CHAPTER

SECTION

B
1 UNDERSTANDING DIVERSITY

NCERT CORNER

WORKSHEET-141
Solutions Muslims : (i) Eid-ul-Zuha, (ii) Eid-ul-Fitr
Christians : (i) Easter (ii) Christmas
1. (a) When I go out, I like wearing Saari/Suit. 6. Since India has a rich heritage of diversity people
(b) At home, I speak in Hindi. celebrate festivals of other communities, speak
(c) My favourite sport is Cricket. different languages and recite music. These are
(d) I like reading books about Indian Culture. enjoyed by all. People have learnt to eat food of
2. Difference between Samir Ek and Samir Do are : different regions. It is a unique experience.
7. Unity in Diversity’ is an appropriate term to
S.No. Samir Ek Samir Do
describe India because India is a vast country with
(i) Samir Ek is a Hindu. Samir Do is a Muslim. lofty mountains on the North and seas and oceans
(ii) Samir Ek belongs to a Samir Do belongs to a on three sides. These geographical conditions have
helped to shape the life style of the people. This
well settled family. poor family.
diversity can be seen in :
(iii) He goes to school He does not go to (i) the language they speak.
every day. school because his (ii) the clothes that they wear.
(iii) the food that they eat.
parents cannot afford
(iv) the type of occupation that they follow.
to send him to school. In spite of these geographical differences, they
3. No, these differences did not prevent them from are influenced by similar historical developments.
becoming friends. The people from different parts of India rose
4. The two boys may have celebrated the following up and protested against the British rule. Both
festivals—Samir Ek : (i) Diwali (ii) Rakshabandhan Hindus and Muslims sacrificed their lives at the
(iii) Holi (iv) Dusshera. Jallianwallah Bagh in Amritsar. When India got
Samir Do : (i) Eid-ul-fitr (ii) Eid-ul-Zuha (iii) Shab- Independence, our constitution was framed by the
e-barat (iv) Muharram. Constituent Assembly, which was a conglomeration
5. Hindus : (i) Diwali (ii) Holi (iii) Lohri representing different sections of the society.
(iv) Rakshabandhan (v) Dusshera

WORKSHEET-142
Solutions
1. The food eaten from different parts of India are :
(i) Idli and Dosa—South India
(ii) Rasogolla—West Bengal
(iii) Kahwa Tea—Kashmir
(iv) Sarson ka sag and Makka ki Roti—Punjab
(v) Dal Bati—Rajasthan
2. I have a friend who belongs to Gujarat and is
a Muslim. He shifted here in search of job and finally
he got the job in my organization. He usually comes
to my home but my mother dislike him because
he is a Muslim and he eats meat etc. His way of
speaking Hindi is some what different as we speak.
Whenever I go to his home, his family members,
specially female members do not come out from
their rooms because they believe in purdah system
and they talk in Gujarati with each other. Inspite of
these dissimilarities, we are very close friends.
3. Samir Do did not attend the school because he
does not have enough money to meet out the
expenditures of schooling. It is not easy for him to
attend school, if he wants to do so. His priorities are
food clothes and his dwelling place. In my opinion,
it is not fair situation but government can help in
this situation by making education free for those
who can not bear the expenditures.
4. Diversity adds a lot of things to human lives.
Diversity in the from of art and literature, clothes,
food, festivals and languages become a the part and
parcel of our lives. Hence, it gives a new outlook to
the people related to the rich culture of India.

P-74 S O C I A L S C I E N C E - VI
 5. Gujarati — Gujarat 6. Students do this activity themselves.
Punjabi — Punjab 7. The line, ‘the blood of Hindus and Muslims flow
Bengali — West Bengal together today’ reflects india’s essential feature of
Dogri — Jammu & Kashmir unity.

