Lecture 9 to 12: Précis (Practice)

Exercise: 21 Make précis of the following paragraphs. Also suggest suitable titles.
(I): Does nationalism embrace two, quite distinct traditions? Does nationalism have a ‗good‘ face and a ‗bad‘ face? The idea
that there are, in effect, ‗two nationalisms‘ is usually based on the belief that nationalism has contrasting civic and ethnic
forms. What is often called civic nationalism is fashioned primarily out of shared political allegiances and political values. The
nation is thus an ‗association of citizens‘. Civic nationalism has been defended on the grounds that it is open and voluntaristic:
membership of the nation is based on choice and self-definition, not on any predetermined ethnic or historical identity. It is a
form of nationalism that is consistent with toleration and liberal values generally, being forward-looking and compatible with a
substantial degree of cultural and ethnic diversity. Critics, however, have questioned whether civic nationalism is meaningful
(Kymlicka 1999). Most citizens, even in a ‗civic‘ or ‗political‘ nation, derive their nationality from birth, not choice. Moreover,
divorced from the bonds of ethnicity, language and history, political allegiances and civic values may simply be incapable of
generating the sense of belonging and rootedness that gives nationalism its power. By contrast, ethnic nationalism is squarely
rooted in ethnic unity and a deep sense of cultural belonging. This form of nationalism is often criticized for having a closed or
fixed character: it is difficult, and perhaps impossible, for non-citizens to become members of the nation. Nationalism therefore
acquires a homogenizing character, breeding a fear or suspicion of foreigners and strengthening the idea of cultural
distinctiveness, often interwoven with a belief in national greatness. Ethnic nationalism is thus irrational and tends to be
tribalistic, even bloodthirsty. On the other hand, its capacity to generate a closed and fixed sense of political belonging may
also be a virtue of ethnic nationalism. ‗Ethnic‘ or ‗cultural‘ nations tend to be characterized by high levels of social solidarity
and a strong sense of collective purpose.
(II): In many ways, the Muslims of the northwest had benefited from the British raj (rule). There was some threat of economic
competition from the non-Muslims once the British lifted the protection they had provided, but this threat constituted only a
minor worry. The Muslim landed aristocracy was powerful in the countryside; the religious leaders had a great deal of support
in the villages as well as in the towns; and even the small urban community of Muslims had been reasonably well
accommodated in the professions and public services. The Muslims in the northeast constituted a totally different
socioeconomic class--a minor image of the one in the northwest. They owned little land, did not have much education, and had
not found a sure place for themselves in the modern administrative and economic institutions that the British had brought to
India. Those in the northwest constituted the aristocracy of Indian Muslim society; those in the northeast made up its peasantry.
(III): As to happiness, I am not so sure. Birds, it is true, die of hunger in large numbers during the winter, if they are not birds
of passage. But during the summer they do not foresee this catastrophe, or remember how nearly it befall them in the previous
winter. With human beings the matter is otherwise. I doubt whether the percentage of birds that would have died of hunger
during the present winter (1946-7) is as great as the percentage of human beings that would have died from this cause in India
and Central Europe during the same period. But every human death by starvation is preceded by a long period of anxiety, and
surrounded by corresponding anxiety of neighbors. We suffer not only the evils that befall us, but all those that our intelligence
tells us we have reason to fear. The curbing of impulses to which we are led by forethoughts averts physical disaster at the cost
of worry, and general lack of joy. I do not think that the learned man of my acquaintance, even when they enjoy a secure
income, are as happy as the mouse that eats crumbs from their tables while the erudite gentleman snooze. In this respect,
therefore, I am not convinced that there has been any progress at all.
(IV): Animals are happy so long as they have health and enough to eat. Human beings, one feels, ought to be, but in the
modern world they are not, at least in a great majority of cases. If you are unhappy yourself, you will probably be prepared to
admit that you are not exceptional in this. If you are happy, ask yourself how many of your friends are so. And when you have
reviewed your friends, teach yourself the art of reading faces; make yourself receptive to the moods of those whom you meet
in the course of an ordinary day. ―A mark in every face I meet/Marks of weakness, marks of woe,‖ says Blake. Though the
kinds are different, you will find that unhappiness meets you everywhere. Let us suppose that you are in New York, the most
typically modern of great cities. Stand in a busy street during working hours, or on a main thoroughfare at a week-end, or at a
dance of an evening; empty your mind of your own ego, and let the personalities of the strangers about you take possession of
you one after another. You will find that each of these different crowds has its own trouble. In the work-hour crowd you will
see anxiety, excessive concentration, dyspepsia, lack of interest in anything but the struggle, incapacity for play,
unconsciousness of their fellow creatures.
