Speech Writing

SPEECH WRITING 

Format

• A speech does not require a strict format or fixed style.
• No need of a headline/caption. If you wish, you can begin with the question number.

Style

Begin with a pleasant address.

• Good morning, ladies and gentlemen.
• Respected Principal, teachers and dear friends.

A self-introduction is very common.

• “I am Martin Mow from class XI B and I feel honored to be given an opportunity to speak about global warming…”

Follow the FCCS method. FCCS stands for facts, causes, consequences and solutions. To know more about FCCS, read Introduction to Writing.

• Keep on asking questions and choosing YOU to address the audience.
• Attract the audience with lively jokes, quotes, news, songs, etc.
• Convince the audience with facts – real or fictitious.

Conclusion

• Conclude by leaving a message.
• End with a word of thanks.

Board Exams are Returning – Will it do Good?

Good morning, teachers and dear friends. May I call your attention to the latest news from the education board. You all know that the CBSE has decided to bring class X board exams back to schools. That means, all students who are in the class IX will have to appear for their class X board exams! That once more means, the tension is going to rise and brains are going to burn two years earlier! Dear friends, what do you think of this? Will it do us good? My personal opinion is, however, it will really do us great good. You must be wondering why I tend to support a decision of the government that is meant to worsen our schooling but let me explain. Board examination will empower us to be prepared better. If we once go through the trials and tensions of the class X board exams, it will give us an opportunity to know the process of board exams. It will add to our experience. So, I would once again say that the return of class X exam is a great opportunity for all of us. Let’s welcome this decision of the Government.

Reality Vs Virtual Reality

Sandra Paulo in her bestseller novel gave a message to the humanity, “Mom, I am sending you a pack of my best love and care online. Kindly click the button below and it will start downloading. It cost $4000 so save it carefully.”

It is getting critical! The life we live is not real, the movies we watch are far from real, the people we interact with are fake, the theories that we believe are under transition, the Gods that we believe are not proved, the ambitions that we live for are mere copies of other people who had lived and died.

The real drama that we saw on the village makeshift stages has been killed by the endless mega serials, the real hugging and meeting that we had some twenty years ago has been killed by facebook. Once we used to share vegetables and food with our neighbors but now we share great messages and the shots of our newly bought cars on the net. What a life!

We are proud of owning an iphone 5 or six or 7. It has been rumored that mobile companies are coming up with android apps that can think for us, make plans for us and scold us in case we failed to do a task. What a life is that?

Do not love a life that is unreal. Remember, we have just become slaves of the clock. We have become the cogwheels of a machine and run here and there and call it life. Friends, apart from the hands of the clock, time is no reality. We are born and we die at the same time. If we can remember this, let’s stop being unreal, let’s stop living an unreal life and let’s forever stop believing fake promises.

The earth under our feet is real, people we meet are real, the hard work we do is real, the plants and trees that grow in the yard are real, the sweat and blood is real. Trust them and love them. As Rudyard Kipling said, “If you can still keep running the uncompromising sixty seconds of a minute, you are a man! Let’s embark to the real life that our ancestors lived at a time when cell phones and computers had not have any sway on their life. If we can, we will live, the generations to come will live and this earth will be here, for long. Thanks.

Debate Writing

The most important thing is, debate is an argument with facts known and unknown to the other speakers and the audience. If the speaker doesn’t have deep knowledge of topic, there are chances of defeat. To overcome such a possible disaster, we have prepared this page with samples and “facts” for some very possible themes. Hope you will enjoy.

Debate is a battle with words, facts, lies  and a little imagination. A debate should have the following contents:

Steps

• Make the right choice. Your choice matters.
• Gather all the facts that you know.
• Work your imagination and information and guess.

What are the ingredients of a debate?

1. Only facts that includes survey reports and recent news stories.
2. Estimates by experts and your own predictions.
3. Give more answers than raising questions.
4. Answering the previous speakers.

Content

• Only facts work here so you should know what you are speaking about.
• Lay out stats/survey reports/new reports.
• Facts but unknown to the audience will do magic. Out of three facts, one can be your imagination.

Style

• Speak authentically.
• Persuade the listeners. Like, “Which child today doesn’t know how catastrophic, how dangerous, how destructive over population is!” (In fact many people are not aware of it but we make them feel so)

Tone

• Sarcasm – “We the human beings have pushed the wildlife out of our land and closed the rest of them in zoological parks and zoos. What a great achievements!”
• Direct attack – “We are the only species that attend schools and add degrees but it is too shameful that no animal has, no reptile has, not a bird has caused environmental destruction or ozone layer depletetion.”

Smartness

• Well, there are times when we happen to know nothing about a subject. What to do then? Yes, blend facts with a little imagination. Not a bid deal.
• If your opponent had spoken much smarter, make sure you have said much more.

Closing

• Close the debate by expressions like – “We never knew how things stood but here it is evident.” “I believe I didn’t hurt my opponents.”

Format

Like speech, a debate goes without a definite format.

• Begin like a speech. Address the audience.
• Do not fail to acknowledge the previous speaker/s.
• Once having brought your audience and the opponents alike that you are speaking in favor of your opponent’s vies, start striking back.
• Attack with credible points, facts and fictions.
• Add sarcasm.
• Try to figure out the weakness of the opponents’ arguments.
• End humbly, not triumphantly, leaving it to the audience to judge.

Sample 1

Motion – Indian Education System has been able to generate skilled workers but not an educated society.

May I invoke you, honorable judges and all the respected participants to the motion we are debating today – Has Indian education been able to achieve the primary aim of education? The primary aim of education is not jobs, it is not money, it is not technological developments, it is not popularity and fame. In a word, the primary aim achieved by education is cultural and social growth. Sadly enough, with an unmentionable education index of 135, shamefully below many countries ravaged by terrorism and economic disasters, India has found itself placed among the most poorly educated nations of the world.

Laying the facts bare on the table in front of all of you, India’s education has not been reaping the expected harvest. Apart from the fact that over 5% of Indian population is scattered across the globe as skilled laborers, the Indian mass has not learnt anything since the establishment of schools during the British rule. Ask around and you will find 95 out of hundred Indians who have no idea what global warming is, what gender equality is, what ozone layer is, what globalization is, what rainwater harvesting is, what solar energy is and what human rights are. Ask around and you will meet men and women who have never heard about the harmful effects of pesticides, about the air-pollutants, about Malala, about facebook, about the Kathua rape case and much more.

