Class 8 Civics Chapter 6 Confronting Marginalization Important Questions and Answers

by | Jun 23, 2023 | General | 0 comments

 

Class 8 Civics Chapter 6 Confronting Marginalization

 

NCERT Solutions for Class 8 Civics Chapter 6 Confronting Marginalization

 

Confronting Marginalization – Given in this post is NCERT Solutions Class 8 Civics Chapter 6 Confronting Marginalization Important Question Answers. The important questions we have compiled will help the students to brush up on their knowledge about the subject. Students can practice Class 8 Civics Chapter 6 important questions to understand the subject better and improve their performance in the exam. The NCERT Solutions Class 8 Social Science (Civics) provided here will also give students an idea about how to write the answers.

 

Source Based Questions  

 

Read the extract and answer the questions that follow-

A. Article 17 of the Constitution states that untouchability has been abolished – what this means is that no one can henceforth prevent Dalits from educating themselves, entering temples, using public facilities etc. It also means that it is wrong to practice untouchability and that this practice will not be tolerated by a democratic government. In fact, untouchability is a punishable crime now. There are other sections in the Constitution that help to strengthen the argument against untouchability – for example, Article 15 of the Constitution notes that no citizen of India shall be discriminated against on the basis of religion, race, caste, sex or place of birth. 

1 What do you mean by untouchability?

Ans. Untouchability refers to the practice of discriminating against several individuals and groups with reference to their caste and the jobs done by them.

2 Which article of the Constitution abolishes untouchability?

Ans. Article 17 of the Constitution states that untouchability has been abolished.

3 Untouchability is a non-punishable offense. True/False. 

Ans. False, Untouchability is a punishable offense.

4 What exactly does Article 17 consist of?

Ans. Article 17 of the Constitution states that untouchability has been abolished – what this means is that no one can henceforth prevent Dalits from educating themselves, entering temples, using public facilities etc.  

5 Name one article that supports banning untouchability. 

Ans. There are other sections in the Constitution that help to strengthen the argument against untouchability – for example, Article 15 of the Constitution notes that no citizen of India shall be discriminated against on the basis of religion, race, caste, sex or place of birth.

B. In addition to providing certain facilities, the government also operates through laws to ensure that concrete steps are taken to end inequity in the system. One such law/policy is the reservation policy that today is both significant and highly contentious. The laws which reserve seats in education and government employment for Dalits and Adivasis are based on an important argument- that in a society like ours, where for centuries sections of the population have been denied opportunities to learn and to work in order to develop new skills or vocations, a democratic government needs to step in and assist these sections.

1 What is referred to by the term inequality with reference to the above paragraph?

Ans. Inequality with reference to the above paragraph means discriminating against people of certain caste, or religion and treating them unfairly in all terms of life. 

2 Does the government take steps against inequality?

Ans. The government also operates through laws to ensure that concrete steps are taken to end inequality in the system.

3 Name one policy which is a step against inequality?

Ans. One such law/policy is the reservation policy that today is both significant and highly contentious.

4 The laws which reserve seats in education and government employment for __________are based on an important argument

Ans. The laws which reserve seats in education and government employment for Dalits and Adivasis are based on an important argument

5 What is the reservation law for Dalits based on?

Ans. The laws which reserve seats in education and government employment for Dalits and Adivasis are based on an important argument- that in a society like ours, where for centuries sections of the population have been denied opportunities to learn and to work in order to develop new skills or vocations, a democratic government needs to step in and assist these sections.

C. This Act was framed in 1989 in response to demands made by Dalits and others that the government must take seriously the ill treatment and humiliation Dalits and tribal groups face in an everyday sense. While such treatment had persisted for a long time, it had acquired a violent character in the late 1970s and 1980s. During this period, in parts of southern India, a number of assertive Dalit groups came into being and asserted their rights – they refused to perform their so-called caste duties and insisted on being treated equally; like Rathnam they refused to follow practices located in the humiliation and exploitation of Dalits

1 What act is mentioned in the above paragraph?

Ans. The act mentioned in the above paragraph is The Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 

2 When was the The Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act framed?

Ans.This Act was framed in 1989

3 Why was the Act framed in the first place?

Ans. This Act was framed in 1989 in response to demands made by Dalits and others that the government must take seriously the ill treatment and humiliation Dalits and tribal groups face in an everyday sense.

4 When did the treatment against Dalit reach a violent stage?

Ans. While such treatment had persisted for a long time, it had acquired a violent character in the late 1970s and 1980s.

