Summary: “Chandraprabha Saikiani” is a biographical prose lesson from the ASSEB Class 8 English textbook Sunbeam English Reader III. It tells the inspiring life story of Chandraprabha Saikiani (1901–1972), a renowned social reformer from Assam who dedicated her life to making formal education available to girls at a time when society placed severe restrictions on women. Born on 16 March 1901 in Doisingari village of Kamrup district, she was the daughter of Ratiram Mazumdar and Gangapriya. Despite the absence of a girls’ school nearby, she waded through mud to attend a boys-only school several kilometres away, and whatever she learned each day, she passed on to the girls of her village, gathering them together and teaching them herself.
Chandraprabha’s rebellious spirit made her challenge social taboos at every turn. She compelled school authorities to allow girls of all religions to use hostel facilities — a right that had been denied unless girls converted to Christianity. In 1925, at the Assam Sahitya Sabha session held at Nagaon, she delivered a powerful speech demanding that women be allowed to sit alongside men without the customary bamboo screen separating them, and she inspired women to come out from behind it. She also founded the All Assam Pradeshik Mahila Samiti, an organisation for the welfare of women. She fought against the caste system by campaigning for the right of all people — irrespective of caste, gender, and class — to enter the famous Hayagriva Madhab temple at Hajo in Assam.
Her contribution to India’s freedom movement was equally remarkable. After meeting Mahatma Gandhi in 1921, she became deeply inspired by his ideals. From 1930 onwards she immersed herself fully in the freedom movement, spreading the messages of khadi, boycott of foreign clothes, removal of untouchability, banning of opium, and eradication of other social evils. The lesson presents Chandraprabha Saikiani as a towering figure in Assam’s history — a woman who stood up against injustice in education, caste discrimination, and colonial rule, and whose life continues to inspire generations of students and social reformers.
Word Meanings
| Word / Phrase | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Renowned | Famous and respected; widely known and admired |
| Reformer | A person who works to bring about improvements in society |
| Formal education | Structured schooling provided by recognised educational institutions |
| Taboos | Social or cultural restrictions on certain actions or behaviour |
| Challenged | Refused to accept and questioned the validity of something |
| Stanchly | In a firm, loyal, and unwavering manner |
| Rebellious spirit | A strong desire to resist and oppose established authority or customs |
| Wading | Walking with difficulty through water, mud, or something that makes movement slow |
| Compelled | Forced or pressured someone to do something |
| Avail | To make use of; to take advantage of |
| Prevailing | Existing widely; most common at a particular time |
| Irrespective | Without taking something into account; regardless of |
| Untouchability | The discriminatory practice of treating certain groups as socially inferior |
| Opium | An addictive drug derived from the poppy plant; here used as a social evil |
| Immersed | Deeply involved or absorbed in an activity |
| Khadi | Hand-spun and hand-woven cloth promoted during the freedom movement as a symbol of self-reliance |
| Boycott | To refuse to buy, use, or take part in something as a form of protest |
| Scholarship | Financial aid awarded to a student based on merit or need |
Comprehension
A. Answer the following questions:
1. (a) Who was Chandraprabha Saikiani?
Answer: Chandraprabha Saikiani was a great social reformer from Assam who fought to make formal education available for girls. She was born on 16 March 1901 in Doisingari village of Kamrup district. Her father was Ratiram Mazumdar and her mother was Gangapriya. She dedicated her life to the cause of women’s education, fought against social taboos and the caste system, and actively participated in India’s freedom movement.
1. (b) What did Chandraprabha do to educate the girls of her village?
Answer: Since there were no girls’ schools in her area, Chandraprabha did not wait for things to change on their own. Each day, after attending the boys’ school several kilometres away, she would gather the girls of her village and teach them whatever she had learnt in school during the day. In this way, she ensured that the girls of her village also received some form of education despite the social restrictions of the time.
1. (c) Which two incidents show how Chandraprabha fought for girls’ rights?
Answer: Two incidents that clearly show how Chandraprabha fought for girls’ rights are:
- In those days, girls were not admitted into the school hostel unless they converted to Christianity. Chandraprabha strongly opposed this discriminatory rule and compelled the school authorities to allow girls of all religions to use the hostel facilities.
- At the Assam Sahitya Sabha session held in Nagaon in 1925, she delivered a powerful speech demanding the removal of the bamboo screen that separated men and women at public gatherings. She inspired women to come out from behind the screen and participate openly alongside men.