Everyone is ready to lecture upon the heroism of their political leaders, the miracles performed by their fake babas, the curses that each God is in charge of, the salary their sons are earning, the jewelry they are planning to buy for their daughter’s marriage.

Sample 2

Question – Write a  debate in favor of the motion “online smart classes are the future education style.”

Honorable judges and worthy listeners

If you are so old minded and dare to think that computers will be distracting children from studies, with a sincere sorry for you, let me tell you that the young generation has gone a long way with computers!

When most parents think of learning from computers, socializing websites like facebook appear before their eyes. It is the biggest cyber tragedy. There are definitely a large number of sites beyond the just facebook. I am not here to debate if these social networking sites are doing good or bad – certainly they do both – but I am here to talk about the endless possibilities of computer and internet based teaching method.

Khan’s academy, Baiju’s teaching app, learn-next, meritnation, good-reads… the list of online teaching platforms is endless and ever growing. There are millions of students and teachers who use these websites and apps for their exam-preparation. They are mostly free is what makes one turn away from traditional paper-guides. With a smartphone in every hand, city and village alike, these online libraries are within everyone’s reach. Google has already replaced the word Guru because this guru gives us knowledge.

With seven hundred billion population and six hundred trees, it is the need of the century to minimize the use of paper. In this context you can find no better solution than eLearning. Rather than living the life of a consumer, let’s be contributors. Instead of buying paper books, let’s buy eBooks. Instead of collecting a thousand books in our shelves, let’s convert our phones or computers a virtual library and learn.

Thank you.

Sample 3: 

Q. While everyone is still fighting for the emancipation of women and girls, the truth goes unnoticed – men and boys are the worst-hit victims; not women! Let’s first support the motion and then move on to counter it.

Supporting the Motion

Since the world was made and men and women were created, woman is always the victim. She cries while he shouts at her not to cry. She cries more and then he calms down. Don’t cry, sweetie, get ready let’s go for a movie, or let’s buy you a new necklace! She smiles. He smiles. Peace be upon Earth!

Respected judges and all the worthy participants speaking at this debate. You may already have judged me wrong. You must have named me a male chauvinist, incorrigible oppressor. Right? Call me the most dreadful names but after listening to my humble argument that men and boys are the true victims of gender discrimination.

No one would argue that he or she hasn’t traveled by buses or three-wheeler public autos. Suppose you are a man or a boy, traveling to the nearest metro station in such a public transport, majority of the passengers being women and girls. Suddenly one of the women, out of a misunderstanding, grudge or madness, cries out that you winked at her, you touched her body, you passed an obscene comment at her or took her photo from a wrong angle. The prejudiced society is so merciless that you will be brutally dealt with. Bystanders and other passengers will definitely execute your punishment publicly and there will be no one to argue for you.

Will this happen to a girl or a woman if she is similarly accused by a man or boy? Why is it so? Why are men too weak to stand up and prove his innocence? Time has in such a way changed that woman looks at every man as a criminal, an enemy or a potential rapist so she keeps a disproving eye on him all the time. Daughters dread to stay back home with their fathers. Are all fathers to be feared? There are as many bad men as there are bad woman but not all men are bad nor are all women bad. Media has polluted our minds in such a way that we are prejudiced about our brothers, our fathers, our husbands.

Dear sisters and mothers, I warn you, stop being prejudiced about men. Learn to trust them.

Thank you.

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<End>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Indigo by Louis Fischer

                                                https://www.epw.in/node/148644/pdf

 Read the above link for the History of Indigo Cultivation in India.                                                             

                                                              INTRODUCTION: 
Under the British rule, many farmers in the Champaran district of Bihar were forced to grow indigo in their lands, much to their dismay. To fight this, a money lender named Raj Kumar Shukla reached out to Gandhiji and requested him to come and help them.

As Gandhi wrote in his autobiography, he did not even know of Champaran before this. Nonetheless, he came down to this district on April 10 of 1917 with a band of lawyers, including Dr Rajendra Prasad, to fight it out with the British.

There had been the Indigo Riots in 1859-60, but this was a new struggle altogether.

Preparations began. Gandhi and his lawyers travelled across the district to different villages, meeting farmers and taking note of their sufferings and complaints against the forced indigo cultivation.

Ever since Gandhi arrived in Champaran, the British rulers started keeping a close eye on his moves. Finally, on April 15, he was given an ultimatum at Motihari by the commissioner to leave Champaran.

To that, Gandhi responded that he wouldn't leave, but was ready to bear "the penalty of civil disobedience".

It was apparent now that Gandhi would be taken to jail for this resistance. As a response, scores of Champaran tenants turned up in protest outside the jail, police stations and courts.

In the end, troubled by this unusual form of resistance that spilled no violence, the government was forced to let go of Gandhi.

"The country, thus, had its first direct object-lesson in Civil Disobedience," Gandhi wrote in his autobiography.

The struggle against forced indigo cultivation continued. Now, however, the possibility of Gandhi's arrest was more eminent. But he put together a plan, a chain of people who would take over the work if he, or anyone after him, was arrested. This way, the struggle would go on, with or without him.

The struggle went on, the civil disobedience continued. The protests and hunger strikes ultimately ended with the abolishing of the cultivation of Indigo, or as it was known then, the tinkathia system.

The landlords under the British government were made to sign an agreement that granted the farmers more control over what they wanted to grow on their own lands, among other benefits.

It was during this movement when Gandhi was first referred to as Bapu and Mahatma, or so goes the legend.

And that was the story of India's first civil disobedience movement, Champaran Satyagraha.

The chapter ‘Indigo’ pays a tribute to the leadership shown by Mahatma Gandhi to secure justice for oppressed people through convincing argumentation and negotiation. Gandhi had a magnetic attraction and great persuasive power. He could draw people of all classes to himself and make them partners in the freedom movement. Even ordinary people were inspired to make contribution to the freedom movement.

Gandhi emerges as a champion of the downtrodden and the oppressed. Rural uplift was his favourite programme. His knowledge of legal procedure and respect for law is also highlighted. He does not want to be a lawbreaker. At the same time he wants to render the humanitarian and national service in obedience to the higher law of our being, the voice of conscience. He also appears as a polite and friendly person. Gandhi’s ability to read the minds of others made them speechless. He believed in self-reliance, just cause and purity of means to achieve India’s Independence.


