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Class 11 English Chapter 9 My Impression of Assam
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My Impression of Assam
Chapter: 9
HORNBILL
UNDERSTANDING THE TEXT
1. What does Verrier Elwin say about the tradition of courtesy and hospitality in the modern world? What advice does he give to the people of Assam on this point?
Ans: Verrier Elwin believes that the tradition of courtesy and hospitality is disappearing in the modern world. He expresses his admiration for the kindness and friendliness he experienced from ordinary people in Assam, including shopkeepers, strangers on the road, and officials. He acknowledges that hospitality is a rare and precious quality in today’s world of competition.
Elwin advises the people of Assam to preserve their traditions of warmth and hospitality, as these values make Assam unique and appealing. He also appreciates the rich cultural heritage of the hill people and encourages them to take pride in their customs, which he finds noble and beautiful. He praises their artistic sense, appreciation for beauty, and cultural traditions, urging them not to abandon these valuable aspects of their identity.
2. What difference does Verrier Elwin draw between the Game Sanctuaries of Kenya and Kaziranga?
Ans: Elwin, an unconventional traveller, visited different countries and noticed a significant difference between the Game Reserves of Kaziranga in Assam and Kenya. In East – Africa there is a sort of tradition that everybody should cooperate to make the sanctuaries a success, a lot of money is spent on them, no one would dream of poaching. You can see in a brief drive in a car hundreds of giraffes, zebras, ostriches, wild elephants and even lions wandering about near the roads in perfect confidence that the odd two – legged creature called man was their friend. But it is not quite the same thing here. The animals are not altogether sure that they are safe; they do not appear so readily that the public does not cooperative in the same way.
3. What appeal does the author make to the scholars of Assam concerning the songs and poems of the state? Why does he make this appeal?
Ans: The author of this article ‘My Impression of Assam’ is fascinated by the songs and poems of Assam and hence he raises the questions about how many collections have been made of the songs and poems of Assam’s countryside. He appeals to the scholars to take the trouble of collecting and recording those songs and poems. He knows that it will mean a great deal of trouble, yet some scholars must do it for the preservation of them.
He makes this appeal because these songs and poems are rapidly disappearing. The schoolboys prefer Jazz music from Hollywood and naturally, the local songs of Assam will soon disappear.
4. Why, according to Verrier Elwin, should wood carving be taught and encouraged in our educational centres?
Ans: Verrier Elwin was deeply impressed by the wood carving traditions of various tribes. He admired the Tangkhuls of Manipur for their splendid house decorations, the Maos and Marams for their craftsmanship, and the Konyaks for their beautifully adorned morungs. The Angamis created magnificent village gates, while the Foams and other tribes were skilled in making images, pipes, drinking mugs, and toys with remarkable artistry.
Elwin believed that if wood carving was not taught and encouraged in educational centers, this rich tradition might fade away. He emphasized the need to preserve and promote this artistic heritage to ensure it remains a vital part of the culture.
5. “You have a great treasure there.”- What treasure is Verrier Elwin referring to and what is his suggestion about the treasure?
Ans: Verrier Elwin refers to the rich cultural heritage of Assam as a great treasure. He urges the people not to be ashamed of their traditional culture, as much of it is noble and beautiful. He warns against discarding it too readily, citing the example of Europe, where people abandoned many cultural traditions and are now struggling to revive them.
Elwin advises the people of Assam to appreciate and preserve their simple yet profound cultural elements – good taste, a sense of color and form, an appreciation for beauty, rhythm in music, and artistic traditions. He emphasizes that these qualities cannot be manufactured or imposed by an authority; they emerge naturally from the land and, once lost, can never be recovered.
| TALKING ABOUT THE TEXT |
Discuss the following statements in groups of four.
1. There is something to be proud of; it is a grand thing to see creatures of the wild feeling safe even in civilization.
Ans: Anish: I agree with Verrier Elwin’s statement. It is indeed a great privilege if we can earn the trust of our wild animals and get them to feel safe in our presence. In today’s world with man-animal conflicts grabbing headlines everywhere, I think it is vital that we allow each creature his own space. And our many natural parks and wildlife sanctuaries allow us to do just that.
Bidyut : Yes, Anish, I think it is imperative that we give each animal its own space where it can lead its life with its own element. The wildlife problems we are facing and the recent spurt in deaths of wild animals that we have observed are mainly caused when we intrude into their area, because this leads to the confrontations between humans and animals, which results in death for them.
Gaurav: No doubt, our wild animals are scared to come out and be seen in the presence of humans and civilization. But friends, both of you have failed to mention the fact that human wants and greed have increased with time and I believe it is one of the main reasons for the man-animal conflicts. Even Verrier Eiwin mentioned this. The rate at which wild animals are poached in our part of the world is among one of the worst. And thís is something that has been going on for a long time.
