Class 12 English Chapter 9 Memoirs of a Chota Sahib Question Answer to each chapter is provided in the list so that you can easily browse through different chapters Assam Board Class 12th English Chapter 8 Memoirs of a Chota Sahib and select needs one.
Class 12 English Chapter 9 Memoirs of a Chota Sahib
Also, you can read the SCERT book online in these sections Solutions by Expert Teachers as per SCERT (CBSE) Book guidelines. These solutions are part of SCERT All Subject Solutions. Here we have given Assam Board Class 12 English Chapter 9 Memoirs of a Chota Sahib Solutions for All Subjects, You can practice these here.
Memoirs of a Chota Sahib
Lesson – 9
PROSE
Page No – 90
| THINK AS YOU READ |
1. Briefly describe the scene observed by the author from the veranda of his bungalow on the bank of the Brahmaputra.
Ans: The author’s bungalow was located on the banks of the Brahmaputra River. From the veranda at the top of the bungalow, he enjoyed a magnificent view of the majestic river, with boats sailing across its waters and the Himalayas visible in the distance. Additionally, in the foreground, Peacock Island stood with the dome of a Hindu temple peeking through the trees.
2. What is the belief about the dividing channel between Peacock Island and the mainland of Guwahati that the author mentions?
Ans: There is a belief that the British raj would come to an end in India if the channel between the Pea-cock island and the mainland ever dried up entirely.
3. What does the author say about the importance of Guwahati? Is the statement true in our time today also?
Ans: The author highlights the importance of Guwahati by describing it as the port entry into Assam. In earlier times most of the travellers passed through Guwahati on their way from Calcutta to Shillong or to districts lying further up the valley. At times, they used it as a resting place by staying overnight.
Yes, the statement is true in our time today also. Still, it connects the rest of India with the Northeast region and hence called ‘Gateway to North-East India.’ Moreover, tourists from across the country and abroad visit Guwahati in a large number and it is a transit spot for the people travelling to other parts of the North-East region.
Page No – 91
| THINK AS YOU READ |
1. What character of the North Bank of the Brahmaputra does the author refer to?
Ans: The North bank, lying between the sandbanks of the Brahmaputra and the Himalayan foothills. It was a strange place, where the rivers dried up in the hot weather or suddenly disappeared under ground. Sometimes in camp we had to dig for water, which was so dirty that it had to be cleaned by dropping alum into the bucket to precipitate the mud.
2. What information does the author give us about Manas Wild Life Sanctuary?
Ans: The Manas Sanctuary, bordering the Himalayan state of Bhutan, was the habitat of a few rhinos. The rivers were full of ‘mahseer’, a kind of fish and their banks were favourite sites for the governor’s Christmas camps. The sanctuary was also replete with Chital fish, sloth bears, and deer. Amid the forest, a European and his spouse had leased a piece of land from the forest department to grow simul trees for the nearby match factory. They had put up miles of electric fencing in an attempt to keep out the deer, but with little success.
3. Describe the author’s experience of crossing a flooded river on horseback on the North Bank of the Brahmaputra.
Ans: The author has given a humorous account of his adventurous ride on horseback while crossing a flooded river. The author with much difficulty persuaded the horse to jump into the river but in the process, he slipped over the rump of the horse and hung onto its tail. The author used the tail as a rudder and pushed it right when he tried to push the horse to the left and vice versa. In this manner, they eventually crossed the river safely and the ride came to an end.
Page No – 92
| THINK AS YOU READ |
1. Relate the author’s experiences of the road accident during the monsoon on the North Bank.
Ans: Once, the author was touring the North bank with his family. They had either planned wrongly to return late after the monsoon or monsoon was early that year. Though the roads were still suitable for motor vehicles, driving was extremely risky. Most of the roads were constructed on the top of embankments to raise them well above the normal flood level. Moreover, the roads were quite narrow and single- track. The road on which the author’s car was running was extremely slippery. Consequently, the author’s car went out of control and started sliding along the road, and fell into a paddy field six feet below the main road. The adventurous journey through the paddy field was quite jerky but they finally reached the road again. Fortunately, 20 damage was done to the motor car as well as the people inside it.
2. Relate the author’s reminiscence of the forest bungalow at Kulsi.
Ans: The bungalow at Kulsi was the author’s favourite and it was beautifully situated on a raised and forested area above the river. It was surrounded by a teak plantation planted some sixty years back and was nearly matured. There was also a rubber plantation of Ficus elastica very close to the bungalow.
| UNDERSTANDING THE TEXT |
1. Give an account of the author’s experiences of the floods on the North Bank of the Brahmaputra during the monsoon.
Ans: The author relates the various experiences of the floods on the North-Bank of the river Brahmaputra during the monsoon. Once the author crossed a flooded river on horseback. Не, with much difficulty, persuaded the horse to jump into the river but in the process, he slipped over the rump of the horse and hung onto its tail. The author used the tail as a rudder and pushed it right when he tried to push the horse to the left and vice versa. In this manner, they eventually crossed the river safely.
