A Girl With A Basket
‘A Girl With A Basket’ written by William C. Douglas
I had left New Delhi for the Himalayas. I was going as far as Bareilly by train and then by car to Ranikhet – an old British army hill station located on 6000-foot ridge opposite a 120-mile stretch of snow capped Himalayas. The train was slow; and it stopped at all the way stations. At every stop, I swung open the door of my compartment, and walked the platform.
मैं नई दिल्ली को हिमालय के लिए छोड़ चुका था अर्थात मैं हिमालय के लिए नई दिल्ली से निकल चुका था। जैसा कि दूर बरेली मैं ट्रेन के द्वारा जा रहा था और तब कार के द्वारा रानीखेत को जा रहा था। एक पुरानी अंग्रेजी सेना का पहाड़ी स्टेशन 120 मील विस्तार के बर्फ से ढके हिमालय के ठीक सामने 6000 फुट की ऊंचाई पर स्थित था। ट्रेन धीमी थी और यह मार्ग के सभी स्टेशनों पर रुकती थी। प्रत्येक ईस्टाफ पर मैं अपनी डिब्बे के दरवाजे को धक्का देकर खोलता था और प्लेटफार्म पर टहलता था।
The platforms were the people – Sikhs, Moslems, Hindus; soldiers, merchants, priests, porters, beggers, hawkers. Almost everyone was barefoot and dressed in a loose white garments.I would ask at least three people before I could find one who spoke English. We would talk world affairs and every major topic, the news of the day produced. In this way, I was trying to get a feel of the pulse of the nation, checking openion against official attitudes and reports.
वे प्लेटफॉर्म सिख लोग, मुस्लिम लोग, हिंदू लोग, सैनिक लोग, व्यापारी लोग, पुरोहित लोग, कुली लोग,भिखारी लोग और फेरी लगाकर सामान बेचने वाले लोगों से भरे हुए थे। लगभग हर कोई नंगे पांव था और सफेद ढीले ढाले कपड़ों को पहना हुआ था। मैं किसी एक अंग्रेजी बोलने वाले को पा सकने से पहले कम से कम 3 लोगों से पूछूंगा। हम लोग संसार की घटनाओं और उस दिन की प्रकाशित हुई समाचार के प्रत्येक प्रमुख घटनाओं के बारे में बात करेंगे। इस तरह में उस राष्ट्र की भावना को महसूस करने का तथा सरकारी दृष्टिकोण और सूचनाओं के प्रति विचारों का निरीक्षण करने का प्रयास कर रहा था।
The route lay through one of the richest of India’s agricultural areas. This was the plain of the upper Ganga River. A Thousand feet above sea level but tropical. The Ganga was brown silt, swollen with flood waters, its over flow inundating thousands of acres of rice. To the north were jungles-great expenses of grass, higher than a man’s head and unbroken except for an occasional clump of trees the – home of tigers, elephants, python and cobras. Everywhere else there was flat land running to the horizon, but dotted here and there by the sacred banyan tree or by the rows of pakar trees, shaped like elms and having thick twisted trunks. Hot, humid air was moving in from the south-west. Monkeys some of them mothers with babies clinging to them and riding underneath – swung off trees at the stations, looking for food .The villages we passed, had wwalls made of mud mixed with water and cow – dung. Their peaked roofs were thatched – bundles of grass tied to bamboo poles, stretched across the rafters. That day the pumpkin vines that grew over them, were in bloom, trailing streaks of yellow over drab walls.