5 How did the Dalits respond to this turmoil?

Ans.  During this period, in parts of southern India, a number of assertive Dalit groups came into being and asserted their rights – they refused to perform their so-called caste duties and insisted on being treated equally; like Rathnam they refused to follow practices located in the humiliation and exploitation of Dalits. 

 

D. The 1989 Act is important for another reason – Adivasi activists refer to it to defend their right to occupy land that was traditionally theirs. As you read in the previous chapter Adivasis are often unwilling to move from their land and are forcibly displaced. Activists have asked that those who have forcibly encroached upon tribal lands should be punished under this law. They have also pointed to the fact that this Act merely confirms what has already been promised to tribal people in the Constitution – that land belonging to tribal people cannot be sold to or bought by non-tribal people. In cases where this has happened, the Constitution guarantees the right of tribal people to re-possess their land. 

1 Did the act mentioned in the above paragraph provide safeguards for the Adivasis?

Ans. Yes, the act mentioned in the above paragraph provides safeguards for the Adivasis.

2 Why is the act important to Adivasis?

Ans. The 1989 Act is important for another reason – Adivasi activists refer to it to defend their right to occupy land that was traditionally theirs.

3 Adivasis are often unwilling to move from their land and are forcibly displaced. True/False?

Ans. True, Adivasis are often unwilling to move from their land and are forcibly displaced.

4 What does the Constitution say if the land of Adivasis is possessed by non-tribal people?

Ans. In cases where this has happened, the Constitution guarantees the right of tribal people to re-possess their land.

5 What is the opinion of activists with regards to this right?

Ans. Activists have asked that those who have forcibly encroached upon tribal lands should be punished under this law. They have also pointed to the fact that this Act merely confirms what has already been promised to tribal people in the Constitution – that land belonging to tribal people cannot be sold to or bought by non-tribal people. In cases where this has happened, the Constitution guarantees the right of tribal people to re-possess their land.

 

 

Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs) (1 Mark)

Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs) are a type of objective assessment in which a person is asked to choose one or more correct answers from a list of available options. An MCQ presents a question along with several possible answers.

Q1 Which Article of Constitution states that untouchability has been abolished?
A) Article 16
B) Article 18
C) Article 28
D) Article 17
Ans. D) Article 17

Q2. People believing that adivasis are
A) cunning, primitive and forward
B) exotic, primitive and backward
C) extrovert, primitive and forward
D) exotic, modern and backward
Ans. B) exotic, primitive and backward

Q3 During the ___ century, substantial numbers of Adivasis converted to Christianity.
A) 18th
B) 20th
C) 17th
D) 19th
Ans. D) 19th

Q4 What term means to exclude or banish an individual or a group?
A) Dalit
B) S.C.
C) Ostracise
D) None of these
Ans. C) Ostracise

Q5 Who out of the following are facing inequalities due to marginalization?
A) Dalits
B) Women
C) Adivasis
D) All of them
Ans. D) All of them

Q6 Shakti and Tantric traditions in
A) Orissa and Assam
B) Bengal and Kerala
C) Bengal and Assam
D) Kerala and Orissa
Ans. C) Bengal and Assam

Q7 What do you understand by manual scavenging?
A) Work of scavenging by machine
B) Work of scavenging by hand
C) Work of scavenging by power
D) None of these
Ans. B) Work of scavenging by hand

Q8 Adivasis have always been influenced by different surrounding religions like
A) Shakta, Sikhs, Polish and Christianity
B) Shakta, Sikhs, Muslims, Polish and Christianity
C) Shakta, Buddhist, Vaishnav, Bhakti and Christianity
D) None of these
Ans. C) Shakta, Buddhist, Vaishnav, Bhakti and Christianity

Q9 Who needs to constantly work to bring equality and dignity for all?
A) Government
B) People
C) None of them
D) Both of them
Ans. D) Both of them

Q10 How does the government ensure to end the inequality in the country?
A) Through laws
B) Through reservations
C) Both a and b
D) None of them
Ans. C) Both A and B

Q11 The well known Bhakti poet Chokhamela was from
A) sixteenth century
B) seventeenth century
C) fifteenth century
D) fourteenth century
Ans. D) fourteenth century

Q12 Who was Kabir by caste?
A) Weaver
B) Kumhar
C) Barbar
D) Mason
Ans. A) Weaver

Q13 A person or a group that can express themselves and their views strongly are
A) assertive
B) representative
C) forceful person
D) none of these
Ans. A) assertive

