Class 5 EVS Chapter 20 Whose Forests
Question: Who is Suryamani and what special activity does she do with the children every Sunday?
Answer: Suryamani is a ‘girl star’ who takes children to the forest every Sunday and teaches them to identify trees, plants and animals. She helps them learn to “read” the forest.
Question: What activities do the children enjoy in the forest with Suryamani?
Answer: The children jump, run, climb trees, sing songs in the Kuduk language, weave necklaces from fallen flowers and leaves, enjoy wild fruits and imitate the sounds of birds.
Question: How did Suryamani’s family earn their livelihood before the contractor came?
Answer: Her family used to collect leaves and herbs from the forest and sell them in the market, her mother used to weave baskets from bamboo and make leaf plates from fallen leaves.
Question: Who was Budhiyamai and what was her view about the forest?
Answer: Budhiyamai was a villager who was not afraid of the contractor. She believed that the forest is their collective bank and they have a right over it because they take only what they need.
Q: Why did Suryamani have to leave her village to study?
Answer: Maniya Chacha got her enrolled in a school in Bishanpur, where she did not have to pay for fees, uniforms and books, as her family was struggling financially.
Q: What is ‘Torang’ and why did Suryamani establish it?
Answer: Torang is a centre established by Suryamani (meaning ‘forest’ in Kuduk language), where they preserve their traditional culture, music, songs and teach children about herbs, medicines and bamboo crafts.
Q: What is the Forest Rights Act 2007?
Answer: It is a law, according to which people who have been living in forests for at least 25 years have rights over forest land and its produce and cannot be evicted from the forest.
Question: Who was Mirchi and what was special about this friendship?
Answer: Mirchi was Suryamani’s close friend who stayed with him day and night. Suryamani used to share all her thoughts and dreams with Mirchi, who used to reply by saying “Kee ki”.
Question: What is special about Jhum farming?
Answer: In Jhum farming, after harvesting, the land is not used for years. The growing bamboo or weeds are cut and burned, so that the soil becomes fertile. Several crops can be grown simultaneously, and the weeds are cut and mixed with the soil (not uprooted).
Question: How do people measure land in Mizoram?
Answer: They measure land using ‘tin’ – the amount of land needed to grow one tin of seed is called one tin of land.