W Compulsory English-II

CONTENTS
Unit Contents Page No.
1 ALEXANDER FLEMING 1-12
2 VINOBA 13-24
3 KAMALA 25-36
4 MOTHER TERESA 37-46
5 MARTIN LUTHER KING 47-60
6 SRIKANTHA BABU 61-69
7 ESSAY WRITING 71-81
8 WRITING ADVERTISEMENT COPY 82-94

Compulsory English-II
UNIT - I NOTES
ALEXANDER FLEMING :
PHILIP CANE
Index
1.0 Objectives
1.1 Introduction
1.2 Content
1.3 Glossary and Notes
1.4 Summary
1.5 Answer to check your progress
1.6 Exercise
1.7 Reference for further study
1.0 OBJECTIVES
After completing study of this unit, you will

• Learn human values and ethics in order to become a good citizen of the
country.
• Understand the contribution of Alexander Fleming to Science.
• Create interest in English language and Literature.
• Encourage and enable to read the various types of texts.
• Develop competence for self-learning.
1.1 INTRODUCTION
Philip Cane was an Electronic Engineer in the United States. The present
essay is taken from his book Giants of Science. Alexander Fleming (1881-1955)
was a scientist like Isaac Newton who have expounded the laws governing nature
ALEXANDER
and the universe, there are scientists concerned with the conquest of disease. The
FLEMING :
essay describes Alexander Fleming’s experiment to discover penicillin which is PHILIP CANE 1
Compulsory English-II a unique contribution to medical science. Their discoveries have helped in
relieving of minimizing physical suffering. He has also received the Nobel Prize
for his contribution to discovery of penicillin.
NOTES
1.2 CONTENT
TEXT - ALEXANDER FLEMING

Philip Cane
‘Before you can notice any strange happenings you have got to be a good
workman, you have got to be a master of your craft.’ Sir Alexander Fleming
discovered penicillin because he was an extraordinarily good workman and a
master of his craft. Modestly, he would have us believe that he was lucky. ‘The
very first stage in the discovery of penicillin,’ he said, ‘was due to a stroke of
good fortune.’ Perhaps the first stage of discovery was fortunate, but Alexander
Fleming was ready; his was the mind prepared
Alexander Fleming was born on Lochfield Farm in southwestern Scotland
on 6 August 1881, the youngest of eight children of Hugh Fleming. His father
died when he was only seven, but his mother, a cheerful woman of great
character, supervised the running of the farm. She maintained the affection of
her large family; her four step-children were devoted to her, as were her own
four children
Until he was ten, Alexander attended the nearby Loudoun Moor School. He
was then transferred to Darvel School which he attended with his brothers.
Alexander learned a good deal about nature during that four-mile downhill hike
to school and the four-mile uphill return trip. He was a quick student, and at
twelve the age limit prescribed for Darvel School, he was sent to Killmarnock
Academy.
Two years later he joined his brothers, John and Robert, at the home of his
elder brother Thomas, who was to become a successful oculist in London. John
and Robert became opticians, and ultimately started a business of their own,
which they built into a leading optical laboratory. The business is still in the
control of the Fleming family.
However, the economic success of the family was it to be, and Alexander
was forced to leave school for economic reasons. When he was sixteen he
obtained a job in shipping company. Good fortune, however, was on his side and
on the side of humanity. In 1901 he received a share in a legacy which made it
possible for him to return to school. He decided to study medicine.
While still working for the shipping company, Alexander along with his
brothers, John and Robert, had drawing the London Scottish Volunteers, and was
ALEXANDER
a member of the regimental swimming and water-polo team. This team had taken
FLEMING :
2 PHILIP CANE part in contest with St. Mary's Medical School. And so Alexander Fleming chose
to attend this particular school for the inconsequential reason that he had played Compulsory English-II
water-polo against its team. he couldn't know that Almroth Wright was to join
the faculty as a teacher of bacteriology.
Fleming was an honours student at St. Mary's. The records of the medical NOTES
school show that he led his class in every phase of medical study; in physiology,
in Pharmacology, in pathology. He won virtually all the prizes offered, but he
was not grind. His excellence was not due to total devotion to his studies. He
was a member of the rifle team, he was on the swimming team and played water-
polo. He found time to take part in a amateur theatrical productions. His studies
came easy to him.
Upon his graduation from St. Mary's in 1906 at twenty-five, Dr Alexander
Fleming joined Almroth Wright to do medical research. Wright was more than a
teacher of bacteriology; he was famous for his work on phagocytes, a part of the
blood.
Pasteur had discovered microbes, and had demonstrated that they were all
about us and could not fail to be with us in our bodies at all times. Scientists
realised that bacteria can enter our bodies with the air we breathe, with the food
we eat and drink through cuts or breaks in the skin. Why then are we not all
destroyed by the bacteria? Elie Metchnikoff, at work in the Pasteur Institute in
Paris, found part of the answer. He discovered that the white corpuscle in the
blood- called the phagocyte- was a living cell that swallowed up and digested
the microbe. Robert Koch on the other hand had decided, based on his observed
evidence, that the blood fluid itself had the power to kill bacteria.
This controversy was settled by Wright’s research. He discovered that it
was not enough for the phagocytes to meet the microbes in order to engulf them.
The microbes had to be prepared by the blood fluid before the phagocytes could
engulf them. This property of the blood fluid Wright called opsonic.
This discovery was a starting point for a new type of medicine. Up to now
the doctor had to diagnose illness mainly by touching the patient or listening to
his heart and lungs. But now the microscope could come into use; the blood could
be examined. The opsonic power of patient could be examined by testing a blood
sample under the microscope. This sample could be compared with the blood of
healthy people to find out how well the phagocytes digest the bacteria. If the
blood and phagocytes could not do the job, then a vaccine could be injected into
the patient to produce antibodies and help destroy the bacteria.
This was Wright’s thesis, and he felt that the solution to the problem of
bacteria-caused disease was in sight. It was to this research that he had recruited
the brilliant Fleming. Wright insisted that the bacteriologists stay in touch with
practical medicine, that they work with the hospital patients. It was a severe grind,
laboratory and hospital work around the clock if need be, but it was preparation
for the great discovery.
During World War I, Wright’s laboratory team moved to Boulogne in ALEXANDER
France. Here Fleming formed a strong opinion opposing the use of chemical FLEMING :
PHILIP CANE 3
Compulsory English-II antiseptics. An antiseptic is a substance which has the power to destroy bacteria.
Research had proved to Fleming that although the strong antiseptics did destroy
some of the microbes of the body, the white blood corpuscles which fought the
NOTES harmful microbes. Fleming was convinced theta the ‘most important antibacterial
agents in the body are cells themselves’ and that research should find out how
these natural powers perform.
On 13 February 1922, the Royal Society of London received a paper on A
Remarkable Bacteriolytic Element Found in Tissues and Secretions. This paper
contained a description of Fleming’s discovery of a natural material which he
called lysozyme.
Fleming was suffering from an inflammation of the nasal passages which
was accompanied by a running nose. He began to investigate by growing a
culture of the secretions. After four days he saw a large bright yellow microbe
colony. He treated the colony by adding a small amount of diluted nasal mucus.
He was astonished to find that a single drop of diluted mucus he caused a cubic
centimeter of the microbes to disappear. He investigated further and found that
lysozyme could be found in tears, in sputum, and in a very large number of tissues
and organs of the body. Blood, too, contains this marvelous material. Where else
could lysozyme be found? Fleming examined chicken eggs and found it in white
of the egg. Cow's milk and mother's milk contained quantities of lysozyme.
Fleming wrote, 'Lysozyme is a widely distributed antibacterial ferment which is
probably inherent in all animal cells and constitutes a primary method of
destroying bacteria.' Nature thus provides its own antiseptics.
In the cold damp summer of 1928 in his dingy laboratory St Mary's Hospital
the now 47- year- old Alexander Fleming opened a Petri dish in which he had a
staphylococcus growth-- a grapelike cluster of bacteria which causes pimples
and boils. He discovered that the culture has been contaminated by bluish mould.
Apparently a wind-borne mould spore had come through an open window and
had come to rest on the momentarily opened culture dish. The spore had grown
into a whole colony.
Something about this colony caught the observant eye of Dr. Fleming. The
mould was in the dish, the microbe culture was in the dish, but there was a
microbe-free ring around the mould. The mould had dissolved the bacteria; the
mould had the power to destroy bacteria.
The bluish bacteria - destroying mould was brush-like in appearance and
hence is given the name of penicillium.
Fleming began a scientific, systematic investigation of penicillium mould.
He planted some spores on a nutrient material and allowed them to grow for
several days next he deposited various kinds of bacteria on the plate, right up to
the mould. When he examined the result, some of the bacteria had grown up to
the mould while others had stopped short. The mould had produced a material
ALEXANDER
that destroyed certain microbes.
FLEMING :
4 PHILIP CANE
The investigation continued. Fleming grew his mould in a liquid medium Compulsory English-II
the fluid could destroy bacteria. More tests were made. He discovered that the
material – now called penicillin- produced by the mould could prevent bacteria
from growing, could kill bacteria, and could dissolve bacteria. The penicillin NOTES
could kill bacteria in a Petri dish. Would it harm the body cells? Was it poisonous?
More tests-this time on rabbits and white mice. The results were excellent.
Fleming said, ‘It was this non-toxicity….. That convinced me that someday it
would come into its own as a therapeutic agent.’
Fleming went as far as he could with his small staff in the discovery and
investigation and penicillin. He published its powers as best as he could, but
research had to stop; there were no funds.
Meanwhile, Professor Howard Florey and Dr. E. B. Chain at Oxford had
completed research on lysozyme and were casting about for a new field of
investigation. This was in 1937. They read Fleming’s report on penicillin and
decided to check into the chemistry of this material. They produced some small
quantities of it and met enormous success in experiments with animals.
They decided the time was ripe to try it in humans. The first patient on
whom anything new is tried is hopeless case, having failed to respond to any
known treatment. The first patient treated with penicillin was on his way to
recovery when their stock of material ran out. Nevertheless Chain and Florey
had seen enough to realize the tremendous potential of this new material.
In 1941, with Britain at war, Florey came to the United States to interest
American manufacturers in its production. Penicillin was produced so that it was
ready for the war. It saved countless lives. In peacetime penicillin has saved
countless more.
Seventeen years after he discovered the value of penicillin. Fleming was
awarded the Nobel Prize. He was knighted by a grateful British monarch in 1944.
Until his death in 1955, he continued his research in the field of bacteriology.
Sir Alexander Fleming had opened up a whole new world of research. In
the United States, Dr. Selman A. Waksman of Rutgers University developed
streptomycin. Aureomycin and terramycin have become household words for
other antibiotics. Each of these controls a particular group of bacteria.
And so on discovery leads to another. Sir Alexander Fleming said:
‘ It is the glory of a good bit of work that it opens the way for better things
and thus rapidly lead s to its own eclipse. The object of research is the
advancement…. of knowledge.’
--- From Giants of Science
ALEXANDER
FLEMING :
PHILIP CANE 5
1.3 GLOSSARY AND NOTES

NOTES
Craft : skill
Hike : long walk
Oculist : ophthalmologist (one who treats defects in the eye)
Legacy : money or property one leaves for another
London Scottish volunteers : refers to military service
regimental : adjective of ‘regiment’: a body of soldiers
water-polo : a game played in water
medical school : school means college / university ; here , a centre of
medical studies
inconsequential : unimportant
faculty : (teaching) staff
physiology : science dealing with the way in which the bodies of living
things function
pharmacology : study of medicine and drugs
pathology : study of the causes of diseases
virtually : almost
grind : hard worker
rifle : a large gun
amateur : done for pleasure of enjoyment and not as a job or for money
phagocytes : cells in the body that get rid of bacteria
Pasteur : Louis Patseur (1822-95); French chemist and bacteriologist
microbes : very small living things (microorganisms) that can be seen
only by using a microscope
bacteria : very small organisms in air, water and soil that cause disease
Robert Koch : (1843-1910) Geman bacteriologist
fluid : liquid
engulf : destroy
opsonin : substance in the blood that destroys the invading bacteria
antibodies : substances produced in the blood to fight disease and infection
ALEXANDER
thesis : conclusion based on research
FLEMING :
6 PHILIP CANE
around the clock : day and night Compulsory English-II
nasal : adjective of ‘nose’
running nose : nose with liquid coming out of it
NOTES
investigate : examine, to find out by observation
growing a culture : process by which a group of bacteria are grown in a
scientific experiment
secretions : liquid substances produced by parts of the body
nasal mucus : liquid produced in the nose
sputum : thick substance produced in the throat and lungs on
account of infection
Ferment : used in the sense of agent to facilitate an action or
process--- here destroying bacteria
inherent in : essential part of (something)
Petri dish : circular plastic or glass dish for culturing bacteria
staphylococcus : spherical bacteria occurring in grapelike clusters
contaminated : made poisonous; infected
apparently : obviously; without doubt
mould : fungus growing on food that is not kept fresh or is kept
exposed
spore : organism – cell or germ- that is capable of multiplying
momentarily : for a short time
penicillin : (from Latin: penicill- brush)
nutrient : nourishing (flood that helps growth)
Non- toxicity : not being poisonous (toxic: poisonous)
come into its own : be effective
therapeutic : able to cure or heal
publicized : made known
chemistry of this material : chemical components of penicillin
potential : possibility to develop in future
It was ready for the war : ready to treat soldiers wounded in the war
streptomycin , aureomycin and terramycin : names of drugs leads to its
own eclipse : becomes less important ; goes to the background
ALEXANDER
FLEMING :
PHILIP CANE 7
1.4 SUMMARY
NOTES
Alexander Fleming was a Scottish Physician and Microbiologist. His best
known discoveries are the enzyme lysozyme in 1923 and the discovery of
penicillin in 1928. His discovery of penicillin was the unique contribution to the
medical science. He was honored The Nobel Prize in 1945 for his research in
penicillin. He was an extraordinarily good workman and a master of craft.
Alexander Fleming was born on Lochfield farm in south western Scotland
on 6 August1881. He was the youngest of eight children of Hugh Fleming. His
father died when he was only seven, but his mother, a cheerful woman of great
character, supervised the running of the farm. She maintained the affection of
her large family.
Alexander attended the nearby Loudoun Moor School. He was then
transferred to Darvel School which he attended with his brothers. Alexander
learned a good deal about nature during that four-mile downhill hike to school
and the four-mile uphill return trip. He was a quick student, and at twelve the
age limit prescribed for Darvel School, he was sent to Killmarnock Academy.
He joined his brothers John and Robert at his elder brother Thomas. His
elder brother Thomas was a successful oculist in London. Alexander was forced
to leave school for economic reasons. He obtained a job in a shipping company.
He decided to study the medicine. While working he joined the London Scottish
Volunteers and became member of a regimental swimming and water-polo team.
This team had taken part in a contest with St. Mary’s Medical School. It was a
turning point in his life. He was fortunate that Almroth Wright was the faculty as
a teacher of bacteriology.
He joined St. Mary’s Medical School and graduated in 1906. He was
honours student at St. Mary’s. He participated in every phase of medical study;
in physiology in pharmacology, in pathology. He won many prizes offered by
the institution. He was excellent and devoted to study. He was also a member of
the rifle team, the swimming team and played water-polo.
After graduation he joined Almroth Wright to do medical research. Almroth
Wright was more than a teacher of bacteriology. He was famous for his work on
phagocytes, a part of the blood. Wright has solved the controversy between Elie
Metchnikoff and Robert Koch. The microbes had to be prepared by the blood
fluid before the phagocytes could engulf them. This property of the blood fluid
Wright called opsonic. The opsonic power of a patient could be examined by
testing a blood sample under the microscope. This discovery was a starting point
for a new type of medicine.
His first discovery in medical science was lysozyme which he presented in
ALEXANDER the paper A Remarkable Bacteriolytic Element found in Tissues and Secretions
FLEMING : to the Royal society of London in 13th February 1922. After this success he
8 PHILIP CANE
continued his research in laboratory. He investigated further and found that Compulsory English-II
lysozyme could be found in tears, in sputum and in every large number of tissues
and organs of the body.
Fleming opened a Petri dish in which he had a staphylococcus growth-- a NOTES
grapelike cluster of bacteria which causes pimples and boils. He discovered that
the culture has been contaminated by bluish mould. Apparently a wind-borne
mould spore had come through an open window and had come to rest on the
momentarily opened culture dish. The spore had grown into a whole colony.
Something about this colony caught the observant eye of Dr. Fleming. The mould
was in the dish, the microbe culture was in the dish, but there was a microbe-
free ring around the mould. The mould had dissolved the bacteria; the mould had
the power to destroy bacteria.The bluish bacteria - destroying mould was brush-
like in appearance and hence is given the name of penicillium.
Fleming began a scientific, systematic investigation of penicillium mould.
He planted some spores on a nutrient material and allowed them to grow for
several days next he deposited various kinds of bacteria on the plate, right up to
the mould. When he examined the result, some of the bacteria had grown up to
the mould while others had stopped short. The mould had produced a material
that destroyed certain microbes. The investigation continued. Fleming grew his
mould in a liquid medium the fluid could destroy bacteria. More tests were made.
He discovered that the material – now called penicillin- produced by the mould
could prevent bacteria from growing, could kill bacteria, and could dissolve
bacteria. The penicillin could kill bacteria in a Petri dish.
Professor Howard Florey and Dr. E. B. Chain at Oxford had completed
research on lysozyme and were casting about for a new field of investigation.
They read Fleming’s report on penicillin and decided to check into the chemistry
of this material. They produced some small quantities of it and met enormous
success in experiments with animals.
Florey came to the United States to interest American manufacturers in its
production in 1941. Penicillin was produced so that it was ready for the war. It
saved countless lives. In peacetime penicillin has saved countless more.
Seventeen years after he discovered the value of penicillin. Fleming was awarded
the Nobel Prize in 1945. He continued his research in the field of bacteriology
until his death in 1955.
1.5 CHECK YOUR PROGRESS/ SELF-ASSESSMENT
1.5. 1 Check your progress

A) Rewrite the following sentences choosing correct alternatives.
1. Alexander Fleming was born in ……..
a) America b) Western Scotland
ALEXANDER
c) New Zeeland d) India
FLEMING :
PHILIP CANE 9
Compulsory English-II 2. ……. has discovered penicillin.
a) Alexander Fleming b) Robert Koch
c) Isaac Newton d) Howard Florey
NOTES
3. Alexander Fleming was awarded the Nobel Prize in …….
a) 1944 b) 1955
c) 1945 d) 1941
4. …… was the teacher of Bacteriology in St. Mary’s Medical School.
a) Elie Metchnikoff b) Robert Koch
c) Howard Florey d) Almroh Wright
5. ……. settled the controversy of research between Elie Metchnikoff
and Robert Koch .
a) Almroh Wright b) Alexander Fleming
c) Howard Florey d) Robert Koch
B) Answer the following questions in one word/phrase/ sentence.

1) Who is Robert Koch?
2) What is opsonic?
3) What is the unique contribution of Alexander Fleming to medical
science?
4) What are antibodies?
5) When did Alexander Fleming die?
6) Where did Alexander Fleming complete graduation?
7) From where the essay Alexander Fleming is taken?
1.5.2 Answer to check your progress

A) 1) b) Western Scotland
2) a) Alexander Fleming
3) c) 1945
4) d) Almroh Wright
5) a) Almroh Wright
B) 1) German Bacteriologist
2) Substance in the blood that destroy the invading bacteria
3) Discovery of penicillin
4) Substances produced in the blood to fight diseases and infection
5) 1955
6) St. Mary’s Medical School
ALEXANDER
FLEMING : 7) Philip Cane’s book Giants of Science
10 PHILIP CANE
1.6 EXERCISE
NOTES
A. Answer the following questions in 150 words in each.