WORKSHEET-143
Solutions Nehru in his book ‘Discovery of India’ wrote that
India has been always united inspite of geographical,
1. If I was forced to live in a place where people wore religious and cultural differences. Indian unity
the same two colours, red and white, ate the same is not something imposed from outside, but is
food (may be potatoes), took care of the same two something deep and within its is fold. The widest
animals, for example the deer and the crow, and to tolerance of beliefs and customs has always been
entertain themselves played snakes and ladders. I acknowledged and even encouraged.
would miss the following : 2. The concept of diversity includes acceptance
(i) I do not like deer and crow. I will miss keeping and respect. It means understanding that each
dog as a pet. individual is unique and recognising individual
(ii) I would miss wearing clothes of different col- differences. These can be along the dimensions of
ours-blue, green, yellow, etc. race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, socio-
(iii) I like to play basket ball and will miss it, if I lived economic status, age, physical abilities, political
there. beliefs and other ideologies. It is the exploration of
(iv) I would not like to eat potatoes every day. I like these differences in a safe, positive and nurturing
variety in my food, eating different vegetables, environment.
fruit, milk, curd and cheese.
3.
1 2 3
Different ways in which Through singing a hymn. P
eople close their eyes People sit in rows on the
people pray. and join their hands and ground and the Maulvi
recite the prayers. leads the prayer.
Different ways in which T
hrough exchange of Through signing a N
ikah, in which both the
people get married. garlands and taking register in the court. boy and girl confirm that
seven pheras around the they want to get married.
sacred fire in presence of
relatives and friends.
Different ways in which I n Punjab , women wear In West Bengal women In Manipur women wear
people dress. suits and salwar and wear sarees. a fanek.
kameez.
Different ways in which In Punjab Sikhs say Sat- In Jharkhand many Jn Delhi, people greet
people greet each other Sri-Akal. adivasis say “johar” to each other by saying
greet each other. ‘Namaste’.
Different ways in which By making Biryani with By making lemon rice, By boiling rice in plain
people cook rice. meat or vegetables. with some dal, fried in oil. water.

WORKSHEET-144
Solutions (iii) People practice It is a cold place
religions such as surrounded by
1.
Students mark Kerala and Ladakh in their Maps Judaism, Islam, mountains hence
from Atlas. Christianity, Hinduism people eat meat
S.No. Kerala Ladakh and Buddhism. primarily.
People practice
(i) Kerala is a state. Fishing Ladakh is a small town Buddhism and Islam.
and Agriculture is the in Jammu & Kashmir.
(ii) It is surrounded by Agriculture is the
see on one side hence Primary occupation.
people eat fish and rice
primarily

