Kerala Plus One English Textbook Answers Unit 2 Words and Deeds
Let’s Begin
Question 1.
“Deeds must be an execution of words. Mahatma Gandhi was true to his words in his deeds. His life was a message.” This is what Albert Einstein wrote about Gandhi on his 70th birthday, in 1939:
Answer:
Mahatma Gandhi: He was a leader of his people, unsupported by any outward authority. He was a politician whose success did not rest upon craft or the mastery of technical devices but simply on the convincing power of his personality. He was a victorious fighter who always refused to use force. He was a man of wisdom and humility. He was armed with resolve and inflexible consistency. He devoted all his strength to the uplifting of his people and the betterment of their condition. He faced the brutality of Europe with the dignity of a simple human being.
Generations to come, it may be, will scarce believe that such a one as this, ever in flesh and blood, walked upon this earth.
Let’s discuss :
Question 2.
What impression of Gandhiji do you get from the brief description given above? Discuss.
Answer:
The impression I get is that Gandhiji was one of the greatest men the world has ever seen. He did not have any political authority but he was a true leader of the people. He was not a shrewd politician who was a master of all latest technologies, but he impressed people with his powerful personality. He always advocated non-violence. Even the might of England could not defeat this ‘Naked Fakirfrom India’ as Winston Churchill once called him. He was a man of wisdom and humility.
He would never run away from any risk and he was determined to succeed. His ambition in life was giving the people of his country freedom and good life which they could enjoy in peace and brotherhood. He advocated tolerance and he believed that God is one known by different names – Ishwar, Allah, God. All human beings are the sons and daughters of the same Father. Gandhi was not only a nationalist but a great internationalist who believed in the fraternity of the humankind all over the world. Gandhiji is the greatest son of India.
Question 3.
What kind of a ‘fighter’ is Gandhi?
Answer:
Gandhi is a fighter who believed in non-violence. He would never give up, fearing defeat. He was even willing to sacrifice his life to attain his goals which he believed to be just and right.
Question 4.
‘One must practise what one preaches.’ How far is the statement true of Mahatma Gandhi?
Answer:
Mahatma Gandhi always practised what he preached. He strongly believed that “Deeds must be an execution of words.” Empty words never came out of his mouth. If he said something people could be sure that he would do it. He even gave up his life to practise what he preached.
Read and Reflect
Question 1.
Jawaharlal Nehru writes about the timely arrival of Gandhiji to Indian politics. India was in great need of such a leader. Gandhiji was like a beam of light that removed the darkness. Nehru makes a right assessment of Gandhiji in his book ‘Discovery of India’. Here is an excerpt.
“Keep your thoughts positive
because your thoughts become your words
Keep your words positive
because your words become your behaviour.”
Words and Deeds About this Unit:
– Mahatma Gandhi
The theme of this unit is the need for the symbiotic relationship between words and deeds. The unit aims at inculcating the right values through a few examples. It has an essay by Nehru titled “And Then Gandhi Came”, a story written by Prabhat Kumar Mukhopadhyay with the title The Price of Flowers’, translated by Lila Ray, and a poem ‘Death the Leveller’ by James Shirley.
The texts and the activities are designed to help the students to imbibe the values of good citizenship. They also enable them to acquire a strong linguistic foundation.