1. Alexander Fleming’s Family and Education
Alexander Fleming was a Scottish Physician and Microbiologist. His
best known discoveries are the enzyme lysozyme and the discovery
of penicillin. His discovery of penicillin was the unique contribution
to the medical science for that he was honored The Nobel Prize in
1945. He was an extraordinarily good workman and a master of craft.
Alexander Fleming was born on Lochfield farm in south western
Scotland on 6 August1881. He was the youngest of eight children of
Hugh Fleming. His father died when he was only seven, but his
mother, a cheerful woman of great character, supervised the running
of the farm. She maintained the affection of her large family. Alexander
attended the nearby Loudoun Moor School. He was then transferred
to Darvel School which he attended with his brothers. Alexander
learned a good deal about nature during that four-mile downhill hike
to school and the four-mile uphill return trip. He was a quick student,
and at twelve the age limit prescribed for Darvel School, he was sent
to Killmarnock Academy.
He joined his brothers John and Robert at his elder brother Thomas.
His elder brother Thomas was a successful oculist in London.
Alexander was forced to leave school for economic reasons. He
obtained a job in a shipping company. He decided to study the
medicine. While working he joined the London Scottish Volunteers
and became member of a regimental swimming and water-polo team.
This team had taken part in a contest with St. Mary’s Medical School.
He joined St. Mary’s Medical School and graduated in 1906.
2. Alexander Fleming’s experiment to discover penicillin

The discovery of penicillin is the unique contribution of Alexander
Fleming to the Medical Science. He was awarded the Nobel Prize for
this research. After his first discovery of lysozyme he continued his
research in laboratory.
Fleming opened a Petri dish in which he had a staphylococcus growth-
- a grapelike cluster of bacteria which causes pimples and boils. He
discovered that the culture has been contaminated by bluish mould.
Apparently a wind-borne mould spore had come through an open
window and had come to rest on the momentarily opened culture dish.
ALEXANDER
The spore had grown into a whole colony. Something about this colony FLEMING :
caught the observant eye of Dr. Fleming. The mould was in the dish, PHILIP CANE 11
Compulsory English-II the microbe culture was in the dish, but there was a microbe-free ring
around the mould. The mould had dissolved the bacteria; the mould
had the power to destroy bacteria.The bluish bacteria - destroying
NOTES mould was brush-like in appearance and hence is given the name of
penicillium.
Fleming began a scientific, systematic investigation of penicillium
mould. He planted some spores on a nutrient material and allowed
them to grow for several days next he deposited various kinds of
bacteria on the plate, right up to the mould. When he examined the
result, some of the bacteria had grown up to the mould while others
had stopped short. The mould had produced a material that destroyed
certain microbes. The investigation continued. Fleming grew his
mould in a liquid medium the fluid could destroy bacteria. More tests
were made. He discovered that the material – now called penicillin-
produced by the mould could prevent bacteria from growing, could
kill bacteria, and could dissolve bacteria. The penicillin could kill
bacteria in a Petri dish.
Professor Howard Florey and Dr. E. B. Chain at Oxford had completed
research on lysozyme and were casting about for a new field of
investigation. They read Fleming’s report on penicillin and decided to
check into the chemistry of this material. They produced some small
quantities of it and met enormous success in experiments with animals.
Florey came to the United States to interest American manufacturers
in its production in 1941. Penicillin was produced so that it was ready
for the war. It saved countless lives. In peacetime penicillin has saved
countless more. Seventeen years after he discovered the value of
penicillin. Fleming was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1945. He
continued his research in the field of bacteriology until his death in
1955.
B. Answer the following questions in 100 words in each.

1. Alexander Fleming’s contribution to Medical Science
2. Alexander Fleming’s work in the field of Bacteriology
1.7 REFERENCE FOR FURTHER STUDY
• Portraits in Prose : An Anthology of Biographical Sketches by S

Jagadisan
• Giants of Science : Philip Cane
ALEXANDER
*****
FLEMING :
12 PHILIP CANE
UNIT - II NOTES
VINOBA : HALLAM TENNYSON
Index
2.0 Objectives
2.1 Introduction
2.2 Content
2.4 Terms to remember
2.5 Check your progress
2.6 Exercise
2.0 OBJECTIVES
After studying this Unit, students will be able to:

• Understand the contribution of Vinobha Bhave in India freedom
movement.
• Learn human life and human values.
• Learn the significance of literature in human life.
• Express in good English.
• Enable to read the various types of texts.
2.1 INTRODUCTION
Hallam Tennyson (1852-1928) was a Journalist, author and Governor

General. He was the eldest son of the poet laureate Alfred Tennyson. He was
born on 11 August 1852 in Middlesex, England. He was educated at Marlborough
College and at Trinity College, Cambridge. He became a Councilor of the
VINOBA : HALLAM
Imperial Federation League in 1883. He has published children’s book Jack and
TENNYSON 13
Compulsory English-II Beanstalk. The present essay is a description of Hallam Tennyson’s journey in
India following a portion of Vinoba Bhave Bhoodan movement (land-gift
movement). Bhave walked across India following Gandhi's death, asking
NOTES landlord's to give him a portion of their land, to be redistributed to the landless.
Vinoba, known as Acharya Vinoba Bhave was born in a village in
Maharashtra. His original name was Vinayak Narhari Bhave. The name was
given to him at the Sabarmati Ashram where Mahatma Gandhi lived. He took an
active part in India’s struggle for freedom. On 18 April 1951, the landless
villagers in a tiny village called Pochampalli in Andhra told Vinoba that if they
could get two or three acres of land each, they would be happy and contented.
When he asked if anyone would volunteer to donate land for distribution among
the landless, one of the landlords immediately offered one hundred acres. This
was the beginning of the Bhoodan movement.
Vinoba define dan not as charity, but as equal distribution. The movement
was meant to create the awareness that they ‘have’ owe a moral responsibility to
the ‘have-nots’. They should contribute their share to social well-being. Under
the influence of book entitled Unto This Last, by John Ruskin, Gandhiji
developed the philosophy of sarvodaya which underlies the principle that every
benefits—social, economic, political, cultural and educational-- should reach the
people at the lowest level of society. Vinoba gave shape to this philosophy by
starting the Bhoodan Movement. He brought about not only an economic
revolution, but also a moral one by preaching the gospel of love, compassion,
peace and right action.
2.2 CONTENT
TEXT - VINOBA
Hallam Tennyson
Any morning at 4 o'clock you can see him and his companions trudging
from village to village under a twilight sky behind lumbers a covered ox-cart.
And it is not until you look inside this card you realize that Vinoba is leading a
new kind of pilgrimage. The cart contains articles not usually indulged in by
Indian ascetics among the bundles of bedding. There are typewriters, stationery
and filing cabinets. For the cart is the mobile office of a mission which, in two
years has collected no less than one million acres of land as free gifts for landless
peasants. If it reaches its target of 50 million, the mission will have achieved the
largest peaceful revolution in history.
The Land Gifts Mission started in 1951. That spring there was a meeting of
rural workers in Hyderabad. Vinoba never uses money; so he decided to walk to
his meeting although it was some 300 miles away from where he lived. On the
VINOBA : HALLAM way in every village through which he passed, he came face to face with the
14 TENNYSON
misery of the landless peasants. When he reached Hyderabad he went straight to Compulsory English-II
a village, and appealed to the landlord's. If you had four sons and fifth was born
he said ‘you would certainly give him a share of your land. Treat me as your fifth
son and give me my share.’ The landlord's imagination was touched. Land was NOTES
given, and the Land Gifts Mission was born in his two months in Hyderabad,
Vinoba received nearly 12,000 acres interest for the landless.
What is Vinoba’s secret? When I first met him six years ago, his name was
known to very few. He lived in seclusion in a village in Central India. Vinoba
undeterred by heat and dust, sat spinning on the verandah of his mud hut. He
talked of his experiments in self-sufficiency. He had a quick smile and blinked
at me over the top of battered steel- rimmed spectacles .Then he returned to his
spinning. His thin ,frail body and his grey beard make him look much older
than his 57 years: reserved, recluse, austere. I was told that he had once been a
scholar and had given up everything to lead the life of an obscure peasant .I was
awe-struck but a little puzzled. I did not see how such a life, restricted by its
bottle-neck of high principles, could ever affect the work- a- day world.
I ought to have known better. India honors one thing above all: renunciation.
Renunciation of worldly possession- that ideal finds its echo in every Hindu heart.
Even industrial tycoons are still apt suddenly to throw up everything and retire
to die in a mud hut by the Ganges. Vinoba has reversed this process. At the age
of 57, when most of us are thinking of retirement, Vinoba has emerged from it.
It was Gandhi who first demonstrated the powerful effect on his countrymen
of renouncing wealth for the sake of human service rather than personal salvation.
Vinoba has trodden the same pathway into India's heart. He has no possession
beyond a spinning-wheel and a few homespun clothes. Hundreds of people have
offered him their car so that he could move more quickly from village to village.
They believed he would get more work done. But Vinoba courteously refuse such
offers .The peasants can't afford cars and he knows better than to break the magic
bond of sympathy that binds him to the peasants. Again Vinoba suffers from ill-
health. He has chronic duodenal ulcer and is subject to dysentery. And this made
him old and frail before his time. Recently, went stricken with severe malaria,
he refused to be treated with quinine since the peasants could not afford it. Is it
any wonder that seeing this elderly saint slowly but surely ruining his health in
their service, these same reason should hold him in veneration?
But it is not only the poor who look on Vinoba as a man of God. He touches
the conscience of the wealthy as well. He approaches them in a spirit of loving
conciliation. They are lucky, he says, for it is more blessed to give than to receive.
And as the givers of land they are ennobled, while the landless are merely the
passive recipients of their rights. Not that Vinoba is unduly tender to the
susceptibilities of the rich. From a large landlord, for instance, he refuses anything
less than 1/6th of his best property. He would rather have no land at all than land
given merely as soap to public opinion. The gift must spring from a change of
heart. And so, the landlords greet Vinoba with garlands on his entry into a new VINOBA : HALLAM
village but they smile a little sheepishly at the prospect of being fleeced. TENNYSON 15
Compulsory English-II His approach is the same to all men whatever they are their creed or
condition -an effort to reach the divine spark which he believes them to possess
and then to make real to them the needs of their fellows in a language that they
NOTES can understand.
This ideal he has put quite literally into practice. Vinoba has taught himself
no less than sixteen languages. At forty-six, he learnt both Persian and Arabic
so as to be able to converse more freely with his Muslim neighbors.
Vinoba has acquired his strength through renunciation much as India's
ancient sages were supposed to acquire magical powers through their austerities.
Vinoba's magic is singleness of purpose and an iron will. There are many stories
about his will power. At the age of ten he is said to have sworn a vow of chastity
from which he has never swerved. At the age of twenty when he joined Gandhi’s
rural center he took his certificates and diplomas-- and being a brilliant scholar
and mathematician, he had many-- and burned them one by one in the flame of
an oil lamp, in spite of his mother’s horrified protests. Vinoba, although himself
born an orthodox Brahmin, had come to disapprove of the caste system. When
he joined Gandhi, the Mahatma told him to simplify his life. Vinoba took his
words to heart. He vowed to wear no more than one garment at a time and to
forgo salt, the last remaining condiment which he allowed himself.
But with all his asceticism, Vinoba has resisted pride of poverty-- that
subtlest temptation of the saints. He has never urged anyone else to follow his
way of life. And he goes his own way with striking serenity. To someone who
asked him if his work would succeed, he replied, ‘Fire merely burns. it does not
care whether anyone puts a pot on it, fills it with water and puts rice in it to make
a meal. To burn is the limit of its duty.’
Out on the mission, of course, fellow pilgrims have to share his Spartan
routine. At 3:30 a.m. twelve dry and commanding handclaps echo through the
huts where the mission is sleeping-- guests of a poor Muslim or untouchable as
often as of wealthy landlord. They pack up camp, and then at 4 a.m. they
assemble for prayers and silent spinning. In half an hour they set off on foot for
their next stopping-place. When day breaks, they halt for a roadside breakfast,
vegetarian and sparse like all their meals. A crowd gathers, and while he eats
Vinoba chats with the people and listens to their problems. By 10 a.m. the party
has reached the village where it will stay till next morning. Vinoba settles under
a tree to spin and summons the local landlords. In the evening meeting take place
in shed specially decorated with flower and votive lamps. It starts with prayers.
Then the landlords are invited to declare how much land they are ready to give.
Perhaps there is not enough offered to meet the needs of all the landless. If so,
Vinoba asks the landless themselves to choose, and at the same time encourages
the landlords to make their donation bigger. At one place, an untouchable who
owned only 1/5th of an acre offered his tiny plot, since he had just got a job in a
nearby factory. Vinoba gravely took a gift-deed from him, then endorsed it to the
VINOBA : HALLAM effect that since he belonged to the class to whom land should be given, his plot
16 TENNYSON should be returned to him forthwith.
Scenes like that arouse an atmosphere of almost evangelical fervor. People Compulsory English-II
start trying to outdo each other in generosity. But Vinoba is careful to canalize
the flood of emotion. He sets up a village committee to supervise the cultivation
of the distributed land and to obtain seeds and implement from the government NOTES
officials. From those receiving land he extracts a pledge that they will not re-sell
for ten years. By 8 p.m. the meeting is usually over and an hour later the pilgrim
retires to sleep they have to be on the move again at 3:30 the next morning.
Vinoba shuns publicity. He has his own dignity, emphasis and methods. Like a
candle, he burns with a steady light.
Vinoba is the embodiment of India. In spite of his wide culture and learning
westerners might find him less easy to approach then Gandhi. When I first met
him, I thought him reserved, almost remote. When he spoke, his simple,
unsophisticated language, suited to an audience of illiterate peasants, fell oddly
on the jaded years of Europe. My last glimpse of Vinoba was the same as my
first. He was squatting outside his mud hut. A group of peasants crouched around
him expecting guidance and help. He was talking to them in his quite, courteous
way. And I thought, it will be the same tomorrow and the day after that until he
dies, And there was something about the image that this thought conjured up,
something in the enormous tranquility of his patience and his faith, which told
me that Vinoba’s message was not limited to the country in which it was uttered.
The twentieth century may be rich in jet airplanes, but it is pretty poor in Saints.
We need to remember that what we call ‘progress’ is nothing if it leads to no
corresponding inner change. And Vinoba gives us the reminder in the one way
which has power to move and impress-- by the example of life and character
utterly with dedicated to the service of his fellows and the God he believes to be
revealed in them.
trudging : walking with slow , heavy steps

twilight : the time in the evening when the sky begins to get dark
used here to mean ‘dim’
lumbers : moves slowly
indulged in : used to mean ‘enjoyed’ or ‘possessed’
filing cabinet : a kind of shelf with drawers to keep files
target : amount or quantity of something aimed at
mission : organization or movement
Land Gifts Mission : the Bhoodan Movement started by Vinoba
experiment : trying out new ideas
VINOBA : HALLAM
TENNYSON 17
Compulsory English-II self-sufficiency : ability to provide for oneself what one needs without
depending on others
battered : old, slightly damaged
NOTES
frail : weak
recluse : one who is alone
austere : unknown, unnoticed
bottle-neck : slow movement of traffic when it is heavy or when the road
is narrow or blocked; used here to mean ‘strict observance’
renunciation : act of giving up
tycoons : rich and powerful persons in business or industry
Still : even now; even today
are apt : have tendency ; are likely to
has reversed this process : has gone in the opposite direction
has emerged : has come out
trodden : walked (past participle of ‘tread’; past tense= ‘trod’)
homespun clothes : somple clothes made from cloth produced at home
know better : not make a mistake
chronic : serious and lasting for a long time
duodenal ulcer : ulcer affecting the tip of small intestines
ulcer : painful area on the inside of an organ in the body that gets
infected and starts bleeding
veneration : high respect
conciliation : used in the sense of friendliness
unduly : beyond reasonable limit
tender : soft, gentle
susceptibilities : feelings, emotions
sop : something of little value – given to please someone or
prevent complaint or opposition or trouble
as the prospect : possibility
fleece : (cheat someone to get more) ‘fleeced’ : here, used to mean
being made to part with lands
took to heart : took seriously
forgo : give up be without
VINOBA : HALLAM
18 TENNYSON condiment : substances like salt or pepper used to improve taste
asceticism : leading a very simple life Compulsory English-II
pride of poverty : being proud of poverty
subtlest : most difficult to notice, not obvious
NOTES
urged : advised strongly
serenity : calmness, peace
spartan : plain and simple
commanding : powerful, used to mean loud
sparse : limited
summons : calls
votive lamps : lamps lighted at the time of worship thank God
endorsed : used to mean certified
evangelical : religious
fervor : deep feeling
outdo : excel
canalize : regulate
flood : powerful flow or current
shuns : avoids
remote : distant; not easy to approach
unsophisticated : simple
oddly : strangely
jaded : tired; bored on account of excessive work
Europe : people of Europe, or of the West
conjured up : brought before the mind’s eye
tranquility : peace, serenity
corresponding : similar, in equal measure
2.4 SUMMARY
The present essay is a description of Hallam Tennyson’s journey in India

following a portion of Vinoba Bhave Bhoodan movement (land-gift movement).
Vinoba, known as Acharya Vinoba Bhave was born in a village in Maharashtra.
He took an active part in India’s struggle for freedom. Bhave walked across India
following Gandhi's death, asking landlord's to give him a portion of their land,
to be redistributed to the landless. VINOBA : HALLAM
TENNYSON 19
Compulsory English-II Vinoba Bhave lived in seclusion in a village in central India. He was not
affected by heat and dust, sat spinning on the verandah of his mud hut. He has
thin and frail body. His grey beard makes him look much older than his age. He
NOTES seems reserved, recluse and austere. Once he was scholar but had given up
everything to lead the life of an obscure peasant. He suffers from ill health. He
has a chronic duodenal ulcer and is subject to dysentery.
He was impressed by the work and philosophy of Mahatma Gandhi and
became his follower. Mahatma Gandhi first demonstrated the powerful effect on
his countrymen of renouncing wealth for the sake of human service rather than
personal salvation. Vinoba Bhave has also followed the same pathway into India’s
heart. His approach is the same to all men whatever their creed or condition. He
has taught himself no less than sixteen languages to be able to converse more
freely with people.
On 18 April 1951, the landless villagers in a tiny village called Pochampalli
in Andhra told Vinoba that if they could get two or three acres of land each, they
would be happy and contented. When he asked if anyone would volunteer to
donate land for distribution among the landless, one of the landlords immediately
offered one hundred acres. This was the beginning of the Bhoodan movement.
Vinoba define dan not as charity, but as equal distribution. The movement was
meant to create the awareness that they ‘have’ owe a moral responsibility to the
‘have-nots’. They should contribute their share to social well-being. Vinoba
Bhave received nearly 12000 acres land in trust for the landless in his two months
in Hyderabad.
ancient sages were supposed to acquire magical powers through their austerities.
Vinoba's magic is singleness of purpose and an iron will. At the age of twenty
when he joined Gandhi’s rural center he took his certificates and diplomas-- and
being a brilliant scholar and mathematician, he had many-- and burned them one
by one in the flame of an oil lamp, in spite of his mother’s horrified protests.
Vinoba, although himself born an orthodox Brahmin, had come to disapprove of
the caste system. When he joined Gandhi, the Mahatma told him to simplify his
life. Vinoba took his words to heart. He vowed to wear no more than one garment
at a time and to forgo salt, the last remaining condiment which he allowed
himself.
He has set routine to fellow pilgrims and they have to follow it strictly. At
3:30 a.m. they have to wake up and make preparation. They pack up camp, and
then at 4 a.m. they assemble for prayers and silent spinning. In half an hour they
set off on foot for their next stopping-place. When day breaks, they halt for a
roadside breakfast, vegetarian and sparse like all their meals. A crowd gathers,
and while he eats Vinoba chats with the people and listens to their problems. By
10 a.m. the party has reached the village where it will stay till next morning.
Vinoba settles under a tree to spin and summons the local landlords.
VINOBA : HALLAM
20 TENNYSON
In the evening meeting take place in shed specially decorated with flower Compulsory English-II
and votive lamps. It starts with prayers. Then the landlords are invited to declare
how much land they are ready to give. Perhaps there is not enough offered to
meet the needs of all the landless. If so, Vinoba asks the landless themselves to NOTES
choose, and at the same time encourages the landlords to make their donation
bigger.
He sets up a village committee to supervise the cultivation of the distributed
land and to obtain seeds and implement from the government officials. From
those receiving land he extracts a pledge that they will not re-sell for ten years.
By 8 p.m. the meeting is usually over and an hour later the pilgrim retires to sleep
they have to be on the move again at 3:30 the next morning.
Vinoba Bhave followed the principle that every benefits—social,
economic, political, cultural and educational-- should reach the people at the
lowest level of society. Vinoba gave shape to this philosophy by starting the
Bhoodan Movement. He brought about not only an economic revolution, but also
a moral one by preaching the gospel of love, compassion, peace and right action.
2.5.1 Check your progress

1. Vinoba Bhave belongs to ………. state.
a) Gujrat b) Maharashtra
c) Bengal d) Andhra Pradesh
2. ….. started Bhoodan Movement (Land gift Mission).

a) Mahatma Gandhi b) Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar
c) Acharya Vinoba Bhave d) Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru
3. Bhoodan Movement started in ……..

a) 1951 b) 1950
c) 1942 d) 1947
4. Vinoba has taught himself no less than ……… languages.

a) Ten b) Fifteen
c) Fourteen d) Sixteen
5. Vinoba Bhave was influenced by the works and philosophy of …

a) Mahatma Gandhi b) Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar
c) Martin Luther King d) Abraham Lincoln VINOBA : HALLAM
TENNYSON 21
Compulsory English-II B) Answer the following questions in one word/phrase/ sentence.
1) What is the original name of Vinoba Bhave?
2) Where Vinoba Bhave got the name of Acharya Vinoba Bhave?
NOTES
3) From which village the Bhoodan Movement begins?
4) When did Vinoba Bhave die?
5) Name the disease from which Vinoba Bhave was suffering?

