Confronting Marginalisation NCERT Class 8 Social and Political life
Q1. What is marginalization?
Ans. Marginalization refers to the reduce power and importance of certain people in our country. Example Tribals or Adivasi, OBC’s, Religious minorities and women.
Q2. Mention the state inhabited by Adivasis.
Ans. Andhra Pradesh, Orissa, Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand.
Q3. Who are Adivasi?
· Adivasi term literally means ‘original inhabitants’or communities who lived, and often continue to live, in close association with forests.
· Around 8 per cent of India’s population is Adivasis and many of India’s most important mining and industrial centres are located in Adivasis areas – Jamshedpur, Rourkela, Bokaro and Bhilai
· Adivasis are not a homogeneous population: there are over 500 different Adivasi groups in India.
Q4. Which state is known as more than 60% of tribes?
Ans. Orissa is known as more than 60% of tribals.
Q5. Briefly describe the religious beliefs of Adivasis.
· These often involve the worship of ancestors, village and natural spirits, the last associated with and residing in various sites in the landscape – ‘mountain-spirits’, ‘river- spirits’, ‘animal-spirits’, etc.
· The village spirits are often worshipped at specific sacred groves within the village boundary while the ancestral ones are usually worshipped at home.
· Adivasis have always been influenced by different surrounding religions like Shakta, Buddhist, Vaishnav, Bhakti and Christianity.
Q6. How has the Adivasi community influenced other religions?
· Adivasi religions themselves have influenced dominant religions of the empires around them, for example, the Jagannath cult of Orissa and Shakti and Tantric traditions in Bengal and Assam.
· During the nineteenth century, substantial numbers of Adivasis converted to Christianity, which has emerged as a very important religion in modern Adivasi history.
Q7. What are the languages usually spoken by adivasis?
Ans . Adivasis speak in Bengali and Santhali.
Q8. How have the adivasis contributed towards the development of the country?
Ans. Forests covered the major part of our country till the nineteenth century and the Adivasis had a deep knowledge of, access to, as well as control over most of these various tracts at least till the middle of the nineteenth century. This meant that they were not ruled by large states and empires. Instead, often empires heavily depended on Adivasis for the crucial access to forest resources.
Q9. Why are tribal communities poor?
· Losing their land and access to the forest means that tribal lose their main sources of livelihood and food.
· Most Adivasis have migrated to cities in search of work where they are employed for very low wages in local industries and at construction sites.
· 45 percent of tribal groups in rural areas and 35 percent in urban areas live below the poverty live. This leads to deprivation in other areas.
· When Adivasis are displaced from their lands, they lose much more than a source of income.
· Many tribal children are malnourished. Literacy rates among tribals are also very low.
Q10. Why are Adivasis referred to as the minorities?
Ans. The term minority is most commonly used to refer to communities that are numerically small in relation to the rest of the population. The Adivasis are also less in number than other communities and are thus referred to as the minorities. Adivasis are 8 per cent of the population.
Q11. Mention the largest religious minority in our country.
Ans. Muslims are 13.4 per cent of India’s population and are considered to be a marginalized community in India today because in comparison to other communities they have over the years deprived of the benefits of socio – economic development with regards to literacy and public employment.
Q12. How does the constitution of India protect the right of the minorities?
Ans. The Indian constitution recognized that the culture of the majority influences the way in which society and government might express themselves.
1. Constitution provides safeguards to religious minorities as part of our fundamental rights.
2. Safeguards are present to protect minority communities against the possibility of being culturally dominated by the majority.
3. They also protect them against any discrimination and disadvantage that they may face.
4. Given certain conditions, communities that are small in number relative to the rest of society may feel insecure about their lives, assets and well – being. This sense of insecurity may get accentuated if the relations between the minority and majority communities are fraught. The constitution provides these safeguards because it is committed to protecting India’s culture diversity and promoting equality as well as justice.
Q13. “Muslims are marginalized community” Give two reasons?
· Muslims are marginalized community in India because in comparison to other communities, they have over the years been deprived of the benefits of socio- economic development.
