Karma Class XI Questions Answers| Short and Long Questions from Karma|Karma By Khuswant Singh Summary Explanations 

Hello everyone. In this article you will get question answer from the text 'Karma' written by Khuswant Singh. The short story 'Karma' is included in the syllabus of class 11 West Bengal Board of Higher Secondary Education. This article will explain the textual questions and answers. Here you will get short questions and long questions from the story 'Karma' written by Khuswant Singh. 

Also Read: Karma Class XI Summary Explanation|Detailed Explanation of Karma By Khuswant Singh

About the Author Khuswant Singh: 

Khuswant Singh is an Indian writer who was born on Feb 2,1915 in Punjab(Now Pakistan). He started his career as a journalist. He was the editor of 'Yojana', ab Indian Government Journal. 

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His important works are "The History of Sikhs", "Train to Pakistan", "Delhi:A Novel" etc. His autobiography "Truth, Love and A Little Malice" was published in 2002. He died in March 20, 2014. 

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Main Theme of the Story ' Karma': 

Karma' is a short story written by Khuswant Singh and it was published in 1989 in "The Collected Stories of Khuswant Singh". 

The Story is about a person, Sir Mohan Lal, who is very egoistic and prides on his thought and neglects the very Indian culture. He is an Anglicised Hindustani.  He even sneers at his wife, Lachmi because she is the representation of Indian culture. She uphold Indian culture and customs.  The man blindly follows the British culture. At the end of the story the man suffers for his egoistic attitude and is ultimately disillusioned. 

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Short Questions from 'Karma' Class XI WBCHSE 

1. Who is the writer it the shirt story 'Karma'?

Ans: Khuswant Singh is the writer of the story 'Karma'.

2. When was the story 'Karma' published?

Ans: The story 'Karma' written by Khuswant Singh was published in the year of 1989. 

3. Where did Sir Mohan Lal wait before the train arrived?

Ans: Before the train arrives Sir Mohan Lal was waiting at the first class waiting room of a railway station in a cantonment town. 

4. What was the condition of the mirror that was in the first class waiting room of the railway station?

Ans: The mirror was mocked by Sir Mohan Lal. It was in a wretched condition as the red oxide behind the mirror was washed away making the reflections hazy.

5. What was the attitude of Sir Mohan Lal to the mirror?

Ans: Sir Mohan Lal mocked the mirror. He described the mirror as inefficient, dirty and indifferent. This conception comes from his prejudiced view of India. 

6. Who was addressed as 'old chap'?

Ans: The mirror that was in the waiting room was addressed as 'old chap'.

7. What was Sir Mohan Lal's buttonhole?

Ans: Sir Mohan Lal has the carnation - a reddish, pink flower in the buttonhole of his shirt. 

8. What was the name of the time Sir Mohan Lal wore?

Ans: Sir Mohan Lal wore the Balliol tie.

9. What is a Balliol tie?

Ans: A Balliol tie eas a silk tie meant for the students of Balliol College of Oxford University.

10. "Koi Hai"- Whom did Mr Mohan Lal call and why?

Ans: Mr Lal called someone in the liquor shop to order a small oeg of whiskey.

11. Where was Lachmi sitting at the railway station?

Ans: Lachmi was sitting on a small grey steel trunk outside the first-class waiting room.

12. What was the name of the wife of Sir Mohan Lal?

Ans: Lachmi was the wife of Sir Mohan Lal.

13. Describe the appearance of Lachmi.

Ans: Lachmi was a shirt and fat lady and she was in her middle age. 

14. Why did Lady Lal open the brass carrier?

Ans: Lady Lal opened the brass carrier to take out a bundle of cramped chapattis and some mango pickle to eat. 

15.  What was Sir Mohan Lal by profession?

Ans: Sir Mohan Lal was a vizier and a barrister by profession.

16. Where does the zenan stop?

Ans: The Zenana stops right at the end of the platform. 

17. Where did Lachmi and Sir Mohan Lal stay in the bungalow of Sir Mohan?

Ans: Lachmi lived in the upper storey while Sir Mohan stayed on the ground floor .