A) 1) b) Maharashtra
2) c) Acharya Vinoba Bhave
3) a) 1951
4) d) Sixteen
5) a) Mahatma Gandhi
B) 1) Vinayak Narhari Bhave
2) Sabarmati Ashram
3) Pochampali village in Andhra Pradesh
4) 1982
5) chronic duodenal ulcer
2.6 EXERCISE

1. Describe the character of Vinoba Bhave
Vinoba, known as Acharya Vinoba Bhave was born in a village in
Maharashtra. He took an active part in India’s struggle for freedom
and a social reformer. He lived in seclusion in a village in central India.
He was not affected by heat and dust, sat spinning on the verandah of
his mud hut. He has thin and frail body. His grey beard makes him
look much older than his age. He seems reserved, recluse and austere.
Once he was scholar but had given up everything to lead the life of an
obscure peasant. He suffers from ill health. He has a chronic duodenal
ulcer and is subject to dysentery.
He was impressed by the work and philosophy of Mahatma Gandhi
and became his follower. Mahatma Gandhi first demonstrated the
powerful effect on his countrymen of renouncing wealth for the sake
of human service rather than personal salvation. He has also followed
VINOBA : HALLAM
the same pathway into India’s heart. His approach is the same to all
22 TENNYSON
men whatever their creed or condition. He has taught himself no less Compulsory English-II
than sixteen languages to be able to converse more freely with people.
ancient sages were supposed to acquire magical powers through their NOTES
austerities. Vinoba's magic is singleness of purpose and an iron will.
At the age of twenty when he joined Gandhi’s rural center he took his
certificates and diplomas-- and being a brilliant scholar and
mathematician, he had many-- and burned them one by one in the
flame of an oil lamp, in spite of his mother’s horrified protests. Vinoba,
although himself born an orthodox Brahmin, had come to disapprove
of the caste system. When he joined Gandhi, the Mahatma told him to
simplify his life. Vinoba took his words to heart. He vowed to wear
no more than one garment at a time and to forgo salt, the last remaining
condiment which he allowed himself.
Vinoba Bhave followed the principle that every benefits—social,
economic, political, cultural and educational-- should reach the people
at the lowest level of society. Vinoba gave shape to this philosophy by
starting the Bhoodan Movement. He brought about not only an
economic revolution, but also a moral one by preaching the gospel of
love, compassion, peace and right action.
2. Vinoba’s daily routine in Bhoodan Movement

Vinoba Bhave was a social reformer in Maharashtra. He took an active
part in India’s struggle for freedom. He started Bhoodan movement
(land-gift movement) in 1951. He walked across India following
Gandhi's death, asking landlord's to give him a portion of their land,
to be redistributed to the landless
Vinoba Bhave has set routine to fellow pilgrims and they have to
follow it strictly. At 3:30 a.m. they have to wake up and make
preparation. They pack up camp, and then at 4 a.m. they assemble for
prayers and silent spinning. In half an hour they set off on foot for their
next stopping-place. When day breaks, they halt for a roadside
breakfast, vegetarian and sparse like all their meals. A crowd gathers,
and while he eats Vinoba chats with the people and listens to their
problems. By 10 a.m. the party has reached the village where it will
stay till next morning. Vinoba settles under a tree to spin and summons
the local landlords.
In the evening meeting take place in shed specially decorated with
flower and votive lamps. It starts with prayers. Then the landlords are
invited to declare how much land they are ready to give. Perhaps there
is not enough offered to meet the needs of all the landless. If so, Vinoba
asks the landless themselves to choose, and at the same time
encourages the landlords to make their donation bigger. VINOBA : HALLAM
TENNYSON 23
Compulsory English-II He sets up a village committee to supervise the cultivation of the
distributed land and to obtain seeds and implement from the
government officials. From those receiving land he extracts a pledge
NOTES that they will not re-sell for ten years. By 8 p.m. the meeting is usually
over and an hour later the pilgrim retires to sleep they have to be on
the move again at 3:30 the next morning.

1. Vinoba’s asceticism
2. The impact of Bhoodan Movement
3. The secrets of Vinoba’s success in his mission

Jagadisan
*****
VINOBA : HALLAM
24 TENNYSON
UNIT - III
KAMALA : JAWAHARLAL NEHRU
NOTES
Index
3.0 Objectives
3.1 Introduction
3.2 Content
3.4 Summary
3.6 Exercise
3.0 OBJECTIVES
After studying this unit, students will able to

• Understand the life of Jawaharlal Nehru and significance of Kamala in
his life.
• Encourage to read the various types of texts.
• Enhance communication skills.
• Inculcate human values and ethics in order to become a good citizen of
the country.
• Create interest for English language and Literature.
3.1 INTRODUCTION
Jawaharlal Nehru (1889-1964) was one of the eminent leaders of the Indian
Independence movement. He was the first Prime Minister of India and the central
figure of Indian Politics during Freedom Movement. He was also a prolific writer
in English and wrote a number of books. It includes The Discovery of India, KAMALA :
JAWAHARLAL NEHRU 25
Compulsory English-II Glimpses of World History, Towards Freedom, An Autobiography etc. He wrote
s series of letters to his daughter Indira Gandhi when she was 10 years old and
living in a boarding school at Mussorie. The collection of these letters was later
NOTES published as a book entitled Letters From a Father to His Daughter. He was a
man of letters and his writings cover a wide range of subjects.
Jawaharlal Nehru had his education at Harrow and Cambridge (1905-1910).
On his return he was disturbed by the condition in India. The country was under
foreign rule. The peasants in rural India were being exploited by the landlords.
Coming under the influence of his father, Motilal Nehru and Gandhiji, Nehru
plugged into politics and raised the voice of revolt against the British Raj. He
was arrested and imprisoned many times for his speeches attacking the British
Government. He was honored Bharatratna Award which is India’s highest civilian
Award.
He was married with Kamala in 1916 and Kamala gave birth to a girl Indira
in 1917. Later she gave birth to a boy but he died within one week. Kamala was
died in 1936. Their daughter Kamala married with Firoz Gandhi in 1942. Nehru
was more than a statesman. The present essay discusses the memories of his wife
Kamala. His portrait of his wife Kamala reveals his frankness, honesty, intimacy,
tender affection, regret and confessional tone. His style is marked by facility,
ease and force.
3.2 CONTENT
TEXT – KAMALA
Jawaharlal Nehru
On 4 September 1935, I was suddenly released from the mountain jail of
Almora, for news had come that my wife was in a critical condition. She was far
away in a sanatorium at Badenweiler in the Black Forest of Germany. I hurried
by automobile and train to Allahabad, reaching there the next day, and the same
afternoon, I started on the air journey to Europe.
There was the same old brave smile on Kamala’s face when I saw her, but
she was too weak and too much in the grip of pain to say much. Perhaps my
arrival made a difference, for she was a little better the next day and for some
days after. But the crises continued and slowly drained the life out of her. Unable
to accustom myself to the thought of her death, I imagined that she was
improving and that if she could only survive that crisis she might get well. The
doctors, as is their way, gave me hope. The immediate crisis seemed to pass and
she held her ground. She was never well enough for a long conversation. We
talked briefly and I would stop as soon as I noticed that she was getting tired.
Sometimes I read to her. One of the books I remember reading out to her in this
way was Pearl Buck’s The Good Earth. She liked my doing this, but our progress
KAMALA :
26 JAWAHARLAL NEHRU was slow.
Morning and afternoon, I trudged from my pension in the little town to the Compulsory English-II
sanatorium and spent a few hours with her. I was full of the many things I wanted
to tell her and yet I had to restrain myself. Sometimes we talked a little of old
times, old memories, of common friends in India; sometimes, a little wistfully, NOTES
of the future and what we would do then. In spite of her serious condition, she
clung to the future. Her eyes were bright and vital, her face usually cheerful. Odd
friends who came to visit her were pleasantly surprised to find her looking better
than they had imagined. They were misled by those bright eyes and that smiling
face.
In the long autumn evenings I sat by myself in my room in the pension,
where I was staying, or sometimes went out for a walk across the fields or through
the forest. A hundred pictures of Kamala succeeded each other in my mind, a
hundred aspects of her rich and deep personality. We had been married for nearly
twenty years, and yet how many times had she surprised me by something new
in her mental or spiritual make-up. I had known her in so many ways and, in later
years, I had tried my utmost to understand her. That understanding had not been
denied to me, but I often wondered if I really knew her or understand her. There
was something elusive about her, something fay-like, real but unsubstantial,
difficult to grasp. Sometimes, looking into her eyes I would find a stranger
peeping out at me.
Except for a little schooling, she had no formal education; her mind had not
gone through the educational process. She came to us as an unsophisticated girl,
apparently with hardy any of the complexes which are said to be so common
now. She never entirely lost that girlish look, but as she grew into a woman her
eyes acquired a depth and fire, giving the impression still pools behind which
storms raged. She was not the type of modern girl, with the modern girls; habits
and lack of poise; yet she took easily enough to modern ways. But essentially
she was an Indian girl and, more particularly a Kashmiri girl, sensitive and proud,
childlike and grown-up, foolish and wise. She was reserved to those she did not
know or did not like, but bubbling over with gaiety and frankness before those
she knew and liked. She was quick in her judgment and not always fair or right,
but she stuck to her instinctive likes and dislike. There was guile in her. If she
disliked a person, it was obvious, and she made no attempt to hide the fact. Even
if she had tried to do so, she would probably not have succeeded. I have come
across few people who have produced such an impression of sincerity upon me
as she did.
I thought of the early years of our marriage when, with all my tremendous
liking for Kamala, I almost forgot her and denied her in so many ways that
comradeship which was her due. For I was then like a person possessed, giving
myself utterly to the cause I had espoused, living in a dream-world of my own,
and looking at the real people who surrounded me as unsubstantial shadows. I
worked to the utmost of my capacity and my mind was filled to the brim with
the subject that engrossed me. I gave all my energy to that cause had little left to
KAMALA :
spare. And yet I was very far from forgetting her, and I came back to her again
JAWAHARLAL NEHRU 27
Compulsory English-II and again as to sure haven. If I was away from a number of days, the thought of
her cooled my mind and I looked forward eagerly to my return home. What
indeed could I have done if she had not been there to comfort me and give me
NOTES strength, and thus enable me to re-charge the exhausted battery of my mind and
body?
I had taken from her what she gave me. What had I given to her in exchange
during these early years? I had failed evidently and, possibly, she carried the deep
impress of those days upon her. With her inordinate pride and sensitiveness she
did not want to come to me to ask for help, although I could have given her that
help more than anyone else. She wanted to play her own part in the national
struggle and not to be merely hanger-on and a shadow of her husband. She
wanted to justify herself to her own self as well as to the world. Nothing in the
world could have pleased me more than this, but I was far too busy to see beneath
the surface, and I was blind to what she looked for and so ardently desired. And
then prison claimed me so often and I was away from her, or else she was ill.
Like Chitra in Tagore’s play, she seemed to say to me: ‘I am Chitra. No
Goddesses to be worshiped, nor yet the object of common pity to be brushed
aside like a moth with indifferences. If you design to keep me by your side in
the path of danger and daring, if you allow me to share the great duties of your
life, then you will know my true self.’
But she did not say this to me in words and it was only gradually that I read
the message of her eyes.
In the early months of 1930, I sensed her desire and we worked together,
and I found in this experience a new delight we lived for a while on the edge of
life, as it were, for the clods were gathering and a national upheaval was coming.
Those were pleasant months for us, but they ended too soon, and, early in April,
the country was in the grief of civil disobedience and governmental repression,
and I was in prison again.
Most of us menfolk were in prison. And then a remarkable thing happened.
Our woman came to front and took charge of the struggle. Woman had always
been there of course, but now there was an avalanche of them, which took not
only the British Government but their own menfolk by surprise. Here were these
women, woman of the upper or middle classes, leading sheltered lives in their
homes- peasant women, working class women, rich women- pouring out in their
tens of thousands in defiance of government order and police lathi. It was not
only that display of courage and daring, but was even more surprising was the
organizational power they showed.
In this upheaval Kamala had played a brave and notable part and on her
inexperienced shoulders fell the task of organizing our work in the city of
Allahabad, when every known worker was in prison. She made up for that
inexperience by her fire and energy and, within a few months, she became the
pride of Allahabad.
KAMALA :
28 JAWAHARLAL NEHRU
All these and many other thoughts came to my mind during my long solitary Compulsory English-II
hours in Badenweiler. My past life unrolled itself before me and there was always
Kamala standing by. She became a symbol of Indian women, or of woman
herself. Sometimes she grew curiously mixed up with my ideas of India, that NOTES
land of ours so dear to us, with all her faults and weaknesses, so elusive and so
full of mystery. What was Kamala? Did I know her, understand her real self? Did
she know or understand me? For I too was an abnormal person with mystery and
unplumbed depths within me, which I could not myself fathom. Sometimes I had
thought that she was little frightened of me because of this. I had been, and was,
a most unsatisfactory person to marry. Kamala and I were unlike each other in
some ways and yet in some other ways very alike; we did not complement each
other. Our very strength became a weakness in our relations to each other. There
could either be complete understanding, a perfect union of minds, or difficulties.
Neither of us could live a humdrum domestic life, accepting things as they were.
Among the many pictures that were displayed in the bazars in India, there
was one containing to separate pictures of Kamala and me, side by side, with the
inscription at the top, the model or ideal couple, as so many people imagined us
to be. But the ideal is terribly difficult to grasp or to hold. Yet I remember telling
Kamala, during our holiday in Ceylon, how fortunate we had been in spite of
difficulties and differences, in spite of all the tricks life had played upon us that
marriage was an odd affaire, and it had not ceased to be so even after thousands
of years of experience. We saw around us wrecks of many a marriage or, what
was no better, the conversion of what was bright and golden into dross. How
fortunate we were, I told her and she agreed, for though we had sometimes
quarreled and grown angry with each other we kept that vital spark alight, and
for each one of us life was always unfolding new adventure and giving fresh
insight into each other.
At the end of January 1936, Kamala left Badenweiler and was taken to a
sanatorium near Lausanne in Switzerland.
Both Kamala and I liked the change to Switzerland. She was more cheerful
and I felt a little more at home in that part of Switzerland which I knew fairly
well. There was no marked change in her condition and it seemed that there was
no crisis ahead. She was likely to continue as she was far a considerable period,
making perhaps slow progress.
Meanwhile the call of India was insistent and friends there were pressing
me to return. My mind grew restless and even more occupied with the problems
of my country.
I discussed the matter with Kamala and consulted with the doctor. They
agreed that I should return to India and I booked my passage by the Dutch K.L.M.
Airline. I was to leave Lausanne on 28th February. After all this had been decided,
I found that Kamala did not at all like the idea of my leaving her. And yet she
could not ask me to change my plans. I told her that I would not stay long in
India and hoped to return after two or three months. I could return even earlier if KAMALA :
she wanted me too. A cable would bring me by air to her within a week. JAWAHARLAL NEHRU 29
Compulsory English-II Four or five days remained before the date fixed for my departure. Indira,
who was at school at Bex nearby, was coming over to spend those last days with
us. The doctor came to me and suggested that I should postpone my return by a
NOTES week or ten days. He could not say more. I agreed immediately and made another
reservation in a subsequent K.L.M. plane.
As these last days went by, a subtle change seemed to come over Kamala.
The physical condition was much the same, so far as we could see, but her mind
appeared to pay less attention to her physical environment. She could tell me that
someone was calling her, or that she saw some figure or shape enter the room
when I saw none.
Early on the morning of 28th February, she breathed her last. Indira was
there, and so were our faithful friend and constant companion during these
months, Dr. M. Atal.
A few other friends came from neighboring towns in Switzerland, and we
took her to the crematorium in Lausanne. Within a few minutes that fair body
and the lovely face which used to smile so often and so well, were reduced to
ashes. A small urn contained the mortal remains of one who had been vital, so
bright and so full of life.
A terrible loneliness griped me and I felt empty and purposeless. I was going
back to alone my home, which was no longer home for me, and there by my side
was basket and that basket contained an urn. That was all that remained of
Kamala, and all our bright dreams were also dead and turned to ashes. She is no
more; Kamala is no more, my mind kept on repeating.
I thought of my autobiography, that record of my life, which I had discussed
with her as she lay in Bhowali Sanatorium. And, as I was writing it, sometimes
I could take a chapter or two and read it out to her. She had only seen or heard a
part of it: she would never see the rest; nor would we write anymore chapters
together in the book of my life.
When I reached Baghdad I send a cable to my publishers in London, who
were bringing out my autobiography, giving them the dedication for the book:
‘To Kamala who is no more’.
Karachi came and crowds and many familiar places. And then Allahabad,
where we carried the precious urn to the swift-flowing Ganga and poured the
ashes into the bosom of that noble river. How many of our forbearers she had
carried thus to the sea, how many of those who follow us will take that journey
in the embrace of her water.
KAMALA : sanatorium : special center especially in the countryside for the medical
30 JAWAHARLAL NEHRU treatment of people suffering from prolonged or chronic
disease or recovering from it made a difference: had an Compulsory English-II
important or marked effect
drained the life : shortened the span or duration of life (drain: make
someone feel tired on account of loss of energy or strength NOTES
;reduce or cause something to reduce)
held her ground : did not give up
trudged : walked with slow, heavy steps
pension : small hotel in Europe
restrain : control
wistfully : sadly or regretfully (about things which cannot be
obtained or enjoyed)
a hundred pictures: countless memories and thoughts
succeeded : followed
we had married for nearly twenty years: Nehru married Kamala in 1916
make-up : here, character
elusive : used here to mean ‘difficult to understand ‘
fay-like : like a fairy
unsophisticated : without refinement or polish , simple and innocent
complexes : emotional or psychological problems
took to : (take to someone or something means start liking someone
or something) here ,used to mean ‘followed’
poise : balance of mind
sensitive : reacting quickly and strongly
bubbling over : full of , overflowing
instinctive : natural
likes and dislikes: what one likes and dislikes
guile : cunning, deceit
denied her : did not accept her, did not show her love and understanding
a person possessed: a wild or mad person (A person in the grip of an evil
spirit is said to be ‘possessed’.)
espoused : supported ( the cause refers to India’s freedom)
haven : safe or peaceful place
cooled my mind: made me clam
impress : mark, imprint, effect
KAMALA :
JAWAHARLAL NEHRU 31
Compulsory English-II inordinate : excessive, beyond limit
hanger-on : used to mean dumb, faithful follower (refer to the
dictionary for the complete Meaning )
NOTES
ardently : strongly and deeply
deign : be willing, condescend
daring : risk
lived on the : were excited on account of their involvement in the
edge of life : struggle for national freedom
the clouds were gathering : there were signs of a crisis. The reference is to
the political situation in the thirties of the last century
upheaval : sudden, violent change in society or politics
civil disobedience : refers to the non-co-operation movement and satyagraha
which formed part of the national struggle for freedom
repression : putting down or controlling with force
avalanche of them : used to mean an endless flow or succession of women
with determination
(avalanche: large amount of ice, snow and rock falling quickly down the
side of a mountain)
Pride of Allahabad : pride of someone/something that fills the people of a
particular place with pride. The people of Allahabad
were proud of Kamala because of her leadership qualities
unplumbed depths : qualities or part of (one’s) nature which are not
completely understood
complement : combine; go well together
wrecks : used to mean people ruined or made unhappy dross ; what
is useless or worthless; here, many marriages ending in
failure
was insistent : was demanding; could not be ignored
Bhowali Sanatorium : located in the Himalayas
dedication : words at the beginning of a book offering it to someone as
a mark of respect, gratitude or remembrance
3.4 SUMMARY
Jawaharlal Nehru was the first Prime Minister of India and the central figure
KAMALA : of Indian Politics during Freedom Movement. He was married with Kamala in
32 JAWAHARLAL NEHRU
1916 and Kamala gave birth to a girl Indira in 1917. Later she gave birth to a Compulsory English-II
boy but he died within one week. Kamala was died in 1936. Nehru was more
than a statesman. The present essay discusses the memories of his wife Kamala.
His portrait of his wife Kamala reveals his frankness, honesty, intimacy, tender NOTES
affection, regret and confessional tone. His style is marked by facility, ease and
force.
Pandit Nehru was released from the jail in 1935, when the news of Kamala’s
critical condition came. She was in a sanatorium at Badenweiler in the black
Forest of Germany. He went there and saw Kamala was weak but there was old
brave smile on her face. She was not well for long conversation. Doctor gave
hope to Nehru. He reads book for her.
He has lot of memories of his wife. Her eyes were bright and vital, her face
was usually cheerful. When he was alone hundreds of pictures and aspects of her
rich and deep personality came in his mind. They have completed 20 years of
married life together.
Kamala has little schooling and no formal education. She was an
unsophisticated girl. She was married at the age of sixteen and never lost her
girlish look during the 20 years. As she grew into woman, she acquired a depth
and fire. She was not the type of modern girl with the modern girl’s habit and
lack of poise but she easily took enough modern ways. She was and Indian girl
and more particularly a Kashmiri girl. She was sensitive and proud, childlike and
grown-up, foolish and wise. She was reserved for unknown but bubbling over
with gaiety and frankness before those she knew and liked.
Kamala was married at the age of sixteen and during the early days of
marriage Nehru had tremendous liking for Kamala. As he was busy in social and
political life, it was difficult for him to give time to her.
During the Civil Disobedience movement against British rule in 1930 most
of menfolk were kept in prison. Then women came to the front and took charge
of the struggle. They were women of upper or middle class, peasant women,
working class women. They showed courage and daring. Kamala was also played
a brave and notable part on her inexperience shoulders in organizing such a work
in the city of Allahabad. She became the pride of Allahabad.
Nehru finds contrast between he and his wife Kamala. They were unlike
each other in some ways and yet in some other ways very alike. They did not
complement each other. Their strength became a weakness in our relations to
each other. There could either be complete understanding, a perfect union of
minds or difficulties.
Kamala left Badenweiler and was taken to a sanatorium near Lausanne in
Switzerland at the end of January 1936. She breathed her last on 28 February.
During her death Indira and Dr. M Atal was there. She was cremated in Lausanne.
A terrible loneliness gripped in the life of Nehru and he felt empty and
purposeless. He returned India with the ashes of Kamala. Her ashes were poured KAMALA :
JAWAHARLAL NEHRU 33
Compulsory English-II in Ganga. Nehru wrote the autobiography with the dedication for the book: ‘To
Kamala, who is no more.’
NOTES

1. Kamala is ………..
a) Friend of Pandit Nehru b) wife of Pandit Nehru
c) Mother of Pandit Nehru d) sister of Pandit Nehru
2. The name of Pandit Nehru’s autobiography is…..

a) An Autobiography
b) The Discovery of India
c) Glimpses of World History
d) Letters from a Father to his Daughter
3. Kamala died in ………..

a) January 1936 b) January 1930
c) February 1930 d) February 1936
4. Kamala played a brave and notable part of organizing Women during
1930 movement in the city…..
a) Calcutta b) Karachi
c) Allahabad d) Delhi
5. The ashes of Kamala were poured in the river of …….

a) Godavari b) Ganga
c) Kaveri d) Yamuna
B) Answer the following questions in one word/phrase/ sentence.

