Nirmala (novel)

Nirmala (The Second wife)

Nirmala novel cover
Author	Munshi Premchand
Original title	Nirmala (निर्मला)
Translator	Alok Rai[1] and David Rubin[2]
Cover artist	Orient Paperbacks (Alok Rai) and Oxford India Paperbacks (David Rubin)
Country	India
Language	Hindi
Genre	Fiction
Published	January 1927[2]
ISBN	9780195658262 (translated version by Oxford India)[3]

Nirmala (Hindi: निर्मला (virtuous or pure) or The Second Wife ^{[upper-alpha 1]}) is a Hindi fiction novel written by Hindi and Urdu writer Munshi Premchand. The melodramatic novel is centered on Nirmala, a young girl who was forced to marry a widower her father's age. The plot unfolds to reveal her husband’s suspicion of a relationship between her and his eldest son; a suspicion that leads to the son’s death.

A poignant novel first published in 1927, Nirmala's reformist agenda is transparent in its theme which deals with the question of dowry, and consequently mismatched marriages and related issues. The story uses fiction to highlight an era of much needed social reform in 1920s Indian society. Nirmala was serialized in 1928 in “Chand”, a women’s magazine in which the novel’s feminist character was represented. Nirmala is somewhat like Godaan (published in 1936) in that it deals with the exploitation of the village poor, and was translated by multiple scholarly translators. It was first translated in 1988 as The Second Wife by David Rubin, and in 1999 as Nirmala by Alok Rai, Premchand's grandson.

Plot

Udayabhanu Lal, a lawyer by profession, arranged to marry off his 15 year old daughter Nirmala to Bhuvanmohan Sinha, son of Bhalchadra Sinha. Lal was later murdered by his rival Mathayi, who was once tried in court by Lal and sentenced to jail. The death of Lal caused Bhuvanmohan and Bhalchadra to withdraw from the arranged marriage since there was no longer a large dowry as anticipated prior to Lal's death. Financial hardship forced Nirmala's mother, Kalyani, to marry her off to Totaram, a lawyer 20 years her senior. Totaram tried his best to seduce his beautiful young wife but to no avail. She had no feelings for him other than respect and a sense of duty, which fell short of the love he expected to receive from his wife.

Totaram had 3 sons from his first marriage. His eldest son Mansaram was only a year older than Nirmala. It wasn't long before Totaram grew suspicious of Nirmala and her relationship with his son Mansaram. Jealousy and suspicion caused him to send Mansaram away to live in a hostel, a decision they all soon came to regret. Mansaram's health soon deteriorated in the hostel environment. It was Bhuvanmohan who treated Mansaram at the hospital. When Bhuvanmohan learned about Nirmala, he arranged for his brother to marry Nirmala's sister, Krishna, as penance. Bhuvanmohan was haunted by his thoughts of Nirmala and her distress. Mansaram eventually died of tuberculosis.^[2] Totaram was heartbroken and guilt ridden over his role in his son's death. It wasn't long thereafter when his second son Jiyaram absconded with Nirmala's jewels and fled from Totaram's house. He later committed suicide. Totaram's third son Siyaram also fled, having been lured away by a false saint. Depressed over the loss of his sons, Totaram set off on a mission to find his only living son, Siyaram.

Meanwhile, Bhuvanmohan was back in Nirmala's life as the husband of her friend, Sudha. He tried to seduce Nirmala, but his wife learned of it and criticized him harshly. Bhuvanmohan became emotionally distressed, and out of sorrow and his love for her, he committed suicide.^[2] Depressed by the sad turn of events and her own failing health, Nirmala gave her daughter Asha to Rukhmini, Totaram's widowed sister, and passed away. A much older Totaram returned home to discover Nirmala had died.^[4][5]

Characters

• Nirmala, the protagonist; a 15 year old girl, married off to Totaram who is 20 years her senior.^[6]
• (Munshi) Totaram, Nirmala's husband, a lawyer of 35.
• Mansaram, Totaram's eldest son from his first wife; his father suspects him of having a relationship with Nirmala, and forces him out of the house to live in a hostel where he eventually dies.
• Jiyaram, Totaram's second son from his first wife; he blames his father for the death of his older brother and flees from home after absconding with Nirmala's jewelry. He eventually commits suicide.
• Siyaram, Totaram's third son from his first wife; he is lured away from his father's house by a false saint.
• Bhuvanmohan Sinha, former fiance of Nirmala. After the death of Nirmala's father, he learns there won't be a dowry and withdraws from the marriage.
• Sudha is Bhuvanmohan's wife and the companion of Nirmala. It is through her, Bhuvan comes to know about Nirmala; that it is the same girl whom he has earlier left off. Her criticism sends him into commit suicide.
• Udayabhanu Lal is Nirmala's father.
• Kalyani, Nirmala's mother, who was forced by circumstances to marry Nirmala to Totaram.
• Bhalchandra Sinha is the father of Bhuvanmohan Sinha.
• Pandit Motaram, a man of wisdom, as a priest.

Background

Set against a background of pre-independent India, Nirmala depicts a realistic and picturesque portrait of the 1920s, the language and milieu of the era.^[7] It characterizes the evils of the dowry system, and in doing so reflects the author's desire to bring about social reform and raise the status of women in society. The author's words illustrate his country's poor, and paints a picture of rural India consisting largely of a static society, the clashes of castes, its poverty and exploitation, and the rich character of its people.^[8] The novel covers a time span of about six years during which time Nirmala transitions from student to wife and thereafter, a mother. It was an era when self-respect and public image were of fundamental importance in the society. Eating meals was observed with an extreme ritualistic importance. In traditional homes, women did not eat with the men, and waited for them to finish before they were permitted to eat. There was also a fear of hospitals [and also of blood transfusion] which explains the hesitation of the character Totaram and his guilt over sending his son to a hospital. The generations that have passed since the novel was first written have seen dramatic changes in "attitude, sensibility and aspiration." Nirmala is a reflection of a time in Indian society when a young girl's "greatest sin was to require a husband who would accept her without a dowry." ^[9]

Publication

Nirmala was one of Premchand's most popular novels of its time in India; a time of oppression for women in Indian society that drew increasing attention from writers and poets.^[9] Prior to being published in its entirety, Nirmala was serialised in the magazine Chand over the course of a year, beginning in November 1925.^[10] It was during that time when Premchand had first embarked on writing fiction based on contemporary social issues.^[9][11] Unlike his other works, Nirmala has a darker tone and ending, and its characters are less idealised.^[9] It was translated into English for the first time in 1988.^[9][12]

Amruta Subhash played Nirmala in Tehreer Munshi Premchand Ki by Gulzar

Legacy

Francesca Orsini called it a prime example of Premchand’s combination of social realism and drama. Gulzar believed the novel was a little outstretched, and had a tendency to repeat many emotions, but also had its diversions and contradictions. He further explained that Premchand specialised in subjects that revolved around a young girl under 18 years old who suddenly becomes a woman after marrying a man who is much older.^[13]

Many films based on the story's theme were also produced, such as Tehreer Munshi Premchand Ki directed by Gulzar and shown in Doordarshan. Nirmala's role was played by the Marathi actress Amruta Subhash who received many accolades.^[13][14]

Notes

References

External links

• In Google Play
• In Google Books