On another occasion, the author was touring the North bank with his family. They had either planned wrongly to return late after the monsoon or the monsoon was early that year. Though the roads were still suitable for motor vehicles, driving was extremely risky. Most of the roads were constructed on the top of embankments to raise them well above the normal flood level. Moreover, the roads were quite narrow and single-track. The road on which the author’s car was running was extremely slippery. Consequently, the author’s car went out of control and started sliding along the road, and fell into a paddy field six feet below the main road. The adventurous journey through the paddy field was quite jerky but they finally reached the road again. Fortunately, 20 damage was done to the motor car as well as the people inside it.
2. Relate the author’s observation on the use of mar boats as a mode of river transport in Assam.
Ans: The author presents a detailed description of a kind of special boat called ‘mar’ boats as a mode of river transport in Assam. Mar boat is a kind of ferry consisting of two open boats covered with a platform made of a wooden plank. These boats were paddled across the river or were propelled by the force of the current along a cable that connected the boats to another cable stretch across the river.
The mar boats as considered by the author was a brilliant device and it performed successfully. However, to balance the rise and fall of the river, continual modifications had to be made. A good number of landing ghats had to be constructed at different levels on the river bank for the landing of the travellers. Fortunately, at that time, traffic was light and though crossing overtook time, there were minimal delays.
3. Give the author’s description of a sal forest.
Ans: The author compares the sale forests of Assam to the English woodland. The sale forests were spread in the flat terrain of the South Bank. In this vast expanse of land, the reserve forests comprising particularly of sale trees were mainly in one block and the trees interspersed with villages and cultivation.
4. Describe the author’s experience with bats in the Rajapara forest bungalow.
Ans: The author John Rowntree has vividly described his experience with the bats at Rajapara Forest Bungalow. He expressed his view that Rajapara Forest Bungalow would have been beautiful and charming like the one at Kulsi if some bats had not lived in the roof. Their excrement droppings and musty smell constantly reminded the author of their presence. The huge fruit-eating bats, with a wingspan of five feet, were less fusty and lived in a tree outside the bungalow. They flew out at dusk in search of food. They appeared like uncanny figures gliding in the sky on silent wings.
| TALKING ABOUT THE TEXT |
1. The author makes a reference to “Peacock Island” located close to the Forest Officer’s bungalow on the bank of the Brahmaputra. Can you make a guess which island the author is referring to? What is the ‘Hindu temple’ mentioned in the lesson (You may consult any books on the temples/heritage sites/history and archaeology of Guwahati).
Ans: The “Peacock Island” mentioned by the author located close to the Forest Officer’s bungalow on the bank of the Brahmaputra is the popular “Umananda Island” of Gauhati in the middle of the river Brahmaputra. It is the smallest inhabited river island of the world. The “Hindu temple” mentioned in the lesson is the “Umananda temple situated on the “Peacock Island.” A Mela is held every year at this holy place during Shivaratri and a large number of devotees and tourists visit this place during the festival.
2. Today Guwahati (note the change in spelling) is highlighted as the “Gateway to the North-East”. What was the status of Guwahati like in the period around 1947. (You may draw references from the lesson.)
Ans: Guwahati, the capital of Assam, is often called the “Gateway to the North-East” as it serves as the primary connection between the rest of India and the North-Eastern states, including Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Mizoram, Meghalaya, Nagaland, and Tripura. It is also regarded as the economic hub of these states. During the colonial period, Guwahati, then known as Gauhati, held the status of an administrative headquarters. It was considered the main entry point into Assam, with most travelers passing through or staying overnight while journeying from Calcutta to Shillong or other districts of Upper Assam.
3. The author mentions a rubber plantation near Kulsi. Why had no rubber-tapping taken place for some years then? Find out the present situation of rubber plantation in the State.
Ans: In the past, a rubber plantation of Ficus elastica existed near Kulsi in Assam. However, the rubber from these fig-genus trees could not compete commercially with the rubber derived from the Hevea genus, known as the Pará rubber tree. As a result, rubber tapping in the Kulsi plantation remained inactive for many years.