Q14 Today whose poetry is sung and appreciated by Dalits, marginalized groups and those critical of social hierarchies in U.P., Rajasthan, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh, Bengal, Bihar and Gujarat.
A) Tulsidas
B) Surdas
C) Kabir’s
D) Rahim’s
Ans. C) Kabir’s

Q15 The forest or tribal people living in their aboriginal state the lifestyle are known as
A) Invoke
B) Dalits
C) Adivasis
D) None of these
Ans. C) Adivasis

Q16 ______ faces discrimination in their daily lives, mostly in rural India.
A) Dalits
B) Parsis
C) Brahmins
D) Vaishyas
Ans. A) Dalits

Q17 ___ of Indian Constitution states that no citizen shall be discriminated against on the basis of religion.
A) Article 5
B) Article 10
C) Article 15
D) Article 4
Ans. C) Article 15

Q18 _____ has been abolished according to Article 17
A) Poverty
B) Education
C) Crime
D) Untouchability
Ans. D) Untouchability

Q19 Bhakti poet Chokhamela belonged to ____ caste.
A) Mahar
B) Kumhar
C) Bhil
D) Gujjar
Ans. A) Mahar

Q20 Dalits can invoke their ____ if they feel they are being marginalized.
A) Constitution
B) Article 15
C) Fundamental Rights
D) Police Complaint
Ans. C) Fundamental Rights

Q21 _______ is a Minority religious group.
A) Hinduism
B) Shaivism
C) Mahars
D) Parsi
Ans. D) Parsi

Q22 What is the meaning of Manual Scavenging?
A) Cleaning of cities
B) Carrying Human excreta on heads
C) Both a and b
D) None of these
Ans. B) Carrying Human excreta on heads

Q23 Who are Bhangis and Pakhis?
A) Manual Scavengers
B) Schedule Tribes
C) Illiterates
D) Below Poverty Line
Ans. A) Manual Scavengers

Q24 Which encroachers were pointed out by CK Janu?
A) Paper mill owner
B) Timber Merchant
C) Both a and b
D) None of these
Ans. C) Both a and b

Q25 Reservations plays an important role in safeguarding the interests of___
A) Dalits
B) Adivasis
C) Both a and b
D) None of these
Ans. C) Both A and B

Very Short Answer Questions (1 Mark)

Q1. Why did the Safai Karamchari Andolan file a PIL in 2003?

Ans. In 1993, the government passed the Employment of Manual Scavengers and Construction of Dry Latrines (Prohibition) Act. This law prohibited the employment of manual scavengers as well as the construction of dry latrines. So, the Safai Karamchari Andolan filed a PIL in 2003.

Q2. What did the Supreme Court do on hearing their case in 2005?

Ans.. The court directed every department/ministry of the union government and state governments to verify the facts within six months.

Q3.How did the Act support Rathnam? 

Ans. The Act supported Rathnam by calling off the age-old ritual in which a member of the Dalit community washed the feet of all the priests and then took a path in the water used for this on the occasion of a ceremony held once in five years.

Q4. What do you understand by manual scavenging?

Ans. Manual scavenging refers to the practice of removing human and animal waste/ excreta using brooms, tin plates and baskets from dry latrines and carrying it on the head to disposal grounds some distance away.

Q5. What did Safai Karamchari complain about in their petition?

Ans. The petitioners complained that manual scavenging still existed and it continued in government undertakings like the railways.

Q6.What did the marginal groups rely on to protect themselves from continued exploitation by other groups?

Ans. Marginal groups relied on the Constitution of India and the Judiciary System to protect them from continued exploitation by other groups.

Q7.What is ‘untouchability’, and who are called ‘untouchables’?

Ans.. Untouchability is the individual discrimination against certain classes of persons. Dalits are sometimes called Untouchables. Untouchables are regarded as ‘low caste’ and have been marginalized for centuries.

Q8. How do reservations play an important role in providing social justice to Dalits and Adivasis?

Ans. The government’s reservation policies give opportunities to specific groups such as the SCs and STs in order to bring them into the mainstream of society.

Q9. Who were called ‘untouchables’?

Ans. Dalits are sometimes called Untouchables. Untouchables are regarded as ‘low caste’ and have been marginalized for centuries. 

Q10. What are the ways in which marginalized communities tried to overcome the discriminations they faced?

Ans. The marginalized communities tried many ways to overcome the discrimination they faced. They are:-

  1. Religious solace
  2. Armed struggle
  3. Self improvement
  4. Education
  5. Economic progress.

Short Answer Questions (3 Marks)

Q1. What are the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights)?

