The Little Martyr

1. The Little Martyr 9th Grade, English

2. Background Information • Quit India Movement - The Quit India Movement was a civil disobedience movement launched in India in August 1942 in response to Gandhi’s call for immediate independence. The All India Congress Committee proclaimed a mass protest demanding what Gandhi called "an orderly British withdrawal" from India. The call for determined, but passive resistance appears in his call to Do or Die, issued on 9th August at the Gowalia Tank Maidan in Mumbai in the year 1942. • Hubli - Hubli, also called Hubballi, is a major city in the state of Karnataka, India. The name Hubballi literally means "flowering creeper" in Kannada. The twin cities of Hubli and Dharwad, collectively referred to as "Hubli-Dharwad", is the second-largest in Karnataka after Bengaluru. The city of Hubli, situated about 20 km south-east of Dharwad, is the commercial centre and business hub of the North Karnataka region.

3. The Story • Manydifferentmovements to get the British out of India startingwith the First War of Independence in 1857 hadhappened but none of themhad borne fruit. • Freedomfighterswereroutinelyarrested and put in jailwherethereweretortured and beaten up verybadly. Quite a few werehanged. • Indianswereboilingwith rage against the British rule and the tyranny of the British and the Quit India movementfuelledthose feelings verystrongly. • The entire city of Hubli wasfilledwith people participating in the Quit India movement and placards, posters couldbeseeneverywheredepictingthis. • Thousands of people hadgatheredin Durgadbail, the city square echoing the call of Quit India.

4. The Story…continued • Narayan, a small boy living in Hubli wasalsoveryinterested to take part in the gathering. • Aftertaking bath, heworehiskhadi shorts and shirt, took the National Flag whichfilledhimwithprideand toldhismotherthathewasgoing out to participate in the procession at Durgadbail, a square in the heart of the city. • Hismotherwasveryconcernedthathewasgoing to participate in a procession of elders but Narayanbrushedher off by sayingwhatmatteredwas the intent to serve Mother India and not the size. Hismotherbeamedwithpride and let him go. • Narayantook part in the procession, seeinghislittleheartfilledwithsomuch of patriotism all the elders put him at the head of the procession whereheproudlywaved the Indian flag whileshoutingagainst the British to go back to their country. • All of a sudden the police resorted to firingbullets at the procession and Narayanwasalso hit in the chest by a bullet. • In the hospital, justbeforehedied, Narayanuttered the words ‘Swaraj’ before passing away. Narayanwas a true Martyr of the Nation, albeit a littlefellow, he stands tallamong all the folks wholosttheirlivesfighting the British.

6. Comprehension 1) Who served an ultimatum to the British? Ans: Gandhiji served an ultimatum to the British to leave India. 2) What was mistaken for cowardice? Ans: Gandhiji’s principle of non violence was mistaken to be cowardice. 3) When was the First War of Independence fought? Ans:1857 4) How were the freedom fighters treated? Ans: Freedom fighters were put in jail and ruthlessly tortured. 5) Who was Narayan? Ans: Narayan was a small boy living in Hubli 6) What did the Indians ask the British to do? Ans: The Indians were asking the British to go back to their country 7) What filled Narayan with the spirit of patriotism? Ans: The touch of the Indian flag filled his heart with patriotism 8) Where did Narayan join the freedom fighters? Ans: Narayan joined the fighters in Durgadbail 9) What did people do when the police fired? Ans: People ran in all directions away from the firing 10) What did Narayan say before he breathed his last? Ans: Swaraj

7. Exercise - Fill in the Blanks • I prefer death to enslavement. • A child’s smile is infectious. • Tilak worked untiringly for the freedom of India. • The Kumbhamela is a mammoth gathering of people. • The dacoits beat the trader ruthlessly and decamped with his valuables. • A bomb thrown by the terrorists killed many innocent people. It was a heartrending scene to see the innocent lie in a pool of blood.

8. Exercise – Combine the following sentences usingwho, which, because, when, neither/nor, either/or, although and though. 1) Tenzing is a sherpa. He is the pride of India. Ans: Tenzing is a sherpa who is the pride of India. 2) We reached Bijapur. The sun was setting. Ans: We reached Bijapur when the sun was setting. 3) The Ganga is a holy river. It takes its birth in the Himalayas. Ans: The Ganga is a holy river which takes its birth in the Himalayas. 4) Gandhiji did not like violence. He did not like communal disharmony. Ans: Gandhiji neither liked violence nor communal disharmony. 5) They saw a tiger. They ran as fast as they could. Ans: When they saw a tiger, they ran as fast as they could. Ans: Because they saw a tiger, they ran as fast as they could. 6) The police asked the dacoit to surrender. They told him to face punishment. Ans: The police asked the dacoit to either surrender or face punishment. 7) He was crippled. He fought bravely. Ans: Although he was crippled, he fought bravely. 8) He came late. He could complete his work. Ans: Though he came late, he could complete his work.

9. Exercise – Name the parts of speech • Gandhiji stirred up the patriotic feelings. Patriotic - adjective • The whole of India rose against the despotic rule of the British. Against - preposition • Thousands of Indians foughtuntiringly to drive the British out. Fought – verb; untiringly – adverb; out - preposition • He opened the cupboard and took out the tricolour. Opened - verb • Every drop of blood that fell on this holy soil inspiredIndians. Every – adjective; on - preposition; inspired – adjective; Indians - Noun Further Reading – Read the playRamsingChowk by S.R.Rohidekar