वह मार्ग भारत के सबसे संपन्न कृषि क्षेत्रों में से किसी एक से होकर गुजरा था। यह ऊपरी गंगा नदी का समतल मैदान था , समुद्र तल से 1000 फुट ऊंचाई पर था लेकिन उष्णकटिबंधीय था। भूरे रेत वाली गंगा बाढ़ के जल से उफान पर थी और इसका ऊपर चढ़कर बहना हजारों एकड़ धान की फसल को ढका हुआ था। उत्तर की ओर जंगल थे अत्यधिक घासो का फैलाव था जो कि एक मनुष्य के सिर की अपेक्षा अधिक ऊंचे थे और वृक्षों के एक झुरमुट को छोड़कर लगातार रूप से फैले हुए थे जो कि बाघ के घर थे, हाथियों के घर थे, अजगर के घर थे और विषैले सांपों के घर से। अन्य प्रत्येक जगह समतल भूमि क्षितिज तक फैली हुई थी लेकिन यहां वहां बिंदु की भांति पवित्र बरगद के वृक्षों अथवा अथवा पाकड़ वृक्षों की कतारों के द्वारा elms वृक्षों की तरह आकार लिए हुए थे और घने मोटे लिपटे हुए तने थे। गर्म, नम हवा दक्षिण पश्चिम से अंदर की तरफ आ रही थी। बंदरी जिनमें से कुछ बंदरिया बच्चों को चिपकाए हुए थे और वे नीचे सवारी कर रहे थे। वे वृक्षों से स्टेशनों पर भोजन की तलाश में कूद पड़े। वे गांव जिनसे हम लोग गुजरे उनके घरों की दीवारें गाय के गोबर तथा मिट्टी के मिलावट से बनाई गई थी। उनके घरों के शिखर की छतें छप्पर थे – घास का ढेर बांस की बालियों से बाधा हुआ बडे़ बलियो के ऊपर एक सिरे से दूसरे सिरे तक फैलाया गया था। उन दिनों कद्दू की लताएं जो उनके ऊपर उगे हुई थी। फूलों से लदी हुई थी और उन गंदे दीवारों के ऊपर पीले रंग की लटकी हुई धारियां बना रही थी।
At one station, my routine of talking with the people was interrupted. As soon as I alighted, a group of young children gathered around me. They were selling baskets – hand-woven, reed baskets with simple designs and patterns. They held the baskets high shouting words I did not know but conveying unmistakably their desire.
एक स्टेशन पर मेरा लोगों से बात करने का सिलसिला बाधित हो गया । जैसे ही मैं उतरा छोटे बच्चों का एक समूह मेरे चारों तरफ इकट्ठा हो गया। वे हाथ से बनाए हुए साधारण नमूने और आकार के नरकट से बनी टोकरी या बेच रहे थे । जिनको वे उठाए हुए थे और शब्दों को चिल्ला रहे थे उन शब्दों को तो मैं समझ नहीं पाया लेकिन स्पष्ट रूप से अपनी इच्छा को कह रहे थे या प्रकट कर रहे थे।
These were refugee children. When partition between India and Pakistan was creed hundreds of thousands of people pulled up their roots and changed their residence. Nine million people left pakistan and came to India, driven by the fear of religious fanaticism. They were poor people to start with; they were poorer as they began their long trek, for all they could carry, was a bit of food and a few belongings. Soon they were out of food. A few days after they started, they begin to fall by the way-side from the weakness of hunger, and died where they fell.
वे शरणार्थी बच्चे थे। जब भारत और पाकिस्तान के बीच बंटवारा घोषित कर दिया गया । लाखों लोग अपने घरों से निकाल दिए गए और वे अपने निवास स्थानों को बदल दिए। 90 लाख लोग धार्मिक उन्माद (मतभेद) के भय से पाकिस्तान छोड़ भारत चले आएं। वे शुरुआत में गरीब लोग थे लेकिन जैसे ही वे अपनी लंबी पदयात्रा शुरू किए वह और भी गरीब हो गए क्योंकि वे जो कुछ साथ ले जा सकते थे वह था थोड़ा भोजन और कुछ वस्तुएं। जल्द ही उनका भोजन समाप्त हो गया। उनके शुरुआत के कुछ ही दिनों बाद वे भूख की कमजोरी से सड़क के बगल में गिरने लगे और जहां गिरे वहीं उनकी मृत्यु हो गई।
The children selling baskets were sons and daughters of these refugees. They or their parents are their parents or relatives had gathered in the cities, setting up stalls, manufacturing simple articles, trying to make a living in markets, already overcrowded, they lived in cloth and grass sheds that line the streets. The peasants among these refugees, had been a customto little all their lives for the annual income of an agricultural family does not exceed, on an average , one hundred dollars a year. The average unskilled labourer makes thiry cents a day or less than two dollares a week. There is one meal a day-an onion, a piece of bread, a bowl of pulse with milk, perhaps a bit of goat cheese. No tea, no coffee, no fat, no sweets, no meat. One hundred dollars a year is not two dollars a week, yet even that small amount is hard to earn by selling baskets to people too poor to buy them. That no doubt is the reason these little children descended on me like locusts. I, an American, was doubtless the most promising market they had seen.