During the Sixth Five-Year Plan (1984-90), the Rubber Board of India launched a project for the accelerated development of rubber plantations. Later, in the Tenth Five-Year Plan (2002-07), the government introduced various schemes aimed at new planting, replanting, and revitalizing sick rubber plantations. Since rubber is a relatively new crop in the region, farmers have been introduced to scientific agro-management practices in plantation methods.
To support this, demonstration plots have been established in farmers’ fields to promote:
(a) Soil and Moisture Conservation (SMC).
(b) Controlled Upward Tapping (CUT).
In conclusion, rubber plantation in Assam is still in its developing phase. With adequate support and strategic measures from both the state and central governments, the rubber plantation industry has the potential to become a profitable economic venture.
| THINKING ABOUT LANGUAGE |
1. One of the interesting features of the vocabulary of English is that it is enriched by borrowings from a large number of languages. Likewise, English has enriched the vocabulary of other languages too. There are a large number of borrowings from English in Assamese and vice versa. In this lesson you will find a few words that are borrowings from Assamese. Read these sentences:
(a) More usually crossings were made in a mar boat.
(b) Close to the bungalow was a large bheel.
(c) This was the home of the Assam cheetal.
Find out a few more examples of:
(i) Assamese words that are used in English and.
(ii) English words used in Assamese.
Ans: (i) Assamese words that are used in English are bheels, mahseer, cheetal, mar, ghat, simul, sal, mekhala chadar, muga, paat, etc.
(ii) English words used in Assamese are table, bottle, cup-plate, constable, conductor, inspector, film, missionary, orchid, etc.
2. Notice the underlined words in these sentences and tick the option that best explains their meanings:
(a) The pug marks of the large cat were clearly traceable.
(i) Stripes on the body.
(ii) Dots or spots.
(iii) Footprints.
(iv) Scratch marks left on the body.
Ans: (iii) Footprints.
(b) The rivers were full of mahseer.
(i) Sand banks.
(ii) Large reptiles like crocodiles.
(iii) Tortoise.
(iv) Fresh water fish.
Ans: (iv) Fresh water fish.
(c) I once forded one of these rivers on horseback.
(i) Jumped across.
(ii) Crossed the river without using a bridge.
(iii) Swam across.
(iv) Crossed the river by using a bamboo bridge.
Ans: (ii) Crossed the river without using a bridge.
(d) It was an eerie spot where trees skeletons still rose out of the water.
(i) Very charming.
(ii) Causing a strange fear.
(iii) Noisy.
(iv) Very quiet.
Ans: (ii) Causing a strange fear.
| WRITING |
1. Deforestation in Assam and elsewhere has resulted in loss of habitats for wild life besides destroying the ecological balance. Design a poster on the evils of deforestation. (Hints: The sal forests around Kulsi today have nearly disappeared.)
Ans: Students do it yourself.
2. Write a letter to the editor of a local English daily drawing the attention of the State Government and the Inland Water Transport Corporation for exploring the feasibility of introducing regular water-transport facilities along the Brahmaputra to touch important riverside towns.
Ans: To,
The Editor
The Assam tribune, Guwahati
Sub: Need for Regular Water Transport Facilities Along the Brahmaputra
Sir,
I would like to bring to the attention of the State Government and the Inland Water Transport Corporation the need to explore the possibility of introducing regular water transport services along the Brahmaputra.
The Brahmaputra River has always been a vital part of Assam, yet its potential for modern water transport remains largely underutilized. Towns like Dhubri, Goalpara, Guwahati, Tezpur, Jorhat, and Dibrugarh could greatly benefit from a well-planned ferry and passenger boat service. Not only would this provide an affordable and eco-friendly mode of transportation, but it would also ease road congestion and boost trade and tourism in the region.
I sincerely urge the authorities to conduct feasibility studies and take necessary steps to implement regular water transport services. This initiative could improve connectivity, support local communities, and contribute to Assam’s economic growth.
Thanking you
Yours sincerely,
XYZ.
3. Write a factual description of a flood situation.
Ans: The floodwaters arrived suddenly, turning streets into rivers and homes into islands. What once were bustling neighborhoods and green fields soon became submerged under a vast expanse of muddy water. People scrambled to find higher ground, carrying whatever little they could salvage.
The force of the water uprooted trees, washed away roads, and left behind a trail of destruction. Houses made of mud and bamboo crumbled, while concrete buildings stood like isolated islands amidst the swirling currents. Boats replaced vehicles as the only means of transport, with rescue teams working tirelessly to evacuate stranded families.
In relief camps, people huddled together, their eyes filled with worry for what they had lost. Food and drinking water became scarce, and diseases began to spread due to stagnant water. Despite the hardship, communities came together, helping each other in every way possible.
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