1) What is the dedication of Pandit Nehru’s autobiography?
2) Who was Indira?
3) Which book Nehru read for Kamala?
4) Who was faithful friend and constant companion of Nehru during the
last days of Kamala?
5) Where did Kamala Died?

A) 1) b) wife of Pandit Nehru
KAMALA : 2) a) An Autobiography
34 JAWAHARLAL NEHRU
3) d) February 1936 Compulsory English-II
4) c) Allahabad
5) b) Ganga
NOTES
B) 1) ‘To Kamala, who is no more’
2) Daughter of Kamala and Pandit Nehru
3) Dr. M Atal
4) Pearl Buck’s book The Good Earth
5) Sanatorium near Lausanne in Switzerland
3.6 EXERCISE

1. Write a note on the character of Kamala
Kamala is the wife of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, the first Prime Minister
of India. She was born in 1900 and married with Nehru in 1916 at the
age of sixteen. Kamala gave birth to a girl Indira in 1917. Later she
gave birth to a boy but he died within one week.
Kamala has little schooling and no formal education. She was an
unsophisticated girl. She was married at the age of sixteen and never
lost her girlish look during the 20 years. As she grew into woman, she
acquired a depth and fire. She was not the type of modern girl with the
modern girl’s habit and lack of poise but she easily took enough
modern ways. She was and Indian girl and more particularly a
Kashmiri girl. She was sensitive and proud, childlike and grown-up,
foolish and wise. She was reserved for unknown but bubbling over
with gaiety and frankness before those she knew and liked.
Kamala played important role during the Civil Disobedience
movement against British rule in 1930. Most of menfolk were kept in
prison. Then women came to the front and took charge of the struggle.
They were women of upper or middle class, peasant women, working
class women. They showed courage and daring. Kamala was also
played a brave and notable part on her inexperience shoulders in
organizing such a work in the city of Allahabad. She became the pride
of Allahabad.
Kamala left Badenweiler and was taken to a sanatorium near Lausanne
in Switzerland at the end of January 1936. She breathed her last on 28
February. During her death Indira and Dr. M Atal was there. She was
cremated in Lausanne. Nehru’s portrait of his wife Kamala reveals his
frankness, honesty, intimacy, tender affection, regret and confessional KAMALA :
tone. JAWAHARLAL NEHRU 35
Compulsory English-II 2. Relationship between Nehru and Kamala
Jawaharlal Nehru was the first Prime Minister of India and the central
figure of Indian Politics during Freedom Movement. He was married
NOTES with Kamala in 1916. The present essay discusses the memories of his
wife Kamala. His portrait of his wife Kamala reveals his frankness,
honesty, intimacy, tender affection, regret and confessional tone.
Nehru has lot of memories of his wife. Her eyes were bright and vital,
her face was usually cheerful. When he was alone hundreds of pictures
and aspects of her rich and deep personality came in his mind. They
have completed 20 years of married life together.
Kamala was married at the age of sixteen and during the early days of
marriage Nehru had tremendous liking for Kamala. As he was busy in
social and political life, it was difficult for him to give time to her.
Nehru finds contrast between he and his wife Kamala. They were
unlike each other in some ways and yet in some other ways very alike.
They did not complement each other. Their strength became a
weakness in our relations to each other. There could either be complete
understanding, a perfect union of minds or difficulties.
After the death of Kamala, terrible loneliness gripped in the life of
Nehru and he felt empty and purposeless. Nehru wrote the
autobiography with the dedication for the book: ‘To Kamala, who is
no more.’

1. Describe Kamala’s mental make-up
2. Kamala’s role in freedom struggle
3. How Kamala’s health and death affected Nehru

Jagadisan
• An Autobiography by Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru
• The Discovery of India by Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru
• Glimpses of World History by Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru
• Letters From a Father to His Daughter by Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru
KAMALA : *****
36 JAWAHARLAL NEHRU
UNIT - IV
MOTHER TERESA : JOHN FRAZER
NOTES
Index
4.0 Objectives
4.1 Introduction
4.2 Content
4.3 Glossary and notes
4.4 Summary
4.6 Exercise
4.0 OBJECTIVES
After studying this Unit, students will be able to:

• Understand life and works of Mother Teresa and her contribution to
society.
• Learn human life and human values.
• Encourage and enable to read the texts.
• Develop competence of self-learning.
• Inculcate human values and ethics to become a good citizen of the
country.
4.1 INTRODUCTION
John Frazer was an English Architect and influential teacher. He has written
many books on architect. The present essay describes a great woman Mother
Teresa. Mother Teresa was born in Yugoslavia. She received training as a nun in
Dublin, Ireland and came to Kolkata in 1929 as a teacher. In 1946, she decided
to devote her life to the service of the poor people. Caring for those suffering MOTHER TERESA :
JOHN FRAZER 37
Compulsory English-II from disease, hunger and poverty became her life’s mission. She was a living
example of loving, compassionate service. She has been described as ‘the lady
of the slums, the champion of the poor, the apostle of the unwanted, the angel of
NOTES mercy, saint of the gutters, the gentle mother’.
4.2 CONTENT
TEXT – MOTHER TERESA

John Frazer
Twenty-five years ago it was a slum, and it is a slum today. The lanes are
mud; the hovels tilt and sag. Outside one wretched hut, a woman crouching in
the sun picks lice from a child’s tangled hair. But in a rutted filed nearby where
pigs snuffle and root, there is a small, two-room school house. Its walls are made
of tarred bamboo matting, and its gutters are shaped out of old soyabean oil tins,
but from within come the low, cheerful murmur of children at their lessons.
Into this Calcutta slum in 1948, squalid now but far more squalid then,
walked a woman in a white sari. She had no income, no savings, no property-
only five rupees and an inspired calling to help the poorest of India’s poor. She
knocked on hovel doors; she put sturdy arms round ragged, barefoot children;
she washed them and under a tree in an open field, she taught them.
Today, Mother Teresa- the woman in the white sari-is among the best
woman in India. She still has no money, no property, and no savings of her own.
But her real wealth is Himalayan in size; her assets now include 7500 children
in 60 schools; 960000 patients cared for in 213 dispensaries; 47000 victims of
leprosy in 54 clinics; 1600 abandoned or orphan children in 20 homes; and 3400
destitute or dying people in 23 homes- all this in 35 cities and towns in India and
in a dozen other countries.
She is loved by the poor and the neglected and revered by the missionaries
of Charity, the Catholic order she founded in 1950. She is admired by Hindu,
Moslem and Christian alike for a total commitment to the poor that transcends
all barriers. Last November she received India’s Jawaharlal Nehru Award for her
‘dedicated service to humanity, without consideration of nationality, caste or
creed.’
A slight, stooped woman, now 62 scarcely more than 150 centimeters tall,
with deep-set eyes and calm, straightforward manner, Mother Teresa can break
easily into laughter with a visitor.
She can also be insistent, even sharp, in her low, soft voice if this will benefit
the needy. As one priest who differed with her on a certain project say wryly,
‘she won’t listen; that’s one of her strengths.’
MOTHER TERESA :
38 JOHN FRAZER
When Pope Paul invited her to open a branch of the Missionaries of Charity Compulsory English-II
in the slums of Rome, some objection arose that there were already too many
nuns in Italy looking for suitable work to do. ‘In that case,’ said Mother Teresa,
‘my nun will show them how to find work.’ She travels by third-class train, gets NOTES
down on her hands and knees to scrub floors, cherishes and wears a shawl more
darned than knitted. She sees in the poor, what others often fail to see; their
loneliness, their humor, their integrity, their fortitude.
‘I am anxious for people to know of the greatness of the poor,’ she says. ‘I
once went to a Hindu family which had been starving and brought them rice.
Before I knew it, the mother had divided it and given half to the Moslem family
next door. She said, “They are just as hungry as we are.” I believe we need the
poor as much as they need us. We are the better for being in contact with them.’
Mother Teresa was born in 1910, of Albanian parents, in Skopje, Yugoslavia,
where her father was a shopkeeper. As a youngster, she knew she had a vocation
to help the poor, and at eighteen she left home to become a nun. After training as
an aspirant at the Loretto Abbey in Rathfarnham, Dublin, she was sent to
Calcutta, where she took her final vows. There she taught at a convent high
school and became its principal. In 1964, she felt she must leave and go into the
slums. Permissions came after two years and her appeal to Rome. She could go
out alone, a ‘free’ nun.
How does a nun start a new career in the slums? Mother Teresa went to
Patna, India, for brief, intensive training in nursing with the American Medical
Missionary Sisters. Then, returning to the slums of Calcutta, she began collecting
abandoned children to teach them hygiene, prescribing medicines for the sick,
bringing food. She sought a center for her work, and a welcome break came when
a family offered her rooms on the top floor of their large house. Quickly she
recruited assistants, eventually 26 in all, who formed the nucleus of the
Missionaries of Charity. They now number more than 700, and are mostly young
and Indian.
One sister remembers; ‘Mother Teresa took me round and showed me the
house of well-to-do people, and said I must now go there and ask them for food
for our children. I was very shy. I did not want to do it. Mother said, “Sister, you
must do it.” Sometimes people would throw food on the ground and say, “Don’t
come again.” But I said myself, “Well, I do it for Him.”
‘Mother Teresa’s system of helping the poor is simplicity itself; she does
what is possible. She has no idea where money will come from,’ says one admirer.
‘But if a project is needed she will go ahead.’ A crippled youth needs artificial
legs; she will ask a diplomat in Calcutta to help send him overseas. A father living
on the pavement with his family of the five asks her to take in his teenage
daughters; there is really no room available, but she takes them in.
Her first large-scale venture- a home for the destitute, sick and dying – was
started when she saw an old woman, bitten by rats and ants, dying in the street.
MOTHER TERESA :
She gathered her up and took her to hospital, which at first refused her admission. JOHN FRAZER 39
Compulsory English-II Mother Teresa would not move until the hospital accepted her. Then she went to
the municipal authorities and asked for a shelter where the dying poor could die
in dignity. She was offered a vacant pilgrim hostel adjoining a Hindu temple, and
NOTES the following day she and her sister- and the dying – moved in.
Today, some 150 homeless poor, many critically ill, are washed, fed and
sheltered in this Calcutta home, called Nirmal Hriday (Pure Heart). They are
treated by the sisters and doctors, and by the Missionary Brothers of Charity, a
companion order established in 1963. Some 27000 people, unacceptable
elsewhere, have been brought here.
Far different in atmosphere is a school in a Calcutta lane, amber with
sunlight filtering through palm trees. The Missionaries of Charity now run ten
schools with 2500 pupils in Calcutta. A few are in a single room; others’ like this
one, are larger but by no means luxurious. Some 250 children, aged 5 to 13, come
here for education and for bread and milk. (the milk is a gift from children in
Denmark; the flour is bought with money contributed by British school children
to the Bread Appeal fund for Hungry Children.)
The origin of the school is typical. Mother Teresa saw idle land near a slum
and approached the Bengali owner for permission to put up a school. He not only
gave permission; he gave the land and erected the school. ‘Mother Teresa can
get anyone to help,’ says one volunteer. ‘She makes you climb mountains for
her.’
Sometimes her proposals seem baffling. ‘She bought a printing press for
lepers,’ wrote Malcolm Muggeridge in Something Beautiful for God,’ ‘so that
they could print pamphlets and make a little money. How did she know what
press to buy? And with those stumps, how could the lepers hope to set type?
Fatuous questions! The press is there and working.’
In January 1917, Mother Teresa was called to Rome to accept the first
International Pope John XXIII Peace Prize and with it a cheque for Rs. 1.9 lakhs.
She tucked it in her cloth bag to take back to India, and has since used the money
to start a model colony for leprosy patients in West Bengal.
This year, her funds were again boosted when she was chosen out of 2000
nominees from 80 countries to receive the first Templeton Foundation Prize for
Progress in Religion. Presenting with her the Rs. 6.46 lakhs award in London
last April, Prince Philip said, ‘the sheer goodness which shines through Mother
Teresa’s life and work can only inspire humility, wonder and admiration.’
The poor and Mother Teresa not only meet in India but in Tanzania, Yemen,
the Gaze Strip, Bangladesh, Mauritius, Australia, England, Ireland, Venezuela,
Italy, Jordan and the united States. In all these places there are small branches of
Missionaries of Charity, where five or six sisters in white saris carry on the
vocation which began in the Calcutta slum 25 years ago.
In Paddington, London, Missionaries of Charity visit the old and the sick,
MOTHER TERESA : run a home for homeless, destitute women and have plans for a similar home for
40 JOHN FRAZER
men. Their novitiate in Southall, Middlesex trains novices from Britain, the Compulsory English-II
United States, France, Italy and India. They are also active in Northern Ireland,
where they work with a group of Anglican nuns in running a play school in the
Catholic are of Belfast and in organizing dressmaking and typing classes for NOTES
women.
During the earlier years, Mother Teresa chose each one of the Missionaries
of Charity herself. This is not possible now, but she still insists upon four
qualities: good health, common sense, the ability to learn and a cheerful
disposition. The work is rugged. There are no luxuries whatever. Each sister owns
only cotton saris, sandals, an umbrella, a sweater for cool weather, a few
accessories, and a metal bucket in which to do her washing. ‘There’s real
sacrifice,’ says one sister frankly. ‘We come for a hard life and we get it.’
To the outsider, a question persists. What can induce Mother Teresa and
hundreds of sisters to pour out a lifetime for the poorest of the poor? There is an
answer, one given by an Indian churchman in New Delhi: ‘the sisters take literally
the injunction of Christ, “As you did to one of the least of these my brethren,
you did unto me.”’
To Mother Teresa and the sisters, the poor are Christ in disguise. Or, as a
volunteer who works with her says: ‘Mother Teresa sees the divinity in us all.’
hovels : small, dirty houses rather unfit to live in

tilt : move in a sloping position; move up or down
sag : bend or hang down in the middle
crouching : leaning forward with head and shoulders bent
lice : small insects that live in people’s hair or on their skin
tangled ; twisted
rutted : having deep, narrow marks made by a wheel
snuffle ; breath noisily through the nose
root : search for food by pushing with the nose
Calcutta : now called Kolkata
squalid : dirty, unpleasant and uncomfortable
inspired calling : occupation or work undertaken on account of an
inner urge or strong desire
ragged : (wearing) torn, dirty cloths
Himalayan : (used in a figurative sense) very huge, enormous MOTHER TERESA :
JOHN FRAZER 41
Compulsory English-II destitute : without money or possessions, the poor
Missionaries of Charity : organization with people dedicated to the service
of poor, unfortunate people
NOTES
order : organization; group
transcends ; goes beyond
barriers : limits, boundaries
straightforward : used in the sense of easy or simple
insistent : firm
sharp gets down on her : used to mean, harsh or severe
hands and knees : bends
scrub : rub with a brush, water and soap
cherishes : loves
darned : with stiches to cover the holes
integrity : honesty
fortitude : courage; strength of mind
vocation : job someone does because he/she feels that it is his/her purpose
of life
aspirant : one who wants to achieve something important; here, to become
a nun to serve the poor
vows : promises; resolutions 9 vow of poverty, chastity and service)
intensive : involving efforts and attention
abandoned : uncared for, deserted
nucleus : center, important part
project : plan of action to achieve a particular aim
crippled : unable to walk or move
venture : project (involving risk)
critically : seriously, dangerously
companion order : similar or related organization
amber : yellowish brown in color
idle land : unused or unoccupied land
baffling ; puzzling, difficult to understand
Malcolm Muggeridge : a British writer
stumps : remaining part of the arm or fingers after the rest is cut off or
MOTHER TERESA : amputated
42 JOHN FRAZER
fatuous : stupid, foolish Compulsory English-II
sheer : here, nothing except 9 used to emphasis the degree of some quality)
novitiate : place f training for monks and nuns
NOTES
accessories ; additional things that are useful, but not essential
induce ; cause, persuade
pour out a lifetime : dedicate an entire life
take literally : take the meaning of a word as it is; here, follow strictly
injunction ; order, command
in disguise ; concealed, hidden
4.4 SUMMARY
Mother Teresa was born as Anges Gonxha Bojaxihu in Yugoslavia on 26th

November 1910. Her father was a shopkeeper. At the tender age of 12, she
decided that she wanted to spend her life helping the poor. At the age of 19 she
came to India and joined the Loreto Sisters as a teacher in one of the convent
schools in Kolkata. She took her vows and became a nun at the age of 28.
The extreme poverty around her influenced her. Now on the Nun’s life
changed completely. Her thoughts to serve the poor, sick and the helpless came
to be true. Moved by her example, many came forward and joined her. She
became popular among the people as Mother Teresa. She started the famous order
of the Missionaries of Charity in 1950. She opened many homes, schools and
hospitals for the homeless were opened all over India and abroad. Today the
Missionaries of Charity have more than 150 centers in India alone and have
centers in most countries of the world.
She is loved by the poor and the neglected and revered by the missionaries
of Charity, the Catholic order she founded in 1950. She is admired by Hindu,
Moslem and Christian alike for a total commitment to the poor that transcends
all barriers. Last November she received India’s Jawaharlal Nehru Award for her
‘dedicated service to humanity, without consideration of nationality, caste or
creed.’
Mother Teresa has received many awards both in India and abroad for her
selfless work and service to society. She was awarded the prestigious Nobel Prize
for Peace in 199 and the Bharatratna. She worked tirelessly till the day she died.
She died on 5th September 1997 in Kolkata.
She was a real saint and was highly respected not only in India but
throughout the world. In her death, the world lost an angel of mercy and peace.
She lives on in her legacy. The work Mother Teresa started carries on without MOTHER TERESA :
any lack of love by her followers all over the world. JOHN FRAZER 43

NOTES

1. Where did Mother Teresa start her work in 1948?
a) Calcutta b) Mumbai
c) Delhi d) Kerla
2. Mother Teresa founded Missionaries of Charity, the Catholic Order in

……..
a) 1948 b) 1950
c) 1970 d) 1946
3. Mother Teresa was born at ……..

a) England b) India
c) Yugoslavia d) Dublin
4. Where does the organization Nirmal Hriday (Pure Heart) located?

a) Calcutta b) Patna
c) Mumbai d) Kerla
5. Mother Teresa received the first International Pope John XXIII Peace
Prize from …….
a) India b) Rome
c) England d) Ameria
B) Answer the following questions in one word/phrase/

sentence.
1) What is Missionaries of Charity?
2) Who invited Mother Teresa to open a branch of the Missionaries of
Charity in Rome?
3) When did Mother Teresa born?
4) Where Mother Teresa took intensive training of Nursing?
5) Who received the first Templeton Foundation Prize for Progress in
Religion?
MOTHER TERESA :
6) Which qualities required for selecting in Missionaries of Charity?
44 JOHN FRAZER
4.5.2 Answer to check your progress Compulsory English-II
A) 1) a) Calcutta
2) b) 1950
NOTES
3) c) Yugoslavia
4) a) Calcutta
5) b) Rome
B) 1) organization with people dedicated to the service of the poor
2) Pope Paul
3) 1910
4) American Medical Missionary Sisters in Patna, India
5) Mother Teresa
6) good health, common sense, the ability to learn and a cheerful
disposition
4.6 EXERCISE

1) Describe the character of Mother Teresa
Mother Teresa is among the best known woman in India. She is loved
by the poor and the neglected and revered by the missionaries of
Charity, the Catholic order she founded in 1950. She is admired by
Hindu, Moslem and Christian alike for a total commitment to the poor
that transcends all barriers. Last November she received India’s
Jawaharlal Nehru Award for her ‘dedicated service to humanity,
without consideration of nationality, caste or creed.’
Mother Teresa was born in Yugoslavia on 26th November 1910. Her
father was a shopkeeper. At the tender age of 12, she decided that she
wanted to spend her life helping the poor. At the age of 19 she came
to India and joined the Loreto Sisters as a teacher in one of the convent
schools in Kolkata. She took her vows and became a nun at the age of
28.
The extreme poverty around her influenced her. Now on the Nun’s life
changed completely. Her thoughts to serve the poor, sick and the
helpless came to be true. Moved by her example, many came forward
and joined her. She became popular among the people as Mother
Teresa. She started the famous order of the Missionaries of Charity in
1950. She opened many homes, schools and hospitals for the homeless MOTHER TERESA :
JOHN FRAZER 45
Compulsory English-II were opened all over India and abroad. Today the Missionaries of
Charity have more than 150 centers in India alone and have centers in
most countries of the world.
NOTES Mother Teresa has received many awards both in India and abroad for
her selfless work and service to society. She was awarded the
prestigious Nobel Prize for Peace in 199 and the Bharat Ratna. She
worked tirelessly till the day she died. She died on 5th September 1997
in Kolkata.
She was a real saint and was highly respected not only in India but
throughout the world. In her death, the world lost an angel of mercy
and peace. She lives on in her legacy. The work Mother Teresa started
carries on without any lack of love by her followers all over the world.

