Chandraprabha Saikiani, Chapter-8, Class-8, English, SEBA New Book
Chandraprabha Saikiani, Chapter-8, Class-8, English, SEBA New Book
Q. List at least five rules women in the early 20th century had to follow, that modern women do not need to.
Ans. Based on the text, here are five rules:
They were often not allowed to step out of their homes.
* They were denied formal education, as schools were often only for boys.
* They had to sit behind a bamboo screen, separated from men, in public meetings.
* In some institutions, they were denied access to facilities (like hostels) unless they converted to a specific religion.
* They were restricted from entering public places, like temples, based on their caste or gender.
* What will you do if you are asked to speak with boys from behind a bamboo screen?
This question asks for a personal opinion. A sample answer inspired by the text would be:
I would refuse to speak from behind a screen. I would find the rule discriminatory and unfair, and I would challenge it, just as Chandraprabha Saikiani did. I would argue that everyone, regardless of gender, should be able to participate equally and openly.
Activities (Page 3-10)
1. Answer the following questions:
(a) Who was Chandraprabha Saikiani?
Ans.Chandraprabha Saikiani was a renowned social reformer from Assam.
(b) What did Chandraprabha do to educate the girls of her village?
Ans.After she attended the boys’ school, she would gather other girls and teach them what she had learnt during the day.
(c) Which two incidents show us how Chandraprabha fought for the rights of girls?
Ans. At the Nagaon Mission School, she vehemently opposed the rule that girls had to convert to Christianity to be admitted into the hostel. Her protest compelled the authorities to allow girls of all religions to use the hostel facilities.
* In 1925, at the Assam Sahitya Sabha session, she challenged the custom of women sitting behind a bamboo screen by delivering a powerful speech demanding its removal.
(d) On what occasion did Chandraprabha ask women to come out from behind the bamboo screen?
Ans. She did this during the Assam Sahitya Sabha session held at Nagaon in 1925.
(e) What steps did Chandraprabha take to eliminate the caste system?
Ans.She fought for the entry of everyone, “irrespective of caste, gender and class,” into the famous Hayagriva Madhava temple at Hajo.
(f) What was Chandraprabha Saikiani’s role in the freedom movement of India?
Ans.Inspired by Mahatma Gandhi, she joined the freedom movement, spread the message of khadi, advocated for the boycott of foreign clothes, and worked to remove untouchability and ban opium. She immersed herself in the movement from 1930 and was imprisoned three times (1931, 1942, and 1943).
2. Complete the following sentences:
(a) At a time when society did not allow young girls to step out of home, she fought to make formal education available for girls.
(b) In those days girls’ schools did not exist, so Chandraprabha and her sister Rajaniprabha… did not mind wading through mud to attend a school which only had boys.
(c) Chandraprabha and her sister were awarded a scholarship to study in Nagaon Mission School.
(d) In order to eliminate the evils of the caste system, Chandraprabha fought for the entry of every one, irrespective of caste, gender and class, into the famous Hayagriva Madhava temple at Hajo.
(e) Being inspired by Mahatma Gandhi, Chandraprabha was inspired to join the freedom movement.
3. Find a word from the text to replace the underlined part:
(a) Chandraprabha Saikiani was a famous and respected social worker…
Answer: renowned
(b) She tried to get rid of all the cultural or religious restrictions…
Answer: taboos
(c) Chandraprabha refused to accept and questioned the prevailing custom…
Answer: challenged
(d) She was strong in her attitude against society’s restriction…
Answer: staunchly
(e) Whenever she saw any injustice, her desire to resist authority…
Answer: rebellious spirit
4. Complete the table below (presented with dashes):
* Chandraprabha Saikiani – A renowned social reformer from Assam
* Birth – 16 March 1901
* Father – Ratiram Mazumdar
* Mother – Gangapriya
* Sister – Rajaniprabha
* School – A school which only had boy
5. Choose the appropriate description for each paragraph:
(a) The first paragraph is about:
Answer: (ii) Chandraprabha Saikiani’s birth as the social reformer
(b) The second paragraph is about:
Answer: (iii) Chandraprabha Saikiani’s efforts to get an education
(c) The third paragraph is about:
Answer: (ii) her fight for the rights of girls
(d) The fourth paragraph is about:
Answer: (ii) Chandraprabha Saikiani’s protest against restrictions imposed on women
(e) The fifth paragraph is about:
Answer: (iii) Chandraprabha Saikiani’s protest against the caste system
(f) The sixth pragraph is about:
Answer: (ii) Chandraprabha Saikiani as the freedom fighter
(g) The seventh paragraph is about:
Answer: (i) Chandraprabha Saikiani’s rebellious spirit
6. Discuss… what you have learnt about:
(a) The condition of women during the days of Chandraprabha Saikiani:
Ans.During her time, society was very restrictive for women. Girls were often not allowed to leave their homes, and formal education was mostly unavailable to them. In public gatherings, women were forced to sit behind bamboo screens, separate from men. They also faced discrimination in public spaces, such as being barred from temples, and faced restrictive rules in institutions, like being required to convert to Christianity to use a school hostel.
(b) Chandraprabha Saikiani’s role in the freedom movement:
Ans.She was a dedicated freedom fighter. Inspired by Mahatma Gandhi, she joined the movement in 1921. Her role involved spreading the message of khadi (homespun cloth), encouraging the boycott of foreign clothes, and working to remove social evils like untouchability and opium addiction. She was fully committed to the movement from 1930 onwards and was imprisoned three times for her patriotic activities.
7. Combine these sentences by using to-infinitives:
(a) Original: I will visit the book fair. I will buy a few novels.
Answer: I will visit the book fair to buy a few novels.