                                                                   SYNOPSIS 
The lesson highlights an important event in the history of India’s freedom struggle, namely the Champaran episode. Share croppers of indigo in Champaran were victims of injustice and exploitation by the British landlords. They demanded the whole of indigo harvest as rent and 15% of the land had indigo cultivation.  The resoluteness, patience, loyalty and sacrifice of an illiterate peasant named Rajkumar Shukla were outstanding in redeeming the miserable indigo farmers with the help of Gandhi whom he took to Champaran after Gandhi’s engagements were over up to Calcutta. The lawyers were charging heavy fees from the peasants to plead for them in courses against the British landlords.

When Gandhi asked them what they would do if he was arrested, they said honestly that they would go home. Gandhi then made the thought provoking and conscience-striking question, “What about the injustice to the sharecroppers?” after consultation among themselves, the lawyers said that they were ready to be arrested, and Gandhi prepared a list of pairs to court arrest.

In Champaran, Gandhi gathered more information about the sharecroppers’ issue. He met the Secretary of the British Landlord’s Association who refused to give any information citing the reason that Gandhi was an outsider. His visit to the British Official Commissioner of the Tirhut division also proved futile as he bullied Gandhi and ordered him to leave Tirhut forthwith. When he heard about the maltreatment of a peasant in a nearby village, Gandhi went there on elephant back. The messenger of the police superintendent ordered him to return to town, Gandhi complied, but when served an official notice to quite Champaran, he disobeyed.

He sought the help of Rajendra Prasad and other influential people before appearing in court the next day by a summons. When Gandhi reached Motihari, the capital of Champaran, the place was crowded with peasants. The officials realized that their might, hitherto dreaded and unquestioned was being challenged for the first time. Gandhi was polite, friendly and cooperative in regulating the crowd. Gandhi declared that he was being faced with a “conflict of duties” – on the one hand by disobeying the law he was setting a bad example and on the other he was compelled to listen to the “voice of conscience”. The judge was forced to delay the proceedings and finally the Lieutenant-General of the province dropped the case. He had four interviews with the Lieutenant-General, the landlords and government officials. When the planters saw the mountain of evidence of injustice against them, they agreed to pay compensation to the peasants.

Some wanted 100% repayment, others 50% and finally Gandhi accepted a 25% refund because of the fact that the landlords were obliged to surrender part of their money and with it their prestige. The peasants realized that they had courage, rights and defenders. The land was returned to the farmers.

The invention of synthetic indigo in Germany had made the landlords do this and they had earlier wanted compensation from the sharecroppers for releasing them from the sharecropping agreement.

Kasturba Gandhi and Devdas Gandhi, Gandhi’s youngest son arrived in Champaran to teach ashram rules on personal cleanliness and community sanitation. Three medicines were available – castor oil, quinine and sulphur ointment. Latrine trenches were filled and new ones dug, as part of sanitation. Finally Gandhi turned down C.F. Andrews’ offer of mediation with the British reassuring that ‘our cause is just and we must rely upon ourselves to win the battle and should not seek a prop in an Englishman.

Lessons from the Champaran episode 
a. Self-reliance
b. Success of mass civil-disobedience
c. Resoluteness succeeds in a noble cause.
d. Injustice and exploitation cannot last for long.
e. In dire needs, a redeemer is found / appears.

Important Questions

1. Why did Gandhi consider the Champaran episode a turning point his life?
2. What made Gandhi comment / exclaim, “The battle of Champaran is won”?
3. Explain Gandhi’s “conflict of duties”.
4. Give a character sketch of Rajkumar Shukla. 

Q1. What solution to the problems of the poor did Gandhi suggest? How far did the Champaran movement help in this direction?

                                                                       OR
“The real relief for them is to be free from fear”, remarked Gandhi. What do you think, was “the beginning of their liberation from the fear of the British” ?

The sharecropper peasants had to grow indigo on 15 per cent of their holdings and surrender the indigo harvest as rent to the landlord. When Germany developed synthetic indigo, the British planters started extracting money illegally and deceitfully as compensation from the peasants for being released from the 15 per cent arrangement. The peasants were made to sign new agreements and pay money. The planters behaved as lords above the law. Many peasants engaged lawyers at hefty fees and went to courts.

The Muzaffarpur lawyers briefed Gandhi about the peasants for whom they frequently represented in courts. Gandhi realised that these peasants were badly crushed and fear- stricken. Freedom from fear was more important than legal justice for them. Gandhiji was ready to court arrest for them. Thousands of peasants demonstrated spontaneously around the court. The government had to release Gandhi without bail. This voluntary uprising of the peasants marked the beginning of their liberation from the fear of the British.

Q2. Give an account of Gandhi’s efforts to secure justice for the poor indigo sharecroppers of Champaran.

                                                                       OR
“Indigo sharecropping disappeared.” Which factors do you think, helped to achieve freedom for the fear-stricken peasants of Champaran?

Gandhi went to Champaran on receiving reports of exploitation of the poor sharecropper peasants at the hands of British planters. He began by trying to get the facts. The British landlords as well as the Commissioner of Tirhut were non-cooperative. Lawyers from MuZaffarpur briefed him about the court cases of these peasants.

Gandhi and the lawyers collected depositions by about ten thousand peasants. Notes were made on other evidence. Documents were collected. The whole area throbbed with the activities of the investigators and forceful protests of landlords.

The lieutenant governor summoned Gandhi. After four protracted interviews an official commission of inquiry was appointed to look into the indigo sharecroppers’ condition. Gandhi was the sole representative of the peasants. The official inquiry assembled huge quantity of evidence against the big planters. They agreed, in principle, to make refunds to the peasants. After consultation, a settlement of 25 per cent refund to the farmers was agreed on. This was a moral victory of the peasants. They recognised their rights and learned courage.

Within a few years the British planters gave up their estates. These now went back to the peasants. They became the masters of land. Thus, indigo sharecropping disappeared.

Q3. ‘Civil disobedience had triumphed, the first time in modern India.’Relate the events during Gandhi’s stay in Champaran that led to the triumph.
Ans. Gandhi had reached Motihari, the Capital of Champaran, to study the problems of the sharecropper peasants. He was on his way to a neighbouring village, where a peasant was ill-treated. On the way, he was stopped by the police superintendent’s messenger and ordered to return to town. When he reached home, he was served with an official notice to quit Champaran at once. Gandhi wrote on the receipt that he would disobey the order. So Gandhi received a summons to appear in the court the next day.

