Snapshots- Chapter 6: The Ghat of the Only World

English
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Chapter 6: The Ghat of the Only World

Class: XI
(Snapshots)

Exercise number – 1

Question 1

What impressions of Shahid do you gather from the piece?

Answer 1

Agha Shahid Ali was a multi faceted personality & appears to be a sensitive soul. He was born in Srinagar & had studied in Delhi. Then, he settled in America & served in various colleges & universities. Shahid was a fine scholar & a brilliant teacher. His students respected & loved him. Shahid was a profound lover of good poetry, music, clothes & food. He always thought of Kashmir & felt hurt by the mounting violence in the valley. Though he was not a political poet his finest work relates to writing about Kashmir. Shahid’s outlook was ecumenical. He didn’t believe in mixing of politics & religion. He never lost the courage in the face of misfortune. Even a dreadful disease like cancer couldn’t break his spirit. He even refused to take the help of the wheelchair in the hospital.

Question 2

How do Shahid & the writer react to the knowledge that Shahid is going to die?

Answer 2

"Oh dear! I can’t see a thing….I hope this doesn’t mean that I am dying," The fright of death was very vividly visible in Shahid’s tone of voice & his usage of words. He got scared when he realised for the first time that he was dying. When his occasional memory lapses became more serious with passage of time, the realisation of death drawing nearer became even stronger. When he was conversing with Amitav Ghosh, he said in a clear ringing voice- "When it happens, I hope you will write something for me." The writer could think of nothing to say on such a topic. Eventually, he had to promise, "I’ll do the best I can." From that day, the writer started keeping a record of all the meetings & conversations he had with Shahid. This record helped him to fulfill his promise.

Question 3

Look up the dictionary for the meaning of the word ‘diaspora’. What do you understand of the Indian diaspora from this piece?

Answer 3

The meaning of the word ‘diaspora’ in the dictionary is a dispersion of an originally homogeneous entity, such as a language or culture. With reference to the context, Indian diaspora becomes more prominent in Ghosh’s writings.
From this text, we come to know that numerous Indians have settled in different countries of the West, especially England & America. Agha Shahid, his brother & two sisters, Suketu Mehta & the writer form part of the Indian diaspora in America. Shahid belonged to Kashmir & migrated to America in 1975 while his elder brother was already settled there. His two sisters also joined them later. These people, though living in another land had never forgotten about their roots. They felt a sense of unity & kept meeting each other on various occasions.