TEXT QUESTIONS :
Answer the following questions :
1. Write in your own words what you understand by the term the ‘rule of law’ . In your response include a fictitious or real example of a violation of the rule of law .
Ans: The rule of law means that all laws apply equally to all citizens of the county and no one is allowed to break the law. Neither the government official, nor a wealthy man, nor even Prime Minister of the country can break any law .
Eg: If Amit Kapoor is a resident of Colva found driving a car at a high speed and breaking all traffic rules. but he is not fined by the Traffic Police . Mr. Rohit Kumar too drives recklessly breaking all traffic rules. But he has been fined for his rash driving. This is the violation of the Rule of Law .
2. State two reasons why historians refute the claim that the British introduced the rule of law in India .
Ans: It is believed that British Colonists introduced the rule of law in India. Historians have argued about this claim on several grounds, they are :
i) The colonial law was arbitrary nothing was fixed under British rule and it was left to one’s choice or judgment .
ii) The Indian Nationalists played an important role in the development of the legal sphere in British India .
3. Re-read the storyboard on how a new law on domestic violence got passed. Describe in your own words the different ways in which women’s groups worked to make this happen .
Ans: The people of India realized from their own experiences and observations and through news provided by the mass media that Indian women were not treated equally and well at their homes and working places :
i) Several husbands used to beat their wives .
ii) Some old women were ill – treated by their sons and/or daughters in law .
iii) Even women who gave birth to girls only only were shunned by society .
iv) Indian women wanted protection against being beaten, the right to continue living in household works, share in parental property and protection from domestic violence. They also wanted to get monetary relief and support .
v) Finally a new bill was reintroduced in Parliament in 2005. After being passed in both the houses of Parliament, it went to President for his assent. The protection of Women and Domestic Violence Act came into effect in 2006 .
4. Write in your own words what you understand by the following sentence on page 44−45: They also began fighting for greater equality and wanted to change the idea of law from a set of rules that they were forced to obey, to law as including ideas of justice .
Ans:
1) The word “They” in the above passage stands for the Indian nationalists who were participating in the freedom struggle of India .
2) They started protesting and criticizing the wrong law of British government. One example of British arbitrary that continued to exist as a part of British law was a Sedition Act of 1870 .
3) Indian nationalists started protesting, criticizing and also fighting for greater equality .
4) Indian law experts also started to use law to defend the legal rights of Indians .
5) So there were many ways in which Indians played a major role in the making of the rule of law during the colonial period .