(b) Original: We are going to Puri tomorrow. We will visit the Jagannath Temple there.
Answer: We are going to Puri tomorrow to visit the Jagannath Temple there.
(c) Original: She started a small school for girls. She would help them to overcome the taboos against women.
Answer: She started a small school for girls to help them overcome the taboos against women.
(d) Original: She delivered a very powerful speech. She demanded the removal of the prevailing customs…
Answer: She delivered a very powerful speech to demand the removal of the prevailing customs of women sitting behind bamboo screens.
(e) Original: She and her sister were awarded a scholarship. They will study in Nagaon Mission School.
Answer: She and her sister were awarded a scholarship to study in Nagaon Mission School.
8. Complete the word webs:
* Web 2 (based on “timed”)
* Noun: time
* Verb: timed
* Adjective: timely
* Web 3 (based on “eagerness”)
* Noun: eagerness
* Verb: (No common verb)
* Adjective: eager
* Web 4 (based on “rebellion”)
* Noun: rebellion
* Verb: rebel
* Adjective: rebellious
* Web 5 (based on “movement”)
* Noun: movement
* Verb: move
* Adjective: moving (or movable)
* Web 6 (based on “patriotic”)
* Noun: patriotism (or patriot)
* Verb: (No common verb)
* Adjective: patriotic
* Web 7 (based on “educational”)
* Noun: education
* Verb: educate
* Adjective: educational
9. (a) (i) Find out more about CEDAW:
The text provides some features of CEDAW
As the activity asks for more features found on the internet, here are some others:
* It calls for ending discrimination against women in both public and private life.
* It establishes women’s equal rights in marriage and family matters, including the right to choose a spouse and own property.
* It requires states to take measures to suppress all forms of trafficking and exploitation of women.
* It ensures women have equal access to healthcare (including family planning) and employment opportunities.
9. (b) Write a short essay:
Here is a sample essay on topic (i):
Chandraprabha Saikiani as a Social Reformer
Chandraprabha Saikiani was one of Assam’s most courageous and renowned social reformers. She lived during a time when society was deeply patriarchal and unjust, especially towards women and lower-caste individuals. Her life was a continuous battle against these injustices.
Her journey as a reformer began with education. At a time when girls were not even allowed to leave their homes, she and her sister waded through mud to attend a boys-only school. She didn’t just stop at educating herself; she gathered other girls after school to teach them what she had learned, starting a movement for female education. Her first major victory came at the Nagaon Mission School, where she protested the discriminatory rule that forced girls to convert to Christianity to get a hostel room, successfully compelling the authorities to change the rule.
Saikiani’s rebellious spirit famously challenged the “purdah” system. At the 1925 Assam Sahitya Sabha session, she refused to sit behind the bamboo screen (pardah) meant for women. She delivered a powerful speech demanding its removal, a radical act that challenged age-old restrictions. To formalize her efforts, she established the “Assam Pradeshik Mahila Samiti” in 1926, the first women’s organization in the state.
Her fight wasn’t limited to women’s rights; she was also a staunch opponent of the caste system. In a bold move, she took matters into her own hands to fight for the entry of all people, regardless of caste or gender, into the Hayagriva Madhava temple at Hajo. She was also a dedicated freedom fighter, inspired by Gandhi to work for the removal of untouchability and other social evils.
Chandraprabha Saikiani’s life was a testament to her indomitable spirit. She was a true reformer who dedicated her life to ridding society of its taboos and fighting for the rights of the oppressed.
9. (c) Ideas to eradicate taboos:
If I were in Chandraprabha Saikiani’s place today, here are some ideas I would use to eradicate modern taboos against women:
* Use technology: Just as she used speeches, I would use social media and online platforms to organize campaigns and spread awareness against taboos like shaming women for their choices or restrictions on their mobility.
* Fight for legal reform: Like she formed the Mahila Samiti, I would form advocacy groups to lobby the government for stronger laws ensuring equal pay, protection from online harassment, and equal representation in politics.
* Challenge institutions: Similar to her challenge at the Hajo temple, I would challenge modern institutions (companies, clubs, religious bodies) that still have discriminatory rules, whether explicit or implicit, against women in leadership.
* Promote education: Following her early efforts to teach girls, I would focus on digital literacy and skill development for girls in rural areas to ensure they are economically independent, which is the key to breaking free from social restrictions.
10. Group Activity (Sample)
(a) Meaning of ‘skit’:
A skit is a short, simple, and often humorous play or performance.
(b) Sample Skit (Based on Paragraph 3):
* Title: The Hostel Protest
* Characters:
* Chandraprabha
* Rajaniprabha (Her sister)
* School Authority
* Backdrop: The office of the Nagaon Mission School.
(Scene Start)
School Authority: Welcome to the Nagaon Mission School. We are pleased to offer you and your sister this scholarship. You may attend classes, but the hostel is only for Christian girls.
Chandraprabha: What do you mean? We need a place to stay.
School Authority: You are welcome to stay in the hostel, but only if you convert to Christianity. That is the rule.
Rajaniprabha: (Whispering) Chandraprabha, what will we do? We have nowhere else to go.
Chandraprabha: (Standing tall) No. That is unjust. We are here to study, not to change our religion.
School Authority: (Scoffs) It is the rule. Take it or leave it.
Chandraprabha: We will not leave. And we will not convert. We will fight this. You cannot deny us lodging based on our faith. This is a school, not a church!
School Authority: (Surprised at her force) You are just one girl. You cannot challenge the rules.
Chandraprabha: I am. And I will oppose this vehemently. This facility must be available for girls of all religions, or it should be available to none!
(Scene End)
(c) Sample Slogan (Based on Paragraph 3):
“Education is our right, not a reason to convert. Stop religious discrimination in schools!”