Confronting Marginalisation | Civics VIII | Social Science | Class 8th | Questions and Answers |

 

JANDKNCERT | Class 8th | Social and Political Life (Civics)|

Confronting Marginalisation | Civics VIII | Social Science | Class 8th | Questions and Answers |

 

 

Chapter 8: Confronting Marginalisation

 

 

Exercises

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Question 1: List two Fundamental Rights in the Constitution that Dalits can draw upon to insist that they be treated with dignity and as equals.
Answer:
(i) Right to Equality – This right guarantees that every individual is equal before the law and prohibits discrimination on the basis of caste, race, religion, or gender.
(ii) Right to Freedom – This right ensures personal liberty and allows all citizens the freedom to express themselves, move freely, and practice any profession, reinforcing the dignity of individuals including Dalits.

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Question 2: Re-read the story on Rathnam as well as the provisions of the 1989 Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. Now list one reason why you think he used this law to file a complaint.
Answer:
Rathnam used this law to file a complaint because it specifically protects Dalits and Adivasis from acts of violence, humiliation, and discrimination by members of dominant castes. The Act gives legal backing and strength to assert their rights and seek justice.

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Question 3: Why do Adivasi activists, including C.K. Janu, believe that Adivasis can also use this 1989 Act to fight against dispossession? Is there anything specific in the provisions of the Act that allows her to believe this?
Answer:
Adivasi activists believe they can use the 1989 Act because it includes provisions that protect SCs and STs from being wrongfully deprived of their land. The law makes it an offence to forcefully take over land belonging to Adivasis, giving them a legal tool to resist displacement and dispossession.

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Question 4 (a): The poems and the song in this Unit allow you to see the range of ways in which individuals and communities express their opinions, their anger and their sorrow. Bring to class a poem that discusses a social issue. Share this with your classmates. Work in small groups with two or more poems to discuss their meaning as well as what the poet is trying to communicate.
Answer:
(Activity-based question) – Students are expected to bring poems such as “Where the mind is without fear” by Rabindranath Tagore or “Still I Rise” by Maya Angelou and discuss how they address themes like freedom, dignity, and resistance against injustice.

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Question 4 (b): Identify a marginalised community in your locality. Write a poem, or song, or draw a poster etc to express your feelings as a member of this community.
Answer:
(Creative activity) – Example response:
Poem (about waste-pickers):
"We walk the lanes in silent stride,
Ignored by all, with pain we hide.
Yet in the waste, we find our grace,
Our lives have meaning, we have a place."

This poem reflects the dignity and struggle of waste-pickers, a marginalised group often overlooked in urban society.

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