1) Mother Teresa’s attitude towards service
2) The Organization set up by Mother Teresa
3) Mother Teresa’s treatment to the poor and neglected

Jagadisan
*****
MOTHER TERESA :
46 JOHN FRAZER
UNIT - V NOTES
MARTIN LUTHER KING : R. N. ROY
Index
5.0 Objectives
5.1 Introduction
5.2 Content
5.4 Summary
5.6 Exercise
5.0 OBJECTIVES
After studying this unit, students will able to:

• Understand the contribution of Martin Luther King.
• Learn social work of Martin Luther King.
• Inculcate human values and ethics to become a good citizen of the
country.
• Create interest in English language and Literature.
• Enhance the reading comprehension skills.
5.1 INTRODUCTION
R.N. Roy, who was a Professor of English, Nagpur University, describes

the humanitarian mission and achievement of Martin Luther King in the present
essay. Martin Luther King was a black American clergyman. He was a champion
of civil rights and fought non-violently for the freedom of the blacks in America.
He led a civil rights march to Washington in 1963. He was awarded The Nobel
Prize for Peace in 1964. He was assassinated in 1968 and world lost one great MARTIN LUTHER
KING : R. N. ROY 47
Compulsory English-II personality. Roy draws a comparison between King and Mahatma Gandhi. What
Gandhi did for the oppressed sections of Indian Society, King did for the
American blacks.
NOTES
5.2 CONTENT
TEXT – MARTIN LUTHER KING

R N Roy
Martin Luther King (1929-68) is one of the greatest men the world has seen.
He is in many respects like Mahatma Gandhi. Both belonged to the twentieth
century, a century that has witnessed more hatred and cruelties than any other
century in the history of the world. Both championed the cause of the
downtrodden. Gandhi championed the rights of the harijans (untouchables), and
King the rights of American blacks. Both were peaceful warriors, fighting with
the weapon of non-violence against powers that were armed from head to foot.
And both were shot to death by assassins.
An ardent clergyman who was nurtured in the bosom of the Church and
sustained by its spiritual blessings, Martin Luther King believed in the equality
of man. And the racial discrimination that he saw around him, the continued
denial of what the blacks considered to be their legitimate aspirations, deeply
distressed his mind. The blacks had done more than their share in building
America. As we find it today. They had done hard work, dirty work, and
dangerous work in the mines, on the docks, and in the blistering foundries. And
they had fought bravely and sacrificed their lives to defend America’s honor and
prestige in times of external peril. Yet, ‘why does misery constantly haunt the
black?’ No doubt, a few concessions had been grudgingly granted by white
Americans, but King said, ‘no person can truly exist half slave and half free.’
The blacks lived in constant economic insecurity in the midst of abundant
material prosperity. They were deprived of normal education and normal social
opportunities. A black could not attend a school or a public amusement park
meant for whites, and when he took a cross country drive he could not enter a
motel, because it was violation of the law to serve food to a black at the same
counter with whites. A black was a nobody in his own land. He was harried by
day and haunted by night by the fact that he was a black. This atmosphere of
economic insecurity, social inferiority, fear and resentment warped his
personality.
parallel situation prevailed in India. Paradoxically India, a land of saints,
who have all preached the gospel of universal brotherhood, segregated a large
part of her population as ‘untouchable.’ Millions of untouchables were denied
all social rights, and they suffered agonies of discrimination for ages. Mahatma
MARTIN LUTHER
Gandhi fought all his life against such inhuman social discrimination, and today
48 KING : R. N. ROY
the ‘untouchables’ are no longer untouchable’. Compulsory English-II
Another evil that haunted India like a nightmare was the British rule. It
sapped her vitality and stood in the way of her mental and spiritual growth. For,
no nation can grow in an atmosphere of slavery and inhibition, Freedom is every NOTES
nation’s birthright. Gandhaji embarked upon a campaign of opposition to British
rule in India. He infused into it a new spirit by his doctrine of ahimsa (non-
violence). He and his men were beaten to pulp, but they never offered any violent
resistance. At long last, the mightily British Power yielded to this passive
resistance and quitted India.
As a young boy, Martin Luther King was deeply struck by Gandhiji’s
success in social and political fields, the efficacy of non-violence, and the
superiority of moral force over physical force. And he was inspired by this living
Indian example to set right the wrongs that he saw around him. He said, ‘Before
this century, virtually all revolutions had been based on hope and hate. The hope
was expressed in the rising expectation of freedom and justice. The hate was an
expression of bitterness towards the perpetrators of the old order. It was the hate
that made revolutions bloody and violent. What was new about Mahatma
Gandhi’s movement in India was that he mounted a revolution on hope and love,
hope and non-violence …..’
For about three centuries and a half, twenty million blacks silently sobbed
and sighed, but white Americans; expect a sensitive few, like Abraham Lincoln
and John Kennedy, paid no heed to what they wanted. Martin Luther King could
find no reason why American democracy should trample on the rights of the
blacks. He wanted to blacks to share lunch counters, schools, library, parks, hotels
and other facilities with the whites. He insisted on having these rights without
any further delay. He said ‘we have waited for more than three hundred forty
years for our constitutional and God-given rights. The nation of Asia are moving
with jet like speed towards gaining political independence but still we creep at
horse-and-buggy pace towards gaining a cup of Coffey at a lunch counter.’ And
to those who called his activities ‘unwise and untimely’ and accused him of
impatience he replied that they had ‘never felt stinging darts of segregation.’
Martin Luther King came to national attention in 1956 when he laid a
boycott of the public buses in Montgomery, to protect against segregated sitting
on them. A year later, after many mass arrests physical attacks, torture and threats,
the boycott was crowned with success. The US Supreme Court ruled that racial
segregation on public conveyances, both intrastate and interstate, was unlawful.
For the first time in the history of America, the blacks enjoyed non-segregated
bus travel. It was a movement that knew no hatred or violence. For King had
enunciated a principal for which he never budged and inch even in the face
imminent danger: ‘We will not resort to violence. We will not degrade ourselves
with hatred. Love will be returned for hate.’
The Montgomery victory had taught the blacks the power of organization,
the superiority of moral force over physical fore, the dignity of suffering for a MARTIN LUTHER
KING : R. N. ROY 49
Compulsory English-II noble cause, and the efficacy on non-violence. In January 1957, King organized
the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, which broadened his field of
activity and gave him a national platform. He moved from place to place and
NOTES delivered innumerable lectures, conferred with heads of state, and discussed the
problem of the blacks with leaders in the country and abroad. King became a
powerful speaker. His voice often rang with a revivalist’s fervor. Slavery and
oppression over a period of several centuries had crushed the very soul of the
black, and the entire race was in a state of torpor. Through fiery speeches, King
was able to generate the power which finally galvanized the entire race. He
delivered the most impressive oration of his career in 1963 when 250000
Americans of all faiths, races and creeds assembled together to ‘March on
Washington’. The burden of his speech was ‘I have a dream’- a dream of the time
when racialism will vanish, when children of God will inhabit God’s earth like
brothers and sisters.
King’s active career extended from 1957 to 1968. During this brief career,
he led numerous protest demonstrations in the south as well as in the north. He
challenged the moral complacency of America and fought for the rights and
liberties of the blacks. He hated the eye-for-an-eye method and fought with the
weapon of non-violence – a weapon, said King that ‘cuts without wounding and
ennobles the man who wields it. It is a sword that heals.’ And he raised a vast
army. ‘But it was a special army, with no supplies but its sincerity, no uniform
but its determination, no arsenal except its faith, no currency but its conscience.
It was an army that would move but not maul. It was an army that would flank
but not falter. It was an army to storm bastions of hatred, to lay siege to the
fortress of segregation, to surround symbols of discrimination. It was an army
whose allegiance was to God and whose strategy and intelligence were the
eloquently simple dictates of conscience.’ His creed of non-violence was
criticized and challenged by ‘black power’ militants who would not renounce
the use of violence to achieve their goals. King reminded them that ‘within his
own century the non-violent ethic of Mahatma Gandhi and his followers had
muzzled the guns of the British Empire in India and freed more than three
hundred and fifty million people from colonialism.’ His faith in non-violence
never wavered.
What Martin Luther King, the peaceful warrior, and his followers suffered
it is hard to describe. They were abused and stoned by the mob, slapped and
kicked by the police and jeered by some of their own men. The police used fire
houses and ferocious dogs to rout them and the law courts sent them to solitary
confinement where not a ray of the sun entered. Their women and children fared
no better. Once a black church was bombed, killing four little girls attending
Sunday school. They suffered all this without ever lifting a hand in self-defense.
For they had taken an oath to refrain from the violence of the fist, tongue, or
heart. King was recognized for his peaceful methods and was awarded the Nobel
Peace Prize in 1964 when he was only thirty-five, the youngest of all who had
MARTIN LUTHER received this great honor.
50 KING : R. N. ROY
In 1967 King announced his open opposition to the Vietnam War and led Compulsory English-II
many non-violent demonstrations against it. In 1968 he announced a Poor
People’s Campaign to be held in Washington. On April 4 of this year, as he was
panning with his staff on a balcony of the Lorraine Hotel in Memphis to lead a NOTES
demonstration of striking sanitation workers, he was shot to death by an assassin.
Martin Luther King dedicated his book Why We Can’t Wait ‘to my children
Yolanda-Martin III-Dexter- Bernice, for whom I dream that one day soon they
will no longer be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their
character.’ Has his dream been realized? Not fully yet. But King fought not only
for the great, but for all the poor in all their hues, for he knew that if color made
them different, misery and oppression made them one. And he wanted to use the
weapon of non-violence not only to solve racial, social and economic problems,
but also to prevent a typhoon of nuclear war which may annihilate all humanity.
He said, ‘Non-violence, the answer to the blacks’ need, may become the answer
to the most desperate need of all humanity.
Martin Luther King was the pride of the world and the world mourns his
tragic death. He belonged to a century that is the most brutal, the wickedest since
the dark ages, and a contrast between him and his century is a contrast between
day and night.
He gave his great mind to great thoughts when other great minds wasted
themselves on petty, selfish pursuits; he was a rock of conviction at a time when
men believed in nothing. He maintained his personal dignity unimpaired in an
age of fawning and servility. He was a peaceful warrior when men invented
deadly weapons to kill one another. The world will admire him as long as virtues
are admired and it will worship him as long as apostles of peace are worshiped.
King’s assassin killed a man who was a ray of hope in a world that was
enveloped in the gloom of nuclear war. Socrates was condemned to death by the
drinking of hemlock, Christ was crucified, Joan of Arc was burnt alive, and
Abraham Lincoln, Mahatma Gandhi, John Kennedy, and Martin Luther King
were shot to death. ‘O God! That maddest this beautiful earth, when will it be
ready to receive Thy saints? How long, O Lord, how long?’
championed : supported, advocated

the downtrodden : people of the lower classes who are treated badly by
those superior in power, position and wealth
( Note- harijans, untouchables : these are no longer politically acceptable
or correct terms)
ardent : sincere, devoted, enthusiastic MARTIN LUTHER
KING : R. N. ROY 51
Compulsory English-II nurtured : brought up and trained
nurtured in the bosom of the church : grew up under the loving care and
protection of the church
NOTES
sustained : nourished, strengthened
racial discrimination : unfair treatment of the blacks on account of their race
legitimate ; rightful, according to law
aspirations : desires, longings and hopes
blistering : extremely hot
blistering foundries : factories in which it is unbearable hot and
uncomfortable
foundries : (Plural form of factory) : factories where metal or glass is melted
and made into different shapes or objects
grudgingly : unwillingly
deprived of : prevented from having, denied
motel : hotel for people traveling by car
harried and haunted : upset; disturbed
resentment : anger
warped : became bent or twisted; destroyed; the growth of
personality was arrested
parallel : similar
paradoxically : from ‘paradox’: a paradox is a person or situation or
statement that is apparently contradictory and so looks
strange. A paradox looks contradictory on the surface but
it contains a truth.
segregated : separated or isolated ( here because of caste or race)
for ages : for many centuries
nightmare : a frightening and unpleasant dream
sapped : destroyed, drained
vitality : energy
inhibition ; restriction, absence of freedom
infused into it : filled it with ( it, here refer to the campaign)
beaten up pulp : beaten very badly or severely
struck by : impressed by
perpetrators : those who commit a crime or do something wrong
MARTIN LUTHER
mounted : started or organized
52 KING : R. N. ROY
paid no heed : paid no attention Compulsory English-II
trampled on : tread on; step on; here used to mean refuse
jet-like speed : great speed
NOTES
horse-and-buggy : very slow
stinging darts : sharp arrows ( Dart is a small pointed object like an arrow
that is thrown at a round board in the game of darts)
Montgomery : capital of Alabama in the United States
intrastate : within (intra) the state
interstate : between (inter) the states
enunciated : stated, declared
budged on inch : moved even slightly, deviated
in the face of : in spite of; in the midst of
imminent (adj.) : likely to happen
degrade : lower, behave in such a way as to lose respect and dignity
efficacy : effectiveness, value
conferred with : met
rang with ; was full of, was charged with
revivalist : one who tries to make an idea or situation strong or popular
again
fervor : strong, deep feeling
race : refers to the community of blacks
torpor : without energy, lethargy
galvanized : inspired, stirred to action
burden ; main or central idea
complacency : being satisfied that situation does not call for change or
improvement
the eye-for-an-eye method : the method of revenge
But it was a special army… conscience : ‘but’ in this sentence means except
arsenal : stock of weapon
currency : money
maul : attack
flank : march
flatter : become weak or diffident
MARTIN LUTHER
storm : attack KING : R. N. ROY 53
Compulsory English-II bastions : place defended by armies. An organization, community or
system that supports and defends a particular way of life or
practice or belief. The reference is to the whites with
NOTES deep-rooted hatred
lay siege : surround ( Note : the words weapons arsenal fortress, bastion,
currency, and flank are used in figurative or metaphorical sense.
Military terms are used to describe Kings companion )
allegiance : loyalty
strategy dictates of : plan
conscience (noun) : orders; commands; voice of conscience
‘black power’ militants : blacks who believes in the method of violence
renounce : give up
muzzled : rendered ineffective
guns : here stands for physical or military force
colonialism : here, refers for Foreign rules
wavered : become weak, flagged, slackened
slapped : beaten
jeered : ridiculed, mocked at
hoses : tubes
rout : put down, suppress
color : American spelling for color
typhoon : violent storm ( used in a figurative sentence)
annihilated : wipe out, destroy
the dark ages ; refers to period in European History, marked by violence,
destruction and lack of enlightenment; a period of savagery
his century : people of the age or period in which he lived
was a rock of conviction : held strong unshakable opinions
unimpaired : not damaged or spoiled, did not allow to suffer
fawning and servility : pressing, flattering or obeying those in power
Socrates : Greek Philosopher (469- 399 BC)
hemlock : the name of the poison given to Socrates
Joan of Arc : (1412-31) French heroine. She led the French army to victory
to War against England. She was burned as a witch in 1431
and later canonized
MARTIN LUTHER ‘O God- How long?’ : from the play St. Joan by Bernard Shaw
54 KING : R. N. ROY
5.4 SUMMARY
NOTES
R N Roy was the professor of English in Nagpur University. He has
described the humanitarian mission and achievement of Martin Luther King. He
has compared Martin Luther King with Mahatma Gandhi because what Gandhji
did for the oppressed sections of Indian society, king did for the American Blacks.
Martin Luther King is one of the greatest social reformers in the world. He
was an ardent clergyman who was nurtured in the bosom of the church. He
believed in the equality of man. His mind was deeply distressed by the racial
discrimination he saw around him. According to him the blacks had done more
than their share in building America. They had done hard work, dirty work, and
dangerous work in the mines, on the docks and in the blistering foundries. They
had fought bravely and sacrificed their lives to defend.
The blacks lived in constant economic insecurity in the midst of abundant
material prosperity. They were deprived of normal education and normal social
opportunities. A black could not attend a school or a public amusement park
meant for white. A black could not enter a motel because it was violation of the
law. A black was nobody in his own land. Always he was haunted by the fact
that he was a black.
Martin Luther King and Mahatma Gandhi both championed the cause of
the downtrodden. Mahatma Gandhi championed the rights of harijans
(untouchables) and Martin Luther King fought for the rights of Black American.
Both were peaceful worriers, fighting with the weapon of non-violence against
powers that were armed from head to foot. And both were shot to death by
assassins.
India was a land of saints and all preached the gospel of universal
brotherhood. Indian Society was segregated and a large part of her population
was untouchable. Millions of untouchable were denied all social rights. They
suffered discrimination for ages. Mahatma Gandhi fought all his life against such
inhuman social discrimination.
India was also suffering from British rule. Gandhi embarked upon a
campaign of opposition to British rule in India. Freedom is every nation’s birth
right. He introduced new spirit by his doctrine of ahimsa (non-violence). He and
his followers were struggled hard and at last British quitted India giving freedom
to Indians.
Martin Luther King was deeply impressed by Mahatma Gandhi’s doctrine
of non-violence and his success in social and political fields. He wanted the
blacks to share lunch counters, schools, libraries, parks, hotels and other facilities
with whites. He insisted on having these rights without any further delay. Black
people were suffering from three centuries and a half. He came to national MARTIN LUTHER
KING : R. N. ROY 55
Compulsory English-II attention in 1965 when he led a boycott of the public buses in Montgomery to
protect against segregated on them. After many mass arrests, physical attacks,
tortures and threats, the boycott was successful.
NOTES After the Montgomery victory, king organized the Southern Christian
leadership Conference in 1957. He moved from place to place and delivered
innumerable lectures, conferred with heads of state and discussed the problems
of the blacks with leaders. King becomes powerful speaker. He delivered the
most impressive oration of his career in 1963 when 250000 Americans of all
faiths, races and creeds assembled together to march on Washington. King’s
active career extended from 1957 to 1968. During this brief career he led
numerous protest demonstrations in the south as well as in the north.
Martin Luther King was the peaceful warrior. His followers were suffered
a lot. They were abused and stoned by the mob, slapped and kicked by the police
and jeered by some of their own man. They suffered all this without ever lifting
a hand in self-defense. He was recognized for his peaceful methods and was
awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964. He was assassinated in 1968.
Martin Luther King was the pride of the world and the world mourns his
tragic death. He belonged to a century that is the most brutal, the wickedest since
the dark ages, and a contrast between him and his century is a contrast between
day and night.
He gave his great mind to great thoughts when other great minds wasted
themselves on petty, selfish pursuits; he was a rock of conviction at a time when
men believed in nothing. He maintained his personal dignity unimpaired in an
age of fawning and servility. He was a peaceful warrior when men invented
deadly weapons to kill one another. The world will admire him as long as virtues
are admired and it will worship him as long as apostles of peace are worshiped.
5.5. CHECK YOUR PROGRESS/ SELF-ASSESSMENT
A) Rewrite the following sentences choosing correct

alternatives.
1. Martin Luther King was a ……….
a) English Clergyman b) Black Clergyman
c) American Clergyman d) Black American Clergyman
2. Martin Luther King was awarded The Nobel Prize for Peace in …
a) 1963 b) 1964 c) 1960 d) 1954
MARTIN LUTHER
56 KING : R. N. ROY
3. The writer R N Roy has compared Martin Luther King with ………. Compulsory English-II
a) Mahatma Gandhi b) Pandit Nehru
c) Abraham Lincoln d) John Kennedy
NOTES
4. Martin Luther King belonged to ………. Century.
a) 18th Century b) 19th Century
c) 20th Century d) 21st Century
5. For about ………., twenty million Blacks silently sobbed and sighed.
a) Hundred years and a half
b) three centuries and a half
c) two centuries and a half
d) four centuries and a half
6. Martin Luther King was belonged to ………. country.

a) India b) America
c) South Africa d) Britain

sentence.
1) To whose work inspired Martin Luther King?
2) What did Martin Luther King want from Whites?
3) When did Martin Luther King come to national attenuation?
4) Who led a boycott of the public buses in Montgomery?
5) Who organized the Southern Christian Leadership conference in 1957?
6) When did march on Washington organized?
7) What was the age of Martin Luther King when he was awarded The
Nobel Prize for Peace?
8) When did Martin Luther King assassinate?
9) Which weapon Martin Luther King used to solve racial, social and
economic problem?
10) Which book of Martin Luther King was dedicated to his children
Yolanda, Martin III, Dexter Bernice?

