English

Chapter: The ghat of the only world


1. What impressions of Shahid do you gather from the piece ? 

Ans. Agha Shahid Ali was a poet. He was lively in the face of an impending death. He loved people, food, poetry and teaching music. He kept himself engaged in all these things so he did not have time to be depressed about his approaching death. He was true to his vocation as a poet and believed that poets have to respect their art and their form. He wrote poems about the political condition and violence in Kashmir but he did not embrace the role of victim, proving himself a true poet at heart and not a political personality. He was a firm believer in the seperation of religion and politics.

2. How do Shahid and the writer react to the knowledge that Shahid is going to die ?

Ans. There are two instances in the text that the author and Agha Shahid Ali talk about the latter's impending death. Incidently both the times they talk over phone. In both the instances, the author is dejected and felt lost as to how to respond to such a thing. Although he has known about Ali's illness all the while, he finds it difficult to face the person who is going to die. But Shahid seems quite in peace with this fact. 

In both the instances his voice sounds quite and untroubled . This shows that Ali accepts his death . In the last meeting with the author , he even says that he loves to think that he will meet his mother in the afterlife . 

3. Look up the dictionary for the meaning of the word ' diaspora " . What do you understand of the Indian diaspora from this piece ? 

Ans. The word ' diaspora ' means a dispersion of an originally homogenous entity , such as language or culture . From the text , we come to know that a number of Indians have settled in different countries of the west , especially England and America .

Shahid , his brothers and sisters , and the writer , form part of the Indian diaspora in America . Shahid belonged to Kashmir and migrated to America in 1975. These people , though living in another country , never forgot about their roots . Indians feel a sense of unity and they keep meeting each other on various occassions . 

4. What was the full name of Shahid ? 

Ans. Shahid's full name was Agha Shahid Ali . 

5. What profession was Shahid into ? 

Ans. Shahid was a teacher and a poet. He was very successful and was adored by his students.

6.What did Shahid ask from the author ? Did the author keep his words ?  

Ans. The author Amitav and Shahid became good friends . Shahid shared everything with Amitav . He told him that he has been going for cancer treatment for 14 months and if he dies , Amitav should write about him . after his death. 

Yes , Amitav kept his words and wrote about his friend only after his death.