S OLUT I ONS P-75

 (iv) It is located in the It is located in the
southern part hence northern part of India
people wear shirt and hence people wear fur
lungi because of hot coats because of cold
climate. climate.
2. The National anthem is sung in all parts of India.
The national anthem is expression of India’s unity
and sovereignty. Whenever it is sung, in any part
of the country, people stand in attention position,
with their heads held high It is sung on various
occasions of our national respect in every part of the
country. People in all parts of the country respect
the national anthem and nobody dishonours it.
OTHER IMPORTANT QUESTIONS
WORKSHEET-145
Solutions
1. (a)
2. Hindi and English are the two major languages
which are spoken by the Indians.
3. Nehru said that India’s unity is not something
imposed from outside, but it is something deeper
and within its fold, the widest tolerance of beliefs
and customs is practised and every variety is
acknowledged and even encouraged.
4. The Portuguese discovered the sea route to India
from Europe, when Vasco-da-Gama landed with
his ship here.
5. The term ‘Cheena-Vala’ is used for the fishing nets
used in Kerala, and they are called so, as they look
like the Chinese fishing nets.
6. The term ‘communalism’ refers to the tendency
of socio-religious groups towards sectarian
exploitation of social traditions as a medium of
political moblisation to promote political, social
and economic interests of one group, even at the
expense of or in an antagonistic condition of other
groups.
7. Kerela basically thrives on agriculture. The main
crops are paddy, coconut, pepper, cashew, cassava
and plantation crops like rubber, and cash crops
WORKSHEET-146
Solutions
1. (c)
2. Onam is the famous festival of Kerala.
3. St. Thomas is credited with introducing Christianity
in India nearly 2000 years ago.
4. India’s National Anthem was composed by
Rabindranath Tagore. Rabindranath Tagore won
P-76
3. Tamil Nadu : It is a state situated on the sea coast of
India. It has moderate climate throughout the year,
with rainfall during the winter season. It comprises
a fertile land and people grow rice and vegetables.
Fishing is the main occupation of the people. Rice
and fish is the staple diet of the people. They build
houses on a higher ground with slanting roofs, so
that the rain water can easily drain out.
Rajasthan : Mostly, it comprises of desert and it
is one of the border states of India. Rajputs are a
martial race. Agriculture is very difficult and coarse
grains like jowar and bajra are grown. Major means
of transport are the camels. People build houses
with flat roofs and verandahs to keep the dusty
winds away.
like tea and coffee, spices, nutmeg and cashew nut.
8. The book “Discovery of India” gives a complete
view of Indian history, philosophy and culture.
Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru studied the history of
India starting from the Indus Valley Civilization to
Aryans invasion and then to the British rule. The
effect of these people on Indian culture and their
incorporation in the Indian society was examined
in the book.
9. (i) The British Army Officer, Dyer commanded his
troops to enter into the Jallianwalla Bagh on
Baisakhi Day (April 13).
(ii) The troops opened fire without a warning to
the unarmed protestors, who were demanding
the release of two natural leaders, Satyapal and
Saibuddin Kitchlew.
(iii) Dyer’s troops fired and killed hundreds and
stopped only when they ran out of ammuni-
tion.
(iv) The Bagh, enclosed from all four sides with
buildings, had only one main entrance that was
blocked by Dyer’s troops.
(v) Other smaller gates were locked and people
fleeing from the firing were shot.
(vi) Many of them jumped to their death in a well
inside the garden.
noble prize for his work “Gitanjali”.
5. Ladakh is a desert region situated in the mountains
of the eastern part of Jammu & Kashmir.
6. The state of Kerala has the highest literacy rate. The
literacy rate in the state is 90.92%.The Government
of Kerala initiated a state wide campaign total
increasing the literacy rate in the state.
S O C I A L S C I E N C E - VI
 7. The saffron colour indicates renunciation of being
impartial. The white in the centre marks the path
of truth to guide our conduct. The green shows our
relation to the soil, to the plant life here, on which
all other life depends. The Ashoka wheel in the
centre is the wheel of Law of Dharma.
8. The national song of India was composed by
Bankim Chandra Chatterjee in Bengali language.
The English translation of the song was done by
Shree Aurobindo.
9. The two important festivals that are celebrated in
India by the Muslims are :
Muharram : The festival celebrates the martyrdom
of Prophet Mohammed’s grandson, Hazrat Imam
WORKSHEET-147
Solutions
1. (d)
2. Hemis festival which is a two day festival celebrated
at the Hemis monastery in Ladakh.
3. Manipur : The traditional Manipur costume for
women includes a shawl called Innaphi, a Phanek
and a wrap-around skirt called Sarong.
Tripura : The women of Tripura wear Rinai, a long
and broad cloth which is wrapped around the waist
and reaches the knees.
4. St. Thomas, the Christian apostle, visited Kerala in
52 B.C.
5. Changpas, the tribals of Ladakh rear goats and
sheep.
6. Famine is a phenomenon in which a large
percentage of the population of a country remains
undernourished. It is usually associated with crop
failure. obtained from coconut husk. Kerala is considered
The two great famines that India experienced were
the first Bengal famine of 1770 and the second
Bengal famine of 1943.
WORKSHEET-148
Solutions
1. (d)
2. Ladakhi is the predominant language of Ladakh.
3. Pheran and Kasaba are the two popular costumes of
Ladakh.
4. Buddhism and Islam are the two important religions
of Ladakh.
5. Kerala is located in the South-West corner of India. gious and regional backgrounds were united
6. Ibn Battuta was an ardent Muslim who was born
in Morocco. He was a pilgrim, jurist, courtier and
a politician. He travelled for twenty nine years.
He visited India, Africa and China. He is the only
medieval explorer to visit the lands of every Muslim
ruler in his time.
S OLUT I ONS
Hussain. The Shia Muslim community celebrates it
in a grand manner.
EId-ul- Fitr : Eid-ul-Fitr is also known as the festival
of breaking of the fast. It is celebrated at the end of
the month of Ramzan. It is an occasion of fasting
and rejoicing.
10. Ladakh was a major trading centre on the Silk
Route between China and the Mediterranean. It
was considered to be a good trade route as it had
many passes through which caravans travelled
to Tibet. As a result, Ladakh came to be known as
the ‘Land of Passes’. The caravans carried textiles,
spices, raw silk and carpets.
7. Judaism constitutes the religious doctrines and a
rite of the Jews as enjoined in the laws of Moses.
Judaism is based on Zoroastrianism. It has given
rise to two great religions of the world which are
Christianity and Islam.
8. Drought is a dry weather condition that persists
long enough to cause problems such as crop
damage and water supply shortages. The two states
that are severely affected by drought are Rajasthan
and Gujarat.
9. Siddhartha Gautama was the founder of the religion
Buddhism. Two main principles of Buddhism are :
(i) Right speech, and
(ii) Right action.
10. The state, Kerala derives its name from the
Malayalam word ‘Kera’, meaning the coconut palm
and ‘Alam’, meaning the place. Coconut forms a
part of the daily diet of the people of Kerala.
Coir is an important eco-friendly material which is
to be the largest producer of coir. Products such as
flooring, mats, carpets, wall hangings and bags are
made from coir fibre.
7. Ladakh is a desert in the mountains in the eastern
part of Jammu and Kashmir. Very little agriculture
is possible as the region does not receive any rain
and as it is covered which snow for a large part of
the year. There are very few trees which grow in
their region. The major crops of this region are rice,
wheat, barley, peas, millet and maize.
8. (i) Women and men from different cultural, reli-
together to fight against the British rule. They
worked together to plan joint actions to be tak-
en against the Britishers. They went to jail to-
gether and found different ways to oppose the
British.
P-77
 (ii) India does not have a uniform culture. It has Economic inequality comprises all disparities in the
diversity of cultural practices, languages, cus- distribution of economic assets and income.
toms and traditions. The people of India get an Social inequality refers to the lack of social equality,
opportunity to enjoy all these diversities in the where individuals in a society do not have equal
nature in their day-to-day life. social status, adequate provision of healthcare
9. Inequality means the unavailability of resources facilities, etc.
and opportunities for different people. The caste Political inequality exists where people are
system is an example of inequality. Inequality has not given voting rights, freedom of speech and
various forms like : assembly, freedom to contest elections and so on.

