Chapter 2.5 – Let’s March

1. Observe the pictures and answer.

(a) Main difference between the two images

Ans: One child is working and the other is going to school.

(b) Change required

Ans: The child working should also be going to school.

(c) Your contribution as a student to help and make a difference to needy children.

Ans: My contribution would be not to purchase goods involving child labour and encouraging helpers at home to educate their children.

2. Put a ✓ or ✘ — A good speech delivered requires the following characteristics.

3. Read the expressions and insert them in the proper columns. Put the proper expression numbers in the right column.

Expressions: (1) Imagine! After ten years, what will happen? (2) Let me begin, today, by sharing my own experience. (3) Honourable Chief Guest ___, eminent dignitaries, ladies and gentlemen. (4) I don’t understand why we accept this issue so passively. (5) I am Adarsh Birajdar, (designation) standing before you ___. (6) A renowned personality (name) says “___” (7) Good morning, to one and all present today. (8) I express my deep gratitude to the organisers of this event/function ___ (9) Let me give you an example ___ (10) Thank you all for a patient listening and your interest in my talk. (11) You must have noticed that ___ (12) Before I conclude, I would like you to think over the fact that ___

Ans:

4. With the help of your teacher and classmates, make a list of as many Indian Nobel Laureates as you can. (You can use the Internet or school library.)

Ans:

Q1. What does Satyarthi refuse to accept?

Ans: He is not ready to accept that all the places of worship do not have a place for the dreams of our children, that the world is so poor that it cannot educate all the children — when the reality is that just one week of global military expenditure is capable of doing that. He refuses to accept that all the laws and constitutions, police and judges are unable to protect our children, and that the shackles of slavery are stronger than the quest for freedom. He refuses to accept all this because he feels that we are depriving our children of their dreams, and this is the greatest form of violence.

Q2. What is the only aim in life for Kailash Satyarthi?

Ans: Kailash Satyarthi’s only aim in life is to ensure that every child is free to be a child — free to grow, develop, eat, sleep, see daylight, laugh, cry, play, learn, go to school and dream.

Q3. What did millions of individuals demand eighteen years ago?

Ans: Eighteen years ago, millions of individuals demanded a law to abolish child labour.

Q4. Why does the eight year old girl’s question shake Mr. Satyarthi?

Ans: The eight year old girl’s question shakes Mr. Satyarthi because it questions our inaction.

Q5. What matters according to Satyarthi?

Ans: According to Satyarthi, every single minute, every single child, and every single childhood matters.

Q6. What does Satyarthi challenge?

Ans: Satyarthi challenges the passivity and pessimism surrounding our children, and the culture of silence, passivity and neutrality.

Q7. What was the response of the boy’s father? What was Satyarthi’s reaction to it?

Ans: Shri Satyarthi was angry listening to the cobbler’s answer, as he had resigned to fate and his situation and believed that things cannot change. Somewhere, society is responsible for making the poor believe that education is the right of the privileged. This, according to me, must have made Shri Satyarthi angry.

Q8. What was Mr. Satyarthi’s vision as a child?

Ans: As a child, Mr. Satyarthi had a vision of a tomorrow — a vision that the cobbler boy would be sitting with him in his classroom.

Q9. What is your vision of tomorrow?

Ans: Yes, I strongly feel a vision is important in our life because it gives our life a purpose and a direction to our action. A vision helps us go beyond what we think is possible and helps us realise where we are heading. I want to help Mumbai become a zero waste city. For this, I would wish to start from my home and school.

Q10. What rights should every child have, in our times?

Ans: Every child should have a right to life, right to freedom, right to health, right to education, right to safety, right to dignity, right to equality and right to peace.

Q11. What does Mr. Satyarthi request the listeners?

Ans: Mr. Satyarthi requests the listeners to put their hands close to their hearts, close their eyes, and feel and listen to the child inside them.

Q12. According to Mr. Satyarthi, who are calling for us?

