The author most likely includes this information to help the reader infer that Esperanza’s mother is not able to travel much.
Life is a highway by rascal flatts
Sadly, Captain Canot didn't believe that the treatment of slaves was a problem. Like most people in his time, it was common to think of slaves as only sub-humans. To Captain Canot he was just carrying regular old cargo that just so happened to be alive and breathing.
Captain Canot was a person who captured slaves to make them work for him, he gave them little privileges and had zero qualms about it.
(I wasn't able to get access to any text for a clearcut example, but essentially you're supposed to find an example in whatever text you are reading to support that he was completely ok with slavery. Like, in what ways did he explicitly imply that slavery is a good thing, or what actions and feelings do he have towards it being a thing? And then explain it.)
Chandigarh is 
capital of Punjab.
