Chapter Name: Courage In The Struggle For Human Rights
Subject: Modern English
Lesson: 4
Class: 8
Board: Board Of Secondary Education Manipur (BOSEM/BSEM)
Contents: Chapter Summary, Questions and Answers, Vocabulary.
Chapter Summary
Courage In The Struggle For Human Rights
The lesson is about those courageous men and women who had struggled hard to prevent the violation of human rights and the resultant erosion in the dignity of life of man on earth. Two separate incidents have been cited here one involving Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi and the other Rosa Parks who both had stood up against unjust and unfair rules/laws that deprived a particular section of people of their dignity and basic human rights.
The first incident happened while Gandhi was in South Africa. He had boarded a train to Pretoria with a first-class ticket but he was informed later to move to the van compartment because he could not travel together with a white passenger even though he had a first-class ticket. When Gandhi refused to go voluntarily he was thrown out with his suitcase onto the station platform.
The second incident happened in an American town called Montgomery in December 1955 to a black woman named Rosa Parks. Rosa Parks was an ordinary, law-abiding citizen who after a long day’s work at a dressmaker’s shop on that day just wanted to rest her feet and she was relieved when she found many vacant seats on the bus she was going home.
But during those days not all laws and rules were fair and one such rule was that every time a white passenger climbed onto a bus, the black passenger had to give up their sits, get off the bus and go round to the back door. They could get on the bus again and travel as standing passengers.
On that particular day Rosa Parks refused to get up because she felt that the rule was unfair and unfair rules Ought not to be in the rule book. She was arrested and sent to jail. The black people of Montgomery decided to fight for Rosa Parks and boycotted the buses.
The bus company lost millions of dollars because Without black passengers’ buses ran almost empty. Rosa Parks was tried in a ‘court of law and the court ordered her to pay a fine which she refused and appealed to the Supreme Court. The Judges of the Supreme Court laid down that segregation was unlawful in public transport services as it was against the country’s law. Americans called Rosa Parks the Mother of the Black Civil Rights Movement.
Video Tutorial: Courage In The Struggle For Human Rights
BOSEM solutions for Class 8 Modern English Chapter 4 Courage In The Struggle For Human Rights
Answer the following questions in a sentence
Q1. What kind of men and women fought against the violation of human rights?
Ans: Courageous men and women fought against the violation of human rights.
Q2. Why had Gandhi go to Pretoria?
Ans: Gandhi had to go to Pretoria because a lawsuit required his presence.
Q3. Which compartment of the train with Gandhi enter?
Ans: Gandhi entered a first-class compartment of the train.
Q.4. Where did the railway official ask Gandhi to go to?
Ans: The railway official asked Gandhi to go to the Van compartment.
Q.5. Where did Rosa Parks work?
Ans: Rosa Parks worked in a dressmaker’s shop.
Q.6. What happens each time a white passenger climbs into the bus?
Ans: Each time a white passenger climbed onto the bus, a black passenger got up from the seat and moved away.
Q.7. What did the driver order Rosa Parks to do?
Ans: The driver ordered Rosa Park to get up and go to the back.
Q.8. How did the black people fight against the bus company?
Ans: The black people fought against the bus company by boycotting their buses.
Q.9. What did the Judges of the Supreme Court say about segregation?
Ans: The judges of the Supreme Court said that segregation was unlawful in public transport services and that it was against the law of the country.
Q10. What do Americans call Rosa Park?
Ans: The Americans call her the Mother of the Black Civil Rights Movement.
Answer the following questions in about 20-25 words each.
QI. Why was Gandhi asked to leave the first-class railway compartment?
Ans: Gandhi was asked to leave the first-class railway compartment because the white passenger who entered the compartment was disturbed to see a brown intruder and he went out to complain the matter to the railway officials.
Q2. How did Gandhi introduce the first lessons of Satyagraha in South Africa?
Ans: When Gandhi refused to go to the van compartment the railway officials threatened they would call a police constable to push him out. Gandhi still refused to get out voluntarily for which he was thrown out with his suitcases onto the station platform which got stolen and he sat through the night shivering and meditating. Then soon after the incident, Gandhi introduced the first lessons of Satyagraha in South Africa.
Q3. Why did Rosa Parks feel grateful when she was on the bus?
Ans: Rosa Parks felt grateful when she was on the bus because the bus was nearly empty and there were many vacant seats. She could rest her feet now after a long working day.
Q4. What was the rule that existed in relation to passengers in Montgomery?
Ans: Black passengers have to give up their seats when white passengers come on the bus. They had to get off the bus and go round to the back door. They could then get on the bus again and travel as standing passengers.
Q5. Why did Rosa Parks decide not to get up and leave her seat?
Ans: Rosa Parks decided not to get up and leave her seat because she felt the rule was unfair and rules ought to be fair. If a rule is unfair it ought to go and not remain in the rule book, not to be obeyed. If people go on obeying such bad rules, it will stay in the book forever so someone should do something about it someday.
Q6. What followed when the lawyers advised Rosa Parks not to pay the fine?
Ans: Rosa took the advice and they went to the higher courts and finally to the highest court, the Supreme Court. The judges of the Supreme Court said that segregation was unlawful in public transport services and that it was against the law of the country.
Q7. Why was Rosa Parks arrested?
