66. Reading Skills Comprehension: Forests of Chhattisgarh

Forests of Chhattisgarh

Read the passage given below carefully.

1.Once, Lakshman Singh Potai, Santosh Kumar Usendi and Butia Ram Kurram may have hunted in the forests of Chhattisgarh in their free time. Now they have social media accounts, know some English, and Potai at least is the proud owner of a selfie-stick. The first kids from Abujmarh–Gondi for “unknown highlands” — to take admission in Delhi University, will graduate from Hindu College this year with honours degrees in physics.

2. Their move to Delhi in the summer of 2013 was momentous. The Chhattisgarh chief minister had organised a farewell; the governor had written a letter of introduction saying, “They are remarkable m the sense that they come from Abujmarh area of Bastar, which remained impenetrable to the administration till recently and is Naxal affected.” In 2014, a fourth teen, Nihal Nag from Matenar in Dantewada, joined DU. Three of them hope to be civil servants; Kurram wants to appear for CAT.

3. They owe much of their English skills to their friends. “Our Manipuri friends don’t speak Hindi at all,” explains Potai. He knows Chandni Chowk thanks to a group project in the first year; they’ve watched movies in Connaught Place theatres; sampled the fare at different college canteens and had Manipuri fish at a friend’s place near North Campus. When he goes home, Potai and Santosh buy sweets from a shop in Dwarka’s sector 11 and clothes from Karol Bagh. But the long commute between hostel and college—they stay at Utkarsh, Chhattisgarh government’s Tribal Youth Hostel in Dwarka—leaves little time for other things they’re good at, football and music. “They’re also doing well in class. They’re the youngest here but have set an example for the others who are preparing for civil service exams,” says Dinesh Jha, assistant commissioner with his office at Utkarsh. Potai has an average score of 80% over five semesters; Usendi has 56% and Kurram—currently at home recovering from fever—has about 70%. “This experience has given us confidence,” says Potai. He’d encouraged Nag to pick DU physics over engineering in Hyderabad.

4. Nag is a second-year physics student at Deen Dayal Upadhyaya College. His mother, Kamala Vinay Nag, the district panchayat president, is a bit of a phenomenon back home. “She was abandoned by her father in Tikanpal. Villagers raised her and funded her education. She’s studied till Class XII,” says Nag. His father passed away in 2013 and a younger brother has cancer. Their treatment so debilitated the family’s resources that when Nag came to DU they “didn’t have enough to eat.” On his 2014 winter break, he’d encouraged his mother to contest elections and walked with her to the collector’s office to file nominations. On his next visit, in winter 2015, he scuttled a child marriage.

5. Their homes are changing too. Buses now reach more villages—Usendi’s is 75 kilometres from Narayanpur, the district headquarters, but now has a road going to it—there are more CRPF personnel but electricity is still a problem. Nag says Dantewada is very different from its image. “It’s developing and we have everything. 1 posted photos of Chitrakoot and Tirathgarh waterfalls on Facebook and got many likes. Our friends want to visit,” adds Potai.

6. Abujmarh was inaccessible even to government surveyors for a long time. Till 2009, the Maoist stronghold was a no-go zone for “outsiders” and the government itself relied on NGOs to deliver basic services. Naturally, there’s still much ground to be covered. “People either don’t know about government schemes or how to sign up,” says Potai.

7. Jha is convinced the boys will speed things up. Potai is already preparing to write the state public service exams and has an inch-thick folder of notes to show for it. “I want to be in a position to do something for my people.”

 (I) On the basis of your understanding of the passage answer the following questions with he of the given options:

(a) Potai, Usendi and Kurram hail from—————–

 (i) Manipur

 (ii) Forests

(iii)Ajubmarh-Gondi

(iv) Outskirts of Delhi

 (b) When they moved to Delhi ————————-

(i) the Chief Minister organized a reception

(ii) the village headman organized a reception

 (iii) their families were reluctant

 (iv) their friends came with them

 (c) When Potai goes home he takes———————

  (i) his Manipuri friend with him

 (ii) the manager of the hostel

 (iii) sweets from a shop in Dwarka

(iv) sweets from a shop in Connaught Place

(d) Usendi’s home is —————-

(i)in Dwarka

(ii) 75 km from Narayanpur

 (iii) in Dantewada

(iv) in Maoist stronghold

(II) Answer the following questions briefly.

 (a) When did the group move to Delhi? Why was it remarkable?

(b) How have the boys developed English speaking skills?

(c) Where do the boys stay in Delhi?

(d) What opinion do others have of them at the hostel?

 (e) What is Nag’s home background?

(f) Give three facts about Abujmarh.

 (III) Find words from the passage which mean the same as:

(a)difficult to reach (para 6)

 (b) completely sure (para 7)

Ans. (I) (a) (iii) Ajubmarh Gondi

(b) (i) the Chief Minister organized a reception

 (c) (iii) sweets from a shop in Dwarka

 (d) (ii) 75 km from Narayanpur

(II) (a) The group moved to Delhi in 2013. It was remarkable because their area had remained impenetrable till recently and is Naxal infected.

(b) The boys have developed English speaking skills from their friends, particularly their Manipuri friends because these boys did does not speak Hindi.

 (c)The boys stay at Utkarsh, the Chhattisgarh Government’s ‘Mal Youth Hostel in Dwarka.

(d)Though they are the youngest members there, they have set an example for others, by their preparing for the civil service exams.

(e)Nag’s mother Kamla Vinay Nag is the district Panchayat president and had been abandoned by her father as a child. Nag campaigned with his mother and accompanied her to the collector’s office to file her nomination papers.

(f) Abujmarh was inaccessible to government surveyors till 2009. It is a Maoist zone and no-go zone for outsiders. As the government itself relied on NGOs, people here do not know how to sign up for government schemes.

(II) (a) Inaccessible

(b) convinced

Download the above Passage in PDF Worksheet (Printable)

More Comprehension Passages:-

Passage No.141 Village Fairs (523Words  Subjective and Objective Solved)

Passage No.142 Chocolate (550 Words objective unsolved)

This passage describes chocolate benefits including chocolate nutrition and chocolate processing. Chocolate brown is widely used these days so chocolate gift has become so common. chocolate day is also celebrated. Read and know more about chocolate colour.

Passage No.143 Alone In The Atlantic Ocean (646 Words Subjective Solved)

Passage No.144 The Plight of Remand Homes (693 Words Subjective/Objective Solved)

Passage No.145 Excursion (622 Words Subjective Solved)

This passage is all about the excursion. It describes excursion meaning like excursion trip uses excursion car. You will know much about excursion school and excursion holidays.

Passage No.146 My Experience (622 Words Subjective Solved)

Passage No.147 Making It To Hospital (655 Words  Subjective Solved)

Passage No.148 Style (507 Words Subjective/Objective Unsolved)

Passage No.149 Adapt! Adapt ! (593 Words Subjective Solved)

Passage No.150 Mother (535 Words Subjective/Objective  Solved)

This passage is a great mother essay in English. This Mother essay describes mother care in relation to mother and child or mother and baby with mother love.

Need our help or have some question