Comprehension Questions

1. Research websites such as http://www.zmag.org to find an instance of governmental abuse of power. (See the case of Diego Garcia for a starting point.)
   
   
2. Find and compile images that you think might be good representations of:
   
   •  The rickshaw
   •  The free radio
   •  The government caravan
   •  Ramani’s new house at Pali Hill
   
   
3. Research and write a fan-mag article on one of Bollywood’s top stars.

Writing Tasks

1. Write an imaginary movie review of Ramani’s latest movie.
   
   
2. Produce the questionnaire and legal consent form that Ram may have filled out in order to get his free radio.
   
   
3. Write one of the letters that Ram sent to his ‘teacher sahib’.
   
   
4. Write an All-India Radio broadcast of a damning exposé on the immorality of the government’s vaccination incentive program.
   
   
5. The story highlights the big differences in attitude to the idea of sterilization between the generations. We have the narration by the teacher sahib and the dialogue of Ramani that he reports, but we are left to surmise the young widow’s view of the events in the story.
   
   Write an account of these events from the widow’s point of view, this could be a journal entry, or a scripted conversation with her sister, as like Ramani she may be illiterate. Justify your answer by referring to inferences in the text about her character, views and attitudes.