Rahul: Indeed, As Elwin himself said, we the people of this state are supposed to be kind and compassionate in our ways, with kindness towards animals deep-rooted in our culture, but yet we prefer to kill them for personal gains. So, I feel, unless we start protecting our wildlife and abstain from such mindless killing, no animal will ever feel safe in our presence. And it is a matter of shame for all of us that we cannot even protect our natural world. The day wild creatures feel safe in our sanctuaries will truly be an accomplishment and a proud time for us all. And it all begins with protecting them and their habitat.
2. The schoolboy prefers jazz music from Hollywood.
Ans: Pranami: The current trend is to ape the West, and many of today’s youth are misled to think that it would make them appear rich and fashionable amongst their peers. But in our haste to appear ‘modern’, we should nòt ignore our roots and our ancient melodies that have been sung by our ancestors for hundreds of years.
Rashmi: In some cases, it might be that they have not been fortunate enough to find an able teacher who could rekindle their interest in traditional songs. Often we are subjected to drab, hand me down versions of some of the most mellifluous tunes. This in turn causes many to lose interest in singing and learning such songs. I believe if they could hear the songs being sung by a true artist, they too would realise how valuable these melodies are. In fact, Verrier Elwin too was deeply influenced by the death chant being sung by the youths and believe, the setting, amidst the orange grove and the youths dressed in their traditional garbs, too played a part in him being bewitched by the ancient melodies he heard there.
Kunal: I agree with Rashmi. The ambience and’ more importantly the person who is singing the melody, can affect our perception towards these things to a large extent. If the singer is one who is well versed in the traditional ways and melodies and sings it in the way it ought to be, the listeners are sure to be captivated. Because nearly all of the ancient melodies are each piece of art by themselves, being honed and passed down from generation to generation.
Meena: I agree with all your points of view but I personally feel that sometimes it is also a matter of exposure. Jazz songs and the other western melodies can be heard playing in every other yard but it is difficult to find an original rendering of the ancient melodies. This might be one of the reasons that many of our generation have been drawn to the western melodies. But they are an integral part of our culture and we should hold onto them. So, my suggestion would be to popularise these Songs, so that the common populace too can learn and sing them. And in doing so, we would also be creating a record. Of sorts, ensuring that the tunes are never lost in the passage of time
3. “The maidens of lovely Assam weave poems on the handlooms.”
Ans: Pranjal: I cannot agree more with Gandhiji’s observation regarding the maidens of Assam weaving poems on their handlooms. The artistic superiority and creativity of the maidens have been equated to poems by him. The plethora of motifs and patterns that the maidens weave are often the cynosure of all eyes. The various designs usually are inspired by nature and tend to increase the beauty of the yarn.
Ram: Truly it speaks volumes about the weaver’s innate sense of beauty. Even in the remotest villages, the maidens produce textiles of such exquisite beauty that can put many sophisticated industrialisť’s products to shame. The sense of arrangement of colour and patterns is so refined that nothing ever clashes or seems out of place.
Mohan: Yes, but sadly, this beautiful tradition is on the wane, with a scarcity of space to set up looms in urban households as well as the reluctance of some girls to learn and be a part of this beautiful tradition. Many others, though are interested, but have no viable source to teach them the intricacies of this glorious art.
Saurav: I think to prevent this art form from dying; centres could be set up in our cities and towns, where any willing person would be initiated into the art of weaving. This will also ensure that the people understand the toil and genius that goes into the weaving of these beautiful clothes which we often take from granted. Weaving is truly a priced tradition of our state and we should hold on to it at every cost.
| THINKING ABOUT LANGUAGE |
An interesting aspect of Verrier Elwin’s use of language is seen in his fondness of paradox: he loves to present an improbable combination of opposing qualities. note these expressions:
1. I have now lived in India… for a quarter of a century, but I feel I know very little about it. On the other hand, I have spent about four months in Assam, and so, naturally, I know everything about it.
2. Last year I went to East Africa and there for two months I spent a lot of time in the Game Sanctuaries… I did not succeed in seeing a single rhino. Yet, in Assam, within a couple of hours I saw a dozen rhinos.
3. The East Africans are carnivorous, violent people (but no one dreams of poaching): but here in India we are traditionally wedded to non-violence and to real sense of brotherhood with animals, (but the animals are no altogether sure that they are safe.)
4. You can see more of the treasures of the Assam tribes at Oxford or Cambridge than you can here.
The pattern of contrast in the above sentences makes the language of Verrier Elwin distinctive. Look up the lesson closely and try to find out any feature of language that strikes you as special or distinctive.
Ans: Students do it Yourself.
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