Ans. The Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act of 2006 was passed by the central government. According to the Act, the injustice done to the Adivasis must be rectified. This Act recognises their entitlement to their homestead, cultivable and grazing land, and forest produce other than timber. It emphasizes that forest dwellers’ rights involve the preservation of forests and biodiversity.

Q2. How does the reservation policy of the government work?

Ans. Every state and union territory in India has its own list of Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and backward and most backward castes. The central government maintains a list as well. Students applying to educational institutions and those applying for government jobs must provide proof of caste or tribe status in the form of caste and tribe certificates. If a certain Dalit caste or tribe is on the government list, a candidate from that caste or tribe is eligible for reservation.

Q3. What is the ‘Reservation Policy’?

Ans. Reservation Policy is the policy which reserves seats in education and government employment for Dalits and Adivasis.

Q4. By what names are the manual scavengers known in different parts of our country?

Ans. Manual scavengers are known as Bhangis in Gujarat, Pakhis in Andhra Pradesh and the Sikkaliars in Tamil Nadu.

Q5. What is Article 15?

Ans. Article 15 of the Constitution notes that no citizen of India shall be discriminated against on the basis of religion, race, caste, sex or place of birth.

Q6.What did the marginal groups rely on to protect themselves from continued exploitation by other groups?

Ans.. Marginal groups relied on the Constitution to protect themselves from continued exploitation by other groups.

Q7. List two different provisions in the 1989 Act.

Ans. Two different provisions in the 1989 Act are:

  • to occupy land that was traditionally theirs
  • no forced displacement

Q8. What argument is given to justify the government’s reservation policy?

Ans. The idea is that in a society like ours, when certain segments of the population have been denied opportunities to learn and work in order to develop new skills or professions for generations, a democratic government must step in and aid these segments.

Q9. What are the seven rights stated in the Indian constitution?

Ans. The seven fundamental rights are:

  1. Right to equality
  2. Right to freedom
  3. Right against exploitation
  4. Right to freedom of religion
  5. Cultural and educational rights
  6. Right to constitutional remedies
  7. Right to Life and personal liberty.

Q10. Mention 4 untouchable practices.

Ans. Some untouchable practices are:

  • Segregation in seating and food arrangements in village functions and festivals
  • Prohibited from entering into village temples
  • Separate burial grounds
  • No access to the village’s wells and ponds.

Long Answer Questions (5 Marks)

Q1. Mention a few crimes listed in the Prevention of Atrocities Act 1989.

Ans. The Prevention of Atrocities Act of 1989 defines various levels of crime. Some of them are as follows:

  • Forcing a member of a Scheduled Caste or a Scheduled Tribe to consume or ingest any inedible or unpleasant material
  • Forcibly removes a Scheduled Caste or Scheduled Tribe member’s garments, parades him or her naked or with a painted face or body, or commits any other conduct insulting to human dignity.
  • Deprivation of Dalits and Adivasis of their property – illegally occupies or cultivates any land owned or allotted to a member of a Scheduled Caste or a Scheduled Tribe, or obtains the land allotted to him transferred
  • Crimes against Dalit and tribal women – Assaults or uses force on any woman belonging to a Scheduled Caste or a Scheduled Tribe with intent to dishonor her.

Q2. Write a note on ‘Manual Scavenging’.

Ans. Manual scavenging is the act of scavenging by hand. Manual scavenging is the practice of retrieving human and animal waste or excreta from dry latrines with brooms, tin plates and baskets and transporting it on the head to disposal grounds some distance away. A manual scavenger is the person responsible for transporting this waste. Dalit women and young girls are mostly responsible for this work. Manual scavengers work in inhumane conditions and incur major health risks. They are continually exposed to infections affecting their eyes, skin, respiratory, and digestive systems. They are paid relatively little for the labor they do. The Employment of Manual Scavengers and Construction of Dry Latrines (Prohibition) Act was passed by the government in 1993. This law prohibits the employment of manual scavengers as well as the construction of dry latrines. 

Q3. State the ideas of C.K Janu, an adivasi activist on violation of constitutional rights by the government of various Indian states.

Ans. The following were the ideas of C.K Janu, an adivasi activist on violation of constitutional rights by the government of various Indian states:-

  • C.K. Janu stressed out that governments in various Indian states are one of the abusers of constitutional rights provided to tribal people.
  • Adivasi activist C.K. Janu has also stated that governments in various Indian states are one of the violators of tribal people’s constitutional rights because they allow non-tribal encroachers to capitalize on tribal land and forcibly relocate tribal people from their traditional forests while declaring forests as reserves or sanctuaries. 
  • She has also remarked that tribe members who have been exiled from their lands and are unable to return should be compensated. 
  • The government must devise strategies and regulations that will allow them to live and work abroad.

