NCERT Exercise QUESTIONS
1. Draw up a
list of the different festivals celebrated in your locality. Which of these
celebrations are shared by members of different regional and religious communities?
Ans.
India is a colorful country where people of all religious
backgrounds live harmoniously. People of different religions celebrate their
festivals throughout the year.
Ø
Hindus all over the country
celebrate Holi, Diwali and Dussehra.
Ø
Jains celebrate Mahavir
Jayanti,
Ø
Buddhists
celebrate Buddh Purnima.
Ø
Sikhs celebrate Lohri,
Baisakhi.
Ø
Muslims celebrate Eid.
Ø
Hindus in North India celebrate
Makar Sankranti, while South Indians celebrate Pongal on the same day.
Ø
In north east, people celebrate
Bihu, which spreads the delight of spring while Sikhs celebrate the same days
as Baisakhi.
Ø
Republic Day, Independence Day,
and Gandhi Jayanti: These are National festivals and hence, people of all
communities celebrate them.
2. What do
you think living in India with its rich heritage of diversity adds to your
life?
Ans. India is a country of much diversity. We speak different
languages, have various types of food, celebrate different festivals, and
practice different religions. We do many things that are similar except that we
do them in different ways, for example; In north India Hindu new year
is celebrated with the start of Navratri while, the Maharashtrians celebrate
the same day as Gudi Padwa.
3. Do you
think the term "unity in diversity" is an appropriate term to
describe India? What do you think Nehru is trying to say about Indian unity in
the sentence quoted above from his book The Discovery of India?
Ans.
Yes, in my opinion the term “unity in diversity” is an
appropriate to describe India. India’s diversity has always been recognized as
its strength. During the freedom movements, people from different cultural,
religious and regional backgrounds came together and started joint freedom
movement to oppose the British rule. This strength of unity made it difficult
for the Britishers to hold on power in India for a longer time. Also, the same
national flag was used as means of protest against Britishers
everywhere.
In his book, ‘The
Discovery of India’ Jawaharlal Nehru says that “Indian unity is not
something imposed from the outside but rather it was something deeper and
within its fold, the widest tolerance of belief and custom was practiced and
every variety acknowledged and even encouraged”. Therefore, despite having
geographical, language and cultural differences, people of India are living
with peace with respect for each other’s traditions and with unity.
4. Underline
the line in the poem sung after the Jallianwala Bagh massacre, which according
to you, reflects India's essential unity.
Ans. “The blood of Hindus and Muslims flows together today”. This
line in the poem sung after the Jallianwala Bagh massacre reflects India’s
essential unity.
5. Choose
another region in India and do a similar study of the historical and
geographical factors that influence the diversity found there. Are these
historical and geographical factors connected to each other? How?
Ans.
Region: Ladakh
Geographical Features: Ladakh is a cold desert in the mountains
in the northern part of India. Very little agriculture is possible here since
this region does not receive any rain and is covered in snow for a large part
of the year. There are a very few trees that can grow in this region. For
drinking water, people depend on the melting snow during the summer months.
Historical Features: Ladakh was considered a good trade route
as it had many passes through which caravans traveled to what is today
called Tibet. These caravans carried textiles, spices, raw silk and
carpets. Buddhism reached Tibet via Ladakh. Ladakh is also called Little
Tibet. The Islam was introduced in this region more than four hundred years
ago. Ladakh has a very rich oral tradition of songs and poems.
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| Location Map of Ladakh and Kerala |
Region: Kerala
Geographical Features: Kerala is situated in the south-west
corner of India. It is surrounded by sea on one hand and hills on the other. It
has a wet and maritime tropical climate influenced by the seasonal heavy rains.
The western coastal belt is relatively flat compared to the eastern region and
has many lakes and canals.
Historical Factors: Due to coastal areas, export and import
were prevalent and thus there are people from many religions. Jewish and Arab
traders were the first to come here. People of different religious backgrounds
can be found in Kerala. Hinduism, Islam, Judaism, Buddhism and Christianity are
majorly found in Kerala. Festivals like Onam, Eid, Christmas, etc. are
celebrated. The fertile land and climate are suited to growing rice and
majority of people here eat rice, fish and vegetables.