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Question
Many popular and powerful leaders have been assassinated in the past and in recent times. Can you name some of them?
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Solution
Possible reason for Assassination
Mahatma Gandhi
- Systematic brainwashing by the people who are staunch racists. As in the case of Gandhiji, hardcore Hindus were against him thinking him to be responsible for creating Pakistan, a separate country.
Indira Gandhi
- Resistance against authority
- Arranging the military attack on Harmandir Sahib during Operation Blue Star.
Abraham Lincoln
- Opposition to his legacy – abolition of slavery in the United States.
- feeling of insecurity among supporters of slavery.
Martin Luther King Jr.
- Political motives, i.e. enemies seeking revenge .
- Deep-seated racial prejudice and jealousy
Rajiv Gandhi
- Feeling of insecurity among LTTE leaders.
- To prevent him from coming to power and disarm LTTE.
- Security lapses
- Rajiv Gandhi was warned about the possibility of an attack and a threat to his life.
- Meeting with LTTE delegation, made Rajiv complacent about his security.
(students may form groups and discuss the above points in detail.)
In my opinion, assassination is not the end to a problem. One must try to sort out the matter by the means of discussion and looking at the problem with a different outlook.
Points for discussion in the context of present and past assassinations
If we look at history, we will find the instances of a large number of politicians assassinated under different circumstances. These are ‘targeted killings’ undertaken for various reasons ranging from political and ideological differences, to attract media attention, etc. Earlier, there was a high demand to kill rulers who impose their rules on the population. In a country like India with many ethnicities and religions and differentTnte’rests, it is very difficult for a ruler or leader to satisfy their preferences and is more likely to attract attacks.
Sometimes an assassination aims at creating chaos, irrespective of the leaders policies. The dominant position of the American President Kennedy, made him an attractive target.
These political murders can be avoided by minimising political oppression.
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RELATED QUESTIONS
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Good countrymen, let me depart alone,
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Now let it work. Mischief thou art afoot.
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How foolish do your fears seem now, Calpurnia I am ashamed. I did yield to them.
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Consult a dictionary and find out the difference between
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(b) an assassination.
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He knows that ______.
Answer the following question briefly.
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Answer the following question briefly.
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Answer the following question briefly.
At the end of the scene what is the fate of Brutus and Cassius ?
Julius Caesar and Antony reveal something about their character in their words and actions. We also learn about them from what other people say. Can you pick out the words that describe them from the box given below? Also, pick out lines from the play to illustrate your choice.
| superstitious arrogant loyal clever overconfident manipulative good orator ambitious brave great conqueror generous fearless loves flattery firm shrewd crafty |
| Person | Extract from play | What it tells us about the character |
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Julius Caesar
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1. the things that threaten'd me Ne'er look'd but on my back; when they shall see The face of Caesar, they are vanished. |
1. arrogant |
| 2. | ||
| 3. | ||
| 4. | ||
| 5. | ||
| 6. | ||
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Mark Antony
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1. | 1. Loyal |
| 2. | ||
| 3. | ||
| 4. | ||
| 5. | ||
Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow:
But speak all good you can devise of Caesar,
And say you do it by our permission;
……. ……. ……. …….
(a) Identify the speaker.
(b) Who is being granted permission?
(c) What is the speaker afraid of?
(d) What opinion do you form of the speaker?
