What is the work of the police?
The work of police includes enquire, investigations and to take actions against the crime that is happening within its area. Every police station has an area that comes under its control. All people in that area can report cases or inform the police about any theft, accident, injury, fight etc.
In your neighbourhood are there women who own property? How did they acquire it?
How do women benefit under the new law?
List two things that the work of a Patwari includes.
What is the work of a tehsildar?
Who is in charge of all the police stations in a district? Find out.
Visit a police station and find out the work that the police have to do to prevent crime and maintain law and order in their area especially during festivals, public meetings etc.
In what ways are the work of the Panchayat, that you read about in the previous chapter, and the work of the Patwari related to each other?
What issue is the poem trying to raise? Do you think this is an important issue? Why?
How would Maya's life be different in South Africa today?
What problem did the villagers in Hardas village face? What did they do to solve this problem?
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?
Match the following statements in a way that challenges stereotypes.
a. Two surgeons were sitting down to lunch when one of them made a call on the mobile phone |
1. suffers from chronic asthma. |
b. The boy who won the drawing competition went to the dias |
2. to become an astronaut which she did. |
c. One of the fastest athletes in the world |
3. to speak with her daughter who had just returned from school. |
d. She was not that well-off but had a dream |
4. on a wheelchair to collect his prize. |
Look at the statements in the column on the left. Can you identify which level they belong to? Place tick marks against the level you consider most appropriate.
Why did the children go to Yasmin Khala's house?
You have probably noticed that people in Kalpattu are engaged in a variety of non-farm work. List five of these.
Read and discuss the following description of the living conditions of workers who come to the labour chowk.
Most workers that we find at the labour chowk cannot afford permanent accommodation and so sleep on pavements near the chowk, or they pay Rs 6 a night for a bed at a nearby night shelter run by the Municipal Corporation. To compensate for the lack of security, local tea and cigarette shops function as banks, moneylenders and safety lockers, all rolled into one. Most workers leave their tools at these shops for the night for safekeeping, and pass on any extra money to them. The shopkeepers keep the money safely and also offer loans to labourers in need.
Source: Aman Sethi, Hindu On-line
What are the various ways in which people participate in the process of government?
What, in your opinion, is the importance of the Gram Sabha? Do you think all members should attend Gram Sabha meetings? Why?
Discuss
In the two photographs you see different ways of collecting and disposing garbage.
i) Which way do you think provides safety to the person disposing garbage?
ii) What are the dangers of collecting garbage in the manner shown in the first photograph?
iii) Why do you think that proper ways of disposing garbage are not available to those who work in municipalities?
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?
What benefits does Sudha get along with her salary?
What do you understand by the word 'government'? List five ways in which you think the government affects your daily life.
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?
Take an example of any one task done by a Panchayat in your area/nearby rural area and find out the following:
a. Why it was taken up.
b. Where the money came from.
c. Whether or not the work has been completed.
What do you think living in India with its rich heritage of diversity adds to your life?
What does the Constitution say with regard to equality? Why do you think it is important for all people to be equal?
Gandhiji strongly believed that every adult in India should be given the right to vote. However, a few people don't share his views. They feel that illiterate people, who are mainly poor, should not be given the right to vote. What do you think? Do you think this would be a form of discrimination? Give five points to support your view and share these with the class.
Sometimes people make prejudiced comments in our presence. We are often not in a position to do anything about this because it is difficult to say something right then and there. Divide the class into groups and each group discuss what they could do in one of the following situations:
a. A friend begins to tease a classmate because he is poor.
b. You are watching TV with your family and one of them makes a prejudicial comment about a particular religious community.
c. Children in your class refuse to share their food with a particular person because they think she is dirty.
d. Someone tells you a joke that makes fun of a community because of their accent.
e. Some boys make remarks about girls not being able to play games as well as them. Discuss in class what the different groups have suggested for the above situations, and also talk about the problems that can come up when raising the issue.