Write a short note on the lives of fishing families. [V. Imp.]
Fishing families usually live close to the sea. Their lives revolve around the sea and fish. One can find rows of catamarans and nets lying around their houses. Their day usually starts from 7 O'clock in the morning. This is the time when there is a lot of activity on the beach. After catching fish the fishermen return with their catamarans. Women then gather to buy and sell fish.They do not go to the sea for at least four months during the monsoon because this is when the fish breed. During these months they survive by borrowing from the trader. And thus, they are forced to sell the fish to that trader later on.The lives of fisherfolk are full of risks. Whenever there is a storm, they have to suffer a lot. In 2004, the tsunami hit them badly. They were the worst sufferers.
You have probably noticed that people in Kalpattu are engaged in a variety of non farm work. List five of these.
Imagine you are a member of a fishing family and you are discussing whether to take a loan from the bank for an engine. What would you say?
Poor rural labourers like Thulasi often do not have access to good medical facilities, good schools, and other resources. You have read about inequality in the first unit of this text. The difference between her and Ramalingam is one of inequality. Do you think this is a fair situation? What do you think can be done? Discuss in class.
Name some other activities which poor families in rural areas often do for the household apart from farming. [V. Imp.]
What do you think the government can do to help fanners like Sekar when they get into debt? Discuss.
List the different types of people you read about in Kalpattu who depend on farming. Who is the poorest among them and why?
State whether these sentences are true CD or false (F).
(i)Ramalingam is a big farmer having twenty acres of land.
(ii) Sekar takes loan from Thulasi and buys seeds and fertilizers.
(iii) In coastal areas we find fishing villages.
(iv) In India 60 percent farmers are small Farmers.
(v) Sekar takes help of other small farmers at the time of harvesting.
Under which circumstances poor farmers find themselves unable to pay back their loans? What happens after that?
Fill in the blanks with appropriate words to complete each sentence:
(i)The people of Chizami village do ………………………………………….. farming.
(ii) Nearly ……. of all rural families are agricultural labourers in India.
(iii) Sekar has a hybrid cow, whose milk he sells in the local ………………
(iv) In some villages in central India, both farming and ……………….. from forest are important sources of livelihood.
(v) The people of Pudupet village earn their living by………………