Q4. The right, law or policy related to marginalized groups merely exists on the paper. Do you agree? Comment

Ans. The existence of a right, a law, or even a policy on paper does not imply its existence in practice. People have had to work hard to transform these into principles that guide the actions of their fellow citizens or even their leaders. The desire for equality, dignity, and respect is not a novel concept. It has existed in various forms throughout history. Similarly, similar processes of struggle, writing, negotiating, and organizing must continue even in a democratic society.

Q5. What is the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006?

Ans. The Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act of 2006 was passed by the central government.

  • This Act is intended to redress historical wrongs done to forest-dwelling populations by failing to recognise their rights to land and resources.
  • This Act acknowledges their right to homestead, cultivable, and grazing land, as well as non-timber forest produce.
  • The Act further states that forest dwellers’ rights include the conservation of forests and biodiversity.

Q6. Why did the Safai Karamchari Andolan file a PIL in 2003? What did they complain about in their petition? What did the Supreme Court do on hearing their case in 2005?

Ans. The Safai Karamchari Andolan, together with 13 other organizations and individuals, including seven scavengers, filed a petition in the Supreme Court in 2003. The petitioners claimed that manual scavenging still existed and was practiced in government enterprises such as railways. The petitioners wanted their Fundamental Rights to be enforced.

According to the court, the number of manual scavengers in India has grown since the 1993 statute. It directed that the facts be verified within six months by every department/ministry of the union government and state governments. If manual scavenging is discovered, the government must actively pursue a time-bound scheme for their freedom and rehabilitation.

Q7. How did Dalits assert themselves?

Ans. Dalits made their presence felt in the following ways:

  • During the 1970s and 1980s, a number of assertive Dalit organizations emerged in portions of southern India and asserted their rights – they refused to do their so-called caste obligations and insisted on being treated equally.
  • Dalit organizations called for new legislation that will define various forms of violence against Dalits and impose harsh penalties on those who commit them.
  • Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, Adivasi people effectively united themselves and demanded equal rights as well as the restitution of their land and resources.

Q8. Re-read the story on Rathnam as well as the provisions of the 1989 Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. Now list one reason why you think he used this law to file a complaint.

Ans. This Act was drafted in 1989 in response to Dalit and other demands that the government take seriously the bad treatment and humiliation that Dalits and tribal people endure on a daily basis. Rathnam declined to participate in the ritual. Rathnam’s denial infuriated both the village’s strong castes and some families from his own clan. The powerful castes agreed to punish Rathnam. His town was forced to shun him and his family, and everyone was instructed not to communicate or work for or with them. One night, some men broke into their community and set fire to his hut. Rathnam then went to file a case in the local police station under the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989.

Q9. Define the following terms with reference to the Confronting Marginalization: Assertive, Confront, Dispossessed, Ostracise, Policy

Ans. Assertive: An assertive person or group is one that can strongly express themselves and their opinions.

  • Confront: To confront or challenge someone or something. This refers to groups that are resisting their marginalization in the context of this chapter.
  • Dispossessed: To possess means to own something, whereas to be dispossessed means to have to give up ownership or authority.
  • Ostracise: This means to exclude or banish an individual or a group. It refers to a societal boycott of an individual and his family in the context of this chapter.
  • Policy: A defined path of action that provides future direction, establishes goals to be met, or lays forth principles or guidelines to be followed and followed. We have discussed government policies in this chapter. However, policies exist in other institutions such as schools, businesses, and so on.

Q10. Mention a few crimes listed in Prevention of Atrocities Act, 1989?

Ans. The Act differentiates between several levels of crime.

  • It seeks to punish those who (i) force a member of a Scheduled Caste or a Scheduled Tribe to drink or eat any inedible or obnoxious substance (ii) forcibly removes clothes from the person of a Scheduled Caste or a Scheduled Tribe or parades him or her naked or with painted face or body or commits any similar act derogatory to human dignity.
  • Second, it lists actions that deprive Dalits and Adivasis of their meager resources or force them to work as slaves. Thus, the Act seeks to punish anyone who unjustly occupies or cultivates any land owned or allotted to a member of a Scheduled Caste or a Scheduled Tribe, as well as to transfer the land allotted to him.
  • At another level, the Act recognises that crimes against Dalit and tribal women are distinct and, as a result, intends to punish anyone who assaults or uses force against any woman belonging to a Scheduled Caste or a Scheduled Tribe with the goal to shame her.

 

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