : Look, I have to explain it to you as an elder. You
fail to understand the situation. You have given
birth to this boy. Even if you get a small piece of
his body you will still have some satisfaction.
Gadbadi : Baba, then get him chopped in two pieces.
Executioner : Shall I cut?
Panch : (Gestures with his hand to the executioner to
stop) Gadbadi says that the boy should be cut
in two pieces and Galiz says the same thing as
well. How can a person who is not concerned
about the welfare of his son be worthy of
being his father? Only the mother loves her son.
Only she has right over him. Take him away,
woman.
(Wife of Galiz is taking her son)

Chorus : As the son goes along with his mother
Both Galiz and Gadbadi feel ashamed of
themselves.
Panch : The real song is the one that recites the name of
God. The play that talks about righteouness is a
real play. The way Gabar Ghichor's mother stated
her sorrow in the song, Chaupai and Poorvi
should be understood properly. No matter how
the son turns out to be, the mother has to bear
pain to give birth to him. This pain at times takes
the life of the mother. All this is enacted in the
world for the son to learn a lesson from it. Gabar
Ghichor has one mother and two fathers. That is
why the son, is ready to lay down his life. He is
Bhikhari Thakur / 139
praying to God supplicating that he has not been
able to serve his parents. He is very sorry about
this. But the sons of the present day will easily
say that they will not abide by the orders of the
arbitrator. Especially when they are worried about
their life. They are not even a bit concerned about
serving their parents. Just listen to the Chaupai
being recited by Gabar Ghichor in the assembly:
If one does not serve his parents
Then taking a human birth is futile.
Translated by Meenu Gupta

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Sahitya Akademi

Galiz A village youth who had gone to distant lands

He no longer desired his wife

When his wife heard of his return

Do not squash my expectations, let my son

He is the basis of my life

128 / Indian Literature : 195

Bhikhari Thakur /129

130 / Indian Literature : 195

I will take my son

Shut up, you shameless one.

Bhikhari Thakur /131

232 / Indian Literature : 195

Bhikhari Thakur / 233

134 / Indian Literature : 195

(Song) He is my son, as I have given birth to him

And now I am being exploited

Bhikhari Thakur /135

(laments in a song to the son)

136 / Indian Literature : 195

Bhikhari Thakur /137

138 / Indian Literature : 195

(Wife of Galiz is taking her son)

Bhikhari Thakur / 139

Translated by Meenu Gupta

140 / Indian Literature : 195

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