Kafan is a powerful short story by Munshi Premchand that highlights the harsh realities of poverty, human selfishness, and societal indifference. The story revolves around a poor father and son, Ghisu and Madhav, who belong to the lower caste and live in extreme destitution.
Madhav’s wife, Budhiya, is in labor, struggling between life and death in their hut, but instead of helping her, the father-son duo sit outside by a fire, reminiscing about past feasts. Eventually, Budhiya dies, but rather than mourning her loss or arranging proper rituals, they manipulate the situation to collect money from villagers for her kafan (shroud). Instead of using the money for the funeral, they indulge in alcohol and lavish food, justifying their actions with a fatalistic outlook on life.
The story exposes the deep-rooted apathy and selfishness bred by poverty while questioning societal structures that fail the underprivileged. Premchand masterfully uses realism and irony to critique both individual and systemic failures.