Comprehension I -[1 mark questions]

I. Answer the following questions in a word, a phrase or a sentence

each: -

1. Where did the cycling movement start?

Ans: Pudukkottai district in Tamilnadu
2. When did the cycling movement start?
Ans: In 1991
3. What does a woman feel about cycling?
Ans: Women felt that it was Independent freedom and mobility movement.
4. Sheela Rani was a former………
Ans: District Collector
5. Arivoli Iyakkam movement spreads………..
Ans: literacy
6. Whose brainchild was the cycling movement?
Ans: Sheela Rani Chunkath.
7. What do women get from cycling?
Ans: Cycling gives them confidence and boosts their income
8. What is the symbol of social mobility?
Ans: Cycling is a symbol of social mobility.
9. Who has cycling benefitted the most?
Ans: Cycling has benefitted the rural women the most.
10. What is common between neo-literates and neo-cyclists?
Ans: Cycling as a social movement was first popularized by the neo-
literates. These neo-literates are the ones who became neo-cyclists.
12. How did the men react to women taking to cycling?
Ans: Women had to put up with vicious attacks on their character. Some of
the men made filthy remarks. Social sanction from the Arivoli organization,
made some men less hostile and some of them even encouraged the women
to learn cycling.
13. Why did UNICEF sanction mopeds to Arivoli women activists?
Ans: The UNICEF sanctioned fifty mopeds to Arivoli women activists in
appreciation of their work of initiating more than 70,000 women from
Pudukkotai who have taken part to display their cycling skills at the public
‘exhibition-cum-contests’ in a single week in 1992.
14. Why is the cycle called ‘the humble vehicle’?
Ans: The word ‘humble’ means ‘poor’, the lowest in rank. The writer calls it
a humble vehicle because it is the most common and it is seen even in the
most remote places, a common man’s vehicle.

1 | NRH ENGLISH
15. Name some of the women who have taken to cycling.
Ans: Jameela Bibi, Fatima, and N.Kannammal are some of the women who
have taken to cycling.
16. What is Fatima by profession?
Ans: A secondary school teacher.
17. What is the literacy movement of Pudukkottai called?
Ans: Arivoli Iyakkam
18. What does Arivoli Iyakkam mean?
Ans: Light of knowledge movement.
19. Who was the brain behind the cycling movement?
Ans: Sheela Rani Chunkath,
20. What did Sheela Rani add as a part of the literacy drive?
Ans: Sheela Rani added mobility as a part of the literacy drive.
21. When and why did Sheela Rani start the cycling movement?
Ans: In 1991 Sheela Rani Chunkath started the cycling movement in the
Pudukkottai district with the intention of training female literacy activists
so that literacy would reach women in the interior.
22. Who is Manormani? How old is she?
Ans: Twenty two years old Manormani is a quarry worker and an Arivoli
volunteer
23. How has cycling helped small producers?
Ans: Cycling has helped small producers cut down on time wasted in
waiting for buses. It has also helped them to give more time to focus on
selling their produce. It has also helped them to cover a large area.
24. What does a bicycle represent for rural women?
Ans: The bicycle represents independence, freedom, and mobility to women.
25. What does bicycling symbolize for most of the neo literate women?
Ans: A symbol of independence, freedom and mobility.
26. What does 'Arivoli Iyakkam' mean?
Ans: Light of knowledge movement.
27. What does cycling movement offer to the women in Pudukkottai?
Ans: A way out of enforced routines, around male imposed barriers.
28. Who wrote the famous cycling song in Pudukkottai district of
Tamil Nadu?
Or
Name the Arivoli activist who penned the famous cycling song.
Ans: Muthu Bhaskaran
29. What gave freedom to the women of Pudukkottai in Tamil Nadu?
Ans: Cycling.
30. Which international agency sanctioned fifty mopeds for Arivoli
women activists?
Ans: UNICEF
31. What did UNICEF give the Arivoli women activists of Pudukkottai?
Ans: Fifty mopeds.
2 | NRH ENGLISH
32. Why couldn't the rural women of Pudukkottai go by bus to other
villages? Give any one reason.
Ans: Because buses were not frequent/poorly connected routes/could not
afford it.
33. Name the owner of Ram cycles, a bicycle dealer in Pudukkottai.
Ans: S. Kannakarajan.
34. How many female cyclists participated in the all-women’s rally in
'Where There is a Wheel’?
Ans: More than 1500.
35. What does bicycle represent for the rural women in Pudukkottai?
Ans. Freedom/mobility.
36. Who was the central coordinator of the Arivoli Iyakkam?
Ans: N. Kannammal.
37. Which of the vehicles is called 'Humble' in 'Where there is a wheel'?
Ans: Bicycle / Cycle.
38. Why did some women prefer 'Gents' cycle?
Ans: Because they could seat a child on the additional bar / Shortage of
ladies' cycle.
39. What had stunned the inhabitants of Pudukkottai on the
International Women's day?
Ans: All women’s cycle rally in which over 1,500 female cyclists
participated.