Next morning the town of Motihari was black with peasants. Thousands of peasants demonstrated voluntarily outside the court. The prosecutor requested the judge to postpone the trial. Gandhi protested against the delay. He read out a statement pleading guilty. He asked the penalty. The judge announced that he would pronounce the sentence after a two-hour recess. He asked Gandhi to furnish bail for that period. Gandhi refused. The judge released him without bail. After the recess, the judge said that he would not deliver the judgement for several days. Meanwhile he allowed Gandhi to remain at liberty.
Several days later Gandhi received a letter. The case against him had been dropped. Thus, civil disobedience had triumphed, for the first time in India.

Q4. Give an account of Gandhi’s efforts to secure justice for the poor indigo sharecroppers of Champaran.

                                                                   OR
“Indigo sharecropping disappeared.” Which factors do you think, helped to achieve freedom for the fear-stricken peasants of Champaran?

Ans. Gandhi went to Champaran on receiving reports of exploitation of the poor sharecropper peasants at the hands of British planters. He began by trying to get the facts. The British landlords as well as the Commissioner of Tirhut were non-cooperative. Lawyers from MuZaffarpur briefed him about the court cases of these peasants.

Gandhi and the lawyers collected depositions by about ten thousand peasants. Notes were made on other evidence. Documents were collected. The whole area throbbed with the activities of the investigators and forceful protests of landlords.

The lieutenant governor summoned Gandhi. After four protracted interviews an official commission of inquiry was appointed to look into the indigo sharecroppers’ condition. Gandhi was the sole representative of the peasants. The official inquiry assembled huge quantity of evidence against the big planters. They agreed, in principle, to make refunds to the peasants. After consultation, a settlement of 25 per cent refund to the farmers was agreed on. This was a moral victory of the peasants. They recognised their rights and learned courage.

Within a few years the British planters gave up their estates. These now went back to the peasants. They became the masters of land. Thus, indigo sharecropping disappeared.

Q5. How did Gandhi work for rural uplift during his stay in Champaran?

Ans. Gandhi wanted to do something to remove the cultural and social backwardness in Champaran villages. He appealed for teachers. Two young disciples of Gandhi, Mahadev Desai and Narhari Parikh and their wives volunteered themselves for work. Several others responded from distant parts of the country. Mrs. Kasturba Gandhi and Devdas, Gandhi’s youngest son, arrived from the Ashram. Primary schools were opened in six villages. Kasturba taught the ashram rules on personal cleanliness and community cleanliness. She also talked to women about their filthy clothes.

Health conditions were miserable. Gandhi got a doctor to volunteer his services for six months. Only three medicines were available: Castor oil, quinine and sulphur ointment. Anyone who showed a coated tongue was given a dose of castor oil; anybody with malaria fever received quinine plus castor oil; anybody with skin eruptions received ointment plus caster oil.

Thus, Gandhi never contented himself with large political or economic solutions. He worked for total uplift of villages and the poor sections of the society.

Q6. ‘Self-reliance, Indian independence and help to sharecroppers were all bound together.’ Elucidate on the basis of reading ‘Indigo’ by Louis Fischer.
                                                                       OR
‘The Champaran episode was a turning-point in Gandhi’s life. Explain with examples from ‘Indigo’ by Louis Fischer.

Ans. Gandhi stayed in Champaran for a long time. The Champaran episode was a turning point in his life. It was during this struggle in 1917 that he decided to urge the departure of the British.

Champaran episode did not begin as an act of defiance. It grew out of an attempt to make the sufferings of large numbers of poor peasants less severe. Gandhi concentrated on their practical day to day problems. He analysed the root cause of the problem-fear, and tried to eradicate it. The voluntary demonstration of the poor peasants against the government for putting Gandhi in trouble was the beginning of the end of their fear of the British.

In everything Gandhi did, he tried to mould a new free Indian who could stand on his own feet and thus make India free. He taught his lawyer friends a lesson in self-reliance by opposing the involvement of C.F. Andrews, an Englishman in .their unequal fight. His help would be a prop. This would reflect their weakness. Their cause was just and they must rely on themselves to win the battle. Thus self-reliance, Indian independence and help to sharecroppers were all bound together.

Q7. Justify the appropriateness of the title ‘Indigo’ to this extract.

Ans. The title ‘Indigo’ is quite appropriate, to the point and suggestive. It at once focuses our * attention on the central issue-the exploitation of the indigo sharecropper peasants at the hands of cruel British planters. They compelled them through a long term agreement to raise indigo on 15 per cent of their landholding and surrender the entire indigo harvest as rent.

After the development of synthetic indigo by Germany, the British planters extracted money from the peasants as compensation for being released from the 15 per cent agreement. The peasants who wanted their money back had filed civil suits. The planters who behaved as lords above the law and were dreaded by the poor were obliged to surrender part of money and with it part of their prestige.

The extract also points out the work done by Gandhi and his associates to improve the economic, political, cultural and social fife of the indigo sharecroppers. Their education, health and hygiene also received due attention. The plight of indigo sharecroppers, then- struggle under Gandhi’s leadership and ultimate victory when Indigo sharecropping disappeared from important landmarks. Thus, the title ‘Indigo’ is highly suggestive and apt.

                                                                                                                                      to be continued..

Diwali Assignment

Dear students,

Complete all the following questions in A4  page and submit me on 20th November.


1. ‘‘Academic excellence is the only requirement for a successful career.’’ Write a debate either for or against the motion. (120 – 150 words)                                                                                            10
                                                                         
 2. MMD School, Nashik, recently organised a science symposium on the  topic : ‘Effect of pollution on quality of life’. You are Amit/Amita Raazdan, editor of the school magazine. Write a report on the event for your school magazine. (120 – 150 words)

3. You are Neeraj/Neeraja Shekhar, Principal, Vasant Public School, Pune. Your school has just started a music department. Write a letter to the  Manager of Melody House, Pune, wholesale suppliers of musical instruments, placing an order for musical instruments for the school. Ask  for a discount on the catalogue prices. (120 – 150 words)                                                                            6
                                                                         
4. Bal Vidya Public School, Bhilai, urgently requires a post-graduate teacher  to teach political science for which they have placed an advertisement in The Bhilai Express. You are Sanjay/Sanjana Sharma from 21, Vasant  Marg, Bhilai. Draft a letter including a CV, applying for the advertised
post. (120 – 150 words)

