Where the Mind is Without Fear
What is meant by “mind is without fear and head is held high”. Choose the correct response
(i) to be fearless and self respecting
(ii) to be proud of one’s high position .
(iii) to stand straight and be carefree.
(i) to be fearless and self respecting
What incident made Bholi a backward child?
Bholi had fallen off from the cot and some part of her brain was damaged.
What broke the silence of the forest?
The shrill cry of the cicada broke the silence of the forest.
For how many years had Aradhana been with her adopted parents?
Aradhana had been with her adopted parents for eighteen years.
The ‘domestic walls’ are usually associated with safety, comfort and love.
Are these the feelings evoked by the phrase ‘narrow domestic walls’? If not, choose the correct answer from the ones given below:
(i) small houses which make us feel cramped.
(ii) ideas which are petty and narrow-minded.
(iii) a house divided into rooms by walls.
(ii) ideas which are petty and narrow-minded
Why did Bholi talk very little? Give two reasons.
Bholi did not talk much because she stammered while speaking. Secondly, she was laughed at and mimicked by the children.
What was Baldeo’s duty at night?
Baldeo’s duty at night was to make sure the lamp was burning so that the overland mail passed through safely.
Describe Aradhana’s appearance.
Aradhana had a tall, slim figure with chiseled features and a dark complexion
What does the poet mean by “where knowledge is free”?
It means a country where knowledge is within the reach of everybody without any discrimination
Why did the Tehsildar ask Ramlal to send his daughters to school? Give two reasons.
Tehsildar asked Ramlal to send his daughter to school because- a new primary school for girls had opened and new admissions were required. Secondly, Ramlal being a representative of the government in the village was expected to set an example before the villagers.
What was Baldeo responsible for?
Baldeo was responsible for signaling whether or not the tunnel was clear of obstructions, also he had to make sure the lamp was burning.
Why were Aradhana’s family members proud of her?
Aradhana’s family members were proud of her because she had been selected to inaugurate the Annual Show of the Kamala Devi Dance School.
Where the mind is without fear and
the head is held high
Where knowledge is free
Where the world has not been broken
up into fragments by narrow domestic walls;
Where words come out from
the depths of truth;
Where tireless striving
stretches its arms towards perfection;
Q. What kind of a country does the poet dream of?
The poet dreams of a country where the mind is without fear, the head can be held high, and where knowledge is free.
Why was Sulekha nicknamed Bholi?
When Sulekha was a child of just ten months she had fallen down on her head from her cot. A part of her brain was damaged. That was why she remained a backward child. So since her childhood everyone had been calling her Bholi, the simpleton (fool).
What two facts related to Baldeo’s place of work show that it was a very dangerous place?
The two facts related to Baldeo’s place of work show that it was a very dangerous place. Baldeo had heard many tales of the famous tunnel tiger, a man-eater who was supposed to frequent the tunnel. In addition, Baldeo had occasionally heard the sawing of a panther calling to its mate.
Aradhana in the story, I Must Know the Truth appeared at the stage rather late. Why did she delay her appearance?
Aradhana was delayed in appearing on the stage because when she got to know that she was an adopted child she was shocked and confused for a while. She left the makeup room in pain and hate and fled towards the parking lot and took some time to think about what she had found out.
Where words come out from the depths of truth;
Where tireless striving stretches its arms towards perfection:
Where the clear stream of reason has not its way into the dreary desert sand of dead habit
Q.What kind of human interaction of thought or action must be there in a country that the poet envisions of India?
The human interaction of thought and action among human beings should be based on the depths of truth in that country which the poet envisions of India.
Why was Bholi engaged to an old lame greedy heartless and contemptible person? Why did she refuse to marry him?
Bholi’s parents had never in their dreams imagined that she would ever be married. She had pockmarks all over her body and was not at all beautiful. She was a stammerer and a backward child also. So her parents agreed to marry her to an old person. Bholi was engaged to an old lame greedy heartless and contemptible person because she had no choice because her father forced her to marry. She refused to marry Bishamber because she knew that he was asking for dowry and he was very rude to her father, so she decided not to marry him.
What did Tembu start doing three days after his father’s death? Why?
Three days after his father’s death Tembu was at the cutting, lighting the signal-lamp for the overland mail to go safely. He was doing this job because all the responsibility of taking care of his family now fell on Tembu.
What is the truth Aradhana wanted to find out? What did she actually discover?
Aradhana wanted to find out whether the parents who she believed to be her biological parents had adopted her or not. She had heard Aunt Pramila mention it and she wanted confirmation. She discovered that in spite of being an adopted child, she was loved and cared for by her family. She realized that being someone’s daughter does not only mean having been born out of the womb, it means receiving unconditional love.