Understanding Marginalization Class 8 Questions and Answers Civics Chapter 7
Civics Class 8 Chapter 7 NCERT Textbook Questions and Answers
List at least three different reasons why groups may be marginalized.
Groups may be marginalized due to the following reasons:
- They follow different customs
- they speak different languages
- They are poor and uneducated.
Why was Dadu forced to leave his village in Orissa?
Dadu was forced to leave his village in Orissa because company people took over his land for mining iron ore.
Which metals are important in present day India? Why? Where are they from? Is there tribal population there?
Important metals in present India are iron, copper, aluminium, lead etc.
- These metals are used for various purposes and enhance the economy of the country.
- These metals come from states like Orissa, Bihar, Jharkhand, Chotanagpur Plateau etc.
- a lot.
List five products you see at home that come from the forest.
By whom were the following demands made on forest land?
• Wood for construction of houses and railways
• Forest land for mining
• Forest land for agriculture by non-tribal people
• Reserved by the government as wildlife areas.
(a) The demands given above were made by the British Government in India.
How will this affect the tribal people?
This will affect the livelihood of tribal people. They will have to go to other places in search of food and jobs.
What do you think the poem (given in the textbook) is trying to say?
This poem portrays the hardship, torture and ill-treatment of the tribals under the British. He came to Assam for job but the British treated him harshly.
In your opinion, why is it important that tribals should have a say over how their forests and forest lands are used?
Tribals are the original inhabitants of the forests. Thus, they are directly affected by the decisions of government agencies.
Why do we need safeguards for minorities?
We need safeguards to protect minorities from the dominance of the majority.
Read the data related to school Education provided by the Sachar Committee report:
• 25 percent of Muslim children in the age group of 6-14 years either never enrolled in school or dropped out. This percentage is much higher than any other socio-religious community.
Do you think special measures are needed to deal with this situation?
Yes, special measures are required to deal with the situation. The government should give some privileges to these communities.
I live in a Muslim dominated area. A few days ago, there was some disturbance during Ramzan which started taking communal form. I and my brother went to an iftar party in the neighborhood and we wore traditional clothes i.e. sherwani and salwar kameez respectively. Upon returning home, my brother and I were asked to change our clothes into jeans and T-shirts.
Now that everything is fine I wonder what was the reason we were asked to change our clothes and why I didn’t find it strange. Are our clothes a reflection of our identity and is that identity linked to all kinds of fear and discrimination?
The above essay has been written by a child of your age. What do you think Sharmila is trying to say?
To avoid any tension, people of some society are very eager to hide their identity. Some specific costumes symbolize certain communities. The clothes themselves become their identity. Sometimes people try to avoid such costumes so that rival groups do not target them during times of communal tension.
Write two or more sentences in your own words as to what you understand by the term ‘marginalization’.
Marginalization means reaching (or being pushed to) a marginal position or status. It is associated with experiencing disadvantage, prejudice and powerlessness. As a result, some minorities (such as Muslims) or Dalits (especially Hindus) have a lower social status and do not get equal access to Education and other resources.
List two reasons due to which tribals are becoming increasingly marginalised.
- Tribal people like to live their lives in their own way, without any interference from others.
- They usually resist changes or new ideas.
Write one reason why you think the safeguards of the Constitution are very important to protect minority communities?
The safeguards of the Constitution must be protected because they are numerically smaller than the rest of the population and hence may be dominated by majority communities.
Re-read the section on minorities and the marginalized. What do you understand by the word minority?
The term minority is commonly used to refer to communities that are numerically small in relation to the rest of the population. It also involves issues of power, access to resources and also has social and cultural dimensions.
You are taking part in a debate where you have to give reasons to support the following statement:
Using the data provided in this chapter, list two reasons you would give that Muslims are a marginalized community.
There are two reasons:
- Muslims are deprived of basic facilities like water, electricity etc.
- They have very little access to Education.
Imagine you are watching the Republic Day parade on TV with a friend and she comments, “Look at these tribals. They look very attractive. And they are seen dancing all the time.” List three things you would say about the life of tribals in India.
Three things about the life of tribals in India:
- She likes to wear colorful clothes
- they are very close to the forests
- They have their own languages, Santhali is one of them.
In the story board you read how Helen hopes to make a film on a tribal story. Can you help him by developing a story on tribals?
Yes, I can help him by developing a short story on tribals.
- I will tell them how a foreign company has planned to set up a metal company in a tribal area.
- They are forced to move to different areas of India in large numbers. A man and his girlfriend decide to form an organization. They go to the district authority, the state government and finally the central government.
- Under his leadership the tribals demand three things-(forest, water and livelihood). After a long struggle, the Human Rights Commission comes forward and their demands are accepted. They are handed over huge forest-lands, water supplies and are given employment in companies, some newly started small industries etc.
Do you agree with the statement that the economically and socially marginalized are interconnected? Why?
Yes, I agree with this statement because the economic status of a man affects his social status. His social identity is assessed from his economic base.
NCERT Solutions for Class 8 Social Science