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The Sacred Turtles of Kandavu

  The Sacred Turtles of Kandavu A Fijian Legend 1.     What is a legend? A legend is a very  old   story  or set of  stories  from  ancient   times about famous events or persons. These   stories are not always  true . 2.     Where does the story “The Scared Turtles of Kandavu” take place? The legend of the sacred turtles of Kandavu takes place in the Fijian island of Namuana. 3.     Fiji:  Fiji, a country in the South Pacific, is an archipelago (group of islands) of more than 300 islands. It's famed for rugged landscapes, palm-lined beaches and coral reefs with clear lagoons. 4.     How, according to the legend, did the warriors of Kadavu save themselves a long journey by sea? The Fijian islands are surrounded by sea. The legends says that the warriors of Kadavu saved the time for a long journey by sea, by sliding their canoes on rollers up over the narrow neck of land. 5.     What is the strange custom observed by the women of Namuana? The women of Namuan

And Then Gandhi Came : Notes

 


And Then Gandhi Came

 

1.    What is referred to as the “all-powerful monster”?

 

The brutal, oppressive and humiliating British colonial rule that denied the Indian people the right to live respectfully is referred as all powerful monster.

 

2.    What was the impact of the First World War?

 

The first world war had already caused enough suffering in the Indian sub-continent. The Indian soldiers fought alongside with the British forces. When the war ended, the people thought that the British would be more lenient but they humiliated the people with more oppressive legislations and imposed martial rule in the Province of Punjab. People thought that they had become a derelict nation and felt hopeless and helpless. Unemployment and poverty worsened.

 

3.    How does Nehru describe the coming of Gandhiji?

 

Jawaharlal Nehru describes the coming of Gandhiji in beautiful words. He compares the coming Gandhiji to a powerful current of fresh air that made the people stretch themselves and take deep breaths. He was like a beam of light that pierces the darkness and removed the scales from the eyes. He was like a whirlwind that upset many things and changed the working of people’s minds. He did not descend from the top but emerged from the millions of India, speaking their language.

 

 

 

4.    What was the essence of Gandhiji’s teaching?

 

The essence of Gandhiji’s teaching was fearlessness and truth, and action allied to these, always keeping the welfare of the people in view.

 

5.    What does the word “abhaya” mean?

 

“Abhaya” means fearlessness or courage. The courage of both body and mind.

 

6.    What did Gandhiji exhort the people to do?

 

Gandhiji’s determined and quite voice told the people not to be afraid.

 

7.    What was the dominant impulse in India under the British rule?

 

The dominant impulse in India under the British rule was fear – pervasive, oppressing, strangling fear; fear of the army, the police, wide spread secret service, fear of the official class and landlord’s agents. The laws were aimed to make people suppress the people. The people were also afraid of the moneylenders, unemployment, poverty and starvation.

 

8.    What did Gandhiji do to remove fear from the minds of the people?

 

Gandhiji asked the people to be truthful. Fear is a close companion to falsehood as truth follows fearlessness. Though the Indian people did not become truthful overnight the was a sea change.

 

9.    Why was Gandhiji compared to a psychologist?

 

Nehru compares Gandhiji to a psychologist who probed deep into the patients’ past, found out the origin of his complexes, exposed them to his view and thus rid him of that burden. Gandhiji told the basic problem of the people was their fear, falsehood and furtive behaviour. People were made aware the humiliation of long submission to the foreign rule.

 

10.           What according to Gandhiji was truth?

 

Truth is what a person feels and knows himself to be true. Truth varies according each individual depending upon his own background, training and impulses. For Gandhiji truth is what he feels and knows to be true and he let others see and know his mind. Gandhiji is a symbol of uncompromising truth.

 

11.           How did Gandhiji influence the people of India?

 

Gandhiji’s word and deeds affected and influenced the people in varying degrees. Some changed their entire behaviour and way of life. But others were only partially affected and the effect declined with passage of time.

 

12.           What was the two-folded action involved in Gandhiji’s exhortation?

 

The two-fold action Gandhiji asked the people to was resisting the foreign rule through nonviolence actions on one hand, and the other was to fight their own social evils.

 

 

 

13.           What was the influence of Gandhi in the villages?

 

Gandhiji sent congress workers to the villages and understand their life and difficulties. The villagers, who earlier were uninterested in the freedom struggle now felt that they too are a part of the county. They were shaken up from their lethargy.

 

14.           What was the India of Gandhiji’s dreams?

Gandhiji dreamed of an India where the voices of every one shall be heard, where there are no high- and low-class people, a country where all communities shall live in harmony, getting rid of the curse of untouchability and drugs and intoxicating drinks. He also dreamed of an India where women will enjoy equal right as men.

 

15.           What, according to Gandhiji, was the essential culture of India?

 

In Gandhiji’s view the culture of India is a fusion of different cultures like the Hindu, Islamic and many different cultures. He would like the cultures of all lands to be blown about his house freely.

 

16.           What was the psychological revolution Gandhiji brought about?

 

Gandhiji brought about a psychological revolution among the people as he assured equality and freedom for each individual. His way of nonviolent struggle for freedom and uncompromising stand for truth indeed caused a psychological revolution.

 

17.           What is the importance of Gandhian Values in the present-day world?

Gandhiji is a leader with unique personality.  The world has seldom seen freedom fighters like him, may be except Nelson Mandela who followed Gandhiji’s footsteps. The values the Gandhiji upheld were, adherence to truth, nonviolence, religious and cultural tolerance and unity, equality for every individual and women empowerment.

Today the world, including India is divided by religious, racial and cultural differences and conflicts. Tolerance is a virtue that can bring a harmonious life system and remove poverty and conflicts.

People seems less interested in honesty and peace. Every one is after selfish interests. Greed has taken away humanitarian values.

In India we often see communal violence which is completely against Gandhiji’s dreams. So also, women are not given equal rights as men. Crime and abuse against women go on unending. Use of drugs and intoxicating drinks are on the rise. Dishonest politicians and officers have promoted corruption and nepotism.

Gandhian values would have made the world a safer place to live in.

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