(V): Modern societies grasped the importance of well-educated polity very early on. In recent decades however, investment in
human capacity has become a top priority for international, multinational, and national efforts. Conventional wisdom
suggested that Education was critical for a society to produce a skilled labour force that could operate as productive members
of the economy. Over time, education has increasingly been seen as a force multiplier capable of having a much broader
impact-both positive and negative- on societies than merely producing skilled work force. High quality education can provide
the means of social mobility and act as a source of contentment to people. It can contribute to peace, drive societal narratives
and thus mould the very outlook of the communities positively, as well as inculcate a civic sense among citizens. On the other

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hand, poor educational standards or agenda driven education can contribute to sense of alienation and deprivation, lead to
internal discord and violence, and channelize societal energies in unproductive directions.
The discussion here draws on the ‗expectations‘ literature. Education is seen as an ‗expectation builder‘; it raises anticipations
at three distinct stages. To begin with, demand for education creates expectations among parents and children that the state
would be able to provide opportunities for acquiring education. Once access to education is provided, consumers began to
expect qualitative improvements. The third stage of expectations stems from the fact that the schooling process itself has
attached to it hopes of finding commensurate employment.
The Literature talks of ‗unfulfilled expectations‘ as a major worry. A failure to fulfill expectations in terms of access to or
quality of education could be a function of state incapacity, deliberate policies that exclude certain segments of society, or
education content that is ill-suited to the requirements of modern economies and societies. Regard less; it implies that those
who miss out are not fit to contribute to the economy optimally. Moreover, they tend to feel aggrieved and may become
alienated and marginalized from their communities. Alienation, deprivation, and marginalization of youth are in turn linked to
radicalization and discord.
(VI) As a 'pragmatic' or 'historical' factor, nationality has existed in history for a long time, but it is only through
consciousness, or rather the awakening of it, that it becomes the 'absolute' factor. In the words of Hans Kohn, 'nationality is
formed by the decision to form a nationality'.
Muslim nationalism conforms to this theory (or to part of it) to an extraordinary extent. It was the result, not of blood
(race is a fiction), nor of a common language (the Bengalis did not speak Urdu), nor of pure religion (many Muslims were
recent converts from Hinduism), nor even of a shared territory (not a single province was completely Muslim)-but of
consciousness. It was the power of an idea which constituted and moulded it. Material facts, of course, helped the
configuration, but the real driving impetus behind the movement was spiritual-'spiritual' in the broader rather than the religious
sense. Without a sufficient measure of national consciousness there would have been no idea of separation, and therefore no
nationalism.
National consciousness is an exceedingly complex process. It is a sort of a group consciousness working on a larger
canvas. It arises from, as well as causes, group solidarity. It aims at discovering, and then communicating to the people, the
links which make for their unity. It points out the aims the pursuit of which becomes the duty of the group. It is not a uniform
process, but contains many strands and variations ranging from definite ideology to feeble doubt.
The first indication that a national group has 'arrived' is the development of a consciousness of the fact that all the
members of that group belong to one nationality. They must believe that they belong to one nationality. But that should not be
taken to mean that each individual member of the group shares the will to live together. The Muslim League never claimed that
it spoke for every single Indian Muslim. Nor was Pakistan the demand of all Muslims living in the sub-continent. There were
some who were just indifferent to politics; there were others who did not agree with the League brand of politics; there were
still others who did not care what befell their community. The national will must be shared by a great majority of the group.
National consciousness does not have to spread to every nook and cranny to qualify as such.
(VII) CSS 2016
During my vacation last May, I had a hard time choosing a tour. Flights to Japan, Hong Kong and Australia are just too
common. What I wanted was somewhere exciting and exotic, a place where I could be spared from the holiday tour crowds. I
was so happy when Joan called up, suggesting a trip to Cherokee, a county in the state of Oklahoma. I agreed and went off
with the preparation immediately. We took a flight to Cherokee and visited a town called Qualla Boundary Surrounded by
magnificent mountain scenery, the town painted a paradise before us. With its Oconaluftee Indian Village reproducing tribal
crafts and lifestyles of the 18th century and the outdoor historical pageant Unto These Hills playing six times weekly in the
summer nights, Qualla Boundary tries to present a brief image of the Cherokee past to the tourists. Despite the language
barrier, we managed to find our way to the souvenir shops with the help of the natives. The shops are filled with rubber
tomahawks and colorful traditional war bonnets, made of dyed turkey feathers. Tepees, cone-shaped tents made from animal
skin, are also pitched near the shops. "Welcome! Want to get anything?" We looked up and saw a middle-aged man smiling at
us. We were very surprised by his fluent English. He introduced himself as George and we ended up chatting till lunch time
when he invited us for lunch at a nearby coffee shop. "Sometimes, I've to work from morning to sunset during the tour season.