5. Recent floods in many metropolitan cities of the country during the  monsoon season laid bare the hollowness of the claims of the civic authorities of their preparedness. The poor had to bear the brunt of the  problem while no one was ever held accountable. Write an article in   150 – 200 words on the common man’s woes during the monsoons and the  need for accountability of the officials concerned. You are Sumit/Smita Verma.                                                                                                          10
                                                                       
  6. You are Ali/Alia, Head girl / Head boy of your school. You are deeply  disturbed by the rising cases of aggressive behaviour of students in your  school. You decide to speak during the morning assembly about it. Write a  speech on ‘Indiscipline in Schools’. (150 – 200 words) 

Lost Spring by Anees Jung

              NCERT QUESTIONS WITH ANSWERS ARE AFTER TEXT INTERPRETATION 

                                                       LOST SPRING

Points to Remember

Saheb-e-Alam

•  Name means – lord of the universe
•  but earns living by rag-picking
•  lives in Seemapuri
•  works barefooted.
•  Living conditions in Seema Puri
•  On the outskirts of Delhi, yet miles away from it, home of 10,000
•  rag pickers.
•  make their living by rag-picking
•  food and survival more important than an identity
•  garbage to them is gold because it is a means of survival.

Mukesh

•   A bangle maker of Firozabad
•   works in high temperature
•  work place – small and dirty
•  Hazardous working conditions
•  dreams of being a motor mechanic.
•  Hazards of Working in Glass Bangle Factory
•  high temperature.
•  long working hours in front of hot furnace
•  boys and girls assist parents in the dim light of flickering oil lamps.
•  eyes more adjusted to dark than light.
•  dust from polishing bangles affect their eyes
•  exploited by money lenders, police, bureaucrats, politicians.
•  fear of being ill-treated by police.
•  live in a state of intense poverty.
•  live in stinky lanes
•  over crowded place with humans and aminals.

        NCERT TEXT QUESTIONS WITH ANSWERS 

Think As you Read   (Page No: 17)

1. What is Saheb looking for in the garbage dumps? Where is he and where has he come from?

Answer

Saheb is looking for coins and rupee note in the garbage dumps. Sometimes he finds a rupee, even a ten rupee note or a silve coin. There is always hope of finding more. He is in Seemapuri. Saheb has come from Bangladesh. He came with his mother in 1971. His house was set amidst the green

fields of Dhaka. Storms swept away their fields and homes. So they left it. 

2. What explanations does the author offer for the children not wearing footwear?

Answer

The author comes across many shoeless rag-picker children in her neighbourhood. According to her, one explanation of this habit of remaining barefoot is that it is a tradition among the poor children of this country. However, the author quickly mentions that calling it a tradition could be just a means of

justification of the utter destitution.

3. Is Saheb happy working at the tea-stall? Explain.

Answer

No, Saheb is not happy working at the tea-stall. He is paid 800 rupees and all his meals but he has lost his freedom. His face has lost the carefree look. The steel canister seems heavier than his plastic bag. He is no longer his own master. He is as a servant at the tea-stall.

Page No: 20

1. What makes the city of Firozabad famous?

Answer

Firozabad is famous for its glass bangles. The place is the centre of India’s glass-blowing industry.

2. Mention the hazards of working in the glass bangles industry.

Answer

The bangle makers face many problems in the glass industry. They have to work in the dingy cells without air and light , in the high temperature of the furnace .The dust from polishing the bangles is injurious to eyes. They often lose their eyesight before they become adults. Their eyes are

more adjusted to the dark than to the light outside.

3. How is Mukesh’s attitude to his situation different from that  of his family?

Answer

Mukesh belongs to a poor family of bangle-makers. But his attitude is very different from his family. He wants to break the family tradition of bangle making. He is daring and determined. He has hopes and dreams. He wants to be a motor mechanic.

Understanding Text

1. What could be some of the reasons for the migration of people from villages to cities?

Answer

There are many factors that cause migration of people from villages to cities. Some villagers voluntarily move to the cities in search for jobs and better civic and health facilities, etc.

Others are forced to migrate when natural disasters like flood, storm, drought, famine, etc. destroy their houses and properties. History has records of large scale migrations caused by wars. Also, many villagers who are better off than others manage to send their children to study in the cities. In the lesson ‘Lost Spring’, Saheb and his family migrates to Seemapuri from Dhaka after their houses were destroyed in the storms.

2. Would you agree that promises made to poor children are rarely kept? Why do you think this happens in the incidents narrated in the text?

Answer

Yes, the promises made to poor children are rarely kept. Often, they are not taken seriously or have been made on the pretext of retaining a child’s fancy for something. This keeps the child hoping for a better possibility till he/she realizes the truth. It is difficult for people to shatter the children’s dreams; while it is also painful to see these children thrive of false hopes given to them.

Once, while interacting with Saheb, the narrator ends up encouraging him to study and jokingly talks about opening a school herself. At that time she fails to realize that unknowingly she has sown a seed of hope in Saheb’s heart. She becomes conscious of her mistake when, after a few days, Saheb approaches her, inquiring about her school. Her hollow promise leaves her embarrassed.

3. What forces conspire to keep the workers in the bangle industry of Firozabad in poverty?

Answer

The unfavourable social and legal systems, the deceptive middlemen, and their own sad destinies keep the workers in the bangle industry of Firozabad in perpetual poverty.

Talking about the Text

1. How, in your opinion, can Mukesh realise his dream?

Answer

Mukesh was different from the others of his community. By daring to dream, he has already taken the first step towards a big change. He wants to become a motor mechanic and drive a car. He can realise this dream with determination and hard work. There might be many obstacles on his way but a

strong willpower will help him move towards the way to success. The fact that he is willing to walk a long distance in order to learn the vocation, underlines his firm resolve. The only thing left for him to do is to make that first journey to that garage and request the owner to take him in and guide and direct him on his journey as a mechanic.

2. Mention the hazards of working in the glass bangles industry.

Answer

The impoverished workers in the glass bangles industry toil in potentially hazardous working conditions while welding. The furnaces they work in have extremely high temperature and lack proper ventilation. Persistently working in low light conditions, without any protective eye gear, leaves them blind. Even burns and cuts are quite common. The workers are quite prone to ailments such as lung cancer.