A) 1) d) Black American Clergyman
2) b) 1964 MARTIN LUTHER
KING : R. N. ROY 57
Compulsory English-II 3) a) Mahatma Gandhi
4) c) 20th Century
5) b) Three centuries and a half
NOTES
6) b) America
B) 1) Mahatma Gandhi
2) to share lunch counter, schools, libraries, parks, hotels and other
facilities with whites
3) 1956
4) Martin Luther King
5) Martin Luther King
6) 1963
7) 35 years
8) 4 April 1968
9) Non-violence
10) Why We Can’t Wait
5.6 EXERCISE

1. Martin Luther King and Mahatma Gandhi
R N Roy was the professor of English in Nagpur University. He has
described the humanitarian mission and achievement of Martin Luther
King. He has compared Martin Luther King with Mahatma Gandhi
because what Gandhji did for the oppressed sections of Indian society,
king did for the American Blacks.
Martin Luther King is one of the greatest social reformers in the world.
He was an ardent clergyman who was nurtured in the bosom of the
church. He believed in the equality of man. His mind was deeply
distressed by the racial discrimination he saw around him. According
to him the blacks had done more than their share in building America.
They had done hard work, dirty work, and dangerous work in the
mines, on the docks and in the blistering foundries. They had fought
bravely and sacrificed their lives to defend.
The blacks lived in constant economic insecurity in the midst of
abundant material prosperity. They were deprived of normal education
MARTIN LUTHER and normal social opportunities. A black could not attend a school or
58 KING : R. N. ROY
a public amusement park meant for white. A black could not enter a Compulsory English-II
motel because it was violation of the law. A black was nobody in his
own land. Always he was haunted by the fact that he was a black.
Martin Luther King and Mahatma Gandhi both championed the cause NOTES
of the downtrodden. Mahatma Gandhi championed the rights of
harijans (untouchables) and Martin Luther King fought for the rights
of Black American. Both were peaceful worriers, fighting with the
weapon of non-violence against powers that were armed from head to
foot. And both were shot to death by assassins
2. Compare the conditions of the Blacks in America and the

Untouchables in India
Martin Luther King believed in the equality of man. His mind was
deeply distressed by the racial discrimination he saw around him.
According to him the blacks had done more than their share in building
America. They had done hard work, dirty work, and dangerous work
in the mines, on the docks and in the blistering foundries. They had
fought bravely and sacrificed their lives to defend.
The blacks lived in constant economic insecurity in the midst of
abundant material prosperity. They were deprived of normal education
and normal social opportunities. A black could not attend a school or
a public amusement park meant for white. A black could not enter a
motel because it was violation of the law. A black was nobody in his
own land. Always he was haunted by the fact that he was a black.
India was a land of saints and all preached the gospel of universal
brotherhood. Indian Society was segregated and a large part of her
population was untouchable. Millions of untouchable were denied all
social rights. They suffered discrimination for ages. Mahatma Gandhi
fought all his life against such inhuman social discrimination.
India was also suffering from British rule. Gandhi embarked upon a
campaign of opposition to British rule in India. Freedom is every
nation’s birth right. He introduced new spirit by his doctrine of ahimsa
(non-violence). He and his followers were struggled hard and at last
British quitted India giving freedom to Indians.
3. Discuss the personality of Martin Luther King

Martin Luther King is one of the greatest social reformers in the world.
He was an ardent clergyman who was nurtured in the bosom of the
church. He believed in the equality of man. His mind was deeply
distressed by the racial discrimination he saw around him. According
to him the blacks had done more than their share in building America.
They had done hard work, dirty work, and dangerous work in the
mines, on the docks and in the blistering foundries. They had fought
MARTIN LUTHER
bravely and sacrificed their lives to defend.
KING : R. N. ROY 59
Compulsory English-II He was deeply impressed by Mahatma Gandhi’s doctrine of non-
violence and his success in social and political fields. He wanted the
blacks to share lunch counters, schools, libraries, parks, hotels and
NOTES other facilities with whites. He insisted on having these rights without
any further delay. Black people were suffering from three centuries
and a half. He came to national attention in 1965 when he led a boycott
of the public buses in Montgomery to protect against segregated on
them. After many mass arrests, physical attacks, tortures and threats,
the boycott was successful.
After the Montgomery victory, king organized the Southern Christian
leadership Conference in 1957. He moved from place to place and
delivered innumerable lectures, conferred with heads of state and
discussed the problems of the blacks with leaders. King becomes
powerful speaker. He delivered the most impressive oration of his
career in 1963 when 250000 Americans of all faiths, races and creeds
assembled together to march on Washington. King’s active career
extended from 1957 to 1968. During this brief career he led numerous
protest demonstrations in the south as well as in the north.
Martin Luther King was the peaceful warrior. His followers were
suffered a lot. They were abused and stoned by the mob, slapped and
kicked by the police and jeered by some of their own man. They
suffered all this without ever lifting a hand in self-defense. He was
recognized for his peaceful methods and was awarded the Nobel Peace
Prize in 1964. He was assassinated in 1968. He was the pride of the
world and the world mourns his tragic death.
B. Answer the following questions in 100 words in each

1. The hardships experienced by Blacks
2. The boycott in Montgomery
3. Martin Luther King and his Age
4. Describe Martin Luther King was a peaceful worrier
5. Consider Martin Luther King as a champion of Human Rights

Jagadisan
• I Have A Dream by Martin Luther King
• Nobel Peace Prize Acceptance Speech by Martin Luther King
*****
MARTIN LUTHER
60 KING : R. N. ROY
UNIT - VI NOTES
SRIKANTHA BABU :
RABINDRANATH TAGORE
Index
6.0 Objectives
6.1 Introduction
6.2 Content
6.4 Summary
6.6 Exercise
6.0 OBJECTIVES
After studying this Unit, students will be able to

• Understand Rabindranath Tagore’s life and his love for music.
• Learn the relationship between Shrikant Babu and Tagore.
• Know the human life and human values.
• Learn significance of literature in human life.
• Express in good English.
6.1 INTRODUCTION
Rabindranath Tagore (1861-1941) was a popular Indian writer. He was born

on 7th May 1861 in a Bengali family. He writes in Bengali and English. He was
a poet, painter, novelist and short story writer. He is versatile and prolific writer.
He is the first Indian writer who has received Nobel Prize for Literature. He wrote
his famous poem Geetanjali in Bengali and then he himself translated it into
English for which he got Nobel Prize in 1913. He has founded Vishwabharati SRIKANTHA BABU :
University. He died on 7th August 1941. RABINDRANATH
TAGORE 61
Compulsory English-II Srikantha Babu was a friend of the Tagore family. This sketch, which
is from Tagore’s Reminiscences of My Early life, combines warmth of feeling,
love and mild humor. (For a write up of Rabindranath Tagore, see the notes to
NOTES ‘Rabindranath Tagore’ by R.H Carter)
6.2 CONTENT
TEXT – SHRIKANT BABU

Rabindranath Tagore
At this time I was blessed with listener the like of whom I shall never get
again. He had so inordinate a capacity for being pleased as to have utterly
disqualified him for the post of critic in any of our monthly reviews. The old man
was like a perfectly ripe, Alphonso mango-not a trace of acid or coarse fibre in
his composition. His tender clean-shaven face was rounded off by an all-
pervading baldness; there was not the vestige of a tooth to worry the inside of
his mouth; and his big smiling eyes gleamed with a constant delight. When he
spoke in his soft deep voice, his mouth and eyes and hands all spoke likewise.
He was of the old school of Persian culture, and knew not a word of English. His
inseparable companions were a hookah at his left, and a sitar on his lap; and from
his throat flowed song unceasing.
Srikantha Babu had no need to wait for a formal introduction, for none could
resist the natural claims of his genial heart. Once he took us to be photographed
with him in some big English photographic studio. There he so captivated the
proprietor with his artless story, in a jumble of Hindustani and Bengali, of how
he was a poor man, but badly wanted this particular photograph taken, that the
man smilingly allowed him a reduced rate. Nor did such bargaining sound at all
incongruous in that unbending English establishment, so naïve was Srikantha
Babu, so unconscious of any possibility of giving offence. He would sometimes
take me along to a European missionary’s house. There also, with his playing
and singing, his caresses of the missionary’s little girl and his unstinted
admiration of the little booted feet of the missionary’s lady, he would enliven the
gathering as no one else could have been deemed a bore, but Srikantha Babu’s
transparent simplicity pleased all and drew them to join in his gaiety.
Srikantha Babu was impervious to rudeness or insolence. There was at the
time a singer of some repute retained in our establishment. When the latter was
the worse for liquor he would rail at poor Srikantha Babu’s singing in no very
choice terms. Srikantha Babu would bear this unflinchingly, with no attempts at
retort. When at last the man’s incorrigible rudeness brought about his dismissal,
Srikantha Babu anxiously interceded for him. ‘It was not he, it was the liquor,’
SRIKANTHA BABU : he insisted.
RABINDRANATH
He could not bear to see any one sorrowing or even to hear of it. So when
62 TAGORE
any one of the boys wanted to torment him they had only to read out passages Compulsory English-II
from Vidya Sagar’s Sitar Banabas whereat he would be greatly exercised,
thrusting out his hands in protest and begging and praying of them to stop.
This old man was the friend alike of my father, my elder brothers and NOTES
ourselves.
He was of an age with each and every one of us. As any piece of stone is
good enough for a fresh outburst of water to dance and gambol with, so the least
provocation would suffice to make him beside himself with joy. Once I had
composed a hymn, and had not failed to make due allusion to the trials and
tribulations of this world. Srikantha Babu was convinced that my father would
be overjoyed at such a perfect gem of a devotional poem. With unbounded
enthusiasm he volunteered personally to acquaint him with it. By a piece of good
fortune, I was not there at the time, but heard afterwards that my father was
hugely amused that the sorrows of the world should have so early moved his
youngest born to the point of versification. I am sure Govind babu, the
superintendent, would have shown more respect for my effort on so serious a
subject.
In singing I was Srikantha Babu’s favorite pupil. He had taught me a song:
‘No more of Vraja for me’, and would drag me about to every one’s rooms and
get me to sing it to them. I would sing and he would strum an accompaniment
on his sitar and when we came to the chorus he would join in, and repeat it over
and over again, smiling and nodding his head at each one in turn, as if nudging
them on to a more enthusiastic appreciation.
He was a devoted admirer of my father. A hymn had been set to one of his
tunes, ‘For He is the heart of our hearts’. When he sang this to my father,
Srikantha Babu got so excited that he jumped up from his seat and in alternation
violently twanged his sitar as he sang: ‘For He is the heart of our hearts’ and then
waved his hand about my father’s face as he changed the words to ‘For you are
the heart of our heats’.
When the old man paid his last visit to my father, the latter, himself
bedridden, was at a riverside villa in Chinsurah. Srikantha Babu, stricken with
his last illness, could not rise unaided and had to push open his eyelids to see. In
his state, tended by his daughter, he journeyed to Chinsurah from his place in
Birbhoom. With a great effort he managed to take the dust of my father’s feet
and then return to his lodgings in Chinsurah where he breathed his last a few day
later. I heard afterwards from his daughter that he went to his eternal life with
the song ‘How sweet is Thy mercy, Lord! on his lips.
Reminiscences of My Early life

Filling and Filing
Documents 63
Compulsory English-II inordinate : excessive; unlimited; immense
disqualified : made unfit
reviews : section or column in newspaper and journals containing critical
NOTES
opinion about books, films, plays etc.
trace : slightest touch or sign or mark
acid : sharp or unkind
coarse : rough trait
composition : refers here to mental make-up; nature
vestige : small part or amount; trace
genial : friendly; kind
captivated : attracted
artless : simple; innocent
jumble : mix-up
bargaining ; asking for a reduced price or rate
sound ; give the impression of being
incongruous : absurd; odd
unbending : unwilling to change opinion or decision, rigid, stiff
establishment : place of business; here, refers to the studio
naïve : simple; inexperienced
missionary : person sent to a foreign country to spread Christianity
caresses : kind, loving touch, fondle
unstinted : generous, without limit
enliven : make lively or happy
transparent : easy to notice
impervious : not affected by
insolence : rudeness, arrogant or haughty behavior
of repute : reputation, well- known
retained : employed
establishment : household, family
was the worse for liquor : lost his balance of mind under the influence of
drink
rail at : abuse, use offensive language
SRIKANTHA BABU :
unflinchingly : calmly
RABINDRANATH
64 TAGORE
retort : talk back, reply angrily or offensively Compulsory English-II
incorrigible : that which cannot be corrected or improved, incurable
interceded : pleaded made an appeal or request
NOTES
Vidya Sagar : Bengali writer
Sitar Banabas : story of Sita’s exile in forest (from The Ramayana)
exercised : emotionally moved or agitated
was of an age : moved freely
gambol : jump or run playfully
provocation : occasion, situation
suffice make him beside : be enough
himself with joy : make it unable for him to control his joy; fill him with joy
my father : Devendranath Tagore
nudging : pushing gently
alternation two things following one after the other regularly
tended : used to mean helped or accompanied or escorted take the dust of my
take the dust of my father’s feet : touched my father’s feet as a sign of respect
6.4 SUMMARY
Srikantha Babu was a friend of Ravindranath Tagore’s family. He was not

only friend of Ravindranath’s father but also Ravindranath and his elder brother.
He was of an age with each and every one of the family. He was not an extra
ordinary person. He was humble, obscure and was capable of sincerity, generosity
and loyalty. His character shows warmth of feeling, love and mild humor.
Srikantha Babu was an old man. Tagore has compared him with ripe
Alphonso Mango. His tender clean shaven face was rounded of by an all
pervading baldness. There was no tooth inside his mouth. His big smiling eyes
gleamed with a constant delight. When he spoke in his soft deep voice, his mouth
and eyes and hands all spoke likewise. Hookah at his left and a sitar on his lap
were his inseparable companions.
He has a good skill of captivating people. Once he took Tagore in some big
English Photographic Studio to be photographed with him. He knew not a word
of English but by using jumbled Hindustani and Bengali language the captivated
the proprietor with his artless story. He convinced the proprietor how he was a
poor man but badly wanted this photograph. The Proprietor was convinced and
SRIKANTHA BABU :
smilingly allowed him a reduced rate. His transparent simplicity pleased all and
RABINDRANATH
drew them to join in his gaiety. TAGORE 65
Compulsory English-II Srikanthe Babu was not affected by rudeness or arrogant behavior of others.
Once a reputed singer came to Tagore’s establishment, the singer abused poor
Srikantha Babu in the influence of Liquor. Srikantha Babu beards this insult
NOTES calmly with no attempt at retort. He anxiously appealed for him that ‘it was not
he, it was the liquor’.
Ravindranath Tagore had composed a hymn and had not failed to make due
allusion to the trials and tribulations of this world. Srikanthe Babu was convinced
that Tagore’s father would be overjoyed at such a perfect gem of devotional
poem. With unbounded enthusiasm he volunteered personally to acquaint him
with it.
Srikanthe Babu taught singing to Ravindranath Tagore. He was his favorite
pupil. He taught a song ‘no more of Vraja for me’. He dragged Tagore about to
every one’s room and get him to sing it to them. Tagore Sing and he would stick
an accompaniment on his sitar. When we came to the chorus he would join in
and repeat it over and over again. He smiles and nodes his head at each one in
turn.
He was devoted admirer of Tagore’s father. He had set hymn to one of his
tunes – ‘For he is the heart of our hearts’. He was so excited while singing the
song and jumped from his seat.
Srikanthe Babu has affinity to Tagore’s family. He was stricken with his last
illness. He could not rise unaided and had to push open his eyelids to see. In this
state, he came to visit Tagore’s father with the help of his daughter. With a great
effort he managed to take the dust of Tagore’s father’s feet and then he returned
to his lodging in Chinsurah. After few days he breathed his last. He went to his
eternal life with the song, ‘How sweet is thy mercy, Lord!’
6.5 CHECK YOUR PROGRESS/SELF-ASSESSMENT
A) Rewrite the following sentences choosing correct

alternatives.
1. The character sketch of Srikantha Babu is taken from …….
a) Gitanjali b) Autobiography
c) Reminiscences of My Early Life
d) My Experiences with Truth
2. Who was Vidya Sagar?

SRIKANTHA BABU : a) Tagore’s Friend b) Srikantha Babu’s friend
RABINDRANATH
66 TAGORE c) Political leader d) Bengali Writer
3. Srikantha Babu loves ……. Compulsory English-II
a) Music b) Painting
c) Reading d) Writing
NOTES
4. ……. was favorite pupil of Srikantha Babu in singing.
a) Tagore’s father b) Ravindranath Tagore
c) Tagore’s elder brother d) Govind Babu
5. Srikantha Babu was devoted admirer of …….

a) Tagore’s father b) Ravindranath Tagore
c) Tagore’s elder brother d) Tagore’s Mother

sentence.
1) Who was Srikantantha Babu?
2) What were the inseparable companions of Srikantha Babu?
3) Which book of Vidya Sagar is mentioned in the essay?
4) Who was Govind Babu?
5) Which song Srikantha Babu sings for Tagore’s father?
6) Where did Srikantha Babu breathe his last?
7) Which song Srikantha Babu taught to Ravindranath Tagore?

A) 1) c) Reminiscences of my Early life
2) d) Bengali Writer
3) a) Music
4) b) Ravindranath Tagore
5) a) Tagore’s father
B) 1) Friend of Tagore’s family
2) hookah at his left and Sitar on his lap
3) Sitar Banabas
4) Superintendent
5) ‘For he is the heart of our hearts’
6) Riverside villa in Chinsurah
7) ‘No more of Vraja for me’ SRIKANTHA BABU :
RABINDRANATH
TAGORE 67
6.6 EXERCISE
NOTES
A. Answer the following questions in 150 words each.

1) Write a note on the character of Shrikant Babu
Srikantha Babu was a friend of Ravindranath Tagore’s family. He was
not only friend of Ravindranath’s father but also Ravindranath and his
elder brother. He was of an age with each and every one of the family.
He was not an extra ordinary person. He was humble, obscure and was
capable of sincerity, generosity and loyalty. His character shows
warmth of feeling, love and mild humor.
Srikantha Babu was an old man. Tagore has compared him with ripe
Alphonso Mango. His tender clean shaven face was rounded of by an
all pervading baldness. There was no tooth inside his mouth. His big
smiling eyes gleamed with a constant delight. When he spoke in his
soft deep voice, his mouth and eyes and hands all spoke likewise.
Hookah at his left and a sitar on his lap were his inseparable
companions.
Srikanthe Babu taught singing to Ravindranath Tagore. He was his
favorite pupil.He was devoted admirer of Tagore’s father. He had set
hymn to one of his tunes – ‘For he is the heart of our hearts’. He was
so excited while singing the song and jumped from his seat. Srikanthe
Babu has affinity to Tagore’s family. He was stricken with his last
illness. He could not rise unaided and had to push open his eyelids to
see. In this state, he came to visit Tagore’s father with the help of his
daughter. With a great effort he managed to take the dust of Tagore’s
father’s feet and then he returned to his lodging in Chinsurah. After
few days he breathed his last.
2) Describe how Shrikant Babu captivated people

Srikantha Babu was an old man. He was a friend of Ravindranath
Tagore’s family. He was not only friend of Ravindranath’s father but
also Ravindranath and his elder brother. He was not an extra ordinary
person. He was humble, obscure and was capable of sincerity,
generosity and loyalty. His character shows warmth of feeling, love
and mild humor.
He has a good skill of captivating people. Once he took Tagore in some
big English Photographic Studio to be photographed with him. He
knew not a word of English but by using jumbled Hindustani and
SRIKANTHA BABU : Bengali language the captivated the proprietor with his artless story.
RABINDRANATH He convinced the proprietor how he was a poor man but badly wanted
68 TAGORE
this photograph. The Proprietor was convinced and smilingly allowed Compulsory English-II
him a reduced rate. His transparent simplicity pleased all and drew
them to join in his gaiety.
Srikanthe Babu was not affected by rudeness or arrogant behavior of NOTES
others. Once a reputed singer came to Tagore’s establishment, the
singer abused poor Srikantha Babu in the influence of Liquor.
Srikantha Babu beards this insult calmly with no attempt at retort. He
anxiously appealed for him that ‘it was not he, it was the liquor’.
B. Answer the following questions in 100 words each.