Comprehension II -[4 marks questions]

II. Answer the following questions in a paragraph of 80 – 100 words

each: -

1. What is the role of Arivoli in liberating women?

Ans: Arivoli Iyakkam – Light of Knowledge Movement organizes various
activities benefitting rural women and the disadvantaged people in society.
It helps people become literate. One of the remarkable initiatives taken up
by Arivaoli for the liberation of women in 1992 in Pudukkottai district of
Tamilnadu was cycling movement. It helped women gain confidence. They
became independent: they were able to fetch water; they could cart
provisions from other places. Arivoli gave these women a new lease of life.
Cycling offered a way out of enforced routines, around male imposed
barriers. This cycling movement in turn enriched the literary movement.
Arivoli composed songs to encourage cycling. One of the lines goes like this:
‘O sister, come learn cycling, move with the wheel of time…’ Arivoli gave
cycling social sanction and it gave women mobility.

3 | NRH ENGLISH
2. List the activities taken up by Arivoli, to empower women through
cycling.
Ans: Cycling is a social movement at Pudukkottai, a poor district in Tamil
Nadu. It has given a new life to many rural women. Cycling is a symbol of
independence, freedom and mobility. It is supported by the district's literacy
drive, led by Arivoli. It was the brain child of popular district collector,
Sheela Rani Chunkath. The main intention behind this was to spread
literacy among the rural women. As a part of this, she pushed banks to
sanction loans for women to buy bicycles. Arivoli has master-trainers who
train the interested activists and it conducts exhibition-cum-contests. In
1992, more than 70,000 women displayed their cycling skills at the public
exhibition run by Arivoli. Being impressed, UNICEF sanctioned fifty mopeds
for Arivoli women activists. Arivoli training camps also train a number of
prospective learners. The neo-literates and the neo-cyclists even sing songs
that encourage bicycling.

3. In what different ways does the cycle empower rural women?

Ans: Cycle for the rural women of Pudukkottai district stands as a symbol
of independence, freedom and mobility. It gave the women their right. It
helped women to take up literacy even more vigorously. Bicycle helped these
women with confidence. The bicycle cut down on time wasted in waiting for
buses. It saved more time to focus on selling their produce. It gave women
their leisure time. Earlier, they had to depend on fathers, brothers,
husbands or sons to reach the bus stop. They could cover only a limited
number of villages to sell their produce. They had to rush back early to tend
to the children and perform other chores. The bicycle now changed all
these. It brought these rural women a sense of self-respect.

4. Why does the author describe Arivoli ‘cycling training camp’ as an

unusual experience?
Ans: It is indeed an unusual experience for the author because all the
prospective learners had turned out in their Sunday best in Kilakuruchi
village. They were very passionate about the pro-cycling movement. They
were excited to know that cycling offered them a way out of their enforced
routines, around male-dominated barriers. In fact, they wanted to ‘move
with the wheel of time.’ A large number of trained cyclists had come back to
help new learners. They worked free of charge for Arivoli as ‘master
trainers’. They felt it very strong that ‘all women ought to learn cycling.’ This
experience also helped them promote the literacy movement even more
actively. Arivoli had a massive influence on neo-literate women in learning
cycling.

4 | NRH ENGLISH
5. Do you think neo-literate women taking to cycling contribute to
literacy movement?
Ans: Yes. Neo-literate women in Pudukkottai district of Tamilnadu found
this humble medium of transport a catalyst in their life. They hit out at
their backwardness expressing defiance by using bicycle. The agricultural
workers, quarry labourers and village health nurses took to cycling. Balwadi
and anganwadi workers, gem cutters and school teachers also joined the
movement. Even gram sevikas and mid-day meal workers were in the race.
In fact, the vast majority had just then become literate. As literacy gives
women power, cycling gives them mobility. These neo-literate women could
now cover more distance reaching out to those disadvantaged women. In
fact, literacy movement accelerated its speed, thanks to bicycle.

6. How does Sheela Rani Chunkath, the district collector, promote the
empowerment of women?
Ans: Sheela Rani Chunkath, former popular district collector came up with
the idea of cycling for women empowerment in 1991 in Pudukkottai district
of Tamilnadu. This was to further train female activists to reach literacy to
the women in the interior. She included mobility as a part of the literacy
drive. She knew that lack of mobility among women had undermined their
confidence. She pushed the banks to give loans for the women to buy
bicycles. She ensured that each block did its best to promote the movement.
She gave it personal attention as the top official in the district. This kind of
motivation is required to achieve something very big on the social plane.

