Memories of a Chota Sahib, Class 12

 

Memories of a Chota Sahib:

 

1.      1.  Briefly describe the scene observed by the author from the veranda of his bungalow on the bank of the Brahmaputra. (AHSEC 2020)

Ans- The author’s bungalow was situated on the bank of the river Brahmaputra. From the veranda on the top of bungalow, the author had a beautiful view of the majestic river with the boats sailed over it and the Himalayas in the distance. Moreover at the forefront, an island called Peacock island with the dome of a Hindu temple could be visible through the trees.

2.       2. What is the belief about the dividing channel between Peacock Island and the mainland of Guwahati that the author mentions? (2015)

Ans- There was a belief that the British Raj would come to an end in India if the channel between the Peacock Island and the mainland ever dried up totally.

3.       3. What information does the author gives us Manas Wildlife Sanctuary? (2017)

Ans- The Manash Wildlife Sanctuary, bordering the Himalayan state of Bhutan was the habitat of a few rhinos. The rivers were full of ‘mahseer’, a kind of fish and their banks were favourite sites for the governor’s Christmas camps. The sanctuary was replete with cheetal, fish, sloth bears and deer. Amid the forest, a European and his spouse had leased a piece of land from the forest department to grow simul trees for the nearby match factory. They had put up electric fencing in an attempt to keep out the deer, but with little success.

4.       4. Describe the author’s experience of crossing a flooded river on horseback on the North bank of Brahmaputra. (2016)

Ans- The author has given a humorous account of his adventures ride on horseback while crossing a flooded river. The author with much difficulty persuaded the horse to jump into the river but in process, he slipped over the rump of horse and hung onto its tail. The author used the tail as a rudder and pushed it right when he tried to push the horse to the left and vise versa. I this manner, they eventually, crossed the river safely and the ride came to an end.

5.       5. What does Rowntree state about the large Bheel close to the bungalow at Rajapara? (2015)

Ans- Rowntree mentioned that the bheel at Rajapara had been formed after an earthquake lowered the land which subsequently became inundated with water. He characterized it as in eerie spot because of the dead trees that rose out of the bheel. To Rowntree they seemed to resemble skeletons, serving as reminders of past when the land was dry.

6.       6. Who is Chota Sahib in the Memoirs of chota sahib? (2018,2015)

Ans- John Rowntree, the last British senior conservator of the Forest of Assam, is the Chota Sahib in the Memoirs of Chota sahib.

7.       7. Name the book from which “memoirs of Chota Sahib” is taken. (2019)

Ans- It is taken from the book “ A Chota Sahib: Memoirs of a Forest Officer.”

8.   8.  What is mar boat and how is it operated?

Ans- Mar boat is a kind of ferry consisted of two open boats covered with a platform made of a wooden plank. These boats were paddled across the river or were propelled by the force of the current along a cable that connected the boats to another cable stretch across the river.

9.       9. Give a brief description of peacock Island? (2014, 16,19)

Ans- Peacock Island was located in the middle of the river Brahmaputra. When viewed from Rowntrees’s Bungalow on the other bank, it offered a splendid view with the dome of Hindu temple just visible through the trees. But a funny contradiction was that unlike its name, Peacock Island had no peacock but instead troops of monkey dominated the island.

1010.  Give an account of the author’s experiences of the floods on the North Bank of the Brahmaputra during the monsoon. (2018)

Ans- The author relates the various experiences of the floods on the North Bank of the river Brahmaputra during the monsoon. Once the author crossed a flooded river on horseback. He with much difficulty persuaded the horse to jump into the river but in the process, he slipped over the rump of the horse and hung onto its tail. The author used the tail as a rudder and pushed it right when he tried to push the horse to the left and vice versa. In this manner, they eventually, crossed the river safely. On another trip , the author was touring the North bank with his family. They had either planned wrongly to return late after the monsoon or monsoon was early that year. Though the roads were still suitable for motor vehicles, but driving was extremely risky. Most of the roads were constructed on the top of embankments to raise them well above the normal flood level. Moreover, the roads were quite narrow and single-track. The road on which the author’s car was running was extremely slippery. Consequently, the author’s car went out of control and started sliding along the road and fell onto a paddy field six feet below the main road. The adventurous journey through the paddy field was quite jerky but they finally reached the road again. Twenty damage was done to the motor car as well as the people inside it.