Anyway, this is still better off than being a woodcutter ..." Remembrance weighed heavy on George's mind and he went on to
tell us that he used to cut firewood for a living but could hardly make ends meet. We learnt from him that the Cherokees do not
depend solely on trade for survival. During the tour off-peak period, the tribe would have to try out other means for income.
One of the successful ways is the "Bingo Weekend". On the Friday afternoons of the Bingo weekends, a large bingo hall will
be opened, attracting huge crowds of people to the various kinds of games like the Super Jackpot and the Warrior Game
Special. According to George, these forms of entertainment fetch them great returns. Our final stop in Qualla Boundary was at
the museum where arts, ranging from the simple hand-woven oak baskets to wood and stone carvings of wolves, ravens and
other symbols of Cherokee cosmology are displayed. Back at home, I really missed the place and I would of course look
forward to the next trip to another exotic place.
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(VIII) CSS 2017
All the evils in this world are brought about by the persons who are always up and doing, but do not know when they ought to
be up nor what they ought to be doing. The devil, I take it, is still the busiest creature in this universe, and I can quite imagine
him denouncing laziness and becoming angry at the smallest waste of time. In his kingdom, I will wager, nobody is allowed to
do nothing, not even for a single afternoon. The world, we all freely admit, is in a muddle but I for one do not think that it is
laziness that has brought it to such a pass. It is not the active virtues that it lacks but the passive ones; it is capable of anything
but kindness and s little steady thought. There is plenty of energy in the world (there never were more fussy people about), but
most of it is simply misdirected. If for example, in July 1914, when there was some capital idling weather, everybody,
emperors, kings, arches, dukes, statesmen, generals, journalists, had been suddenly smitten with an intense desire to do
nothing, just to hang about in the sunshine and consume tobacco, then we should all have been better off than we are now. But
no, the doctrine of strenuous life still went unchallenged; there must be no time wasted; something must be done. Again
suppose our statement, instead of rushing off to Versailles with a bundle of ill-digested notions and great deal of energy to
dissipate had all taken a fortnight off , away from all correspondence and interviews and what not, and had simply lounged
about on some hillside or other apparently doing nothing for the first time in their energetic lives, then they might have gone to
their so-called peace conference and come away again with their reputations still unsoiled and the affairs of the world in good
trim. Even at present time, if half of the politicians in Europe relinquish the notion that laziness is crime and go away and do
nothing for a little space, we should certainly gain by it other examples come crowding into mind. Thus, every now and then,
certain religious sects hold conferences; but though there are evils abroad that are mountains high, though the fate of
civilization is still doubtful, the members who attend these conferences spend their time condemning the length of ladies skirts
and noisiness of dance bands. They would all be better employed lying flat on their backs somewhere, staring at the sky and
recovering their mental health.
(IX) CSS 2018
It is in the temperate countries of northern Europe that the beneficial effects of cold are most clearly manifest. A cold climate
seems to stimulate energy by acting as an obstacle. In the face of an insuperable obstacle our energies are numbed by despair;
the total absence of obstacles, on the other hand, leaves no room for the exercise and training of energy; but a struggle against
difficulties that we have a fair hope of overcoming, calls into active operation all our powers. In like manner, while intense
cold numbs human energies, and a hot climate affords little motive for exertion. Moderate cold seems to have a bracing effect
on the human race. In a moderately cold climate man is engaged in an arduous. He has to build strong houses and procure thick
clothes to keep him warm. To supply fuel for his fires, he must hew down tries and dig coal out of the bowels of the earth. In
the open air unless he moves quickly, he will suffer pain from the biting wind. Finally, in order to replenish the expenditure of
bodily tissue caused by his necessary exertions, he has to procure for himself plenty of nourishing food. Quite different is the
lot of man in the tropics. In the neighborhood of the equator there is little need of clothes or fire, and it is possible with perfect
comfort and no danger to health, to pass the livelong day stretched out on the back ground beneath the shade of a tree. A very
little fruit vegetable food is required to sustain life under such circumstances, and that little can be obtained without much
execution from the bounteous earth. We may recognize much the same difference between ourselves at different seasons of the
years. As there is between human nature in the tropics and in temperate climates. In ho wealthier we are generally languid and
inclined to take life easily: but when the cold season comes, we find that we are more inclining to vigorous exertion of our
minds and bodies.
(X) CSS 2020
Manto was a victim of social ambivalence that converged on self-righteousness, hypocrisy, and mental obtuseness. His
detractors branded him as vulgar and obscene and implicated him into a long-drawn battle questioning the moral validity of his
writings.
