My Impression Of Assam Question Answer [Class 11 English Chapter 9]

Name	My Impression Of Assam
Type	Question Answer
Class	11th
Subject	English
Board	AHSEC
Author	Verrier Elwin

My Impression Of Assam Summary

“My Impression of Assam” is a non-fiction book by Verrier Elwin, an English anthropologist, historian, and tribal welfare worker who worked extensively in India during the British Raj and post-independence period. The book is a collection of observations and reflections on the people, culture, and society of Assam, a state located in northeastern India.

The book describes the geography, climate, and natural resources of Assam, as well as its history, religion, and culture. Elwin describes the various ethnic and linguistic groups that make up the population of Assam, and he provides detailed accounts of their customs, beliefs, and social organization. He also writes about the challenges facing the people of Assam, such as poverty, disease, and exploitation by outside interests.

Elwin also writes about the political situation in Assam during the time when the book was written, including the impact of British colonial rule and the challenges of post-independence administration. He argues that the people of Assam have been largely neglected by the Indian government, and he calls for greater investment in the region to improve the lives of its inhabitants.

Throughout the book, Elwin writes with a deep empathy and respect for the people of Assam. He is critical of the negative impact of colonialism and exploitative economic practices, but he also recognizes the resilience and richness of the region’s culture and society.

My Impression Of Assam Question Answer

Q1: Who was Dr. Verrier Elwin?

Ans: Dr. Verrie Elwin (1902-1963) was an eminent British author and anthropologist who made the North-East his second home.

Q2: What is the thing that show his deep concern for the people of the North-East region?

Ans: Dr. Verrier Elwin’s writings on the tribal peoples of North-East India shows his deep concern for the people of this region.

Q3: What does Verrier Elwin have to say to the hill people of Assam? [H.S.-2015,2017]

Ans: Verrier Elwin has said about the hill people of Assam that they should not ashamed of their old culture. Its a beautiful thing. It should not be thrown away. Its a treasure of Assam.

Q4: How do East Africans and Indian differ in their attitude to animals? [H.S.-2015]

Ans: In East Africa, there is a tradition to coperate to make the sanctuaries a success. Huge money is spent to it. No one ever think to poach animals. One may get a nice experience, in a brief drive he/she can see lots of animals such as giraffes, zebras, ostriches, wild elephants, lions etc. Men are friends for them but according to the author he had seen totaly different in India. Animals are not safe here. Men are their enemy. Assam public were not conscious about the future of animals.

Q5: What did Elwin notice about our attitude towards wild animals? [H.S.-2016]

Ans: Verrier Elwin noticed that we didn’t have any friendly attitude towards wild animals unlike the people of East Africa.

Q6: Why did the author Verrier Elwin say that he was an unconventional visitor? [H.S.-2017,2018]

Ans: Verrier Elwin said that he was an uncoventional visitor because he spent only four months in Assam and knows everything about this state but after staying twenty years in India he did not know any thing about it.

Q7: Compare and contrast Verrier Elwin’s views regarding his visits to the game sanctuaries of Kenya and Tanganyka on the one hand and Kaziranga on other. [H.S.-2015]

Ans: Verrier Elwin had seen a noticable different between the game sanctuaries of Kenya and Tanganyka and Kaziranga.

In Kenya and Tanganyka (East Africa) there is a tradition to cooperate by the general people. They make the sanctuaries a success. Huge money is spent to it. No one ever think to kill animals. Men are their friends. One may have a brief drive and can have nice experience. Visitor can see hundreds of giraffes, zebras, ostriches, wild elephants, lions ets.

But it is not seen in the game sanctuaries of Kaziranga. Animals are not safe here. People always think to poach animals. As we can say that men are their enemy at Kaziranga.

Q8: What appeal does the author make to scholars of Assam concerning the songs and poems of the state? Why does he make this appeal?

Ans: The author questioned the people of Assam, how many books and collections had made on the songs and the poems of Assam’s country side. He urged the scholars of Assam to do something to record and preserve them.

He made this appeal because the folk-songs and the poems in the countryside of Assam are disappearing rapidly. Nowadays even school boys prefer JAzz music from hollywood and naturally the local songs of Assam will disappear soon forever.

Q9: Why, according to Verrier Elwin, should wood carving be taught and encouraged in our educational centres?

Ans: Elwin has praised the wood carvings by the Konyaks, Maos and Marams, the Angamis and Phoms. Some of the wood carvings done by the people are of extraordinary vigour and beauty and it should not be let to be lost. The author wants the art of wood carving should be taught and encouraged in our educational institutes, so that the beautiful art remains alive forever and odes not die along with the old artisans and craftsman.

Q10: “You have a great treasure there” What treasure is Verrier Elwin referring to and what is his suggestion about the treasure?

Ans: Verrier Elwin has found a great treasure of old culture among the hill tribes of Assam. He asked the hill people of Assam not to be ashamed of their old culture, which are much noble and beautiful. He has praised the good tasks, the sense of ccolours and forms, the delight in beauty, the right tone of music of the people. His suggestion was that such beautiful things should never be look down upon and thrown away so easily. Such things grow out of the ancient soil and once they are destroyed or gets disappeared they cannot be recovered back at any cost.

Q11: What may be of interest to the students in this chapter?

Ans: It may be of interest to the students to have a few impressions from an unconventional traveller about what he has seen of our lovely land i.e., Assam.