Ahimsa Chapter 1

• English
• Secondary Education

AHIMSA

Supriya Kelkar

Objectives:

1. Recall the main events from Chapter 1 to Chapter 5 of Ahimsa. Revise the characters details.

2. Recall the meaning of Ahimsa.

3. Test your learning by answering some interesting questions.

What comes to your mind when you hear the term Ahimsa?

Characters Introduced

Anjali- She took a lot care of her skirt of saffron ghargra choli woven with red gold thread. She took a great care of this dress. She was a Brahmin and lived in the city of Navrangpur. 

Irfaan- He was wearing a taweez with a cool white pajama-kurta.

Captain Brent- He is the former boss of Anjali's mother. He was IN charge of making sure British Raj's order were carried out. 

Anjali's mother- She used to work at Captain Brent offices. She knew 6 languages. Earlier she translates decrees and legal notices for Captain. 

Characters Introduced

Chachaji- He lived with Anjali and her mother since Anjali mother got job. Anjali herd stories about untouchable from him. 

Untouchable children- They have sunburned, crusty faces and they have matted hair(no longer black hair). They wear dirty tattered clothes, barely covering their scrawny skin. They do odd jobs like clearing dead animals from road, removing sewage and etc. 

Mohan- He was tall and was Anjali's family toilet cleaner. He was 13 years old. He did not go to school. 

Painting a Q

Anjali painted a "Q" which means "Quit India" with a black color. The black paint was held by Irfaan where Anjali was holding the paint brush. Anjali managed to destroy the property of Captain Brent(The former Boss of Anjali's mother).Anjali did this because a week ago after school when she had a glimpse of her mother translating decrees and legal notice for Captain Brent. Since Anjali's mother was a secretary earlier she usually come to see her mother through the window. A week earlier Anjali saw something different. 

Out of the Job

She saw that her mother is hunched over the corner roof desk, typing away, as captain Brent is dictating Anjali's mother in a very harsh British accent. The next day her mother was out of the job. On that day Anjali and her father had a fight. Chachaji who lived with Anjali from when her mother got job at Captain Brent, it was the time around the Hindu-Muslim riots 1941. Chachaji was old fashioned so he did not like Anjali's mother working. Anjali's mother was collage graduate, so she know all 5 native Hindi language and was can type English Fluently.

Superstition of Untouchable

An untouchable girl coated in camel colored dust was crouched on the footpath near the empty paan wala. The eyes of the small girl met Anjali, but Anjali knew she would not tell anything because she is an untouchable. Anjali heard the tails about Untouchable's from her Chachaji. She came to know that touching untouchable will make your day worse. After she painted Q she screamed out Quit India where Irfaan was sweating although he was behind the cool shade of tamarind tree. When a Britisher officer saw the Q painted on the pillar he was red darken. The two friends run to the street where there was a bend.

Reaching Untouchable Basti

They dodged the paan wala street, a wrinkly old man and a peacock. They changed their way along the white horse on the side the of the road. They also ducked some barking street dogs. Then they follow into an untouchable basti, small cluster of a dozen tiny clay shacks with tin roof. The smell of the Basti was so bad so they both had to plugged their noses. In the Basti odors of rotting fish and an open sewage was floating around. Anjali was in a relief as Brent sahib has not catches them. At the end of the basti some untouchable children were starting there game of Gilli Danda. 

Meeting Mohan

Anjali observed them and she recognized the tallest one which was Mohan, her family toilet cleaner. When the wobbling Gilli rolled toward Anjali's feet Mohan asked her not to touch or her Chachaji will beat him. Anjali jumped from the Gilli and Mohan asked his friends not to go near Anjali or Irfaan. When Anjali said to go home to Irfaan suddenly there was a voice from Behind of Captain Brent. He hold both of them by holding their elbows back. When Captain was Anjali's elbow she noticed a blotch of black paint on her right arm. Captain Brent led Anjali up the stairs of his pristine bungalow.

Anjali is meets her mother in Bungalow

When Anjali reached there she saw her mother and was happy. Anjali's mother asked her that what is she doing here. Captain Brent told Anjali's mother that she painted a Q on her wall today morning. Her mother asked Anjali that if she has painted the Q. Anjali was frustrated as she saw Irfaan was going to cry. She said that she had not done it. After Anjali lied, Captain Brent thundered and said Anjali is the most disobedient child in the British empire. Anjali's mother told captain that it would be misunderstanding.

Ms. Mishra asking for mercy for her child.

Then suddenly Ms. Mishra enters the compound and asked the Brent sahib to forgive his child. She asked for mercy for her child but Captain Brent refused to do so. Then Ms. Mishra was taken out to of the compound. Anjali's mother stood firmly that Anjali has not done this. Anjali hugged her mother when they were a little away from the bungalow. Anjali hugged her mother because her mother defended her lie.

Match the word with it's correct meaning.

Ducked

Clench

Vandalize

To avoid something in a way.

To hold something

To destroy someone's property.

