My Impression of Assam Question-Answers of class 11 AHSEC Assam Board English book and Previous year's paper solution. Also a summary of the chapter Verrier Elwin along with important and extra question notes of 1st years.
Summary
In this excerpt, Verrier Elwin shares his experiences and observations during his research trip to Assam, a region in India. He was captivated by the beauty of the hill people he encountered and highlighted the need to protect their cultural and ecological heritage. Elwin praises the warm hospitality of the people in Assam, particularly the hill tribes.
He also talks about his visit to Kaziranga National Park, which is known for its rhinos. Elwin notes that, unlike parks in East Africa, where animals are well-protected, the parks in Assam face threats from poachers. He encourages everyone to take action to safeguard the animal populations in these parks.
Elwin expresses his interest in the people living in the hills of Assam and their artistic contributions. He laments the lack of a museum to preserve and showcase their works. He gives an example of the Kabuls, a Naga tribe, and their captivating death chant, which may not be recorded and could be lost to history. He also mentions the decline of oral traditions, such as folk tales, due to the popularity of Western music among the younger generation.
Furthermore, Elwin appreciates the artistic talents of the hill people, including their wooden carvings, woven materials, and personal decorations. He emphasizes that their innate sense of color, tone, and balance creates harmony in their art. He urges the indigenous hill people to take pride in their heritage and prevent it from fading away. Similarly, he encourages everyone in Assam to value the natural beauty and rustic charm of their rural communities.
Textual Question Answers
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, a person who traveled to many countries, is feeling sad because he believes that in the modern world, people are focused on competing and being better than others. This attitude has caused a decline in the tradition of being welcoming and kind to strangers. However, when he visited Assam, a place in India, he was pleasantly surprised to find that ordinary people there were still very polite and friendly. He advises the people of Assam to hold on to this valuable tradition and not let it disappear. In simpler terms, Elwin is upset that people are no longer hospitable and friendly due to the competitive nature of the modern world. However, he is happy to see that the people in Assam still possess these qualities and encourages them to preserve their traditions of courtesy and friendliness.
2. What difference does Verrier Elwin draw between the game sanctuaries of Kenya and Kaziranga? (2015, 19, 22)
Ans: Elwin, an unconventional traveler, visited different countries and noticed a significant difference between the Game Reserves of Kaziranga in Assam and Kenya. In Kenya, he couldn't spot a single rhino, but within a couple of hours in Kaziranga, he saw a dozen rhinos. However, he wasn't satisfied with the condition of the wild animals in Kaziranga because they were not safe there. The animals didn't appear as readily, and the public visiting the reserve didn't cooperate in the same way as in Kenya.
In Kenya, the public actively supports and contributes to the success of wildlife sanctuaries. They invest a lot of money in protecting the animals, which has led to an increase in the number of various wild animals there.
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: Verrier Elwin is very much pleased to listen to a fantastic and divine folk song in the distant mountain village of Kabul. But at the same time, the fact that disturbed him so much is that he knows that these beautiful folk songs and poems of the Assamese countryside are not yet preserved or well collected in books. As these old songs are becoming extinct rapidly and today's boys only prefer jazz music
from Hollywood, he wants to do something for them. So he appealed to the scholars of Assam to show concern in this regard. They must take the necessary step to record this beautiful music so that a vast treasure of fall-tale and myth of the hills of Assam can be found in written form and will be lasted forever.
4. Why, according to Verrier Elwin, should wood carving be taught and encouraged in our educational centers?
Ans: Elwin, who is an anthropologist, visited the villages in Assam and studied the art of the local people there. He was very impressed by the wood carving skills of the various tribes in the northeast region of India. The tribes had beautifully decorated their houses, village gates, images, pipes, drinking mugs, and toys with intricate carvings that were both vibrant and stunning.
Elwin was concerned about the future of these unique and precious art forms. He strongly believed that they should not be lost over time. To ensure their preservation, he suggested that the art of wood carving should be taught in educational centers. This way, the knowledge and techniques of wood carving could be passed on to future generations. Elwin also emphasized the importance of conducting proper research on this topic, so that other people interested in learning about tribal art forms could have the opportunity to do so.
5. "You have a great treasure there'- What treasure is Verrier Elwin referring to and what is his suggestion about the treasure? (2019)
Ans: when Verrier Elwin says "You have a great treasure here," he means that the cultural heritage of Assam is incredibly valuable and unique. He is amazed by the simplicity and natural beauty of the countryside in Assam. He is also delighted to see how the people of Assam have a great sense of taste, color, art, rhythm, and music. These qualities are very interesting and special because they are not created artificially but come naturally from the ancient traditions of the region. Verrier Elwin wants to emphasize the importance of preserving and valuing this cultural heritage because once it is lost, it may be impossible to recover it in the future.
Previous year's paper solutions
1. What does Verrier Elwin have to say to the hill people of Assam? (2015, 17)
Ans: Verrier Elwin says that the hill people of Assam are very warm and friendly. They are cultivated with rich values of life. They have less of complicacies and artificialities. Elwin says that he saw such hospitality in very few places or people in the world.
2. What did Elwin notice about, our attitude towards wild animals? (2016)
Ans: Elwin noticed that our attitude to wild animals is not upto the mark. We claim to be a peaceful group with values of kindness towards animals ingrained in our culture but in reality, animals are ingrained in our culture and animals are more unsafe than anywhere else. As the public is not so cooperative.
4. What is the difference between the game sanctuaries of Africa and India? (2019)
Ans: See Above Qno. 2 (Textual Question Answers)
5. "You have a great treasure there'- What treasure is Verrier Elwin referring to and what is his suggestion about the treasure? (2019)
Ans: See Above Qno. 5 (Textual Question Answers)
6. What are the things that Verrier Elwin loves about Assam? (2020)
Ans: The things that Verrier Elwin loves about Assam are the rich cultural heritage of Assam, courtesy and friendliness in ordinary people of Assam, simplicity, and the natural beauty of the countryside of Assam. He is also delighted to see how the people of Assam have a great sense of taste, color, art, rhythm, and music.
9. What differences does Verrier Elwin draw between the Game Sanctuaries of Kenya and Kaziranga? (2022)
Ans: See Above Qno. 2 (Textual Question Answers)
10. what is the Sola topi? (2022)
Ans: A sola topi, traditionally worn in India, is a sun hat made from the stem pith of sola plants.
My Impression of Assam