वे बच्चे जो टोकरिया बेच रहे थे। इन शरणार्थियों के पुत्र तथा पुत्रियां थी। वे अथवा उनके माता-पिता अथवा रिश्तेदार उन शहरों में इकट्ठा हुए थे। छोटी दुकानों को स्थापित किए हुए थे साधारण वस्तुओं को बना रहे थे और पहले से ही भीड़भाड़ वाले बाजार में जीविका कमाने की चेष्टा कर रहे थे। वे कपड़े तथा घास के आश्रयो में रहा करते थे जो कि सड़कों पर कतार लगाए थे। इन शरणार्थियों के बीच किसान लोग अपने संपूर्ण जीवन को थोड़े में ही जीने को आदत डाले हुए थे क्योंकि एक कृषक परिवार की वार्षिक आमदनी औसतन 1 वर्ष में एक $100 से अधिक नहीं होता है। औसतन एक अकुशल मजदूर 1 दिन में 30 सेंट कमाता है अथवा 1 सप्ताह में $2 से भी कम। 1 दिन का भोजन होता है एक प्याज रोटी का एक टुकड़ा दूध के साथ एक कटोरा दाल संभवत बकरी के दूध से बना हुआ पनीर का एक टुकड़ा। न हीं चाय है, न हीं कॉफी है, न हीं घी है, न हीं मिठाईयां हैं और न ही मांस है। 1 वर्ष में $100 1 सप्ताह में $2 भी नहीं होते हैं । फिर भी यह छोटी सी धनराशि भी उन लोगों को टोकरिया बेचकर कमाना काफी कठिन होता है जो उन्हें खरीद भी नहीं सकते । यही वजह है कि यह छोटे बच्चे टीडियों की भांति मुझ पर कूद पड़े। मैं एक अमेरिका का निसंदेह उनके द्वारा देखा गया सबसे अच्छा ग्राहक था।
I bought one tiny basket for a few annas, another fruit basket for a bit more, a beautiful waste paper basket for rupee, a lovely sewing basket for rupee, a few fans for an anna or two a piece. M arms were filled and I had not spend fifty cents. The children passed in, shouting their wares. I was a prisoner, completely surrounded, unable to move. The most diligent, aggressive vendor was a beautiful girl of nine right in front of me. She had a lovely basket with handle; and she wanted a rupee and half for it or about thirty cents. She was an earnest pleader. There were tears in her eyes. She pleaded and begged in tones that would wring any heart.
मैंने एक टोकरी कुछ आने से खरीदा, एक दूसरी फल वाली टोकरी थोड़ा अधिक आने से खरीदा, एक सुंदर रद्दी कागजों को रखने वाली टोकरी एक रुपए से खरीदा, एक सुंदर सिलाई के सामानों को रखने वाली टोकरी एक रुपए से खरीदा, कुछ पंखों को एक आने अथवा दो-दो आने से खरीदा। मेरी बाहें भर गई थी और मैंने 50 सेंट भी खर्च नहीं किए थे। वे बच्चे जो मेरे पास से गुजरे अपने वस्तुओं के नामों को चिल्ला रहे थे। मैं पूरी तरह से घिरा हुआ एक कैदी हो गया था, चलने फिरने में भी असमर्थ था। सबसे परिश्रमी आक्रामक विक्रेता एक 9 साल की सुंदर बच्ची थी जो ठीक मेरे सामने थी। उसके पास एक सुंदर हाथ से पकड़ने वाली टोकरी थी और वह इसके लिए डेढ़ रुपए चाहती थी अथवा लगभग 30 सेंट। उसकी आंखों में आंसू थे। वह ऐसे स्वर में याचना की जो कि किसी भी हृदय को पिघला दे।
My arms were full. I had no room, let along any need for another basket. Balancing my baskets and fans on my left arm, I reached into my right coat pocket and got a handful of change – perhaps fifteen cents in all – which I deposited in the basket that the young girl held imploringly before me. I tried to explain that I could not buy the basket but extended the gratuity as substitute. I realized at once what offence I had given. This child of nine, dressed in rags and on the edge of starvation, raised her chin, reached into the basket, and with all the – pride and graciousness of a lady, handed the money back to me. There was only one thing I vould do. I bought the basket. She wiped her eyes, smiled and dashed down the platform headed for some grass hut that would have at least thirty cents that night.