Ans: According to Mr. Satyarthi, thousands of Mahatma Gandhi, Nelson Mandela and Martin Luther King are calling on us.

1. Name the following.

(a) The persons to whom Kailash Satyarthi gives the highest credit of his honour

Ans: Kaalu Kumar, Dhoom Das and Adarsh Kishore from India, and Iqbal Masih from Pakistan.

(b) The greatest personalities from the land of Buddha

Ans: Guru Nanak and Mahatma Gandhi.

(c) So called daughters of Kailash Satyarthi

Ans: Malala, Kayanat and Shazia.

(d) The foreign activists of equal rights, mentioned in the speech

Ans: Nelson Mandela and Martin Luther King.

2. Mention the social issues highlighted by Kailash Satyarthi in his speech. One social issue is given for you.

Ans:

1. Child labour
2. Illiteracy
3. Slavery
4. Child marriage
5. Sexual abuse
6. Human trafficking

3. Complete the following diagram/chart: “The aim in life of Kailash Satyarthi is that every child should be free …”

Ans:

4. Complete the following web-chart: “What Kailash Satyarthi appeals for”

Ans:

5. Think and give your own response.

(a) How can education help the deprived children and child labourers?

Ans: Education can help the deprived children and child labourers gain the required knowledge and skill that will help them to get better jobs when they grow up and improve their condition.

(b) Name any other social activist who has worked/is working earnestly for child-welfare. Write about his/her activities.

Ans: Nina P. Nayak is a social worker and child rights activist from Dakshina Kannada. She has dedicated her life to the promotion and protection of child rights. Her work includes recognition of child rights; policy formulation for children’s rights; implementation of these policies of the Government of India; and being a driving force in the implementation of the ‘Juvenile Justice Act’ and the ‘Protection of Children Against Sexual Offences Act’.

(c) What message does the little bird’s story of the forest fire convey to us? Explain.

Ans: The story of the little bird and the forest fire conveys to us the message that each one of us needs to contribute our bit towards improving the condition of child labourers. We must remember that it takes only one person to start a revolution. If all of us take responsibility and do our bit, nothing is impossible.

(d) Besides the political freedom that our nation enjoys, what other freedom should it strive for? Say why.

Ans: Besides political freedom, our nation should strive for social freedom, where equality is the guiding principle. In remote corners of India, even today, people are exploited on the basis of caste, creed and gender. Besides this, we should also strive for freedom of thought, to make the people of our country more progressive in their thoughts, so that they abandon all superstitions and adopt a scientific attitude.

(e) What is your impression of the acceptance speech given by Kailash Satyarthi, when he received the Nobel Prize? Write in 3 to 4 sentences.

Ans: The acceptance speech given by Kailash Satyarthi during his acceptance of the Nobel Prize gives us a glimpse of the work carried out by him and other child welfare activists, for which he has been awarded the Nobel Prize. Besides discussing challenges related to children’s rights, it also inspires us to do our bit towards improving the plight of children around us. Hence, the speech is not just factual but also successfully inspiring.

6. Choose the correct option and write in front of the given word, to convey the exact meaning.

7. Pick out from the lesson the –

(A) Noun forms of the following words

(B) Verb forms of

8. (A) Use the following words as a noun as well as a verb and make meaningful sentences with each set.

march

Ans: (i) The MCC students march with heads held high. (verb)   (ii) He participated in the protest march. (noun)

honour

Ans: (i) We honour soldiers for their sacrifice and bravery. (verb)   (ii) He is an honour to his nation. (noun)

credit

Ans: (i) Credit the amount in my bank account. (verb)   (ii) I give the girl the credit for her bravery. (noun)

stitch

Ans: (i) Stitch me a gown that no lady in the town has. (verb)   (ii) She decorated the scarf with a fancy stitch. (noun)

(B) Write minimum 4 hidden words of more than 4 letters from ‘intergovernmental’.

