Read the passage and answer the questions below:
One of Hazarika’s songs.. … dwells on the unity theme; the seven
states of north-eastern India become seven sisters born of the same
mother. …. ‘Meghalaya went own way…., Arunachal too separated
and Mizoram appeared in Assam’s gateway as a groom to marry
another daughter.’ ….. …. .. The song ends with a determination to
keep the unity of the Assamese with other smaller nationalities that
are left in the present-day Assam – ‘the Karbis and the Mising brothers
and sisters are our dear ones.’ — SANJIB BARUAH
(a) Which unity is the poet talking about?
(b) Why were some States of North-East created separately out of
the erstwhile State of Assam?
(c) Do you think that the same theme of unity could apply to all the
regions of India? Why?
Answers
Explanation:
(a)The government of India carved Meghalaya, Mizoram and Arunachal Pradesh out of Assam. But this was not the end of autonomy demands. The communities like the Bodos, Karbis and Dimasas wanted separate states. The poet is talking about unity of these communities with the Assamese. In other words, the poet does not favour further division of Assam or creation of more States out of Assam.
(b) The States of North-East were created out of the erstwhile state of Assam due to demands for political autonomy which arose because the Assam government tried to impose Assamese language on them.
(c) The same theme of unity could apply to all the regions of India because there is diversity in almost every region.
Answer:
(A) The poet is speaking of the unity of the Assamese with other smaller nationalities that are left in the present-day Assam
(B) The State Government tried to impose Assamese language, which gave rise to regional aspirations
(C) Yes, because India is a country that deals with multifarious cultures, ethnicities and languages within its states. Thus, this could hold true for all regions of India