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Book Review: Duty by Mulk Raj Anand

Duty by Mulk Raj Anand is a short story which underlines the value of duty even in the worst of worst circumstances, like extremely hot and cold climate. The story is about a policeman, Mangal Singh, who is posted at a point where a road from the village meets the city road. His duty started at the early hours of the morning. He has already spent around five and half hours at the duty. The season is of scorching summer and the sun overhead is just unbearable.


Soon, a sepoy called Rahmat-Ullah will relieve him but even after that he needs to hike for three kilometers to reach the barracks where he can rest. So, he decides to rest under a Kikar (acacia) tree for some time. Under it, he feels relaxed and comparatively cool. Now he begins cursing the rich Hindu merchants who while away their summer time either in the gardens drinking milk-water or in the coolness of the electric fan when they are at shops.

He doesn’t like the service of the police: it’s for poor men. He always wished to join the army as a sepoy, where he would have been entitled to many privileges like ration, clothes, and value in civil. He now repents his decision of joining this deplorable police service. He shifts to the darker shade of the tree. The coolness begins instilling a trance-like drowsiness in his eyes. He longs to be asleep for longer time. But now he rests his body weight on the stave (lathi) and dozes off. Under the soporific condition, he is partially erect. Sleep is indeed a respite for him from such terrible heat, which is cracking even the barren face of the soil.

No sooner had he fallen sleep than a slosh…slosh sound (like of a serpentine snake) stirs him. It is the Thanedhar Abdul Kerim. Abdul begins beating him with a cane while abusing him for the negligence of duty. Abdul says what if DSP Sahib passes off this road…you son of swine!

Mangal Singh writhing in pain stands up to balance his turban and asks for mercy. When the Thanedhar is gone, Mangal Singh goes back to the post with tears in his eyes. He is at least happy that no one has seen him being beaten.

Soon, a herd of donkey is passing by the road and the owner is abusing the asses. Mangal Singh already down and angry vents his anger and frustration on that man. He beats him with the lathi mercilessly.

Moral of the story is that superior ones try to beat down the inferior ones, be it any place or institution. Also, the call of the duty should not be deterred by weather conditions like heat, rain, cold, etc.

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