NCERT Solutions for Class 8 Social Science Civics Chapter 5 Understanding Marginalisation

Question 1.
Write in your own words two or more sentences of what you understand by the word ‘marginalization’?
Answer:
To be marginalized is to be forced to occupy the sides or fringes and thus not be at the center of things.
Or
Marginalized groups are those groups of the society which remained ignored in the past due to various social and economic causes.

Question 2.
List two reasons why Adivasis are becoming increasingly marginalised?
Answer:
Adivasis have been marginalised because:

• They live on the margins of social, economic development.
• They are poor, ‘low’ in social status.
• They are less educated.
• Most of them live in remote areas and do not have access to towns/cities.

Question 3.
Write one reason why you think the Constitution’s safeguards to protect minority communities are very important?
Answer:
The Constitution safeguards protect minority communities to protect India’s cultural diversity and promote equality as well as justice.

Question 4.
Re-read the section on Minorities and Marginalisation. What do you understand by the term minority?
Answer:
The minority is the term that means the communities which are small in number in comparison to the communities which are more in numbers.
Example: Muslims are in minority as compared to Hindus.

Question 5.
You are participating in a debate where you have to provide reasons to support the following statement: Muslims are a marginalised community.’ Using the data provided in this chapter, list two reasons that you would give.
Answer:
Muslims are a marginalised community because:

1. They do not have equal access to basic amenities such as pucca houses, electricity, piped water, etc.
2. Muslims have the lowest literacy rates as compared to other religious groups of India.

Question 6.
Imagine that you are watching the Republic Day parade on TV with a friend and she remarks, “Look at these tribals. They look so exotic. And they seem to be dancing all the time.” List three things that you would tell her about the lives of Adivasis in India.
Answer:
Adivasi community is generally shown in a particular stereotype way:

1. They are portrayed in colourful costumes, headgear, sometimes made of leaves or skin of animals.
2. They are shown dancing with spears or hunting animals. This makes people believe that they are exotic, primitive, and backward.
3. Often they themselves are blamed for their lack of advancement as they are believed to be resistant to change.
4. On the other side, Dance is a common act of most of the tribals on the occasion of:
   
   • Their festivals
   • Generally at the time of cutting crops
5. This is also their way of enjoying life.
   For poor people, this is enjoyment at no or a little cost.

Question 7.
In the storyboard, you read about how Helen hopes to make a movie on the Adivasi story. Can you help her by developing a short story on Adivasis?
Answer:
Students, you should do it yourselves. A story has been given below just for an example:

An Adivasi group lived in a village. They lived there peacefully and used to fulfill their needs from the land and the forests around them. One day a few strangers reached their village along with a government document and announced that ‘the land where Adivasis were living belonged to Mr. Chandra (an industrialist). So they will have to vacate the village because Mr. Chandra wanted to establish an industry over there.

When Adivasis did not agree to leave their land, they were humiliated and tortured. Mr. Chandra finally decided to visit the village personally and tried to settle the deal by offering some money to them. While coming to the village with his son, his car met with an accident in which he was badly injured and his son fell into the valley but was saved. When Mr. Chandra opened his eyes, he saw himself surrounded by some villagers.

He came to know that they saved the life of his son with the help of medicinal herbs available in forests. Mr. Chandra learned that those people belonged to the same Adivasis group whom Mr. Chandra wanted to abandon from their land. Finally, Mr. Chandra begged an apology from the Adivasis and withdrew his idea of locating industry in the village. He realized that it would not be justified to ruins the life of those who saved his son’s life.

Question 8.
Would you agree with the statement that economic and social marginalisation are interlinked? Why?
Answer:
Yes, economic and social marginalisation is interlinked. When Adivasis were displaced from their lands, they lost much more than a source of income. They lost their traditions and customs – a way of living and being. Destruction in one sphere impacts the other.