Protima is happy in her t houghts about her marriage with Ajoy. Mr. Gupta, her father, has given his whole hearted consent to the marriage . Ajoy is independent and is deeply i n love with Protima .
Ajoy is at the death ,bed of his friend, Premananda. Premananda had given up his career in the city and lived in the village dedicating his life to the service of his "Janma Bhoomi."
The dying words of Premananda make a great impression upon Ajoy. He takes up his unfinished work. Ajoy cannot forget his love for Protima, but he will not marry her. He has no right to ask Protima to undergo the hardship of the village!
Ajoy throws himself headlong into the work. His sincerity and earnestness inspire the villagers, and they begin to rally round him.
Sanatan the Zemindar's Gumashta , Monilal the Money lender, Bhava na nda the Priest , and Vishnu the Kaviraj' conspire to keep Paresh, the weak minded Zemir.dar of the Yillage, out of Ajoy's influence, and to stop the growth of the villagers' faith in his work.
Zemindars have their lands, and the peasants too have theirs. If the modern ideas prevail , the Zemindars and the peasants will prosper, but what will be the lot of Sanatans, Monilals, Bhavanandas and Vishnus who thrive by exploiting the Zeminda rs and the peasants ?
Protima anxious to prove to Ajoy that she too could undergo hardships and work for an ideal, proceeds to the village,
Ajoy and his followers are filling up the unhealthy water, pools of the village. As they work they sing to the Motherland , and their high spirit pervades the village and the countryside.
As Protima approaches the village, she can hear Ajoy's voice lead ing the chorus.
The Zemindar, under the influence of Sanatan and his colleagues, leads his men to stop Ajoy's work. Protima having reached the village comes to meet Ajoy. Vishnu Kaviraj angered by Aioy's refusal: to stop work, aims a stone at hi m. Protima rushes forward to warn Ajoy and is hit. The unexpected development frightens the Zemindar and his party who take to their heels.
The Zem indar who always suffered from heart disease has a fresh attack after the incident. Sanatan and his colleagues are also nervous. They are afraid of a pol ice case.
But Ajoy does not retaliate. He will yet win over those who still oppose him.
Sanatan from now onward decides to employ under-hand means to defeat Ajoy.
Protima joins Ajoy and the work gains strength from day to day. The villagers are electrified with a sense of awaken i ng. Protima and Ajoy are supremely happy.
Sanatan invites A joy to the Zemindar's house, The Zemindar shows mock sympathy with Ajoy's work and gives him a donation of Rs. 2,000/ -. Ajoy returns home very happy. Sanatan rushes to the police station and lodges a complaint notes worth Rs. 2,000/ -were missing from the Zemindar's home since Ajoy's visit there. The pol ice find the missing notes i n Ajoy's pocket and arrest him.
The villagers are shocked to hear about Ajoy's arrest. They will have nothing to do with a thief. They are simple village folk. They do not wish to be initiated into the ways of the educated who cannot be trusted.
Those who once worshipped Ajoy are now ready to throw stone at him. The great edifice which Ajoy was building up is crumbling down. Ajoy must be reinstated in the heart of the villagers. His sacred work must be saved. Protima will dare anything sacrifice everything to achieve it.
Sanatan's plan is deeper still. He will disgrace Protima too. She had vowed never to marry. Her noble example had inspird other women of the village to do likewise. Protima must marry the Zemindar.
Sanatan and his colleagues ha d persuaded the Zemindar who was a widower to marry again. The marriage was fixed with Bhavatosh's daughter; but Ajoy frustrated it by telling Bhavatosh: "Your daughter is young. The Zemindar is ailing and is old enough to be her grandfather. I will find a suitable husband for her." Sanatan will take his revenge on Ajoy by making Protima marry the Zemindar.
Sanatan comes to Protima full of mock repentance and lies! The Zemindar did not confide in him his real intention when he wanted to see Ajoy; that he can yet save Ajoy from the hands of the pol ice; but his work cannot be saved unless the Zemindar admits his treachery before the villagers; that the Zemindar is weak where women are concerned; and that by marrying the Zemindar Prot ima ca n make hi m admit everything.
Protima knows that freedom without his work will be worse than jail for Ajoy. Sanatan wins again. Protima gives her word to marry the Zemindar.
Sanatan proves his sincerity to Protima by contriving Ajoy's release.
Inspite of Ajoy's protests, Protima comes to the Zemindar's house and takes her seat by the sacred fire. But her strength fails her when she is asked to take the vow. The Zemindar's weak heart cannot stand the shock. He collapses.
As the Zemindar feels he is dying, realization comes to him of all the wrongs he had done to Protima and Ajoy. He asks them to forgive him and bequeaths his entire property for the good of the villagers.
Ajoy was a doctor and under his careful treatment and Protima 's devoted nursing the Zemind ar begins to i mprove .
Sanatan refusing to be defeated, kills the Zemindar by mixing poison i n his medicine, and gets both Protima and Ajoy arrested for murder.
But the Chemist tells that it was Sanatan who had purchased the poison.
Their innocence established Ajoy and Protima are now ha i led back by the villagers who had lost fait h in them.
The village and the countryside resound once again with the voices of men, women and children to the praise of their JANMA BHOOMI.
[From the official press booklet]