7. How did the women react to the shortage of ladies’ cycle?

Ans: The women were very passionate to learn cycling. First, the activists
learned followed by the neo-literates. Every woman wanted to learn too.
This resulted in the shortage of ladies’ cycles. However, they were so
passionate about cycling that they wouldn’t mind riding gents’ cycles. Some
women preferred the gents’ cycles as they had an additional bar from the
seat to the handle. They could seat a child on the bar. There was an
incredible rise in the sale of ‘ladies’ cycles in one year. A lot of women who
would not wait for ‘ladies’ cycles, went in for men’s cycles. Thus the spirit
among the women was very high over their new found joy.

8. How does cycling help the women of Pudukkottai for economic

gains?
Ans: In his essay ‘Where There is a Wheel', P. Sainath describes the
optimism that cycling has brought about in the lives of women of
Pudukkottai, a poor district of Tamil Nadu. The district's literacy drive
known as Arivoli Iyakkam, encourages women to learn cycling, they
conduct cycle training camps. Cycling has given them confidence along with
mobility. It increases the income of the rural women. Women sell
5 | NRH ENGLISH
agricultural products not only to their village people but also to the people
of other villages. They don't need to wait for buses which are not frequent.
Cycling saves time. They don't need to walk long distances. They finish their
work easily and quickly. They carry their children, the produce and two
pots of water on their bicycles, thus, combining their difficult tasks.

9. Why does P Sainath state that Pudukkottai in Tamil Nadu remains

unique among the India districts?
Ans: In his essay 'Where There is a Wheel', P Sainath shares his
observation that changes had taken place in the poor district of Tamil Nadu
known as Pudukkottai. The rural women have chosen cycling as a medium.
They have learnt cycling which has given them confidence, freedom and
above all mobility. Arivoli Iyakkam, the literacy drive has made the best use
of this skill. Young girls could continue their studies and women could
move around without depending upon the male members of their families.
They have started selling their agricultural products carrying them on their
cycles. There was a passion among the women to learn cycling. Former
District Collector Sheela Rani Chunkath encouraged women to take loans
from banks to buy cycles. Arivoli activist conducted training camps to teach
cycling to women. Thus, this humble vehicle made Pudukkottai a unique
district and an inspirational example for others.

10. Cycling as a movement has brought about a radical change in

Pudukkottai. Explain.
Or
How has cycling benefitted the rural women of Pudukkottai?
Or
How has cycle transformed the lives of many women in Pudukkottai?
Ans: Pudukkottai, one of the poorest districts or Tamil Nadu, is a witness to
a radical change, as the rural women. Especially the neo-literates have
taken to cycling. It has become a symbol of independence, freedom and
mobility to them. Women agricultural workers, quarry laborers, teachers, all
have made cycling a passion. They proudly admit that their confidence has
boosted and their dependency on men has reduced. The bicycle even allows
them to multitask. One can come across women carting provisions, fetching
water and even selling their produce, sometimes with their children on their
bicycles. Though it does not boost their economy directly, it does help them
to earn more as they can cover longer distances. So, invariably cycling has
changed the lives of women of Pudukkottai.

11. On the basis of your reading of 'Wheel Brings Progress', can you say
that cycling has proved itself a social movement in Pudukkottai.
Ans: Yes, cycling is seen as a social movement in Pudukkottai, Tamil Nadu.
In 18 months over 1,00,000 rural women, most of them neo-literates, took
6 | NRH ENGLISH
to bicycling as a symbol of independence, freedom and mobility. The cycling
movement has given women the confidence. It has reduced their
dependence on men. Women saw a direct link between cycling and their
personal freedom. Women can do many things on their own without
expecting help from men. But Arivoli movement gave cycling social sanction.
When women learnt cycling, they didn't need to depend on men of the
family for moving about. Sheela Rani Chunkath, former district collector,
encouraged women to learn cycling for mobility.

12. How has bicycle brought a total change in the lives or rural women
as in 'Where there is a wheel'? March – 2018
Ans: Pudukkottai, one of the poorest districts of Tamil Nadu, is a witness to
a radical change, as the rural women, especially the neo-literates have
taken to cycling. It has become a symbol of independence, freedom and
mobility to them. Women agricultural workers, quarry laborers, teachers, all
have made cycling a passion. They proudly admit that their confidence has
boosted and their dependency on men has reduced. The bicycle even allows
them to multitask. One can come across women carting provisions, fetching
water and even selling their bicycles. Though it does not boost their
economy directly, it does help them to earn more as they can cover longer
distances. So, invariably cycling has changed the lives of women of
Pudukkottai.

13. Do you think women taking up cycling are as significant as the

literacy movement?
Yes, Women taking up cycling are as significant as the literacy
movement because their experience has enriched the literacy movement.
The neo-cyclists were bound even more passionately much before to Arivoli,
the Districts vigorous literacy drive. Every neo-literate popularized cycling
and saw a direct link between cycling and her personal independence. It
reduced their dependence on men. It offered a way out of enforced routines
around male imposed barriers. It gave them independence, freedom and
mobility. The main thing it gave women was the confidence and the sense of
self-respect by becoming financially independent and by sharing the family
responsibilities.