3. Why should child labour be eliminated and how?

Answer

Child labour should be eliminated because it takes away from the child his childhood and the prospect of elementary education. Moreover, since the child labourers are cheap, and consequently engaged in hazardous and dangerous employment, they are often vulnerable to mental and physical illness. In order to curb this problem, it is important to make education easily accessible. Apart from that, the parents must be made aware of the consequences of working in harmful environments. It is also important to make the public aware of the fact that child labour is a criminal offence and is punishable under law. The government must ensure stricter child labour laws and that the offenders are punished.

                                EXTRA QUESTIONS

SHORT ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS

1. What is the irony in the name "Saheb-e-Alam"?

Ans. 'Saheb-e-Alam' means the 'Lord of the Universe' but Saheb was oblivious of what it meant. Contrary to what his name represented, he roamed the streets with his friends, an army of barefooted boys scrounging in the garbage heaps to make both ends meet.

2. Why have the ragpickers settled in Seemapuri?

Ans. Several families like Saheb have been the victims of nature's fury. They left Dhaka after storms swept away their fields and houses and settled in seemapuri.

3. Is Saheb happy working at the tea stall? Explain.

Ans. Saheb is not happy working at the tea stall. Even though he is paid more and given his meals, but he is no longer his own master. The steel cansister seemed to be heavier than the plastic bag.

             

SHORT ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS

1. Garbage is gold for them. How?

2. What were the main problems faced by the bangle makers of

Firozabad?

3. Give a brief description of the factors responsible for their

miserable condition.

4. How do the ragpickers help their families?

5. How did the ragpickers settle in Seemapuri with no facilities?

6. How do young ragpickers support their parents?

7. Why was Saheb not happy with his new job?

8. Briefly describe the working conditions of the bangle making units

of Firozabad?

9. Why can't the bangle makers organise themselves into a cooperative?

            LONG-ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS

1. Explain the significance of the title 'Lost Spring".

Spring is the season of optimism and hope. It symbolises life.

But, unfortuntely, millions of children in our country waste their

childhood in ragpicking and other hazardous industries. The joys of childhood, the vibrance of spring is lost either in the garbage or in dingy cells with furnaces. The grinding poverty and traditions condemn these children to a life of exploitation. They see very little hope of escaping from their impoverished life of misery & deprivation.  Moreover, years of mind-numbing toil have killed all initiative and the ability to dream. They are entangled in a spiral that moves from poverty to apathy to greed and to injustice.

2. Explain the lesson 'Lost Spring" is a realistic portrayal of the lives of the street children.

3. Compare and contrast the characters of Saheb and Mukesh.

4. What was the main cause of miseries faced by the bangle makers?

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< END>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

The Last Lesson by Alphonse Daudet

THE LAST LESSON

The Last Lesson by Alphonse Daudet is a story (real) that presents how miserably the French people felt when their enemies banned French language in their schools. A short story for class 12, the Last Lesson makes us think of the importance of one’s own language.

Prussian troops conquered Alsace and Lorraine in the year 1870. They imposed new rules on the people. Today they banned French and introduced their language – German – in Alsace. All the French teachers have been ordered to quit their school. While people discussed their fate in silence, the French teacher was teaching his last class in his school. He was M Hamel. He had been teaching French for the last 40 years but he was not very dedicated. Nor were his students. With the ban imposed, both, the teacher and students realize their fault. They regret their laziness. They blame themselves.

Bit/Bits

A German coalition power called Prussia conquered two states of France – Alsace and Lorraine. /alsaas//lorein/ in the year 1870.

The new government imposed a number of regulations and bans on the people of these states.

A boy from Alsace is on his way to school. He is unwilling to school and scared of his teacher, M. Hamel. The boy’s name is Franz. Very lazy and very illiterate.

While passing the Town Hall, Franz sees so many French citizens overcrowded in front of the bulletin board (a huge notice board). They are reading the latest order from the Prussians, their enemies.

The order said:

No French school will hereafter teach French.

All French teachers are hereby ordered to leave the country.

Students should attend their schools and learn German as their language.

New teachers are already appointed.

Franz is illiterate so he cannot read the order. After halting for a while, Franz runs off to his school.

In the school Franz is told of the new order and of his teacher’s leaving the school.

Although never interested in learning, Franz for the first time, felt like blaming himself – for not having learnt his lessons.

He listened to M. Hamel’s last lecture. Wonder! He understood every word, every grammar, every rule.

The last class transformed his life and aptitude. He saw how important it is to be literate, how essential it is to love one’s mother tongue and how painful it is to be denied the right to learn one’s mother tongue!

Terms to Include in your Answers

M Hamel

Earlier – Rude, lazy, not dedicated

Change – Patient, patriotic, a deep love for French, not scolding, understanding Franz

Earlier – Lazy, not studious, wandering away from school, never cared about studies

Change – Suddenly started loving French, hated the Prussians, longed to study French Classroom

Earlier – Noisy, uncontrollable, chaotic, loud, no learning, no teaching.

Change – Calm, silent, greatly attentive

Prussians – Imposed new bans, marched everywhere, disregarded the freedom of the French people, barbaric, unfeeling, insensitive.

Ban – No more French, learn German instead, all French teachers leave the country.

The Alsace Public

Opening – Franz is going to School.

Two states of France, Alsace and Lorraine, were conquered by the Prussian troops in the beginning of the 1870 Franco-Prussian war. (The war lasted for only one year) The new government imposed rules and bans on the French people. The last of the bans was the ban on the learning and teaching of French.

The news of the ban was displayed on the bulletin board in front of the town hall. People crowded there to read the bulletin. They were very much shocked and sad. They had to accept the ban under great resentment. They saw how much they had loved their mother tongue. They saw how important their language was. They didn’t want to lose their language. They discussed their fate, shared their bitterness and felt helpless.

It was at this time Franz was rushing to his school. He was a student of the elementary school in Alsace run by Mister Hamel, the teacher who taught them French. He was, as usual, late. A blacksmith, Mr. Watcher, saw him dashing by. Watcher expressed his anger and helplessness at the ban on French by asking Franz not to go in such a hurry as there was no more French to be learnt. But Franz hurried on, because he didn’t understand what Mr. Watcher mean.


                                      TEXTBOOK QUESTIONS WITH ANSWERS 

Page No: 7
Think As you Read

1. What was Franz expected to be prepared with for school that day?
Answer
Franz was expected to be prepared with participles that day as Mr. Hamel had told the class that he would be taking a test on the topic that day.