1. (d) On what occasion did Chandraprabha inspire women to come out from behind the bamboo screen?
Answer: Chandraprabha inspired women to come out from behind the bamboo screen at the Assam Sahitya Sabha session held at Nagaon in 1925. On that occasion, she delivered a very powerful speech demanding that the prevailing custom of making women sit behind a bamboo screen, separated from men, be removed. Her courageous speech moved many women to step forward and reject that humiliating practice.
1. (e) What steps did Chandraprabha take to eliminate the caste system?
Answer: Chandraprabha Saikiani was deeply disturbed by the deep-rooted caste system in India and in Assam. To challenge it, she fought for the right of everyone — irrespective of caste, gender, and class — to enter the famous Hayagriva Madhab temple at Hajo in Assam. This temple had previously restricted entry based on caste and social status. Her campaign for unrestricted temple entry was a direct and courageous challenge to caste-based discrimination.
1. (f) What was Chandraprabha Saikiani’s role in the freedom movement?
Answer: After meeting Mahatma Gandhi in 1921, Chandraprabha Saikiani was deeply inspired by his ideals. From 1930 onwards, she immersed herself fully in the freedom movement of India. She spread the messages of khadi, boycott of foreign clothes, removal of untouchability, banning of opium, and eradication of other social evils. She worked tirelessly to combine the struggle for national independence with the fight for social justice within Assam.
Complete the Sentences
B. Complete the following sentences by choosing the correct option from the lesson:
1. (a) At a time when society restricted girls …
Answer: At a time when society restricted girls, Chandraprabha Saikiani stanchly fought to make formal education available for girls.
1. (b) With no girls’ school in the area …
Answer: With no girls’ school in the area, Chandraprabha did not mind wading through mud to attend a school which only had boys and was situated several kilometres away.
1. (c) Chandraprabha and her sister were awarded …
Answer: Chandraprabha and her sister Rajaniprabha were awarded a scholarship to study at Nagaon Mission School.
1. (d) To eliminate the evils of the caste system, she fought for …
Answer: To eliminate the evils of the caste system, she fought for the entry of everyone, irrespective of caste, gender and class, into the famous Hayagriva Madhab temple at Hajo.
1. (e) Inspired by Mahatma Gandhi …
Answer: Inspired by Mahatma Gandhi, Chandraprabha Saikiani joined the freedom movement of India and spread the messages of khadi, boycott of foreign clothes, removal of untouchability, and banning of opium and other social evils.
Information Table
C. Fill in the information table about Chandraprabha Saikiani:
| Item | Information |
|---|---|
| Description | A renowned social reformer from Assam |
| Date of birth | 16 March 1901 |
| Father’s name | Ratiram Mazumdar |
| Mother’s name | Gangapriya |
| Sister’s name | Rajaniprabha |
| School she attended | A school which only had boys, situated several kilometres away; later Nagaon Mission School |
Paragraph Descriptions
D. Match each paragraph of the lesson with its correct description:
| Paragraph | Description |
|---|---|
| Paragraph 1 | Chandraprabha Saikiani’s birth and introduction as a social reformer |
| Paragraph 2 | Girls’ education versus boys’ education — the inequality of the time |
| Paragraph 3 | Her fight for the rights of girls |
| Paragraph 4 | Formation of the All Assam Pradeshik Mahila Samiti and her public protest |
| Paragraph 5 | The caste system in India and her campaign against it |
| Paragraph 6 | Chandraprabha Saikiani’s meeting with Mahatma Gandhi |
| Paragraph 7 | Chandraprabha Saikiani’s participation in the freedom movement |
Vocabulary
E. Replace the underlined words/phrases with words from the lesson that have the same meaning:
| Phrase / Description | Word from the Lesson |
|---|---|
| Famous and respected | Renowned |
| Cultural or religious restrictions against certain behaviour | Taboos |
| Refused to accept and questioned | Challenged |
| Strong and unwavering in attitude | Stanchly |
| A strong desire to resist authority | Rebellious spirit |
Grammar: To-Infinitive
F. Combine each pair of sentences below into one sentence using a to-infinitive:
Example: “I will visit the book fair. I will buy a few novels.”
Answer: I will visit the book fair to buy a few novels.
1. “We are going to Puri tomorrow. We will visit the Jagannath Temple there.”