1) Shrikant Babu’s love of music
2) Shrikant Babu’s nature, appearance, voice and habits.
3) Shrikant Babu’s behavior at the studio and the missionary’s house

Jagadisan
• Reminiscences of My Early life by Rabindranath Tagore
• Rabindranath Tagore by R.H Carter
*****
SRIKANTHA BABU :
RABINDRANATH
TAGORE 69
NOTES
SECTION – B
APPLIED SKILLS
70
UNIT - VII
ESSAY WRITING
NOTES
Index
7.0 Objectives
7.1 Introduction
7.2 Content
7.2.1 Paragraph Writing
7.2.2 Essay Writing
7.2.3 Types of Essay
7.3 Summary
7.4 Suggestions for developing Essay Writing skills
7.5 Exercise
7.0 OBJECTIVES
After completing study of this unit, you will

• Learn to write Good Essay.
• Develop the skills of creative and critical thinking.
• Impart employability skills.
• Prepare for competitive examinations.
• Enable to acquire professional skills.
7.1 INTRODUCTION
Language is the gift of God to mankind because it is the most effective

means of communication. Human being uses language in the form of spoken as
well as written. Both forms of language are important and useful for
communication. Spoken from is used in day today life for conversation. Written
form is also used for different purposes. It is essential for effective
ESSAY WRITING 71
Compulsory English-II communication. It allows you to communicate your thoughts, ideas and emotions.
It reflects your knowledge on a particular topic.
Writing is one of the important skills and it can be learned and perfected. It
NOTES helps you to express your knowledge and thoughts in a proper and cohesive way.
There are many writing skills such as Report Writing, Journalistic Writing,
Paragraph Writing, Summary Writing, Review Writing, Essay Writing etc. These
writing skills are very useful in day today communication and also to
communicate with a large audience effectively. Good writing skills create many
opportunities for us in the digital world. It is important not only in your academic
life but also in your professional life.
The present unit will help you in writing a good essay. The objective of this
unit is to help you to study and learn organizing a meaningful essay. Your writing
can be a narration description or any thoughtful kind of writing that goes through
different steps. This unit will discuss paragraph writing, essay writing and types
of essays.
7.2 CONTENT
7.2.1. Paragraph Writing
A) Introduction-
Writing a paragraph is an important step in the development of the essay.
Words are made from alphabets and the systematic arrangement of words makes
sentences. Paragraph is a series of sentences that are organized in a coherent way
and are all related to a single topic. Careful organization of sentences is perhaps
the most important step of all in creating an easy to understand piece of writing.
Almost every piece of writing needs to be organized into paragraphs. Different
paragraphs related to one main topic makes Essay or Passage.
Paragraph can contain many different kinds of information. It contains long
illustrations of a general point or a series of brief examples. Sometime it describes
a place, character or process. It can compare or contrast two or more things. It
can also narrate some incidents or events. It depends on the kind of information
given in the topic.
B) Characteristics of Good Paragraph-

• A paragraph should convey one idea or theme.
• Each sentence in a paragraph should have logical reasoning and unity of
purpose.
• There should be unity of content
• Paragraph should easy to follow
72 ESSAY WRITING
• A good paragraph avoid repetition of words and sentences Compulsory English-II
• Give examples relevant to the topic and elaborate it.
C) Process of Writing Paragraph- NOTES

A paragraph is like a mini essay. It has its own identity and it deals with
only one idea or theme. The beginning and ending of a paragraph helps the reader
to understand the subject matter. Properly written paragraphs makes a world of
difference to written matter such as story, biography, report etc…
• In the beginning think about a topic and a controlling idea that will
narrow the topic enough to support it well in one paragraph.
• Select 4 to 5 sentences supporting your topic sentences and arrange it
logically.
• Write your paragraph in topic outline form. Don’t actually write sentences
in the outline, except for the topic sentences.
• Give proper explanation of the topic sentence.
• Write proper concluding sentence about the topic sentence.
• Write your paragraph using the coherence strategies to make your
paragraph easy to follow.
7.2.2. Essay Writing
A) Introduction-
Writing good essay is an art and it can be achieved by reading, meditation
and practice of writing. The essay writing requires comprehensive knowledge
over a variety of subjects and good command over the language. Now a day’s
essay writing is an integral part of almost every competitive examination.
Essay writing is a skill which needs patience, concentration, diligence and
inclination. The literal meaning of essay is ‘an attempt’. So an essay is an attempt
at conveying one’s ideas on a particular topic in a simple, clear and precise
language which is literary and idiomatic. The language of the essay should be
simple and lucid.
Essay is an expression of the views and thoughts of an individual on a given
topic. An essay can be impressive only if the ideas are placed in a sequence,
based on logic and reasoning. Essay covers variety of subjects such as
biographical essays, essay on current topics, descriptive essays, narrative essays,
imaginative essays, reflective essays, argumentative essays, expository essays
etc…
B) Steps of Writing Essay

• It is important to understand the topic you are writing about.
• Consider the subject carefully and run rapidly over in your mind what
you know about it.
ESSAY WRITING 73
Compulsory English-II • Jot down your ideas or points that are related to the topic, just as they
occur to you.
• Arrange your ideas in logical, coherent and systematic way
NOTES
• Choose appropriate and accurate words.
• Every essay should consist of a beginning, middle and an end.
• Select the topic sentence which is a statement that generally introduces
the topic of a paragraph. It states the main idea of the paragraph and also
gives a broad view of what you are writing about.
• The topic sentences introduce the supporting details of the paragraph.
The supporting details should include more specific and subject related
examples.
• There should be concluding sentences at the end of the paragraph. It
should reflect what you have talked about in your paragraph. It should
support the topic sentence in way or other.
C) Format of Writing Essay

After reading the topic or subject of the essay, don’t make haste to write.
Think about the subject and try to understand the scope of the essay. Before
starting to write an essay, make a plan of essay in your mind. You have at least
5 to 6 points regarding the subject of the essay. Write these rough points
somewhere before starting to write essay. Then begin to write essay using the
points. There should be one paragraph for each point.
Suppose if you have to write an essay on the topic ‘Modern Advertisement’,
your points should be like this.
• Introduction
• Advertisement – meaning and importance
• Use of different media for advertisement
• Benefit of advertisement to consumer
• Usefulness of advertise to producer and businessman
• Effect of advertise on the price of product
• Should government have control over advertisement
Conclusion
Essay test your communication skill such as how you explain, write clearly
and the ability to present argument. You must have a good knowledge of basic
grammar of English. Make an outline of the essay before begin to write essay. It
should include introduction, main body of the essay which contains separate
paragraphs for developing the essay and a conclusion.
74 ESSAY WRITING
• Introduction – Introduction is the important part in a good essay which Compulsory English-II
attracts the attention of the reader and creates interest to read the essay.
The function of the introduction is simply to introduce the subject and
summarize the essay and its goal. It should explain briefly what you want NOTES
to say about the topic and how you intend to deal with it. Introduction
must be short only one or two paragraphs. You can use any quotation
related to the topic in introduction. The introduction should be emphatic
and leave an impression on the mind of the reader.
• Main body – Main body include the discussion about the topic of the
essay. You have to write paragraphs making an argument related to the
topic or supporting an argument. Give different information about the
topic. If possible give some examples and elaborate the topic. The entire
matter should be in ordered manner in paragraphs.
• Conclusion- you have to write short conclusion at the end of the essay.
The purpose of the conclusion is to sum up your information or argument.
The conclusion should be effective because it create impression on reader.
7.2.3. Types of Essay

The essays can be classified into different categories according to the
subject. It can be Narrative, Descriptive, Reflective or Expository and
Argumentative.
A) Narrative Essay-
Narrative essay is a type of essay which narrates an events, incidents and
experiences. We have to use chronological sequence of events about the subjects.
Some examples of narrative essays –
• My First day in Senior College
• Memorable Incident in My Life
• An Accident on Street
• A Visit to Bird Sanctuary
• My First Interview for Job
• A Visit to Historical Place
Memorable Visit to Juvenile Home

The students of my college visited the Juvenile Home at Pune on 8th
December 2019. I was among the group of students. On reaching, the Juvenile
Home, we were taken to the room of superintendent. While walking to the room
we found children watering plants and panting saplings.
The superintendent explained about the institution and how the children
reached there. There is general lack of awareness about the children who reach
the Juvenile Home. Most people believe that it is inhabited by children who have
ESSAY WRITING 75
Compulsory English-II committed some sort of crime. The superintendent explained that the Juvenile
Home is inhabited mainly by the homeless wandering children. They do not have
any criminal background within the Juvenile Home. There is a separate
NOTES department named the observation home where those accused of crimes are kept.
The wandering children come mostly from broken home. The family
circumstances force them to enter into street life. The society itself is responsible
for the increase in the number of such children. Children from other states
especially Karnataka are brought Maharashtra by fake agents and they ultimately
reach the Juvenile Home. The agents give false assurance and misuse the children
for their selfish requirements.
Children always seek love and affection. Therefore its denial makes them
lonely and frustrated, making them criminals. Poverty and poor installation of
moral codes leads to increased crime rates among them. The superintendent
remarked that positive changes are observed in the attitude of children kept in
the Observation Home.
After the long conversation with the superintendent we were given
permission to go round the institution and interact with the children. Their
paintings, cartoon drawings and crafts work exhibited in the rooms. Access to
education is provided to the children. The institution conducts daily yoga classes
in the morning.
As it was a holiday only a few children were around. Somnath, one boy
attained our admiration for his smartness and sense of humor. We handed them
a pocket of sweets which they received with great pleasure. Before leaving we
expressed our gratitude to the superintendent. All of us admired the strength of
character and humility.
I thank God for providing me with good parent’s shelter and other comforts
of life. The children in the Juvenile Home have no regrets in spite of the hardships
in their life. On my return journey, I felt peaceful at heart.
B) Descriptive Essay-
Descriptive essay describes a particular person, object and place in simple
and lucid manner in interesting way. We should have keen observation skill to
give much detail about the topic of essay. Some examples of descriptive essays
–
• My Native Place
• The Postman
• My Best Friend
• The Blessing of Science
• My Favorite Book
Sometimes it is difficult to make difference between narrative and
76 ESSAY WRITING descriptive essay clearly. Both are akin to each other and include narration as
well as description. Narrative essay has description and Descriptive essay has Compulsory English-II
narration.
Empowerment of Women NOTES

Women’s empowerment is the process in which women elaborate and
recreate what it is that they can be, do, and accomplish in circumstances that they
previously denied. Empowerment can be defined in many ways, empowerment
means accepting and following people (women) who are on the outside of the
decision making process into it.
Empowerment is the process that creates power in individuals over their
own lives, society and in their communities. People are empowered when they
are able to access the opportunities available to them without limitations and
restrictions. It includes the action of raising the status of women through
education, raising awareness literacy and training. Women’s empowerment is all
about equipping and allowing women to make life-determining decisions through
the different problems in society.
Women’s empowerment has become a significant topic of discussion in
developments and economics. It can also point to the approaches regarding other
trivialized genders in a particular political or social context. It refers to the ability
for women to enjoy their right to control and benefit from the resources, assets,
income and their own times, as well as the ability to manage risk and improve
their economic status and well-being
Empowerment of women is a necessity for the very development of a
society, since it enhances both the quality and quantity of human resources
available for development. It is one of the main procedural concerns when
addressing human rights and development. Women empowerment and achieving
gender equality is essential for our society to ensure the sustainable development
of the country.
C) Reflective or Expository Essay-

Reflective or Expository essay is a kind of essay in which there is a logical
discussion about the subject. It gives much importance to thoughts or ideas. Such
types of essays also discuss the different attitude towards particular question.
We, as a student, have to take balanced attitude towards the topic than taking
stance towards any strong attitude. Some examples of Reflective or Expository
essay –
• The Pleasure of School Life
• If I were President of India
• The Season I like Most
• Time is Money
• Private Coaching Institutes
ESSAY WRITING 77
Compulsory English-II • Right to Education
• Indian Democracy
• Modern Advertisement
NOTES
• Evils of the Dowry System
Superstitions
Many times people believe in things which are not really logical or
reasonable for example, many people believe that if a cat especially a black cat
crosses your path then your work will not be done. Actually there is no evidence
to show that this is true. But these people do not wait to find out whether it is
true or not. As soon as they see a black cat crossing their path they turn around
go back and then start all over again. They don’t think that they have blind faith
in their belief.
Some superstitions originated simply from good advice for example it is
said that you should not drink anything from a chipped of cracked glass. People
in Iceland believe that it is unlucky to shoot a seabird that follow a boat. There
is no harm in acting upon such beliefs. But some other beliefs are quite absurd
and they can cause a lot of trouble or even harm.
You can see how absurd some superstitions are, if you compare the beliefs
in two countries or two regions. Some people think that the Owl is a bird of ill
omen it stands for bad things. But in some other region it is worshiped and
supposed good omen. The bird owl is not aware of either of these beliefs. It does
not bother with human beings at all.
It is easy to laugh at such people but aren’t we all the same in this respect?
There might be some exceptions but we all have some silly beliefs or the other
lurking somewhere in our minds. We need to look within carefully to see, it there
is a silly belief hiding in our some corner of our mind.
If there is one, it won’t come out and leave your mind easily. You will have
to catch it with the tongues of reason that is with the power of your own mind to
think, understand, analysis etc. next you will have to give it the test of honest
proof once twice three times. And finally you will have to find the courage to
throw it out of your mind. That silly belief is nothing but a superstition a fear or
feeling that if you do or don’t do something you have a bad luck or good luck.
D) Argumentative Essay-
An argumentative essay is a type of essay that presents arguments about
both sides of an issue. It could be that both sides are presented equally balanced,
or it could be that one side is presented more forcefully than the other. It all
depends on the writer, and what side he supports most. The purpose of an
argumentative essay is to convince the reader that your viewpoint is true or
correct. An argumentative essay is an essay that uses evidence and facts to
support the claim it’s making. Its purpose is to persuade the reader to agree with
78 ESSAY WRITING
the argument being made. A good argumentative essay will use facts and evidence Compulsory English-II
to support the argument, rather than just the author’s thoughts and opinions.
Some examples of argumentative essay –
NOTES
• Television: Boon or Curse
• Should Examination be Abolished
• Students and Politics
• Reservation and Politics
Mobile: Advantages and Disadvantages

Mobile is modern electronic device which is very useful in day today life.
It is advanced type of machine which we can move everywhere. It is very useful
for fast communication. Today, India is the third largest number of mobile users.
It is very easy to handle and used for variety of purposes. The basic use is to
communicate or sending messages. Apart from that it is also used for listening
music, calculator, camera etc. the internet is also very useful in it. Mobile is one
of the most versatile and indispensable gadgets today.
Mobile is advanced and fast growing machine. There is different facilities
in mobile such clock, alarm, memory notes etc. There is colander facility which
is useful in modern age. You can also play some games in fast and growing word.
The quality of pictures in advanced mobile is very good. Now we can access
social media such as Facebook, Whatsapp, Instagram, YouTube etc. by using
mobile. It is also used for education purposes or online teaching.
Though mobile is very useful and necessary it is also very harmful for
human life. It is true that you can get constantly unrest by unwanted stress. This
is true not only for city dwellers but also for those living in rural areas. It can
also take your life so it is dangerous. We must not use it when we are walking
along the street. We must use it with great care and wisely. If we use it foolishly
and carelessly, it will kill you or somebody.
Due to extreme use of mobile, we can waste time and money which is not
affordable. Some are extremely attached with this device. They do not want to
remain without it. They got involved in using the mobile and neglect their work
or studies. They get affected with their eyesight and hearing abilities. They are
so much addicted with the mobile and keep hearing aid attached to their ear. They
keep walking and talking laughing and gesturing as if stupid one. They keep on
talking with the distant person but not aware of those who are nearest to them.
Some are very much tempted to involve in cyber-crimes. Naughty and criminal
minded people always misuse the mobile.
Thus mobile uses have advantages as well as disadvantages. It is in our hand
to decide whether it is boon or a curse.
ESSAY WRITING 79
7.3 SUMMARY
NOTES
This unit discusses the skill of essay writing and its importance in
professional career. Paragraph writing is the first step in the development of the
essay. We have seen the techniques of writing paragraph and characteristics of
good paragraph. Then we have discussed how to develop essay in systematic
way. There are different types of essay such as narrative essay, descriptive essay,
reflective essay and argumentative essay. Some examples of essays are also given
for reference.
Generally students write essays only in examination. But if you practice to
write essay before it, it will improve your skill. It will enhance your confidence
and you can plan your essay very well in short time. You might have heard the
phrase ‘practice makes man perfect’, this applies to almost everything in your
life such as singing, music, cycling, swimming etc… Essay writing is also skill
which can be mastered by practice again and again.
7.4 SUGGESTIONS FOR DEVELOPING ESSAY WRITING

SKILLS
• Reading is important for writing essay because it gives you new

perceptive to your thoughts.
• We know the information about topic of the essay from our experiences
and reading on many subjects. Apart from that reading of newspaper and
magazine is also helpful for writing essay.
• We must have adequate vocabulary and good knowledge of grammar for
writing an effective essay.
• You can use famous proverbs and popular quotations in your essay
according to the subject matter.
• Make simple, short and precise sentences that are easy to read and
understand. Do not use long or complex sentences.
• You can also use figurative language for making essay more impressive.
• Do not use repetitive sentences as it may confuse the reader.
• Avoid repetition for making essay more effective; don’t use one word
twice in the essay. If you want to it use the alternate or thesauruses word.
• Use active voice for writing essay instead of passive voice.
• Use present tense for writing essay
80 ESSAY WRITING
7.5 EXERCISE
NOTES
Q. Write a well-organized essay in 200 to 300 words.
1) Unemployment in India
2) Terrorism in India
3) Education in India
4) Challenges before Indian Economy
5) Caste System in Modern India
6) Crimes against Women
7) Reservation and Politics
8) Right to information
9) Honour Killing
10) Social Media
7.6 REFERENCES FOR FURTHER STUDY
• Advanced Essays by Rajive Tiwari (Manoj Publication)

• Current Popular Essays and Letters by R Gupta (Ramesh Publishing
House, New Delhi)
• English for Competitive Examinations by R P Bhatnagar ( Macmillan
Publications)
• Writing Skills by Dr S B Gokhale ( K Sagar Publications)
• Writing Skills A Practical Guide by Madhura Jadhav ( Saket Prakashan)
• 160 Essays by Madan Soood (Goodwill Publishing House)
*****
ESSAY WRITING 81
NOTES
UNIT - VIII
WRITING ADVERTISING COPY
Index
8.0 Objectives
8.1 Introduction
8.2 Content
8.2.1 Copy Writer and Copy Writing
8.2.2 Structure of Advertisement
8.2.3 Language of Advertisement
8.2.4 Devices used for Advertisement
8.3 Summary
8.4 Suggestions for writing Advertisement
8.5 Exercise
8.0 OBJECTIVES
After completing study of this unit, you will:

• Understand the structure of the Advertisement and its techniques.
• Improve the language competency.
• Impart employability skills.
• Able to prepare an advertisement.
• Learn the vocabulary in advertisement.
• Understand the importance of advertisement in society.
8.1 INTRODUCTION
We live in a glamorous world of advertisement. Today, the craze of

Writing Advertising
82 Copy advertisement of manufactures goods is increased. It has become a separate field
of study with so many specialization techniques. All big and small companies Compulsory English-II
depend upon these agencies to catch the market for their products. Advertisement
may be making believe, but it has to stay. As industries grow fast and markets
are flooded with several new products. The art of advertisement is in fact, a NOTES
modern development. It has revolutionized the modern trade. Modern life is
highly complex and mechanical. People have no time to go into the soul of things.
They want to buy largely advertised goods. The manufactured, in his turn, wants
to popularize his goods before these are manufactured. Such is the craze for
advertised goods.
We are living in the age of advertisement. No wonder, one sees shining and
multicolored bill-boards hung on poles displaying goods advertised. The city
walls are found lettered with eye-catching advertisement of products that are
manufactured today. There is a spate of magazine and journals which spare pages
for latest variety of gods manufactured. Radio and Television are humming with
advertisement of new products. In fact, many a time one gets sick of these
advertisements repeated hundreds of times on the radio and television screen.
There are various methods of advertisement. The most popular and useful
method is to send advertisements in newspapers and magazines. Television is no
less powerful a medium for advertising goods. There is always a great demand
for advertisement space of footage and much money flows to the advertising
media. In certain cases the advertisement cost runs into thousands of rupees for
products advertised. Advertisements are sometimes so scientifically and
intelligently planned that they changed the entire psychology of the consumers.
Advertisement has now developed both as an art as well as science. The
world of advertisement is very large. It is a run between the manufacturer and
the consumer without wickets. Certain advertisements are catching while others
are repulsive to hear or to see. It is for the consumer to look into the soul of things
advertised. They may go in for advertised goods but they should not be taken in
by eye-catching but cheap advertisements.
This unit is meant to introduce you the concept of advertising, giving you
an understanding of what advertise are and basically the components of
advertisement. It will discuss copy writer and copy writing, structure of the
advertisement and language used in the advertisement.
8.2 CONTENT
Advertising is as old as civilization and has been used as the means of

communication to buy and sale the goods and service to the society. The word
‘advertising’ comes from the Latin word ‘advertere’ which means ‘to turn the
mind of towards’. The dictionary meaning of the term is to give public notice or
to announce publically. Advertising is used for communicating business Writing Advertising
information to the present and prospective customers. Advertisement has Copy 83
Compulsory English-II acquired great importance in the modern. There is tough competition of selling
the product in the market with fast changing technology.
According to American Marketing Association, ‘advertising is any paid
NOTES form of non-personal presentation and promotion of ideas, goods and services
by an identified sponsor’.
According to the free encyclopedia Wikipedia, ‘advertising, generally
speaking, is the promotion of goods, services, companies and ideas, usually
performed by an identified sponsor. Marketers see advertising as part of an
overall promotion strategy.’
From the above two definitions we can say that, advertisement is an attempt
to influence the buying behavior of the customers or clients by providing a
persuasive selling message about the product and services. Advertising informs
the customers about the brand available in the market and the variety of products
useful to them.
Advertisement is communicated to the people by using different media or
means of communication. There are two major types of media- Print media and
Electronic media.
Print Media-
Newspapers, magazine, journals, leaflets, brochures, pamphlets, posters etc.
are the print Medias. This is expensive than the electronic media but it has an
easy access to the public at large. It is more intimate way to engage the consumer.
Electronic Media-
Electronic media uses the electronic devices such as Radio, Television and
Internet. These are the means of mass marketing. It is the fastest, cheapest and
easiest way to reach millions of potential customers in the word. Radio is an
audio medium whereas Television is an audio-visual medium. These are
immensely powerful modes of advertisement. Television advertises have the
advantage of sight, sound, movement, and color to persuade a customer to buy
the product.
Today internet has become more powerful mode of advertisement with the
rise of science and technology. Large number of people in the world uses internet
for various purposes like career, marketing, online shopping and banking.
Here in this unit we will focus only advertisement in print media. This
section is further divided into three subsections as copy writing, structure of
advertisement and language used in advertisement.
8.2.1 Copy Writer and Copy Writing