2. What did Franz notice that was unusual about the school that day?
Answer
Usually when the school began there would be a lot of commotion. But that day everything was quiet and it appeared to be like a Sunday, but the students were at their places and Mr. Hamel was walking up and down with his terrible iron ruler under his arm.

3. What had been put up on the bulletin-board?
Answer
The bulletin-board notified the general public about an order from Berlin. It stated that only German was to be taught to students in the schools of Alsace and Lorraine.


Page No: 8

1. What changes did the order from Berlin cause in school that day?
Answer
The order from Berlin brought all the routine hustle-bustle of the school life to a stand-still. The teacher, M. Hamel, became more sympathetic to his students and taught his lessons with more patience. The students became more attentive in their classes. The villagers, who were sitting at
the usually empty back benches and had come to show their respect and gratitude to M. Hamel, regretted not going to school more than they did. The order also brought about a great change in the feelings of the people towards their country and their native language. There was a general sadness about not being able to utilise the opportunities of learning French when it was easily accessible.

2. How did Franz's feelings about M. Hamel and school change?

Answer

Franz was shocked when M. Hamel told the students about the order from Berlin and that it was their last French lesson. He forgot about his teacher’s ruler and crankiness. He developed a fondness for M. Hamel at the troubling idea of being separated from him forever. He understood the pain and agony his teacher was undergoing. And, he became more sympathetic towards his teacher. His school too, now, carried a different meaning. His books and lessons seemed old friends whom he couldn’t give up. He realised with pain how much French meant to him and regretted not being attentive in his classes earlier. Suddenly, he felt that the ‘difficult concepts’ had never actually been difficult.

Page No: 9

1. The people in this story suddenly realize how precious their language is to them. What shows you this? Why does this happen?
Answer
M. Hamel told the students and villagers that henceforth only German would be taught in the schools of Alsace and Lorraine. Those who called themselves Frenchmen would neither be able to speak nor write it. He praised French as the most beautiful, the clearest and most logical language in the world. He said that for the enslaved people, their language was the key to their prison. Then the people realised how precious their language was to them. This shows people's love for their own culture, traditions and country. Pride in one's language reflects pride in motherland.

2. Franz thinks, “Will they make them sing in German, even the pigeons ?” What could this means?
Answer

Alphonse Daudet’s ‘The Last Lesson’ very prominently raises the question of linguistic and cultural hegemony of the colonial and imperial powers and their lust for controlling the world and influencing their cultures and identities.This sentence could possibly mean that however hard the authorities try to embed German language in the culture of Alsace and Lorraine, the natural status of French, for them, will remain unchanged. French flows in the air and the entire place is imbued with its effect. Even though they train students in German, the basic mode of communication would remain unchanged like the cooing of the  Pigeons.  As it is next to impossible to alter the way pigeons sing, in the same way it is difficult for people to accept a language which is forcibly imposed on them. Adopting a new language causes pain and discomfort.

  

                                                             EXTRA  Questions & Answers

Q1. What did Watcher mean by saying Franz would get to his school in plenty of time?

Watcher, the blacksmith, meant it ironically. He meant there was no more French taught in the school as per the ban imposed by the Prussians and it would take a long time to get it back and therefore there was no need to hurry to his school.

Q2. What attracted Franz on his way to school?

Franz was attracted by the warm weather outside. The birds that chirped at the edge of the forest and the Prussian soldiers who were drilling also slowed down his interest to go to school.

Q3. Why was Franz late for school that day?

Franz was instinctively not interested in learning French language. That day he had to learn the rules of Participles and he was least prepared for that and was therefore afraid of his teacher, M. Hamel. Moreover, he was allured by the attractions on the way to school.

Q4. Why was Franz not able to understand if Mr. Wachter was teasing him or not?

Franz didn’t understand what Mr. Wachter meant by saying there was plenty of time for Franz to get to his school because he was illiterate and therefore didn’t understand the order published on the bulletin board.

Q5. What hidden message did Watcher’s advice to Franz contain?

Wachter’s advice for Franz hid a message for him. Having had no safe way to communicate to Franz and scared of working against the Prussian order, M Wachter was trying to tell him that there was no need to rush to his school as there was no French taught there anymore.

Q6. Describe the atmosphere of the school on usual days.

On usual days the school no longer looked like a school. The noises inside the school could be heard out in the street. Children were in a playful mood, opening and closing their desks and shouting their lessons in chorus. The teacher had to use his ruler to silence the class.

Next – At School

Once outside the school, Franz wondered at the silence around the school. It was never silent like this! Was it Sunday? He wondered. He waited for the noises from the school to get in without being noticed but there was not a sound. Finally he had to go in in front of all. To his amazement he was not punished for his late coming. M. Hamel, the cranky teacher, asked him to get in and regretted having begun the class without Franz. Franz took his seat.

Among others Franz noticed that the classroom was full and there were some old villagers sitting in the back benches. M. Hamel announced that it was their last French class as the Prussians had banned French in schools and introduced German instead. It was shocking news for Franz. Only then he understood why the people had been staring at the bulletin board. He too felt his love for French returning. He hated the Prussians for every reason. He began to love his teacher, classroom, books and lessons. He felt sorry for not learning his lessons, for postponing his study and for not realizing the greatness of his language.

                                                                   Questions & Answers

Q7. How did the classroom look different that last day? Whose presence was extraordinary?

For the first time in its existence, M. Hamel’s classroom looked like an ideal classroom. There was a deep silence in the class. No one spoke a word. All were sad. Besides, the presence of the villagers there was extraordinary.

Q8. Why was that class to be the Last Class?

Alsace was conquered by the Prussians and as a result a new order came from Berlin to ban teaching of French in the schools of Alsace. The order further said that all the French teachers like M. Hamel had to leave the territory within a day and therefore that class was to be the last class.

Q9. How had Franz’ books become ‘old friends for him?

Friends become sweeter when they depart from us. With the ban on French, his books were also going to separate from Franz and therefore they seemed to be old friends for him.

Q10. Franz related the extraordinary changes in the classroom to the ban on French that had been published on the bulletin board. How?

When Franz passed the bulletin board at the Town Hall, he didn’t know what was so curious about it. Later, when he reached his school there were changes and curiosity there too. Finally when he was told of the ban on French and of M. Hamel’s transfer, he connected the order on the bulletin board and the extraordinary changes in the classroom.