Comprehension III -[6 marks questions]

IV. Answer the following questions in about 200 words:

1. Justify the statement 'Wheel brings progress' with reference to

Where There is a Wheel'.
Ans: Cycling has enabled rural women to be independent, free and mobile.
The productivity of these rural women has increased due this new
7 | NRH ENGLISH
independence. Women no longer have to walk long distances to fetch water
or to sell their products or to bring provision. She no longer has to depend
on public transport, so the time saved can be utilized for other purposes
like cooking and guiding children in their studies. It has reduced fatigue. It
has increased rural women's income by giving the women freedom to sell
more their products in and around other villages. It has increased their
leisure time. So that she can take adequate rest. It has contributed to their
self-respect which is vital. Women agricultural, laborers, quarry laborers,
village health nurses, Balwadí and Anganwadi workers, gem cutters and
school teachers, gramsevika and mid-day meal workers and school and
college students have benefitted by cycling. Neo-literates and Neo-cyclist
women have a direct link between cycling and their personal independence
P. Sainath describes the feelings of rural women who have learnt 'cycling'.
They feel a new kind of independence, freedom and mobility has come to
their monotonous lives. It has given them confidence and reduced their
dependence on men. Cycling has offered a way out of enforced routines,
around male-imposed barriers.

2. What benefits, according to P. Sainath, has cycling brought into the

lives of rural women?
Ans: According to R Sainath, the introduction of cycling for women in
Pudukkottai district has brought about a tremendous change in the lives of
the rural women. Cycling has empowered women agricultural worker’s
village health nurses, Balwadí and anganwadi workers, gem cutters, Grama
Sevikas and school teachers, both economically and politically. Earlier,
some of the women who used to sell agricultural or other produce within a
group of villages had to commute by bus. For them, now the bicycle cuts
down on time, earlier wasted in waiting for buses.
Secondly, it gives them much more time to focus on selling their produce.
Earlier, they had to rush back early to tend to the children and perform
other chores like fetching water etc. Now, these women can combine
different tasks with non-challenge. Similarly, quarry workers had to go too
far off places because their work places were cut off from the main areas.
Now, by learning cycling they have become mobile. Women can now collect
water as well as cart provisions from other places on their own.

3. Comment on how cycling reduced women's dependence on men with

reference to 'Where there is a wheel'.
Ans: Tens of thousands of neo-literate rural women in Pudukkottai district
have discovered a new way of overcoming their backwardness, of asserting
themselves by learning to ride a bicycle. This simple and humble vehicle
has done wonders in their lives. It has empowered women by giving them
mobility and the opportunity to spread their wings. Knowing how to ride a
bicycle made these women self-confident, reduced their dependence on
8 | NRH ENGLISH
men, and helped them to break the social barriers imposed on them by a
male-dominated society. It helped to boost their income as these women
could sell their products even in far-flung areas, they saved time wasted in
waiting for buses, they could easily do several tasks simultaneously like
shopping for provisions and collecting water. They were able to save a lot of
time, which they could use to take rest, spend with their children or in any
manner they chose. Thus, the drudgery of their lives was considerably
reduced and most importantly cycling gave them a sense of self-respect
which is very important.

4. How does P. Sainath show that cycling brings about changes beyond
economic gains?
OR
‘O sister, come learn cycling, move with the wheel of time…’ How does
the song suggest that the cycle could be an instrument of social
change and progress?
Ans: The neo-cyclists wanted to ‘move with the wheel of time.’ They
discovered a new identity through the humble vehicle, bicycle. The rural
women found a new way to assert their equivalent roles with men. As the
young women zipped along the roads on their bicycles, P. Sainath was
mesmerized to witness a social movement that took the entire Pudukkottai
district by storm in 1992. Tens of thousands of neo-literate rural women of
the district chose to sun their backwardness by riding bicycle as a symbol
of independence, freedom and mobility. A young Jamila Bibi found cycling
as her right. The rural women just got addicted to this new phenomenon.
Cycle has strong economic gains, no doubt. But, more than anything,
cycling gave these rural women their personal independence and
confidence. Now the women did not have to wait for the men. They could
even cart provisions from other places on their own. They felt that all
women ought to learn cycling, for it would empower them with literacy and
mobility.
More than the economic aspect, cycling gave them the sense of self-
respect. The women ride bicycle for the goodness and independence. To P.
Sainath, the humble vehicle appeared to be a metaphor for freedom. For
those rural women, ‘it’s a Himalayan achievement, like flying an aeroplane.’

9 | NRH ENGLISH