Birdman of India
What was the incident that made Salim Ali a devoted student of birds?
When young Salim shot a yellow-throated sparrow with his air gun and visited the BNHS to identify it, the bird collection fascinated him and inspired lifelong interest in ornithology.What advice did Tehmina give Salim Ali?
Tehmina advised Salim Ali not to accept any job unless he truly enjoyed it. Her encouragement helped him dedicate his life fully to studying birds and wildlife.What did Salim Ali do between 1930 and 1950?
Between 1930 and 1950, Salim Ali travelled across the Indian subcontinent conducting ornithological surveys, studying birds, habitats, ecology, geography, and publishing important scientific observations and reports.What was Salim Ali’s contribution to the Silent Valley?
Salim Ali helped protect Kerala’s Silent Valley by writing powerful letters to government leaders and forest officials, strongly opposing the destructive hydroelectric project planned in the region.What was Salim Ali’s last book? What was it about?
Salim Ali’s last book was The Fall of a Sparrow. It was his autobiography, describing his life, bird studies, expeditions, struggles, achievements, and passion for nature and conservation.
B. Read these lines and answer the questions with reference to the context.
1. He took up ornithology as a very serious hobby at a time when the subject in India was just an Englishman’s pastime.
a. Why was Salim Ali’s interest in birds of importance at the time?
His interest was important because ornithology was not a serious field in India then. By treating it as a serious study, he helped develop scientific bird research in the country.
b. Why was it called an “Englishman’s pastime”?
It was called an “Englishman’s pastime” because, during that time, bird watching and study in India was mainly pursued by British people as a leisure hobby, not as serious Indian research.
A Slumber DId my Spirit Seal
1. What does the poet mean by ‘a slumber governed his spirit’?
It means the poet was in a state of emotional “sleep” or unconscious acceptance. He did not fully realize life’s fragility, so his spirit was calm and unaware of death or fear, like being mentally and emotionally sealed in a peaceful ignorance.
3. How would the ‘touch of earthly years’ affect a person?
The ‘touch of earthly years’ refers to time, ageing, and human experience. It would normally bring physical change, weakness, and eventual death. It makes living beings grow old and affected by time, unlike something untouched or beyond human ageing and decay.
5. What is her condition now?
She is dead and completely motionless. She neither hears nor sees anything anymore. Her body has merged with nature’s cycle of earth, moving along with rocks, stones, and trees, showing that she has become part of the natural world after death.