M. Hamel’s speech

Franz heard his teacher praising French, blaming French parents for not sending their children to school and children for not attending school. He also blamed himself for not being a committed teacher. M. Hamel said that language is very important for a nation because the unity of a nation mostly depended on its language and no aggression can make such a united nation its slave. There was complete silence in the class. Even the children made a sound. They were all sad. Franz heard pigeons cooing on the roof of the classroom and wondered if the Prussians wound impose a ban on their cooing-language the next day. He heard an old man, Hauser, reading lessons with the children. He too was crying.

Questions & Answers

What did M. Hamel mean by, ‘And now you see where we’ve come out!’

The people of Alsace were generally unwilling to learn their language. They left learning to another day and did all except that. Suddenly the ban on French was imposed by the Prussians and the people had no time left to learn their mother tongue.

How does M. Hamel blame the parents of his students?

The parents of his students were, in M. Hamel’s opinion, greedy for money. They considered learning less important than making a living. They used to send their children to work in the farms and mills to earn an extra amount of money.

How is a nation’s language important for its citizens beyond the mere use for communication?

Language is primarily important for communication. Besides, it has the amazing power to bind a nation together. Once a nation is thus united it can stand against all foreign aggression and safeguard its freedom. A nation that stands separated cannot stand against its enemy. Language is one of the most powerful elements that boosts the unity of a nation. If a nation has a single language it is said to be united and no aggression can conquer it.

The dead reaction to the beetles that flew into the classroom clearly said the children’s resentment to the ban on French. Explain.

In M. Hamel’s school beetles used to swarm in and children used to take that for fun, too. But that day there was an amazing change in the usual reactions to the beetles. Due to the shock and sadness caused by the ban on French even the little children took no notice of the beetles.

What changes had happened in and outside the classroom during the forty years of M. Hamel’s service? How do they speak of his incompetence?

M Hamel was sent to teach the Alsace population. Forty years passed yet Alsace remained illiterate. Only the desks and benches had been worn smooth; the walnut-trees in the garden were taller, and the hopvine that he had planted himself twined about the windows to the roof. Yet there was no change or growth in the literacy and education levels of the people.

Why did M. Hamel say that people should safeguard their language among themselves?

In M Hamel’s opinion language has great importance for every nation. If a nation is well literate, there will be a great unity and understanding among the citizens. If a nation safeguards its language, it is not likely that another nation can conquer it.

Why did Franz wonder if the Prussians would make even the pigeons coo in German?

Having felt helpless about the ban on French under the Prussian rule, Franz saw that imposing one’s language upon the defeated nation is inhuman. It can be considered as senseless as snatching the pigeon’s right to coo in any way it likes to.

“What would I not have given to be able to say that dreadful rule for participle all through, very loud and clear, and without one mistake?” What did Franz mean by this?

Franz wished if he could recite his lesson clearly, without any mistake so that he could please M Hamel, the sad teacher just because Franz could recite his lesson without any error.

“Now those fellows out there will have the right to say to you…” What will the fellows rightly say to the French men?

                                                                                                OR

What was the justification of the Prussians for imposing German on the Alsace population?

The Prussians had all the right reasons to impose German on the French citizens. Even though it was their way of annexing Alsace and Lorraine to Germany, they explained that it was their literacy program meant for Alsace.

Next – The class is dismissed!

The class is dismissed!

It was noon. The Prussian soldiers went marching by the school. Their sounds frightened everyone. If they noticed that a class was still progressing, they could have arrested M. Hamel. But M. Hamel showed amazing patriotism. He wanted to say, “Long live France” but he could not. Either he was overwhelmed by emotions or he was scared of the Prussians. He went to the black board and wrote as big as he could: vive la France! Long live, France!

Questions & Answers

How did old Hauser make a comic melodrama out of his presence in the class?

Hauser was an old man in Alsace. Like many others, he too was illiterate yet had an undying passion for learning French. The sight of him with his old alphabet books, reciting lessons with the little boys and girls, made everyone laugh at one point but at another point they felt sorry for him and for themselves remembering the bitter reality that they would not have another day to learn their mother tongue.

How does the author present a nation’s love for its lost freedom?

For the people of Alsace being conquered by another country wasn’t a new experience. But they had never foreseen that their freedom to learn their own language would be taken away from them one day. They had a teacher to teach them French but they never took him seriously. They used to put off learning for another day but one day came without another day to follow. Their freedom to learn their own language taken away from them, the people of Alsace realized its importance. Everyone, young and old, reflected the loss of something whose importance they realized only when it was taken away from them. They wanted their freedom back. They wished to learn their language as intensely as their teacher wished to teach them in an hour’s time. The usually boisterous classroom became a peaceful place of learning. Some felt a sudden love for their books that were once burden for them while others wept with their books in hand. The teacher became emotional and accepted his failure in teaching the people and his students strove to learn French in an hour. They hated the Prussians and themselves for their lost freedom.

How was the last class a new lesson for Franz?

Franz was a typical child of Alsace. He too, like the others, had put off learning for another day. To Franz learning French was very difficult. He loved anything except his own language. But when he was told that there was no more chance to learn of his language, Franz felt guilty of not having taken keen interest to learn it. It is obvious that Franz knew no French, if at all to read and write. All of a sudden his love for learning his language grew strong in him. He paid his full attention to his master Hamel. He understood every rule of the grammar, every sentence, very easy. The teacher no longer appeared to him cranky nor his terrible ruler any more terrorizing. He loved to learn French in an hour. He felt very sorry for not learning. The last class was unforgettable for Franz.

How had the natives of Alsace become victims of linguistic chauvinism?

Linguistic chauvinism is overt (high) preference for one’s language over those of others. Language is considered to be cultural identity of a particular group of people who use it. Imposing a foreign language on them hampers (disrupts, upset) their emotions and is a step to annex (conquer) their relationship with culture. The language of any country is the pride of that country. It not only defines the culture but also tells about the people, their literature and their history. The Last Lesson very prominently raises the question of linguistic and cultural hegemony (supremacy) of colonial and imperial past and their lust (desire) for controlling the world and influencing their cultures and identity. The words of little Franz, “will they make the pigeons coo in German” clearly raises the fact that the birds and animals cannot be forced to abandon their language to coo in the language of the oppressor. The Prussians, by imposing their language on the Alsacians, felt that they could rule over their territory as well as their minds but they did not realize that power cannot destroy a people’s pride in their own language.

Reference: www.kiddingtown.com/STUDYRANKERS/ WICKIPEDIA