18. How many betel leaves did Lachmi thrust into her mouth at a time?

Ans: Lachmi thrust two betel leaves at a time into her mouth. 

19. How much money did Lachmi pay to the coolie?

Ans: Lachmi paid two Annas to the coolie.

20. What is a sang-froid?

Ans: 'Sang-froid' is the ability to stay calm in a difficult situation.

21. What were the exhibitions of bad breeding, according to Sir Mohan Lal?

Ans: According to Sir Mohan Lal, excitement, bustle and hurry were the exhibitions of bad breeding.

22. For how much time did Mohan Lal stay in England?

Ans: Sir Mohan Lal stayed in England for five years. These five years were the glorious period of his life. 

23. What was the favourite topic of conversation of sir Mohan Lal?

Ans: Sir Mohan Lal could talk on any topic - books, politics or people. 

 24. What was Sir Mohan Lal's ciggerate case made of?

Ans: Sir Mohan Lal's ciggerate case was made of gold. 

25. "Five years of a crowded glorious life"– which life is referred to here?

Ans: The Five years that he spent in England is mentioned here. 

26. Why was Sir Mohan Lal half-smiling and half- protesting?

Ans: Sir Mohan Lal was half-smiling and half-protesting . He was half smiling because he was very happy when he found two English soldiers were about to make a journey with him. He was half -protesting as he was called a bigger by the soldiers. 

27. "Get the nigger out"– Who is referred to 'nigger' here?

Ans: By 'nigger' the englishmen called Sir Mohan Lal. 

28. What were the names of the two English soldiers?

Ans: Bill and Jim were the two English Soldiers.

29. What were the things of Sir Mohan Lal that were flung and thrown out of the platform by the soldiers?

Ans: The Soldiers picked Sir Mohan's suitcase, thermos flask, briefcase, bedding and 'Thr Times' upon the platform.

30. What did Lady Lal do when the train sped past the platform?

Ans: When the train sped past the platform, Lady Lal sent a jet of red dribble of betel saliva . 

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Descriptive Questions Answers from 'Karma' Class 11|'Karma' Class XI Descriptive Questions 

1. "Sir Mohan Lal looked at himself in the mirror."– Why did Mohan Lal look into the mirror? Comment on the character of Sir Mohan Lal as noticed from the conversation.

Ans: Sir Mohan Lal was waiting at the first class waiting room at the railway station. Sir Mohan Lal before boarding the train wanted to check whether his dress and appearance looked perfect.

The conversation between sir Mohan Lal and the mirror brings out the character of Sir Mohan Lal. Sir Mohan Lal is an Anglicised Hindustani who finds everything dirty and inefficient in India. Sir Mohan Lal is pompous in his attire and his attire is set in contrast to the surroundings. He is distinguished, efficient and handsome. His moustache is nearly rrummed. He is wearing a suit bought from Saville Row that has incarnation in the buttonhole. He is defined by his expensive perfume and fragrant talcum powder and soap. He considers himself to be 'a bit of alright'. He tries in vain to impose his presence by blindly following or imitating the British ways of life. He mocks the mirror for the red oxide at its back came off. The gestures and behaviour of Sir Mohan Lal presents him as a fop. 

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2. "You are very much like everything else in this country, inefficient, dirty, indifferent,..."– Who said this to whom? Describe the speaker's opinion about the Indian people and its culture.

Ans: Sir Mohan Lal is the speaker . Mohan Lal made this comment to the mirror or the first class waiting room.

Sir Mohan Lal is an Anglicised Hindustani who sneers at everything that is Indian. To him the concept of India and Indian is something indigenous, dirty, uncultured and inefficient. Sir Mohan Lal stand in front of the mirror in the first class wating room at the railway station. He looked scoffingly at the mirror. He feels pity for the wretched condition of the mirror. The mirror represents Indianness. The red oxide of the mirror came off, so it gave a hazy reflection. Sir Mohan Lal makes mocking comment that the mirror is no different than the things which prevail in India. The mirror like everything else is dirty, inefficient and indifferent. 

