Weathering the storm in Ersamma (9th English)

                                     Weathering the Storm in Ersama

1.        How did Prashant escape the fate of his village people during the rain?

Ans. Prashant was at his friend’s house when the storm struck Orissa. Prashant had to spend two nights on the open rooftop in the rain due to the flood. He survived by eating the coconuts from a tree that had fallen on the roof. However, his village people had to face the fury of the storm. They lost their houses and had to take shelter at the Red Cross shelter.

2.        What shocked Prashant? Why?

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What did Prashant see around him after the rain? How did he feel then?

Ans. After the rain, Prashant saw a raging, deadly, brown sheet of water everywhere around him. A few fractured cement houses were the only things visible. Bloated animal carcasses and human corpses floated in the water. The trees including the huge ones had fallen down. Prashant felt worried about his family.

3.        What was ‘the miracle’ and how?

Ans. On his way back to his village, Prashant saw the havoc caused by the rain and the flood. He saw the villages swept away by the flood and the carcasses and corpses floating in the water. He had to wade through the water. He could see no house in any of the villages. It disappointed and despaired him. He started crying loudly.

4.        What was ‘the miracle’ and how?

Ans. Prashant’s family had been worried about him. When he did not return for days, they thought they had lost him. But when Prashant’s family found him alove at the Red Cross shelter, they were extremely happy. They took it to be ‘a miracle’ because it wasn’t easy to survive the rains and the flood.

5.        What did Prashant sense wrong with the people at the shelter? How did he solve the problem?

Ans. Prashant could sense the feeling of a deathly grief settling fast upon the people in the shelter. They mourned for the people who died due to the flood and the property they lost. They also had nothing to eat. Prashant formed teams to resolve these problems. He also organized matches to lift their spirits.

6.        How did Prashant communicate to the government that they were hungry?

Ans. There was acute shortage of food at the shelter. The children were hungry. The helicopters once dropped some food parcels but then did not come again. Prashant made the children lie on the ground with empty utensils on their stomachs. It very successfully conveyed the message to the authorities that they were hungry. Due to his efforts, the helicopters started dropping food regularly.

7.        How did Prashant infuse the people with the new life?

Ans. Prashant could not only the physical but the emotional and the psychological needs also. He made a separate shelter for the orphans. He encouraged women to look after the children. He further encouraged them to come out of the stigma. He organized some amusement activities to lighten up their lives. With his leadership quality, he managed to infuse a new life in them.

8.        What did the Government do to improve life in Orissa? Why did Prashant resist the plan?

Ans. To improve the life in Orissa, the Government also decided to set up institutions for orphans and the women. Prashant resisted the plan as he felt these institutions would increase the stigma and loneliness in widows. Instead, he encouraged the foster families.

9.        What havoc had the super cyclone wreaked in the life of the people of Orissa?

Ans. The super cyclone completely devastated the coastal Orissa. It was followed by heavy rains and floods. Together they gutted hundreds of houses, killing thousands.

10.    How has Prashant, a teenager been able to help the people of his village?

Ans. He formed a group of youth and elders and together they helped themselves in arranging the food and cleaning the shelter and tending the injured ones.

11.    How had the people of the community helped one another? What role did the women of Kalikuda play during those days?

Ans. The young people under Prashant’s command cleaned the shelter and tended to the injured. The elders helped them in arranging for food and other things. Merchants gave food. Women of Kalikudu looked after the orphans.

12.    Why do Prashant and other volunteers resist the plan to set up institutions for orphans and widows? What alternatives do they consider?

Ans. They feel that in such institutions women suffer from stigma and loneliness and children would grow up without love. So they consider the alternative of ‘setting foster families’.

13.    Do you consider Prashant to be a good leader? Do you think young people can get together to help people during natural calamities?

Ans. Yes, Prashant definitely is a good leader. He organized people and raised their morale. He could get the ration dropped for them, encouraged windows to look after the orphans and to tend the indired. He also pleaded with the elders to become foster parents. Yes, young people can help people together during natural calamities.

14.    What hit Orissa on 27th October, 1999?

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What happened when Prashant had gone to visit his friend in Ersama?

Ans. On that day, a super cyclone with a speed of 350 km per hour hit the coastal areas of Orissa. It was followed by continuous heavy rains for two days. Raging ocean waves flooded Orissa.

15.    How did Prashant contribute to improve the condition of the shelter?

Ans. He formed a team of volunteers to clean the shelter of all the fifth, urine, vomiting, and carcasses etc. he uplifted the spirits of the inhabitants emotionally, physically and psychologically.

16.   How did Prashant help the children affected by the cyclone and flood?

Ans. He set up a polythene shelter for orphans, helped them resettle in their own societies through adoptions and foster families. He organized matches etc to help them recover.

17.    How did Prashant help the women affected by the devastating cyclone?

Ans. He helped them by providing food and other basic needs. He made them work for NGOs and to look after orphans. He helped them set up foster families. He helped them emotionally and psychologically.