question_answer

Read the passage given below and answer the questions that follow:

On 6 January 1921, the police in United Provinces fired at peasants near Rae Bareli. Jawaharlal Nehru wanted to go to the place of firing, but was stopped by the police. Agitated and angry, Nehru addressed the peasants who gathered around him. This is how he later described the meeting:

'They behaved as brave men, calm and unruffled in the face of danger. I do not know how they felt but I know what my feelings were. For a moment my blood was up, non-violence was almost forgotten-but for a moment only. The thought of the great leader, who by God's goodness has been sent to lead us to victory, came to me, and I saw the kisan's seated and standing near me, less excited, more peaceful than I was-and the moment of weakness passed. I spoke to them in all humility on non-violence-I needed the lesson more than they-and they heeded me and peacefully dispersed'.

                            [AI 2008]

(a) What is the source of the above passage?

(b) What were Nehru's feelings and how did he change them?

 

Answer:

(a) The source is Sarvapalli Gopal's, Jawaharlal Nehru ? A Biography, Vol 1.

(b) When J. Nehru came to address the peasants of United Provinces after police firing he felt agitated, For a moment his blood went up and he almost forgot about non violence.

Immediately after that the thought of a great leader (obviously Ganilhiji) mind, who according to him was sent to India by God's gran for victory. His (Nehru's) feelingi began to change when he watched the kissans (peasants) seated and standing near him in a calm and peaceful manner. Nehru's moment of weakness passed and he could address the gathering and spoke to them about non-violence in all humility.