Answer: We are going to Puri tomorrow to visit the Jagannath Temple there.
2. “She started a small school for girls. She wanted to help them overcome the taboos against women.”
Answer: She started a small school for girls to help them overcome the taboos against women.
3. “She delivered a very powerful speech. She wanted to remove the prevailing customs of women sitting behind bamboo screens.”
Answer: She delivered a very powerful speech to remove the prevailing customs of women sitting behind bamboo screens.
4. “She and her sister were awarded scholarships. They went to study in Nagaon Mission School.”
Answer: She and her sister were awarded scholarships to study in Nagaon Mission School.
Word Web
G. Complete the word web by filling in the different forms of each word. One has been done for you.
Example: beauty (noun) → beautify (verb) → beautiful (adjective) → beautifully (adverb)
| Noun | Verb | Adjective | Adverb |
|---|---|---|---|
| beauty | beautify | beautiful | beautifully |
| time | time | timely | — |
| eagerness | — | eager | eagerly |
| rebellion | rebel | rebellious | rebelliously |
| movement | move | movable | — |
| patriot | — | patriotic | patriotically |
| education | educate | educational | educationally |
Discussion
H. Discuss the following questions in groups and share your ideas with the class:
1. What was the condition of women during Chandraprabha Saikiani’s time?
Answer: During Chandraprabha Saikiani’s time, women faced severe restrictions in almost every aspect of life. Society did not allow girls to move freely outside their homes. There were no girls’ schools in many areas, and girls who wished to study had to walk long distances to attend boys-only schools. Hostel facilities were denied to girls unless they converted to a specific religion. In public meetings and social gatherings, women were made to sit behind bamboo screens, completely separated from men, which denied them an equal voice in public life. The deeply rooted caste system further restricted people from different backgrounds from participating freely in religious and social spaces. Women who tried to challenge any of these norms faced strong social opposition.
2. What role did Chandraprabha Saikiani play in the freedom movement?
Answer: Chandraprabha Saikiani played an active and dedicated role in India’s freedom movement. After meeting Mahatma Gandhi in 1921 and being inspired by his vision of a free and just India, she began working alongside other freedom fighters. From 1930 onwards, she fully committed herself to the independence struggle. She spread the message of using khadi and boycotting foreign-made cloth as a form of economic resistance against British rule. She also worked to remove social evils that weakened Indian society from within — including untouchability and the widespread use of opium — understanding that true independence required social reform alongside political freedom. Her work in Assam helped bring the freedom movement to ordinary women and villagers who might otherwise have remained untouched by the national struggle.
CEDAW and Women’s Rights
I. Read the passage on CEDAW given in your textbook and answer the following:
1. What features of CEDAW are mentioned in the passage?
Answer: The passage on CEDAW (Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women) highlights several key features. CEDAW was adopted in 1979 and has been ratified by 189 countries. It calls on governments to eliminate all forms of discrimination against women and to ensure women’s basic human rights. It requires nations to take active steps to remove sexist stereotypes and discriminatory practices from laws, customs, and social life. It guarantees women equal rights in areas such as voting, standing for public office, education, employment, healthcare, and participation in international affairs. CEDAW is often described as an international bill of rights for women.
2. Make a poster with slogans for a campaign against discrimination against women.
Answer: A poster for a campaign against discrimination against women could include the following slogans:
- Educate a Girl, Empower a Nation
- Equal Rights for Women — No More, No Less
- Break the Bamboo Screen — Give Women a Voice
- Discrimination Ends Where Education Begins
- A Woman’s Place Is Everywhere She Chooses to Be
- Stop the Taboos — Start the Change
3. Write your ideas on how to eradicate the taboos against women from your society.
Answer: To eradicate taboos against women from society, we need a multi-pronged approach. First and most importantly, education must be made accessible and compulsory for all girls. An educated woman is better placed to recognise and resist discrimination. Second, awareness campaigns in schools, villages, and communities should inform people about women’s rights and challenge outdated beliefs. Third, the government must strictly enforce laws against practices like child marriage, dowry, and caste-based exclusion. Fourth, men and boys should be actively involved in discussions about gender equality, because change in attitude must come from both sides. Fifth, successful women from all backgrounds — like Chandraprabha Saikiani herself — should be celebrated as role models so that young girls grow up believing they can achieve anything. Finally, community and religious leaders have a responsibility to speak out against harmful traditions and support women’s full and equal participation in public life.