· Like other minorities, Muslim customs and practices are sometimes quite distinct from what is seen as the mainstream. Some not all Muslim may wear a burqa, sport a long beard, wear a fez, and these become ways to identify Muslims. Because of this they tend to be identified differently and some people think they are not like ‘rest of us’. Often this becomes the excuse to treat them unfairly, and discriminate against them.
Q14. Would you agree with the statement that economic and social marginalization are interlinked? Why?
1. The social marginalization of Muslims has led to them migrating from places where they have lived, often beading to ghettoisation of the community. Due to this marginalization the literacy rate of Muslims is also very low as compared to other communities and the public employment of Muslims is also very low. This prejudice leads to hatred and violence.
2. Losing their lands and access to the forest means that tribals lose their main sources of livelihood and food. Having gradually lost access to their traditional homelands, many adivasis have migrated to cities in search of work where they are employed for very low wages in local industries or at building or construction sites. They, thus, get caught in the cycle of poverty and deprivation. 45 percent of tribal groups in rural areas and 35 percent in urban areas live below the poverty line. This leads to deprivation. In other areas. Many tribal children are malnourished. Literacy rates among tribals are also very low.
There exists interconnectedness between the economic and social dimensions of tribal life. Destruction in one sphere naturally impacts the other often this process of dispossession and displacement can be painful and violent.
Confronting Marginalisation NCERT Class 8 Social and Political life Extra Questions
Question-1
What are the ways in which marginalized communities tried to overcome the discriminations they faced?
Solution:
The marginalized communities tried many ways to overcome the discrimination they faced. They are:-
Religious solace
Armed struggle
Self improvement
Education
Economic progress.
Question-2
What did the marginal groups rely on to protect themselves from continued exploitation by other groups?
Solution:
Marginal groups relied on the Constitution of India and the Judiciary System to protect them from continued exploitation by other groups.
Question-3
What are the seven rights stated in the Indian constitution?
Solution:
The seven fundamental rights are:
1. Right to equality
2. Right to freedom
3. Right against exploitation
4. Right to freedom of religion
5. Cultural and educational rights
6. Right to constitutional remedies
7. Right to Life and personal liberty.
Question-4
What is ‘untouchability’, and who were called ‘untouchables’?
Solution:
Untouchability is the individual discrimination against certain classes of persons.
Dalits are sometimes called Untouchables. Untouchables are regarded as ‘low caste’ and have been marginalized for centuries.
Question-5
Mention 4 untouchable practices.
Solution:
Some untouchable practices are :-
Segregation in seating and food arrangements in village functions and festivals
Prohibited from entering into village temples
Separate burial grounds
No access to village’s wells and ponds.
Question-6
What is the ‘Reservation Policy’?
Solution:
Reservation Policy confirms that a percentage of seats are reserved in the public sector units, union and state civil services, union and state government departments and in all public and private educational institutions, except in the religious/ linguistic minority educational institutions, for the socially and educationally backward classes of citizens or the Scheduled Castes and Tribes who were inadequately represented in these services and institutions.
Question-7
What is the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006?
Solution:
The central government passed the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006. The Act states that the injustice meted out to the Adivasis must be undone. This Act recognises their right to their homestead, cultivable and grazing land and to non-timber forest produce. It points out that the rights of forest dwellers include conservation of forests and bio-diversity.
Question-8
Mention a few crimes listed in the Prevention of Atrocities Act 1989.
Solution:
The Prevention of Atrocities Act 1989 lists several levels of crimes. Some of them are ……
I. Modes of humiliation
(i) Force a member of a Scheduled Caste or a Scheduled Tribe to ; ; drink or eat any inedible or obnoxious substance
(ii) Forcibly removes clothes from the person of a member of a Scheduled Caste or a Scheduled Tribe or parades him or her naked or with painted face or body or commits any similar act which is derogatory to human dignity
II. Actions that deprive Dalits and Adivasis of their possessions
(i) wrongfully occupies or cultivates any land owned by, or allotted to, … a member of a Scheduled Caste or a Scheduled Tribe or gets the land allotted to him transferred
III. Crimes against Dalit and tribal women
(i) Assaults or uses force on any woman belonging to a Scheduled ; ; Caste or a Scheduled Tribe with intent to dishonour her.