Ans: government, rental/mental, talent, intern/internal

(C) Make meaningful sentences using the following phrases.

in the pursuit of

Ans: He left for the Himalayas, renouncing everything, in the pursuit of peace.

be afraid of

Ans: One who seeks knowledge is not afraid of asking questions.

give up

Ans: It is easy to give up in the face of difficulty; what is difficult is to stay on.

(D) Pick from the lesson the antonyms of

9. (A) What will you do in the following situations?

(a) If you see a child working in a restaurant

Ans: I would talk to him and his parents and encourage him to go to school.

(b) If you find a child working at a construction site

Ans: I would speak to the contractors and convince them not to employ the child, and talk to his parents. I would also contact an NGO to rescue the child.

(c) If you find a child working at a brickwork site

Ans: I would immediately talk to his employer. If he would not listen, I would report it to an NGO working for children’s rights.

(d) If you come across a beggar child

Ans: I would immediately report it to NGOs such as ‘Save the Children’ that work for the welfare of street children. I would also inform the child helpline – 1098.

(B) Write any 2 efforts that you can make to enrol deprived children/out of school children into a school.

Ans:

1. I will persuade parents of such children to send them to school.
2. I will persuade my parents to fund the education of at least 2 children.
3. I will find out NGOs that work for such children.
4. I will find out the reason for the child’s absence from school and solve the matter with the help of my elders.

10. (A) Types of Sentence

A sentence is a group of words that expresses a complete idea. Sentences can be classified as follows:

• Assertive sentence (Statement): A sentence that makes a statement or assertion. E.g., ‘There are many villages in India.’
• Interrogative sentence: A sentence that asks a question.
  • Yes/No interrogative — begins with a helping/auxiliary verb, answered by ‘Yes’ or ‘No’. E.g., ‘Are you coming with us?’
  • Wh-interrogative — begins with a wh-word such as ‘who’ or ‘why’. E.g., ‘What is the time?’
• Imperative sentence: Expresses commands, requests, etc. Generally begins with a verb. E.g., ‘Open your books.’
• Exclamatory sentence: Expresses a strong feeling. E.g., ‘How wonderful the river looks!’ ‘What a shame!’

(B) Say whether the following sentences are Assertive, Imperative, Interrogative or Exclamatory.

(C) Rewrite the following sentences as Assertive (statements).

11. (A) Present Perfect Tense — Find more such sentences from the text (have/has + past participle).

Ans:

1. We have made progress in the last couple of decades.
2. We have prevented millions of child deaths.
3. It has happened.
4. That’s why I have kept an empty chair as a reminder.
5. I have come here only to share the voice and dreams of our children.
6. I have looked into their frightened and exhausted eyes.

(B) Infinitives — Find examples from the speech.

Ans:

1. Every child is free to grow.
2. I refuse to accept that all the laws and constitutions, police and judges are unable to protect our children.
3. I am unable to do that.
4. One day, I gathered courage to ask the boy’s father. I want you to see and feel this today inside you.
5. I am deeply honoured to recite a mantra from the ancient texts of wisdom, Vedas.

(C) Complete the following sentences using comparative structures.

(a) The biggest challenge knocking on the doors of humankind is fear and intolerance.

Ans (i): No other challenge knocking on the door of humankind is as big as fear and intolerance.

Ans (ii): Fear and intolerance are bigger than any other challenges on the doors of humankind.

(b) The Nobel Prize is one of the greatest honours in the world.

Ans (i): Very few honours in the world are as great as the Nobel Prize.

Ans (ii): The Nobel Prize is greater than many other honours in the world.

12. (A) Match the sentences given in part ‘A’ with the sentences given in part ‘B’. Note the differences in structure.

Ans:

(B) Part A is passive voice, Part B is active voice. Change the following sentences into the passive voice.

13. Imagine your school invites Malala to preside over ‘Children’s Day’ celebration programme. Draft a welcome speech for this guest of honour.