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.
I agree to Gandhiji’s belief that every adult in India should be given equal rights to vote because:
1. India is a democratic country and one of the most essential feature of democracy is to ensure equality to all citizens of the country.
2. If literacy is the reason then the government should make sure that it should provide literacy to all which is one of the rights of all citizens.
3. We should honor the dignity of every person, whether rich or poor, high caste or good social status etc.
4. No one should be discriminate on the basis of their social status and these rules are written in our constitution.
5. A person do not become poor because of his choice but because of circumstances. Dishonesty can develop in any person whether he is rich or poor and every adult develops a certain level of maturity which gives him enough wisdom to think about the government.
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 do you think the government needs to make rules for everyone in the form of laws?
Name two essential features of a democratic government.
What was the suffrage movement? What did it accomplish?
What do you understand by the word 'government'? List five ways in which you think the government affects your daily life.
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?
What is the work of the police?
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. |
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?
Underline the line in the poem sung after the Jallianwala Bagh massacre, which according to you, reflects India's essential unity.
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. |
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?
What does the Constitution say with regard to equality? Why do you think it is important for all people to be equal?
Compare the situation of Sekar and Ramalingam by filling out the following table:
What issue is the poem trying to raise? Do you think this is an important issue? Why?
List the different types of people you read about in Kalpattu who depend on farming. Who is the poorest among them and why?
Who is a Municipal Councillor?
How would Maya's life be different in South Africa today?
What do you think living in India with its rich heritage of diversity adds to your life?