Ans: Rosa Parks was arrested because she refused to get up from her seat and give it up to the white passenger as per the rule.
Answer the following questions in about 50-60 words each
I. Narrate Gandhi’s fight against racial injustice in Pretoria.
Ans: Gandhi boarded a train for the overnight journey to Pretoria and entered a first-class compartment with his first-class ticket. However, at Maritz burg in Natal, a white passenger entered his compartment and he was disturbed to see a brown passenger inside. So he went and complained and the railway officials informed Gandhi to move to the van compartment.
When Gandhi refused to do so voluntarily, he was thrown out with his suitcases station platform. When people on the platform took away his luggage and overcoat he sat through the night shivering and meditating.
ii. Describe the incidents that led the driver of the bus to ask Rosa Parks to leave her seat.
Ans: The incident happened in an American town called Montgomery in December, 1955.111 those days there was a rule that black passengers had to give up their seats when white passengers came on a bus. On that day when Rosa Parks found a seat on the bus after a tiring day she was grateful and sat down. When the warning bell rang in the bus many passengers rushed in many of them white Americans. All the sitting black passengers have up their seats except Rosa.
The driver could not start the bus because a white passenger was standing and a black passenger was not getting up. Other passengers were getting impatient and muttered curses at her. But on that day Rosa Parks was thinking about why she should get up, she paid the same fare and the white passenger was neither old nor disabled. The rule was unfair and it ought not to be obeyed so she refused to get up. The driver got angry and ordered Rosa Parks to leave her.
iii. Narrate the Montgomery bus boycott.
Ans: When Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat she was arrested and sent to jail. The news of their arrest soon spread all over the town and the black people of Montgomery decided to fight for her to come out of jail. They knew they could not fight the police so they decided to fight with the bus company instead.
They boycotted the buses which means they stopped using them. Instead, they went to work in private cars and shared the cost of taxis. The boycott went on in that way for more than a year. During the boycott, the bus company lost millions of dollars because there were many more black bus users than white bus users. Without black passengers, buses ran almost empty.
iv. Why was Rosa Parks called the ‘Mother of the Black Civil Rights Movement’?
Ans: Rosa Parks was tried in a court of law. The judges ordered her to pay a fine because she had broken the law of segregation. Rosa’s lawyer advised her not to pay the fine and they went to the higher courts and finally to the highest court, the Supreme Court. The judges of the Supreme Court said that segregation was unlawful in public transport services and that it was against the law of the country. Thus Rosa Parks moved a million minds. She began the black American people’s fight for fairness and justice for all human beings. Thus Americans call her the ‘Mother of the Black Civil Rights Movement’.
Vocabulary
Match The Following
The words in Group B have similar meanings to those given in Group A. Match them.
Ans:
| Group A | Group B |
|---|---|
| Violation | Breaking |
| Chronic | Continual |
| Tenaciously | Holding tightly |
| Boarded | Rode |
| Intruder | A Person entering without an invitation |
| Refuse | Not to accept |
| Superior | Better than the average |
| Fare | Fee for riding a vehicle |
| Empty | Have nothing inside |
| Ordinary | Normal |
| Fair | Honesty |
| Still | Quite |
| Seat | Place for sitting |
| Passenger | A Person conveyed by a vehicle |
| Luggage | Bags and Trunks |
FAQs
What is the chapter “Courage In The Struggle For Human Rights” about?
The chapter highlights the stories of individuals who showed immense courage in fighting against the violation of human rights. It focuses on Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi and Rosa Parks, who both stood up against unjust laws and discrimination.
Who are the two main figures mentioned in the chapter?
The two main figures mentioned in the chapter are Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi and Rosa Parks.
What incident involving Gandhi is described in the chapter?
The incident described involves Gandhi being thrown off a train in South Africa. Despite having a first-class ticket, he was asked to move to a van compartment because he could not travel with white passengers. When he refused, he was thrown off the train.
What happened to Rosa Parks in Montgomery in December 1955?
Rosa Parks, after a long day’s work, refused to give up her seat to a white passenger on a bus, which was the law at the time. She was arrested and sent to jail, sparking a bus boycott by the black community in Montgomery.
How did the black community of Montgomery respond to Rosa Parks’ arrest?
The black community of Montgomery boycotted the buses, leading to significant financial losses for the bus company. This act of solidarity was crucial in the fight against segregation.
What was the outcome of Rosa Parks’ appeal to the Supreme Court?
Rosa Parks appealed to the Supreme Court after being fined by a lower court. The Supreme Court ruled that segregation in public transport was unlawful, marking a significant victory for the Civil Rights Movement.
Why is Rosa Parks referred to as the “Mother of the Black Civil Rights Movement”?
Rosa Parks is called the “Mother of the Black Civil Rights Movement” because her act of defiance and the subsequent bus boycott became a pivotal moment in the fight for civil rights in America.
What key message does the chapter convey?
The chapter conveys the importance of courage and determination in the fight for human rights. It shows how individuals can stand up against injustice and bring about significant social change.
How do the stories of Gandhi and Rosa Parks inspire readers?
The stories of Gandhi and Rosa Parks inspire readers by demonstrating that one person’s courage can challenge unjust systems and laws, leading to broader social and legal reforms.
What lessons can students learn from this chapter?
Students can learn the value of standing up for what is right, the impact of peaceful protest, and the importance of fighting against discrimination and injustice in society.
