English - Lesson 8: " A Birthday Letter" - A letter written by Jawaharlal Nehru to Indira Gandhi when he was in Naini prison (PUBLIC EXAMINATION)
In 1930, India was not free. Many of our leaders were imprisoned by the British. While in Naini Prison, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru wrote this letter to his daughter, Indira on her 13th birthday. Let’s find out what he wrote to her.
Central Prison, Naini
October 26, 1930
My dear Indira,
On your birthday you have been in the habit of receiving presents and good wishes. Good wishes you will still have in full measure, (full measure: plenty) but what present can I send you from Naini Prison?
My presents cannot be very material or solid. They can be of the mind and spirit, …… Things that even the high walls of prison cannot stop.
You know sweetheart, how I dislike sermonising (sermonising: giving a lecture) and doling out (doling out: giving good advice) …….. I have always thought that the best way to find out what is right and what is not right, what should be done and what should not be done, is not by giving a sermon, but by talking and discussing, and out of discussion sometimes a little bit of truth comes out.
I have liked my talks with you and we have discussed many things, but the world is wide and beyond our world lie other wonderful and mysterious (mysterious: strange) worlds ……..none of us need ever be bored or imagine ……..that we have learned everything worth learning and become very wise.
……. But what am I to do then? (fascinated: attracted)
A letter can hardly take the place of a talk; at best it is a one-sided affair …… Imagine that I have made a suggestion to you for you to think over, as if we really were having a talk.
In history we read of great periods in the life of nations, of great men and women … do you remember how fascinated you were when you first read the story of Jeanne d’Arc, and how your ambition (ambition: aim) was to be something like her?
Ordinary men and women are not usually heroic. They think of their bread and butter, of their children, of their household worries and the like. But a time comes when a whole people become interested in a great cause. (cause: reason)
Then history helps even simple, ordinary men and women to become heroes.
Great leaders have something in them which inspires a whole people and makes them do great deeds ……… In India a great leader, full of love for all who suffer and eager (eager: enthusiastic) to help them, has inspired our people to great actions and noble sacrifice.
He has helped to make the starving, (starving: hungry) the poor and the oppressed free and happy. (oppressed: kept down)
Bapuji is in prison, but the magic of his message has stolen the hearts of India’s millions.
Men and women, and even little children, come out of their little shells and become India’s soldiers of freedom.
In India today we are making history, and you and I are fortunate (fortunate: lucky) to see this happening before our eyes and to take some part ourselves in this great drama.
What part shall we play in it?
If we are to be India’s soldiers, we have to respect India’s honour, and that honour is a sacred trust (trust: faith) ….. It is no easy matter to decide what is right and what is not. (sacred: holy)
One little test, I shall ask you to apply whenever you are in doubt …… Never do anything in secret or anything that you would wish to hide. For the desire to hide anything means that you are afraid, and fear is a bad thing and unworthy of you. (unworthy: not benefitting)
Be brave, and all the rest follows ….
You know that in our great Freedom Movement, under Bapuji’s leadership, there is no room for secrecy or hiding. We have nothing to hide.
We are not afraid of what we do or what we say. We work in the sun and in the light.
Even so in our private lives let us make friends with the sun and work in the light and do nothing secretly……and if you do so, my dear you will grow up a child of the light, unafraid and serene (serene: calm) and unruffled (unruffled: unmoved), whatever may happen.
I have written a very long letter to you. And yet there is so much I would like to tell you.
How can a letter contain it? Good-bye, little one, and may you grow up into a brave soldier in India’s service.
With all my love and good wishes.
Your loving father,
Jawaharlal Nehru
Terminal Questions
1. According to Pt. Nehru, how does a great leader help?
According to Nehru great people inspire others to great actions and noble sacrifices. They lead by example. They make the oppressed feel happy and free.
2. What does Pt. Nehru means by ‘make friends with the sun and work in the light’?
Answer in about 50 words.
– work without fear
– be open, not secretive
– hide nothing
– be peaceful
– be straightforward
– be truthful
3. Imagine that you had a discussion with your parents about your career plans. Write in about 50 words what was discussed, what advice your parents gave you and how you felt.
In Text Questions
1. In which jail was Pt. Nehru imprisoned by the British?
Pt. Nehru was imprisoned in Naini Jail.
2. Why was Pt. Nehru not able to send a gift to his daughter on her birthday?
Pt. Nehru was not able to send a gift to Indira on her birthday because he was imprisoned by the British in Naini Prison.
3. What did Pt. Nehru not like to do?
Pt. Nehru did not like to sermonise and give advice.
4. Why did Pt. Nehru dislike lecturing?
– one-sided affair that lacks opportunity to talk and discuss.
– people get boared
– might not like sermons
5. What suggestions did he give to Indira in his letter to her?
Nehru suggested that Indira should talk and discuss with others what is right and what is wrong before taking a decision.
6. Imagine that you want to discuss something very important with your friend. Would you write a letter, email, call up (phone) or discuss it face to face? Give reasons for your answer.
1. Which two factors make ordinary men heroes?
The two factors that make ordinary men heroes are:
a. full faith in a great cause
b. love and respect for the nation
2. Who according to Nehru has inspired millions of people to fight for freedom?
Mahatma Gandhi inspired millions of people to fight for freedom from the British.
3. What does the phrase ‘great drama’ refer to?
The phrase ‘great drama’ refers to men, women and little children coming out in great numbers to take part in the fight for freedom.
4. Who inspires you the most in your life? What are the qualities that he/ she has that you admire the most? Why do you admire this person?
very loving, smart, successful, brave, very helpful, committed to his task of nation building.
1. What soldier-like qualities does Pt. Nehru want Indira to develop?
Nehru wants Indira to develop qualities like respect for her country’s honour, trust, patriotism, the ability to identify right from wrong and the belief in fighting for her country’s freedom.
2. Why do people hide things?
People hide things because they are afraid of what they are doing as they are not sure whether it is wrong or right, and they fear the consequences.
3. Under whose leadership did the freedom movement take place?
The freedom movement took place under the leadership of Mahatma Gandhi.
4. During the freedom movement, what did Gandhiji focus on? Answer with reference to the text.
Gandhiji focused on truth, courage, fearlessness, openness, hard work, peace, straight forwardness and non-violence.
5. Under Gandhiji’s leadership India became free of oppression. But oppression continues in different ways even after independence. For example, you must have heard or seen children below 14 years of age being employed in hazardous (risky/ unsafe) jobs like making crackers, hand-knotted carpets, etc? The government has introduced laws to protect the rights of children. What do you feel about it? Suggest three things that you can do to protect the rights of these children?
– Don’t employ children below the age of fourteen at my home or workplace
– Report the cases of child labour to authorities
– Speak and convince such children to go to school
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