Verghese Kurien: I Too Had a Dream: NCERT Class 8 Lesson (Poorvi)

etmantra3 Nov 20267 min read

This chapter is a real letter from a grandfather to his grandson. Dr Verghese Kurien, who chose to work with dairy farmers in Anand, Gujarat, tells Siddharth why he made that choice and which values guided his life. Students learn how to think about their own choices, and why a letter can mean more than a quick phone call.

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From NCERT’s new English book Poorvi for Class 8, unit “Values and Dispositions”. Unit 2.

What your child learns

New words about values and feelings: integrity, humility, fleeting, abiding, ardently
Telling facts from opinions in a piece of writing
Its and it's, your and you're, their and they're; en dash and em dash
Stress in words like PREsent (noun) and preSENT (verb), and writing a thank-you letter to grandparents

What the lesson is about

Dr Verghese Kurien writes to his grandson Siddharth from Anand in 2005. He begins by saying that a phone call gives only short-lived joy, while a letter can be kept and read again for years. He tells Siddharth that he started working soon after India became independent, when the noblest task was to help build a nation free from hunger and poverty. Fifty years earlier he had agreed to work for a small cooperative of dairy farmers. He could have worked in metallurgy, joined the army or gone to the US, but he chose to serve the farmers in Anand. His wife supported this choice, even though life there had few comforts.

He says his work was possible because he held on to values from his parents, his elders and his mentor Tribhuvandas Patel, above all integrity: being honest to yourself. He tells Siddharth that life is a privilege, that failure means not giving your best, and that we should value what we have instead of comparing ourselves with others. He remembers Siddharth wearing his Padma Vibhushan medal in 1999 and asking to keep it; the answer was that Siddharth must earn his own reward through his own work. He ends by asking Siddharth and all children of his generation to work hard for the good of the country and of humanity.

New words, with Hindi meanings

addicted: so used to something that you cannot do without it (हिंदी: आदी, लत लगना)
fleeting: lasting only a very short time (हिंदी: क्षणिक)
abiding: lasting for a long time (हिंदी: स्थायी, टिकाऊ)
jottings: short notes written down quickly (हिंदी: छोटे नोट्स)
humility: being humble; not thinking you are better than others (हिंदी: विनम्रता)
envisioned: imagined how something would be in the future (हिंदी: कल्पना की)
ardently: with strong and warm feeling (हिंदी: पूरे मन से)
integrity: being honest and having strong good principles (हिंदी: ईमानदारी)
correlation: a link between two things (हिंदी: संबंध)
musings: thoughts you have thought about carefully for a long time (हिंदी: विचार, चिंतन)

Talk about it

Ask these aloud after reading or watching. Let your child answer in English if they can, or mix in their home language. Both help.

Why does Dr Kurien feel that a letter is better than a phone call?
What other careers could Dr Kurien have chosen, and why did he choose to work in Anand?
Which value does Dr Kurien call the most important, and what does it mean?
What did Dr Kurien and his wife tell Siddharth when he wanted to keep the Padma Vibhushan medal?
What is one small way you can work for the common good at home, in school or in your area?

Answers for parents

A phone call gives quick joy that does not last. A letter shares our thoughts and becomes something we can keep and read again over the years.
He could have worked in metallurgy and headed a large company, joined the Indian Army, or gone to the US. He chose Anand because he felt he could make a more meaningful contribution by serving the dairy farmers there.
Integrity. He says it means being honest to yourself; if you are honest to yourself, it is easy to be honest with others.
They said the medal was his as much as theirs, but he should not be happy just keeping it. His challenge was to earn his own reward for his own work.
For example: I can help my younger neighbour with his reading, or volunteer when my teacher needs help to clean up the school garden.

Grammar corner: Its or it's, your or you're, their or they're

Its, your and their show that something belongs to someone. It's, you're and they're are short forms: it's = it is or it has, you're = you are, they're = they are. If you can say 'it is', 'you are' or 'they are' in the sentence, use the word with the apostrophe.

The cooperative helped the farmers, and its milk reached many cities.
You're lucky to have grandparents who write you letters.
The farmers were proud of their work, and they're still proud today.

Practice at home

Fill in the blank with its or it's: The calf followed ___ mother to the shed.
Choose the right word: (Your / You're) letter made your grandmother very happy.
Fact or opinion? 'Letters are more fun to read than messages.'

Answers: 1. its · 2. Your · 3. Opinion, because it is a feeling that can change from person to person and cannot be proved.

Try this

Write a short letter to a grandparent, an aunt or an older neighbour, on paper, not on a phone. Ask them about one choice they made when they were young and why they made it. When the reply comes (or when they tell you the answer), read it aloud with the family and talk about which value it shows: honesty, hard work, kindness or courage.

Tip for parents

Talk about the letter in Hindi first: दादाजी ने पोते को चिट्ठी क्यों लिखी, और उन्होंने कौन-सी बातें सिखाईं? Then ask your child to say one lesson from the letter in English, even if some words are in Hindi. Share a value your own parents taught you, in Hindi, and help your child turn it into one English sentence. Praise every try.

Questions parents ask

What is the chapter I Too Had a Dream about?

It is a letter written in 2005 by Dr Verghese Kurien to his grandson Siddharth. He explains why he chose to serve dairy farmers in Anand, Gujarat, and shares the values that guided him, especially integrity.

What is the message of Verghese Kurien's letter to his grandson?

Life is a privilege and should not be wasted. We should be honest to ourselves, use our talents fully, contribute to the common good, and earn our own rewards through our own work.

Is I Too Had a Dream in the new NCERT book?

Yes. It is Chapter 6 of Poorvi, NCERT's new English book for Class 8, in Unit 2 (Values and Dispositions).

Learn every Class 8 chapter with CALP

Every chapter of Poorvi, NCERT’s new Class 8 book, with notes in English and Hindi, say-it-aloud practice with a score, listening, grammar, speaking and writing with feedback. ₹1,599 for the whole year.

See the free lessons and enrol →