How many languages did Anjali's mother know?

1. 5
2. 4
3. 3
4. 6

Where Irfaan was standing when Anjali screamed out "Quit India"?

1. In the cool shade of Tamarind tree.
2. Behind Tamarind Tree
3. Behind the Pillar
4. Beside Anjali

Where did Anjali noticed the black spot?

1. On her right arm
2. On her left arm
3. On her right leg
4. On her left leg

"This must be a misunderstanding" Who here defend who?

1. Anjali defend her mother.
2. Anjali's mother defend her.
3. Irfaan defend Anjali.
4. Anjali's mother did not defend her.

RESULT OF THE MISCHEVIOUS MISSON

CHAPTER 2

VOCABULARY CHECK

Smear or blob of a liquid

A person's moral sense

In a strict or serious manner

Unpleasant

Splotch

Obnoxious

Conscience

Stern

RESULT OF THE MISCHEVIOUS MISSON

                    RETURNING FROM CAPTAIN BRENT'S OFFICE

• Anjali and her mother return from Captain Brent’s after Anjali got caught painting the ‘Q’ on Captain Brent's wall.
  
• Anjali continues to wonder if her mother still believes that it was not Anjali behind the painting task. 

ANJALI REACHES HER YARD

• Anjali enters her yard which seemed like a private zoo to her. 
• It had a garden with methi plants and green foliage which were taken care by Anjali’s father.
• Nandini, her cow always resided in the yard.

WHAT RESULT DOES ANJALI COME TO KNOW ABOUT?

• Anjali hears voices of her parents fighting over her mother losing her job at Captain Brent's office.
• She thought all of this happened because of the mischievous task she did of painting the 'Q' on the Britishers' wall.

RTC

"What will Baba say when he hears about me? Anjali asked anxiously.

"Don't worry about that, Anjali," said her mother. "This isn't your fault."

How would have Anjali felt when her mother still continued to defend her even if it was all her fault?

Unimpeachable

Erring

Unrepentant

ANJALI'S FATHER

• A tall man with thinning waves of hair splashed across his head.
• Anjali called him 'Baba'.
• Took care of the methi plants and the green foliage in their garden.
• Once Anjali's mother lost her job, he was the only one working in the house.

NANDINI

• All-white cow, who lived in the shed near Anjali's yard.
• She had black beautiful eyes.
• She seemed to understand all human emotions.

Why Anjali's father did not support her mother to have the right to take all her job related decisions?

1. He did not like the idea of women taking decisions
2. It was a big decision to make and he didn't want anything to go wrong
3. He came to know what Anjali did and was angry
4. Not sure

A VISIT TO CAPTAIN BRENT'S

CHAPTER 3

A VISIT TO CAPTAIN BRENT'S

                    ANJALI REACHES CAPTAIN BRENT'S OFFICE

• After realizing that her mother had lost her because of her, Anjali's visit to Captain Brent's office was certain.
• She observes a queue of sorrowful Indians waiting outside the office.

Gandhi's speech

• Speech of Mahatma Gandhi from three weeks earlier.
• Wanted to go to Nandani
• Burst of the radio announcer's voice on the radio. 
• Argument of Anjali's father and mother with Chachaji
• Anjali's confession of painting the Q on the wall.
• The explanation of Quit India movement.
• The reason of the earlier argument

What was the secret Anjali's parents were revealing?

1. Her mother is going to be a freedom fighter.
2. Her father was going to be a freedom fighter.
3. Nandani was going to leave Anjali forever.
4. Chachaji was going to leave their home.

Mahatma Gandhi got arrested after how much time from his speech Anjali's family was hearing?

1. 1 week after the speech
2. 3 days after the speech
3. 2 days after the speech
4. 1 day after the speech

What were the problems Indians faced while under the British rule?

1. Industrialization
2. Rates on salt and cotton
3. Job opportunities
4. Infrastructure

A new start 

• Anjali's mother is a freedom fighter
• Anjali's curiosity regarding not having a say in the decision.
• Her day at school
• The scolding of Masterji
• Anasuya's clothing
• Sneaking to Anasuya's house
• Caught

To tighten skin or cloth until small folds appear.

Annoyed

the quality of being late.

Huffily

Tardiness

Puckering

Why was Anasuya angry at seeing Anjali?

1. She thought she was here to tease her.
2. She thought that Anjali sneaked to spy on her.
3. She thought she wanted to see how poor Anasuya was.
4. She thought she came here to complain about Anasuya to her mother.

Why did Anasuya's mother scold Anasuya?

1. For denting her lunchbox lid too much.
2. For teasing her classmate.
3. For getting punished at school.
4. For forgetting her notebook at school.

Who gave Anjali's family dishes with Anjali's mother's name and the year her father and mother got married?

1. Chachaji
2. Chachaji's wife
3. Anjali's mother's father
4. Irfan's parents

Now I know The main events from Chapter 1 to Chapter 5 of Ahimsa. Now I Can Identify the characters. Now I Can answer questions from some given text.

05