Sir Mohan Lal has much affinity for British culture. He dislikes and disregards everything that is Indian in colour or taste or in appearance. The comment shows his contempt for Indian people and its culture. 

3. "I am only a native woman"– Estimate the character of the speaker in the light of the above comment.

Ans: Lachmi, the wife of Sir Mohan Lal is the speaker of the above comment. 

The story 'Karma' present two opposite or contrasting characters , one is Sir Mohan Lal who is a prototype of Anglicised Hindustani, the other is his wife Lachmi, who is the representation of Indianness.

The character of Lachmi is very interesting and amusing as narrated in the story 'Karma' by Khuswant Singh. There is no lack of individuality although she is not pretty enough. She is full of originality unlike her husband Mohan Lal who is a sophisticated person. Lachmi is happy to make conversation with the fellow people. She is rustic and illiterate. She has no knowledge of English culture or manners. She remains happy with her bangles, diamond nose-ring and the case that is full of betel leaves. She is any Indian woman who is a subordinate to her husband. Lachmi has appropriated the fact that she will never get proper recognition from him. Yet she has no grudge for it. In a patriarchal society Lachmi is the representative of any rural Indian woman. 

4. "Five years of a glorious and crowded life"– Describe how Sir Mohan Lal spent his five years of his life and why does he call it 'glorious'?

Ans: Sir Mohan Lal is well bred man and a person of refined taste. He had lived in England and studied in the prestigious Oxford University for five years. She has much pride over it and he feels himself to be a part of English culture and tradition. 

He considers his education in abroad as a symbol of status and power. He neglects everything that is common and Indian. He disregards Indian culture and its people. The five years he spent means improvement and importance for him. He considers this time as 'glorious'. He enjoyed this time with grey bags and gowns, with sports blazers and mixed doubles. He used to spend nights with Piccadilly prostitutes. He feels pity whenever he ruminated those days. He contrasts the forty-five years in India to the five years in London. The attitude and behaviour of Sir Mohan Lal is noteworthy. He nurtures a derogatory concept of India in his mind . 

5. What was the attitude of Sir Mohan Lal when he found two English soldiers approaching towards his coupe? Why was he half -smiling and half-protesting?

Ans: Since boarding the train Sir Mohan Lal was expecting the company of some British persons. His face lit up when he saw two English soldiers approaching his coupe. They walked unsteadily. Yet Sir Mohan Lal was quick in welcoming them as he had much regard for British culture. He felt happy as his desire to get company of Englishmen in train was fulfilled. Although the soldiers were entitled to travel only second class, they decided to talk to the guard to allow them in the first class. 

The Two English Soldiers were very rude when they found Sir Mohan Lal sitting inside . They ordered him to get out. They even called him 'a nigger ' . This was humiliation for Sir Mohan Lal. Initially Sir Mohan Lal welcomed them as they were British, next when he was abused he tried to protest. So, we find Sir Mohan Lal was both half-smiling and half-protesting.

6. Justify the title of the short story 'Karma'.

Or, 

Bring out the significance of the title 'Karma'.

Or,

What is the moral of the story 'Karma'?

Ans: 'Karma' means one's actions. If we analyse the word 'Karma' it terms of religion we find several implications. In Hinduism and Buddhism, 'Karma' means or signifies the fruit of one's actions that ultimately determines one's destiny. 

In the story 'Karma' by Khuswant Singh, Sir Mohan Lal is the protagonist. He represents English culture and he has much disregard for his own native, indigenous Indian culture. In the story we find Sir Mohan Lal's sin is his pride, his arrogance and pretensions. He was published for his blunders. Although he had high regard for the English culture, hia pride was , later on diminished by two English Soldiers. This is thoughtful to think that the same culture for which he was proud of, humiliated him and thrown him out of the train.  

But his wife Lachmi was not sinful. He had a safe and comfortable journey in the train. Karma means tha nemesis that overtakes the wrong doer. The unexpected turn of his fate is the inevitable outcome of his actions and thoughts. The title 'Karma' has a double meaning: the inevitable nemesis and also the ironical turn of the wheel of fate.