Writing an advertise copy means preparing systematic information about
the product. Its purpose is to promote the product and attract the attention of the
Writing Advertising reader or viewer. There is a huge competition in the market to sale the product.
84 Copy
Advertisement play very important role to reach the customer, attract their Compulsory English-II
attention and sale the product. Copy writing play very vital role in the preparation
of the advertisement.
Copy writing is an art as well as skill. It is creative and professional activity. NOTES
Copy writing is the process of writing advertisement to promote the sale of
particular product. The person who have good command over language and have
full of imagination can become a copywriter. Now days there are many career
opportunities to the young generation who has interest in copy writing.
Professional copy writing skills continue to be in high demand. Copy writing
jobs are some of the highest paid projects for freelance writer.
Copy writer is a person who is paid to write ‘copy’- words designed to
promote action. He is always connected to the act of promoting or selling a
business, organization, brand product or service in the form of marketing. He is
generally part of the marketing or advertisement. He creates informative content
for business that is designed to attract the attention of reader and convince them
to purchase the product. He is responsible for the text on the advertisement
broachers, leaflets, posters and many more.
Copy writer must know following things before starting to write an
advertisement.
• He must have good knowledge about the product which he wants to
promote. He should know the use of product, its elements, price, and
other same products, comparative benefits of this product and some
features of the product to attract the attention of the consumer.
• He must know who is the consumer of the product? Such as middle class,
upper class, lower class and their income group, lifestyle etc.
• He must familiar with any scheme, discount and present which the
company or producer want to offer to increase their sale.
• Copy writer should have good knowledge of needs and expectations of
consumers, gender of the target consumer, age group of the consumer,
demand and interest of the consumer about the products etc.
• Copy writer alone can’t do all works. He needs the support and help of
other persons such as Marketing manager, Director, Development
Officer, Researcher, Production Manager or any other expert in this field.
These people will provide all the information related to the product and
its quality.
• He must have good command over many languages and have powerful
imagination.
• His ideas should be creative and innovative which persuade the mind of
consumer to buy the product.
Writing Advertising
Copy 85
Compulsory English-II 8.2.2 Structure of Advertisement
Advertising is one of the most complex and challenging phenomena.
Today’s age is known as the age of advertisement. We see the advertisements
NOTES everywhere in newspaper, magazine, Radio, television, internet etc. It is a
powerful means of information from the producer to the consumer. It represents
a form of communication directed at large number of people, a particular way of
interaction between language and media. Advertising appears to be homogenous,
cross cultural and speaks a kind of universal language. See some examples of
advertisement.
Though advertisement is an art, creative and skill, it has certain structure

and elements which are common to all advertisements. They are Headline, Body
copy, Tagline or Slogan and Logo.
Headline-
Headlines which are used for advertisement in newspaper and magazine or
television should be effective. Generally people read the headline of the
advertisement. There are a lot of advertisements on single page of the newspaper
or magazine and there are many advertise on single page. There is competition
among the different advertisement to attract the attention of reader. So headline
must be catchy.
Headlines are usually written in capital letters and are very short. The words
used in them are simple and easy to understand. They appeal to the self-interest
of the reader and viewer. The headlines have several functions. They attract the
attention of reader, increase curiosity, arouse emotions, appeal to feelings, focus
the object or brand etc.
e.g. Lifestyle for a lifetime at Affordable Price
Come…. See…. Possess
Most important information about the product is brand name which is
generally included in heading or Headline.
Writing Advertising
86 Copy
Body copy- Compulsory English-II
The body copy is an important part of the advertisement. It provides details
about the product or the current offer and it supports the headline. It gives
information about the qualities of the product, use and benefits, different offers, NOTES
guaranty and warranty etc. Mostly the present tense is used in the body copy. It
also gives testimonial from customers, expert’s opinions, and narrative about the
product or a customer.
At the end or bottom you should have to give address details such as
Address of the company, contact no, Fax and email or website. It is useful for
communication. Many organizations avoid to give full or detailed address instead
of contact, come and see for yourself, visit such words or phrases are used.
Tagline or Slogan –
This is also called the brand slogan. Advertising slogan describes a brand
or a company name. They express the importance and benefits of their product.
They are used everywhere from print media to online advertisement. They are
phrased in such a way that the consumer is likely to remember them. They are
always short and epigrammatic in nature. Generally slogans make use of initial
capitalization or every letter capital. They normally include used proven words
and short phrases or sentences.
Taste The Thunder is the slogan of Thumps Up.
The Complete Man is the slogan of Raymond’s
Drive Your Man Crazy is the slogan of Boroplus.
My Bikes Bette Half is the slogan of Castrol.
Sometimes comparative phrases are also used in advertising slogans.

Let’s Make Thing Better.
You Think It , We Give It
Some Slogans are catchy as they have been constructed in musical and
poetic manner.
‘Think Smart Before You Start’
‘I have got shine that lasts and lasts’ – advertise of Sunsilk Shampoo
by Priyanka Chopra
Logo-
A logo is a picture or drawing that is used by person, group or company to
mark who they are. It is words or symbols of brand. A good logo shows that what
a company does and what the brand value. It identifies key information about
your business. It serves to represent a given organization or company through a
visual image that can be easily understood and recognized. According to Writing Advertising
Wikipedia, ‘A logo is a graphic mark, emblem, or symbol used to aid and Copy 87
Compulsory English-II promotes public identification and recognition. It may be of an abstract or
figurative design or include the text of the name it represents as in a word mark’.
Following are some examples of logo-
NOTES
8.2.3 Language of Advertisement

Language is a powerful tool of advertising. English is an international
language and its use in advertisement has become a familiar matter. The effective
use of English in advertising is a remarkable way to bring a great success to
business organization. Therefore, in advertisement you have to use emotive
words which may be apprehending the attention of consumers. You have to use
various kinds of attractive language devices. You have to well acquaint with
certain characteristics of language of advertisement to make use of effective
language in advertising. Following are some of the characteristics of language
of advertisement:
1) Simple and informal words are used in advertisement which helps to
create informality between the product and consumer.
e.g. 1) ‘I couldn’t Believe it, Until I tried It’
2) ‘I am Impressed, I am really Impressed’
3) I Love It
These are expressions used in advertisement of Microwave Oven.
2) Misspellings and Coinage – Copy writer uses some words with
misspell to attract the attention of the reader. Sometimes he coins new
words by adding prefixes or suffixes. It is innovative use of words.
e.g. ‘Give a Timex to All, and to all a Good time’
The word ‘Timex’ is made from two words time and excellence. Good
time represent pleasant time or showing time.
Writing Advertising Misspell- Copywriter purposefully writes misspelling of the words.

88 Copy
e.g. ‘Hi-fi, Hi-Fun, Hi-fashion, - only from Sony’ Compulsory English-II
This is an advertise of Sony Audio. Hi-fi means High Fine Quality,
High fun means High Fun and Hi-fashion means High Fashion
NOTES
3) Loanwords- Advertiser borrows the words from other foreign or
regional language to create artistic effect on the reader.
French or Spanish words are used for wine, food cosmetics, clothing.
Romantic atmosphere is created in the advertisement of Perfume.
4) Frequent use of Verbs - Verbs is essential element of sentences. The
use of verb forms implies a universal timelessness.
Try, ask, get, take, let, send for, use, call, make, come on, hurry, see,
give, remember, discover, come, serve, introduce choose, look for etc.
are the twenty common verbs are used in advertisement.
e.g. Give him / her an ………
Discover the smoothness………
Introduce your family ……
Make ….. your toothpaste
5) Use of Adjectives - Adjectives are used to describe the striking features
or the products. It is used to promote a product. Comparative degree
and superlative degree of the adjective is also used in advertisement.
Following are some of the most widely used adjectives –
New, crisp, good, better, best, fine, free, big, fresh, great, delicious,
real, full, sure, easy, bright, clean, extra, safe, special, rich etc.
e.g. ‘What’s on the best seller list in IBM personal computer
Software?’
this is an advertisement for IBM, computer Software company.
6) Frequent use of Compound words – Advertiser uses the compound
words which are made by using two words.
Fresh-tasting Milk, Nature-fresh, Top-quality bulbs etc. are the
examples of compound words.
e.g. ‘Kodak single-use cameras take pictures where you wouldn’t
normally take your Camera’.
7) Use of International Language- English is an international language
and it is frequently used in advertisement for wider reach. Health
Products, LIC, tourism Schemes, International Educational Institutions
etc. uses English language for advertisement.
8) Use of National Language – Hindi is national language and it used in
advertising in India.
Writing Advertising
e.g. Desh ki Dhadkan – advertisement slogan by Hero Honda.
Copy 89
Compulsory English-II 9) Regional, Local and colloquial Language – Copy writer uses regional
languages to promote the sale of product. It will help the common
people to understand the product easily and persuade them to buy the
NOTES product. Every state in India has different languages and also some
local and colloquial languages. Advertiser has to use it for local
market.
10) Code Switching – Code switching is the syntactically and
phonologically appropriate use of multiple varieties. Code switching
occurs between sentences or within single sentences. Code switching
is a bilingual mode of communication characterized by frequent shifts
from one language to other throughout the flow of natural
conversation. Here regional language is written using English
alphabets.
e.g. Maggie Noodles – ‘Swad Bhi Health Bhi’
Nirma Washing Powder- Doodh jaise Safedi Ke liye – Nirma Washing
Powder
11) Code Mixing – Code mixing is the use of two languages at the same
time or change of language at the same time.
e.g. Coco Cola – ‘Thanda Matlab Coco Cola’
Vicco Turmeric - Vicco Turmeric, Nahi Cosmetic; Vicco Turmeric
Ayurvedic Cream
Code Switching and code mixing between English and Indian
languages has become a common advertising strategy in India. Indian
languages are open and borrow words from other languages, including
non-Indian languages, and we now see a similar trend in English
advertisement in India.
12) Grammatical Errors - Copy writer purposefully uses misspelling or
wrong sentence construction to create artistic effect and attract the
attention of Consumer.
e.g. Xtra instead of Extra
i instead I
Wowwww instead of wow
13) Emotive Language – Emotive language persuades the consumers to
the product. It appeals to the emotion of the consumers, to their belief
and relationship. Copy writer considering age group appeals to the
human emotion and introduces heart of baby, child caring mother, God
fearing religious group, health caring parents, businessman, teenagers
etc. It uses emotionally charged words and these words appeal to
consumer’s emotions. Emotive language intends to manipulate the
reader or listener to adopt a certain feeling or to act as desired.
Writing Advertising
90 Copy e.g. ‘Boost is the secret of my energy’
14) Use of Figures of Speech – Advertise maker uses figures of speech Compulsory English-II
such personification, simile, hyperbole, metaphor, alliteration,
assonance etc. Expressions in advertisement are laden with figurative
or rhetorical devices. It means they suggest multiple layers of NOTES
meanings. These devices are departure from ordinary forms of
expression in order to produce a greater effect.
e.g. ‘Breakfast without orange juice is like a day without sunshine.’
‘No other pain relieving gel works like Deep Relief’
15) Use of Short and Catchy Sentences – The short sentences are often
used for the headline or slogan to capture the attention of the consumer.
Catchy words and phrases are also used to arrest the attention of the
reader.
e.g. ‘Coke adds life’
An Idea can change your life
8.2.4 Devices used for Advertisement

Copy writer uses language artistically to make desired effects. Apart from
using creative language, he also uses some devices of language for making
advertisement of particular product.
1) Repetition- Repletion is a rhetorical device. Some words or phrases
particularly the name of product is repeated to focus the product. It
keep the attention of reader on product advertised.
e.g. Vicco Turmeric, Nahi Cosmetic; Vicco Turmeric Ayurvedic
Cream
2) Complete sentences- Assertive/ affirmative- the advertising language
uses complete sentences to focuses on drawing attention of readers
with high readability and try its best to be clear at a glance, rendering
deep impression.
e.g. Boost is the Secret of my Energy.
3) Imperative Sentences- Imperative sentence can meet the demands
with the effect of asking for, call for and persuade somebody to do
something. In the conversation of the advertisement imperatives are
used.
e.g. Use this new wonder product….
Come to our showroom ..
Introduce your family……
4) If Clauses- If clause is used for emotional appeal in advertisement.
e.g. If you love your wife…….
Writing Advertising
If you care for your child …….
Copy 91
Compulsory English-II 5) Monologues and Dialogues- Monologue means speaking with self
and dialogue means conversation between two people. Monologues
and dialogues are used in the advertisement to share the experiences
NOTES about the product. The advertisement on radio and television make use
of these types of techniques. There is single participant in monologue
and in dialogue there are two or more persons who share their
experiences about the product. Monologue can appeal the customers
very effectively.
e.g. The conversation between mother and child
Mother – Pappu, No Chockelate. It will spoil your teeth.
Child – But Mummy, isn’t Pepsodent fighting germs Dhishum,
Dhishum the whole night
6) Humour – Copy writer uses humour to make the advertising
interesting. It creates funny atmosphere in advertisement to pay more
attention of the customers and make them to buy the products.
e.g. Utterly butterly delicious
8.3 SUMMARY
Writing an advertisement is creative activity. You have to be imaginative

and creative in using the language for advertising copy. The words and language
used in advertise should attract the attention of the reader. Copy writer can
deviates the rules of language by changing spelling and also sentence
construction for creative purpose. Advertise should appeal the sensibility or
emotion of the consumer and persuade them to buy the product or think about
the product advertised.
You have to read the different types of advertisements which appear in
newspaper such as Indian Express, Times of India, The Hindu and some other
regional newspapers. After reading this advertisements try to understand the
language used in advertising, its presentation and effectiveness of advertisement.
You can also try to make some advertise of soaps, Travel Company, mobiles,
computer institute, etc. for practice. Then you will understand the role of
copywriter as the mediator between producer and consumer.
8.4 SUGGESTIONS FOR WRITING ADVERTISE COPY
• Your advertisement should appeal to the consumer’s interest and

challenge his needs. Copy writing can also take benefit of emotional
qualities of the product. He should know the instant needs of the buyers.
Writing Advertising Every advertisement should appeal to individual and society to buy the
92 Copy
products. Challenge, proud, free, healthy, smooth, nature fresh, loving, Compulsory English-II
darling, strong etc. these words are useful for making emotional appeal.
• You can also use interjection words such as oh!, Ouch! Ahh! etc. in
advertisement to make emotional appeal. NOTES
• The words ‘new’ and ‘free’ are the magical words in advertisement. They
are constantly used in different advertisement. Consumers attract towards
the product which are offering discount or something free. Even they
ready to purchase new things having more qualities.
• Copywriting should be brief and precise considering the space of
advertisement in newspaper or magazine and television. Newspaper or
magazine charges your advertisement as per word count and space in
centimeter. In Television it is charged as per seconds. So the copy writer
must be smart to give only important details of the product. You can also
make survey of the effectiveness of the advertisement.
• Copy writer can use abbreviations considering the space of
advertisement. For example BHK is used for Bedroom Hall Kitchen, @
is used for at, Life@ is used for Life at, Opp is used for Opposite, Nr is
used for Near etc.
8.5 EXERCISE
1) Write an advertisement copy for a Washing Machine and describe its

features with the use of various adjectives.
2) Write advertisement for an imaginary product Mobile using essential
verb phrases to make appeal to the buyers.
3) Draft an advertisement for new electronic gadgets with using
adjectives.
4) Imagine a brand name for the product. Make use of proper Headline
or a Slogan. Use catchy phrases and emotive words to describe it.
5) Draft the advertisement of Toothpaste using the essential words and
sentences.
6) Form an advertisement on the product of Electronic Two Wheeler by
describing its features.
7) Write an advertisement copy for a mobile phone and describe its
features.
8) Draft an advertisement on the product of Water Purifier and give a
suitable caption of your own.
9) Prepare an advertisement for the product of Cell Phone to be sent to
the print media. Writing Advertising
Copy 93
Compulsory English-II 10) Imagine a brand name for the product. Make use of a proper Headline
or a Slogan. Use catchy phrase and create a body copy showing the
important features of the product.
NOTES
• Copywriting: Successful writing for design, Advertising and Marketing

by Mark Shaw
• Copywriting 101: The Fundamental Guide to writing Compelling Copy
That sells Your Product, Service, or Idea by Copy blogger Media
• Choice Words for Local Marketers- How to Use Content Marketing to
Generate Revenue by Susan Anderson
• The Idea Writers: Copywriting in a New Media and Marketing Era by
Teressa Lezzi
• Breakthrough Copywriting: How To Generate Quick Cash With The
Written Word by David Garfinkel
*****
Writing Advertising
94 Copy

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CONTENTS

Unit Contents Page No.

1 ALEXANDER FLEMING 1-12

4 MOTHER TERESA 37-46

5 MARTIN LUTHER KING 47-60

6 SRIKANTHA BABU 61-69

7 ESSAY WRITING 71-81

8 WRITING ADVERTISEMENT COPY 82-94

After completing study of this unit, you will

TEXT - ALEXANDER FLEMING

1.3 GLOSSARY AND NOTES

1.5 CHECK YOUR PROGRESS/ SELF-ASSESSMENT

1.5. 1 Check your progress

B) Answer the following questions in one word/phrase/ sentence.

1.5.2 Answer to check your progress

A. Answer the following questions in 150 words in each.

2. Alexander Fleming’s experiment to discover penicillin

B. Answer the following questions in 100 words in each.

1.7 REFERENCE FOR FURTHER STUDY

• Portraits in Prose : An Anthology of Biographical Sketches by S

After studying this Unit, students will be able to:

Hallam Tennyson (1852-1928) was a Journalist, author and Governor

2.3 GLOSSARY AND NOTES

trudging : walking with slow , heavy steps

The present essay is a description of Hallam Tennyson’s journey in India

2.5 CHECK YOUR PROGRESS/ SELF-ASSESSMENT

2.5.1 Check your progress

2. ….. started Bhoodan Movement (Land gift Mission).

3. Bhoodan Movement started in ……..

4. Vinoba has taught himself no less than ……… languages.

5. Vinoba Bhave was influenced by the works and philosophy of …

2.5.2 Answer to check your progress

A. Answer the following questions in 150 words in each.

2. Vinoba’s daily routine in Bhoodan Movement

B. Answer the following questions in 100 words in each.

2.7 REFERENCE FOR FURTHER STUDY

• Portraits in Prose : An Anthology of Biographical Sketches by S

After studying this unit, students will able to

3.3 GLOSSARY AND NOTES

3.5.1 Check your progress

2. The name of Pandit Nehru’s autobiography is…..

3. Kamala died in ………..

5. The ashes of Kamala were poured in the river of …….

B) Answer the following questions in one word/phrase/ sentence.

3.5.2 Answer to check your progress

A. Answer the following questions in 150 words in each.

B. Answer the following questions in 100 words in each.

3.7 REFERENCE FOR FURTHER STUDY

• Portraits in Prose : An Anthology of Biographical Sketches by S

After studying this Unit, students will be able to:

TEXT – MOTHER TERESA

4.3 GLOSSARY AND NOTES

hovels : small, dirty houses rather unfit to live in

Mother Teresa was born as Anges Gonxha Bojaxihu in Yugoslavia on 26th

4.5 CHECK YOUR PROGRESS/ SELF-ASSESSMENT

4.5.1 Check your progress

A) Rewrite the following sentences choosing correct alternatives.

2. Mother Teresa founded Missionaries of Charity, the Catholic Order in

3. Mother Teresa was born at ……..

4. Where does the organization Nirmal Hriday (Pure Heart) located?

B) Answer the following questions in one word/phrase/

A. Answer the following questions in 150 words in each.