WORKSHEET-149
Solutions
1. (a)
2. The other name for the Jallianwala Bagh Massacre
is Amritsar Massacre.
3. The British ruled over India for more than 200 years.
4. The state of Kerala was created on 1st November,
1956.
5. The important tourist places in Kerala are the
backwaters, beaches, rolling hills and exotic wild
life.
6. India, being the largest democracy, has multiple
cultural origins. It is a land of diverse cultures,
religions and communities. There is great diversity
in our traditions, manners, habits and customs. Each
state portrays different customs and traditions. Yet,
all the live people together as Indians. People from
different backgrounds and cultures participated
in the struggle for freedom. The freedom fighters,
namely Mahatma Gandhi, Nehru and Subhash
Chandra Bose believed in the concept of unity in
diversity.
7. The coastal state of Kerala is in the southern part of
India and is called the Tropical Paradise of India.
It is surrounded by the Arabian Sea on one side
and Western Ghats on the other side. The tropical
climate of Kerala offers a pleasant atmosphere
throughout the year. Kerala has hot and humid
climate during April and May and pleasant and
cold climate during December-January.
8. (i) The poem was sung after the Jallianwala Bagh
Massacre in Amritsar in which General Dyer,
opened fire on a large group of unarmed peo-
ple, killing and wounding many people.
(ii) The last line of the poem “the blood of Hindus
and Muslims flows together today”, reflects the
unity of the Indian people.
9. Assam is a North-Eastern state of India. It is famous
for Assam tea and silk. A land of high rainfall, the
place is endowed with lush greenery and the mighty
river Brahmapurta. Major religions of the state are
Hinduism and Islam. Bihu is the important festival
celebrated in Assam. It is the home of varieties of
citrus fruits and leafy vegetables.

WORKSHEET-150
Solutions 6. Kochi, the commercial capital of Kerala, is known as
the ‘Queen of the Arabian Sea’. 
1. (b) 7. Vasco Da Gama was a Portuguese explorer. He was
2. (b) born in Sines, Portugal in 1469. The Portugal King,
3. (a) Intermixing Emmanuel I ordered Vasco Da Gama to complete
his father’s historic voyage. In 1502, he destroyed
(b) Jawaharlal Nehru the Arab trading centres in India and established
(c) Chinese, Arab Portuguese trading centres. He helped Portugal to
(d) Inequality become rich and famous.
(e) geographical area. 8. Onam is an important festival of Kerala. It is
celebrated with joy and enthusiasm by the
(f) culture people for ten days. People prepare Onasadya, a
4. (a) (False) nine course meal consisting of 13 dishes. Other
important features of Onam are Vallamkali, the
(b) (False) snake boat race and Pookalam, which flower mats
(c) (True) are designed by women.
(d) (True) 9. Pashmina shawls are expensive shawls in the
markets of Ladakh and in the other parts of India,
(e) (False) the reason being that the wool comes from mountain
(f) (True) goats called Changra and only a small portion of
5. The lakes, canals, inlets and rivers in Kerala are the goat hair is used to make pure Pashmina. The
interconnected waterways that form the backwaters manufacturing of shawls requires great skill. The
in Kerala. wool is famous for its softness, warmth lightness
and beautiful dyes.
qqq

P-78 S O C I A L S C I E N C E - VI