Chapter the-decision-of-the-panchayat: The Decision of the Panchayat | Long Questions

The neighbor's argument was based on a technicality; he claimed that when he sold the well, the contract did not explicitly include the water inside it. He insisted that the water remained his property, and therefore, the farmer had no right to use it. This was a clever but dishonest plan to keep both the money and the water. However, the Village Chief used the same logic to trap him. She agreed that the water belonged to the neighbor, but pointed out that the well now belonged to the farmer. Consequently, the neighbor had no right to keep his 'belonging'—the water—on the farmer's property. She gave him the impossible choice of removing the water immediately or paying for storage. This turned the neighbor's greed against him, proving that trickery cannot stand up to true wisdom and logical thinking.

The final judgment of the Panchayat offers several important lessons for students. Firstly, it teaches the moral value that honesty is the best policy. The neighbor tried to use his cleverness to cheat someone, but he ended up being humiliated and fined. This shows that ill-gotten gains do not bring lasting success. Secondly, it highlights the importance of wisdom and critical thinking. The Village Chief did not just get angry; she used her intellect to solve a complex problem fairly. Students can learn that most problems can be solved by looking at them from a different perspective. Finally, the story teaches that justice will prevail if people have the courage to stand up for what is right. The farmer's decision to approach the Panchayat shows that one should always seek help from the right authorities when faced with unfairness.

The farmer's emotional journey begins with hope and success when he prospers and buys a new field. However, this quickly turns into deep worry and distress when his neighbor refuses him water. For a farmer, water is a life-giving resource, and being denied it meant his entire investment and hard work were at risk. He felt helpless against the neighbor’s cunning trick. When he approached the village chief, he was looking for a desperate solution. During the Panchayat meeting, he must have felt anxious as the neighbor remained adamant. Therefore, when the chief delivered her wise judgment, the farmer's joy was a result of the immense relief he felt. He was happy not just because he got the water, but because truth and fairness had won. His shout of joy represents the restoration of his peace and his faith in the community's justice system.