What are the ways in which marginalized communities tried to overcome the discriminations they faced?
Solution:
The marginalized communities tried many ways to overcome the discrimination they faced. They are:-
Religious solace
Armed struggle
Self improvement
Education
Economic progress.
Question-2
What did the marginal groups rely on to protect themselves from continued exploitation by other groups?
Solution:
Marginal groups relied on the Constitution of India and the Judiciary System to protect them from continued exploitation by other groups.
Question-3
What are the seven rights stated in the Indian constitution?
Solution:
The seven fundamental rights are:
1. Right to equality
2. Right to freedom
3. Right against exploitation
4. Right to freedom of religion
5. Cultural and educational rights
6. Right to constitutional remedies
7. Right to Life and personal liberty.
Question-4
What is ‘untouchability’, and who were called ‘untouchables’?
Solution:
Untouchability is the individual discrimination against certain classes of persons.
Dalits are sometimes called Untouchables. Untouchables are regarded as ‘low caste’ and have been marginalized for centuries.
Question-5
Mention 4 untouchable practices.
Solution:
Some untouchable practices are :-
Segregation in seating and food arrangements in village functions and festivals
Prohibited from entering into village temples
Separate burial grounds
No access to village’s wells and ponds.
Question-6
What is the ‘Reservation Policy’?
Solution:
Reservation Policy confirms that a percentage of seats are reserved in the public sector units, union and state civil services, union and state government departments and in all public and private educational institutions, except in the religious/ linguistic minority educational institutions, for the socially and educationally backward classes of citizens or the Scheduled Castes and Tribes who were inadequately represented in these services and institutions.
Question-7
What is the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006?
Solution:
The central government passed the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006. The Act states that the injustice meted out to the Adivasis must be undone. This Act recognises their right to their homestead, cultivable and grazing land and to non-timber forest produce. It points out that the rights of forest dwellers include conservation of forests and bio-diversity.
Question-8
Mention a few crimes listed in the Prevention of Atrocities Act 1989.
Solution:
The Prevention of Atrocities Act 1989 lists several levels of crimes. Some of them are ……
I. Modes of humiliation
(i) Force a member of a Scheduled Caste or a Scheduled Tribe to ; ; drink or eat any inedible or obnoxious substance
(ii) Forcibly removes clothes from the person of a member of a Scheduled Caste or a Scheduled Tribe or parades him or her naked or with painted face or body or commits any similar act which is derogatory to human dignity
II. Actions that deprive Dalits and Adivasis of their possessions
(i) wrongfully occupies or cultivates any land owned by, or allotted to, … a member of a Scheduled Caste or a Scheduled Tribe or gets the land allotted to him transferred
III. Crimes against Dalit and tribal women
(i) Assaults or uses force on any woman belonging to a Scheduled ; ; Caste or a Scheduled Tribe with intent to dishonour her.
Why was the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 framed?
Solution:
The Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, was framed in response to demands made by Dalits and others groups.
They wanted the government to stop the ill treatment and humiliation Dalits and tribal groups face everyday.
Question-10
How did the Dalits assert themselves?
Solution:
The Dalits asserted themselves and sort the help of law to fight discrimination
In the late 1970s and 1980s in parts of South India the Dalits asserted themselves by refusing to perform their so-called caste duties and insisted on being treated equally.
Adivasi people successfully organised themselves and demanded equal rights, and for their land and resources to be returned to them.
Dalit groups demanded new laws that would list the various sorts of violence against Dalits and prescribe stringent punishment for those who indulge in them.
Solution:
The Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, was framed in response to demands made by Dalits and others groups.
They wanted the government to stop the ill treatment and humiliation Dalits and tribal groups face everyday.
Question-10
How did the Dalits assert themselves?
Solution:
The Dalits asserted themselves and sort the help of law to fight discrimination
In the late 1970s and 1980s in parts of South India the Dalits asserted themselves by refusing to perform their so-called caste duties and insisted on being treated equally.
Adivasi people successfully organised themselves and demanded equal rights, and for their land and resources to be returned to them.
Dalit groups demanded new laws that would list the various sorts of violence against Dalits and prescribe stringent punishment for those who indulge in them.