मेरी बाहें भर गई थी। मेरे पास आवश्यकता के किसी दूसरी टोकरी के लिए जगह न था । अपने टोकरीयों को और पंखों को अपनी बाईं बांह पर संभालते हुए मैं अपने दाएं कोट के जेब में हाथ डाला और एक मुट्ठी भर चेंज प्राप्त किया या निकाला। संभवत कुल 15 सेंट थे। जिसको मैंने उस टोकरी के अंदर जमा कर दिया जिसे वो छोटी लड़की मेरे समक्ष याचना करते हुए पकड़ी थी। मैंने स्पष्ट करने का प्रयास किया कि मैं उस टोकरी को खरीद नहीं सकता था लेकिन उसके बदले दान दे दिया था। मैंने तुरंत महसूस किया कि मैंने क्या अपराध कर दिया था। यह 9 साल की बच्ची जो फटे पुराने वस्त्रों को पहनी थी और भुखमरी के कगार पर थी अपने चेहरे को उठाई उस टोकरी में हार डाली और एक महिला के पूरे गर्व और शान के साथ उस धन को मुझे वापस दे दी। मैं केवल एक ही चीज कर सकता था मैंने उस टोकरी को खरीद लिया।वह अपने आंसुओं को पोछी, मुस्कुराई और प्लेटफार्म पर दौड़ी तथा किसी घास की झोपड़ी में घुस गई उस रात्रि उसके पास कम से कम 30 सेंट होंगे।
I told this story to Prime Minister, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru. I told him, it was one reason I had fallen in love with India.
मैंने यह कहानी प्रधानमंत्री पंडित जवाहरलाल नेहरू को बताया। मैंने उन्हें बताया कि यही एक कारण था कि मुझे भारत से स्नेह हो गया था।
The people I saw in India – those in the village as well as those in high office – have both pride and lively sense of decency and citizenship. They also have a passion for independence. This beautiful child – born in squalor and poverty, uneducated in both grammar and manners – had given me a glimpse of the warm soul of India.
वे लोग जिनको मैंने भारत में देखा – वे जो गांव में थे साथ-साथ वे जो कि उच्च पद पर थे – दोनों में नागरिकता, गर्व तथा शिष्टाचार का सजीव भाव था। उनके पास स्वतंत्रता के लिए अभिलाषा भी है। यह सुंदर बालिका जोकि गंदगी और निर्धनता में जन्म ली थी व्याकरण तथा तौर-तरीके दोनों में अशिक्षित थी मुझे भारत के नम आत्मा की एक झलक दिखला गई।
‘A Girl With A Basket‘
Important Explanations with Reference to the Context of the lesson ‘A Girl With A Basket’
They were poor people ……. they fell.
Reference – This passage has been taken from the lesson ‘A Girl With A Basket’ written by William C. Douglas.
Context – In these lines the writer is describing the pitiable condition of the refugees who had left their homes and had to come to India from Pakistan.
Explanation – When the refugees left their homes in Pakistan, they became very poor. Their long journey to India made them poorer because the had to spend money on their food etc. They had left their property in Pakistan. Further the writer says that the only property they could carry with them was some food and some very necessary articles. Their food was not enought to live long. Hunger made them very weak. So, many of them fell on the way and died where they fell.
