Grade 4: Comprehension 7
The Mountain man
Dasrath Manjhi took twenty-two years to build a road through the mountains in Bihar. The route is an amazing ability of a landless farmer and a symbol of selfless service to mankind. He did it mainly by his own efforts, his drive and his strong determination. He strived hard for the sake of his fellowmen, not expecting rewards of any sort. Dasrath Manjhi was not any learned engineer, neither did he have any access to machinery that could help him to take up this tedious task, he used the simplest tools - a chisel, rope and a hammer!
Dasrath Manjhi, 31 years old at the time, set out to carve a 1km-long path through a rocky hillside. He wanted life to be easier for his fellow villagers. The hill kept the villages in isolation, forcing people to trek through dangerous ground for hours just to reach the nearest market town. Children had to walk almost eight kilometres everyday to reach school. It is all because of Dasrath Manjhi's efforts that this distance was reduced greatly. Now people from over 60 villages use this road for their daily commuting.
'This hill was an obstacle causing great trouble and grief to the villagers for centuries. The people had appealed to the government many times to make a proper road through the hill, but nobody paid any attention. Most of the villagers didn't take his project seriously; they ridicule him and called him a madman for taking on such a herculean task. With the little help that Dasrath Manjhi received he began to split the hill in half. He never received any recognition from the government for his accomplishment. "When God is with you, nothing can stop you." Dasrath Manjhi once said.
What a brilliant achievement! It can teach us countless valuable lessons. This great man's contribution has proved that, patience is the greatest virtue which leads to success. His twenty-two years of hard work had brought great relief to the poor villagers. His success is clear evidence to us that one can dream the impossible and make it come true. This great man's endeavour explains that it is really one's attitude that decides how one wants to live. He didn't let his poverty come in the way of his project. He was optimistic despite his fellowmen's criticism and comments. He dared to be different and stood firm as a rock; never letting any hurdles to prevent him from reaching his goal. His success wasn't due to luck; it was blood, sweat and tears all the way. Difficult things take a long time, impossible things a little longer.
I Language record:
A) Find the appropriate synonym from the passage and write an antonym:
| Meaning/synonym | Word from passage | Antonym |
| generous | ||
| positive | ||
| priceless |
B) Use the given phrase in sentence of your own:
For the sake of: ______________________________________________________
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C) Tick the correct answer:
a) Why did Dasrath Manjhi decide to build the mountain road ?
i) For his family.
ii) To make the life easier for his fellow villagers.
iii) For the vehicles to pass by.
II Answer the following:
Q 1. Do you think Dasrath was a learned man? How did he manage to build the road?
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Q 2. What were the difficulties faced by the villagers?
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Q 3. Did the villagers support his work? Explain your answer with an evidence.
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Q 4. Describe Dasrath Manjhi in your own words.
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Directed writing:
You are one of the villagers and you have seen through the years how Dasrath Manjhi had toiled to achieve the impossible task. Write a letter to your friend who works in 'The Times of India' and convince him/her to come to your village to meet Dasrath Manjhi. Use the pointers given to build your paragraphs.
· Difficulties faced by the villagers.
· Efforts made be Dasrath Manjhi to build the road.
· Invaluable lessons you learnt from his act.
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