Without being deterred by their negative tactics, he remained firm in his commitment to exploring the stark realities of life
offensive to the conservative taste of some self-styled purists. In the line of Freud, he sought to unravel the mysteries of sex not
in an abstract, non-earthly manner but in a palpable, fleshy permutation signifying his deep concern for the socially disabled
and depressed classes of society, like petty wage-earners, pimps, and prostitutes.
For Manto, man is neither an angel nor a devil, but a mix of both. His middle and lower middle class characters think, feel and
act like human beings. Without feigning virtuosity, he was able to strike a rapport with his readers on some of the most vital
socio-moral issues concerning them. As a realist, he was fully conscious of the yawning gap between appearance and reality; in
fact, nothing vexed him more than a demonstrable duality in human behavior at different levels of the social hierarchy. He had
an unjaundiced view of man's faults and follies. As a literal artist, he treated vulgarity discreetly—without ever sounding
vulgar in the process. Like Joyce, Lawrence, and Caldwell, in Manto's work too, men and women of the age find their own
restlessness accurately mirrored. And like them, Manto was also 'raised above his own self by his somber enthusiasm'.
(XI) CSS 2021

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Nizar Hassan was born in 1960 and raised in the village of Mashad, near Nazareth, where he has lived with his family. He
studied anthropology at Haifa University and after graduating worked in TV. Starting in 1990, he turned to cinema. In 1994, he
produced Independence, in which he pokes his Palestinian interlocutors about what they think of the bizarre Israeli notion of
their ―independence‖. They have stolen another people‘s homeland and call the act ―independence‖! Hassan dwells on that
absurdity.
As the world‘s attention was captured by the news of Israel planning to ―annex‖ yet a bit more of Palestine and add it to what
they have already stolen, I received an email from Nizar Hassan, the pre-eminent Palestinian documentary filmmaker. He
wrote to me about his latest film, My Grandfather‘s Path, and included a link to the director‘s cut. It was a blessing. They say
choose your enemies carefully for you would end up like them. The same goes for those opposing Zionist settler colonialists. If
you are too incensed and angered by their daily dose of claptrap, the vulgarity of their armed robbery of Palestine, you would
soon become like them and forget yourself and what beautiful ideas, ideals, and aspirations once animated your highest
dreams. Never fall into that trap. For decades, aspects of Palestinian and world cinema, art, poetry, fiction, and drama have
done for me precisely that: saved me from that trap. They have constantly reminded me what all our politics are about – a
moment of poetic salvation from it all.
Nizar Hassan‘s new documentary is one such work – in a moment of dejection over Israel‘s encroachment on Palestinian rights
and the world‘s complicity, it has put Palestine in perspective. The film is mercifully long, beautifully paced and patient, a
masterfully crafted work of art – a Palestinian‘s epic ode to his homeland. A shorter version of My Grandfather‘s Path has
been broadcast on Al Jazeera Arabic in three parts, but it must be seen in its entirety, in one go. It is a pilgrimage that must not
be interrupted.
(XII) CSS English Paper 2022:
The fear of human beings when faced with mysteries of life and their weakness by comparison with the vastness of nature
created in them a need to communicate with the divine, with the superior powers which they believed regulated the universe
and determined their own fates. Knowledge of wishes of the gods was always a sure guide for human behavior. In ancient
Greece, the precise nature of these wishes was ‗decoded‘ by the art of giving oracles, practiced by soothsayers who had the gift
of understanding the sings or signals sent by the gods.
The soothsayers uttered their oracles by interpreting flashes of lightening, roll of thunder or the flights of certain birds of prey
(omen), alternatively, they might observes the direction in which the fire burned when a sacrifice was made, examine the
entrails of animals which had just been sacrificed, or base judgments on the sacrificial beast‘s willingness to approach the
altar. The interpretation of interpretation of dreams was popular too, and so was palmistry. The most notable soothsayers of
ancient Greece were Tiresias, Calchas, Helenus, Amphiaraus and Cassandra.
However, there were abundant instances in which the gods did no manifest themselves to the faithful in the forms of signs but
spoke directly to an intermediate who for a short time was overcome by a ‗divine mania‘ and transcended his own human
essence. Here the prophet or more usually the prophetess entered state of ecstasy in which he or she delivered the message
from the gods to the suppliants.
These practices for foreseeing the future were the basis on which the ancient Greek oracles operated. Each Oracle was located
within a properly-organized sanctuary and was directly associated with one or other of the gods. Apollo was the archetypal
soothsayers for the Greeks, the god who was responsible for conveying to mortals the Apollo was the archetypal soothsayer for
the Greeks, the god who was responsible for conveying to mortals the decisions pronounced by Zeus. The most important of
all the oracles, that at the Delphi, delivered the messages with the intervention of Apollo, while the oldest that of Dodona,
functioned with the assistance of Zeus.

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