The people I saw ………. independence.
Reference – This passage has been taken from the lesson ‘A Girl With A Basket’ written by William C. Douglas.
Context – In these lines the writer praises the people of India for their virtues.
Explanation – When the writer came to India, he saw people living in villages. He also saw the educated and cultured officers. He found that people of both these groups were full of self-respect. Further the writer says that they knew how to behave decently and were good citizens. They loved freedom. The writer praises these qualities of Indians.
This beautiful child ………. soul of India.
Reference – This passage has been taken from the lesson ‘A Girl With A Basket’ written by William C. Douglas.
Context – In these lines the writer tells us that he was vey much impressed with the sense of self-respect and behaviour of the poor refugee girl of nine year old.
Explanation – The writer says that the beautiful little girl was born in a dirty and poor place. Her family was also very poor. The writer found that the refugee girl was fully uneducated. She had no knowledge of grammar. She was not trained in good and cultured behaviour. But the self-respecting behaviour of the poor girl gave the writer a idea of the liveliness in the people of India. She showed the writer warm soul of India.
Short Answer type questions of the lesson ‘A Girl With A Basket’ :
Qu. 1 What did William C. Douglas do to know about the real feelings of the people in India?
Ans – To know about the real feelings of the people in India, the writer William C. Douglas talked to the English-knowing Indians on his journey. He talked about the world politics and current topics of the day.
Qu. 2 What disturbed the continuity of the writer’s conversations at one of the stations ?
Ans – At one station a group of refugee children surrounded the writer. They were selling baskets. This disturbed the continuity of the writer’s conversation at that station.
Qu. 3 Why did the refugee children descended like locusts on the writer ?
Ans. – The refugee children descended like locusts on the writer because the poor children thoght that the American writer was a good customer. Therefore they descended like locusts on the writer to sell their baskets.
Qu. 4 What picture didi the auther carry back in his mind of India and her people as a whole ?
Ans. – The writer thought that the people of India were full of self-respect and dignity. They were full of decency, a sense of citizenship and desire for freedom. These pictures the writer carried back in his mind of India and her people.
Qu. 5 Why did millions of people leave Pakisten for India.
Ans. – Million of people left Pakistan for India because of fear of religious fanaticism.
Qu. 6 Where was the writer going ? Where was he travelling to ?
Ans. – The writer was going from New Delhi to Bareilly by train on his way to Ranikhet.
Qu. 7 What did the writer do to get a feel of the pulse of the nation ?
Ans. – To get a feel of the pulse of the nation, the writer talked to English-knowing Indians on his journey. He talked about the world politics and the current topics of the day.
Qu. 8 Who were these children selling baskets ? What information does the writer give you about them ?
Ans. – The children selling baskets were refugee children. After partition between India and Pakistan their parents came to India from Pakistan as poor refugees.
Qu. 9 What was the plight of the refugees ? What were they doing for a living ?
Ans. – The plight of the refugees was very miserable. They had to leave their property and houses in Pakistan. They were without occupation. They were poor, hungry, homeless and jobless. For their living they were selling cheap hand made articles.
Qu. 10 What forced the writer to buy the little girl’s basket ?
Ans. – The writer bought the little girl’s basket to make her happy. The writer gave her a handful of change but she refused to accept the money from the writer as a gift. The writer felt that he had hurt her feelings. This forced the writer to buy the little girl’s basket.
Important fill in the blanks questions of the lesson ‘A Girl With A Basket’ :
Fill in the blanks in the following sentences selecting the most suitable words from those given within the brackets :
(i) The people of India have a ………… for Independence. (hope, passion, hatred, gratitude)
(ii) These were ………… children. (rich, poor, refugee, honest)
(iii) I, an American was, ………….. the most promising market they had seen . (doubtless, certainly, necessarily, definitely)
(iv) The children selling basket were sons and daughters of these ………..(rich, poor, refugees, honest)
(v) They lived in cloth and ………. sheds that lined the streets. (iron, stone, cement, grass)
(vi) My arms were ……… and I had not spent fifty cents. (tied, filled, empty, vacant)