Why was a piece of jaggery offered in the village when he brought news of a birth or weddings?
A piece of jaggery was offered in the village when Khetaram brought news of a birth or weddings because it was all that could be offered by the impoverished villagers. Living in an arid land, the people face extreme hardship, where famine is a way of life.
Even in a good year, they harvest only one crop of bajra, which is insufficient to feed their families. Their survival heavily depends on money orders sent by relatives. Therefore, despite their happiness at the good news, their severe poverty limits their ability to give a grander reward, making a simple piece of jaggery a humble yet meaningful token of gratitude and kindness.
Explanation
The textbook context highlights the extreme poverty of the region. The text explicitly states that 'a piece of jaggery is all that can be offered'. The reason 'all' they can offer is jaggery is due to the harsh, arid conditions where 'Akaal or famine is a way of life' and one crop of bajra cannot feed a family, forcing them to rely on money orders for survival.
Solution Steps
Step 1: Identify the direct reason from the text: jaggery is 'all that can be offered'.
Step 2: Connect this to the broader context of the villagers' poverty: they live in an arid land where famine is common and one crop of bajra cannot feed a family.
Step 3: Conclude that jaggery serves as a humble token of gratitude because they lack the resources to offer anything more substantial.