Match List-I (Words used in the debates) with List-II (Speaker).List-…

Match List-I (Words used in the debates) with List-II (Speaker).

List-I	List-II
(A) A poison that has entered the body politic of our country	(I) Govind Ballabh Pant
(B) The English played their game under the cover of safeguards	(II) K. Santhanam
(C) Kept aloof in an air-tight compartment where they would have to rely on others even for the air they breathe	(III) Sardar Patel
(D) There is almost an obsession that by adding all kinds of powers to the Centre we can make it strong	(IV) R.V. Dhulekar

Choose the correct answer from the options given below:

Answer & explanation

Correct answer: option 1

The correct answer is Option (1) → A-III, B-IV, C-I, D-II

List-I	List-II	Reason
(A) A poison that has entered the body politic of our country	(III) Sardar Patel	Sardar Patel called separate electorates a poison in the body politic. He blamed the demand for turning one community against another and for the tragic partition.
(B) The English played their game under the cover of safeguards	(IV) R.V. Dhulekar	R.V. Dhulekar said this to Bahadur. He meant the British had used safeguards like separate electorates to divide the people and lull the minorities.
(C) Kept aloof in an air-tight compartment where they would have to rely on others even for the air they breathe	(I) Govind Ballabh Pant	Govind Ballabh Pant used this image in the debate of 27 August 1947. He argued that minorities isolated by separate electorates could never have an effective voice.
(D) There is almost an obsession that by adding all kinds of powers to the Centre we can make it strong	(II) K. Santhanam	K. Santhanam of Madras defended the rights of the states. He called this belief a misconception, because an overburdened Centre could not function effectively.

NCERT (2026-27): “3.1 The problem with separate electorates …
This demand for separate electorates provoked anger and dismay amongst most nationalists. In the passionate debate that followed, a range of arguments were offered against the demand. Most nationalists saw separate electorates as a measure deliberately introduced by the British to divide the people. “The English played their game under the cover of safeguards,” R.V. Dhulekar told Bahadur. “With the help of it they allured you (the minorities) to a long lull. Give it up now … Now there is no one to misguide you.” Partition had made nationalists fervently opposed to the idea of separate electorates. They were haunted by the fear of continued civil war, riots and violence. Separate electorates was a “poison that has entered the body politic of our country”, declared Sardar Patel. It was a demand that had turned one community against another, divided the nation, caused bloodshed, and led to the tragic partition of the country. …”

“During the debate on 27 August 1947, Govind Ballabh Pant said: I believe separate electorates will be suicidal to the minorities and will do them tremendous harm. If they are isolated for ever, they can never convert themselves into a majority and the feeling of frustration will cripple them even from the very beginning. What is it that you desire and what is our ultimate objective? Do the minorities always want to remain as minorities or do they ever expect to form an integral part of a great nation and as such to guide and control its destinies? If they do, can they ever achieve that aspiration and that ideal if they are isolated from the rest of the community? I think it would be extremely dangerous for them if they were segregated from the rest of the community and kept aloof in an air-tight compartment where they would have to rely on others even for the air they breath … The minorities if they are returned by separate electorates can never have any effective voice. …”

“The rights of the states were most eloquently defended by K. Santhanam from Madras. A reallocation of powers was necessary, he felt, to strengthen not only the states but also the Centre. “There is almost an obsession that by adding all kinds of powers to the Centre we can make it strong.” This was a misconception, said Santhanam. If the Centre was overburdened with responsibilities, it could not function effectively. …”

Match List-I (Words used in the debates) with List-II (Speaker).

List-I	List-II
(A) A poison that has entered the body politic of our country	(I) Govind Ballabh Pant
(B) The English played their game under the cover of safeguards	(II) K. Santhanam
(C) Kept aloof in an air-tight compartment where they would have to rely on others even for the air they breathe	(III) Sardar Patel
(D) There is almost an obsession that by adding all kinds of powers to the Centre we can make it strong	(IV) R.V. Dhulekar

Choose the correct answer from the options given below:

Answer & explanation

Correct answer: option 1

The correct answer is Option (1) → A-III, B-IV, C-I, D-II

List-I	List-II	Reason
(A) A poison that has entered the body politic of our country	(III) Sardar Patel	Sardar Patel called separate electorates a poison in the body politic. He blamed the demand for turning one community against another and for the tragic partition.
(B) The English played their game under the cover of safeguards	(IV) R.V. Dhulekar	R.V. Dhulekar said this to Bahadur. He meant the British had used safeguards like separate electorates to divide the people and lull the minorities.
(C) Kept aloof in an air-tight compartment where they would have to rely on others even for the air they breathe	(I) Govind Ballabh Pant	Govind Ballabh Pant used this image in the debate of 27 August 1947. He argued that minorities isolated by separate electorates could never have an effective voice.
(D) There is almost an obsession that by adding all kinds of powers to the Centre we can make it strong	(II) K. Santhanam	K. Santhanam of Madras defended the rights of the states. He called this belief a misconception, because an overburdened Centre could not function effectively.