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?
(a) I think the 2 nd photo is the correct way of disposing garbage and also provides safety to the person.
(b) The picture one shows the wrong way of collecting garbage because we can see that the garbage is thrown in the land and animals are sitting there which can cause harness to those and as well as to the workers who are working there. The garbage would might contain plastics, harmful chemicals and as well as poisons. And if these are eaten by animals, it would have spread the diseases, infection and can kill them.
(c) The facilities are not available to the workers of the municipalities because there are not proper arrangements and the workers are also less aware of health and hygiene.
Compare the situation of Sekar and Ramalingam by filling out the following table:
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.
Why do you think the government needs to make rules for everyone in the form of laws?
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.
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?
Underline the line in the poem sung after the Jallianwala Bagh massacre, which according to you, reflects India's essential unity.
How can the stereotype that girls are a burden on their parents affect the life of a daughter? Imagine this situation and list at least five different effects that this stereotype can have on the way daughters get treated in the house.
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?
Name two essential features of a democratic government.
Imagine you are a member of a fishing family and you are discussing whether to take a loan from the bank for an engine. What would you say?
What do you think the government can do to help farmers like Sekar when they get into debt? Discuss.
How can the stereotype that girls are a burden on their parents affect the life of a daughter? Imagine this situation and list at least five different effects that this stereotype can have on the way daughters get treated in the house.
What does the Constitution say with regard to equality? Why do you think it is important for all people to be equal?
You have probably noticed that people in Kalpattu are engaged in a variety of non-farm work. List five of these.
Several poor people in the city work as domestic servants as well as work for the Corporation, keeping the city clean. Yet the slums in which they live are quite filthy. This is because these slums seldom have any water and sanitation facilities. The reason often given by the Municipal Corporation is that the land in which the poor have set up their homes does not belong to them and that slum-dwellers do not pay taxes. However people living in middle class neighbourhoods pay very little in taxes compared to the amount of money the corporation spends on them in setting up parks, street lighting facilities, regular garbage collection etc. Also as you read in this chapter, the property taxes collected by the Municipality makes up only 25-30 per cent of its money. Why do you think it is important that the Corporation should spend more money on slum localities? Why is it important that the Municipal Corporation provide the poor in the city with the same facilities that the rich get?
Name two essential features of a democratic government.
Why do you think the government needs to make rules for everyone in the form of laws?
Compare the situation of Sekar and Ramalingam by filling out the following table:
List the different types of people you read about in Kalpattu who depend on farming. Who is the poorest among them and why?