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THE GHAT OF THE ONLY
WORLD
summary of the ghat of the only world
-by Amitav Ghosh
Shahid
Talks about his Approaching Death
The
narrator had called Agha Shahid Ali on 25th April, 2001 to remind him that they
had been invited by a friend at his house for lunch. Shahid was undergoing
treatment for cancer at that time but was able to speak and move around. He had
occasional lapses of memory. As the narrator was talking to Shahid, Shahid had
a blackout and feared that he might die. Shahid was fine after some time and
told the narrator that he was suffering from cancer and would die in a few
months. The narrator tried to reassure Shahid that he would be fine. However,
Shahid ignored his reassurances and urged him to write about him when he died.
The narrator wanted to avoid writing about his friend's death but finally
agreed to do so.
First
Meeting of the Narrator and Shahid
The narrator and Shahid lived a few blocks away in
Brooklyn, USA. The narrator had read Shahid's poetry collection "The
Country Without a Post Office” in 1997 long before he had met him. Shahid
belonged to Kashmir and had studied in Delhi. The narrator also studied in
Delhi and they both got in touch through common friends in 1998. They were no
more than acquaintances till they moved to Brooklyn, USA in the year 2000. In
Brooklyn, they met for meals and discovered that there was a lot in common
between them. They both loved rogan josh, Roshnara Begum and Kishore Kumar and
had an attachment for old Bollywood films. However, they were indifferent to
cricket.
About
Shahid
Shahid was a sociable and witty person. He had many
friends and liked to have people around him. He had the ability to convey the
normal things in the most magical way. He lived on the seventh floor of a newly
renovated building where he used to organise a lot of parties and invite his
friends, relatives, students and poets.
Even after being diagnosed with cancer, he continued
holding these parties at his home. He would plan the parties in a meticulous
way and take special interest that the food cooked in the party was up to the
mark. Apart from Kashmiri food, he liked Bengali food a lot. He also loved the
music of Begum Akhtar.
Shahid
as a Teacher
Shahid
taught in various colleges and universities in the United States. Once the
narrator got a chance to be with him when he gave a lecture at Baruch College
in the spring semester of the year 2000. This was to be Shahid's last class.
His students loved him and were sad that he would be leaving. They had printed
a magazine and dedicated the issue to him. However, Shahid was not at all
overcome with sadness. He was lively from the beginning to the end of the
lecture.
Shahid's
time in America
Shahid moved to America in 1975. His brother was
already there when he came to America. Later his two sisters joined them there.
However, parents continued to live in Srinagar. He used to come to India in the
summer months every year and stayed with his parents in Srinagar.
Effects
of the Violence in Kashmir on Shahid
Shahid was a witness to the violence in Kashmir that
seized the region from the late 1980s onwards as he used to stay there in the
summer every year. The violence and the deterioration of the political
situation in Kashmir had a powerful effect on him. This became one of the
central subjects of his work. Although he was anguished about Kashmir's destiny,
Shahid did not see himself as a victim. He had an all inclusive vision towards
religion.
Stopping
of Shahid's Medication
The
narrator recalls a telephone conversation between Shahid and him on 5th May.
Shahid had undergone a scan that was expected to reveal whether the
chemotherapy he was getting was having the desired effect on him or not. When
he called Shahid to inquire about the test result, he was told that the doctors
have stopped all his medications and had given him an year or less to live.
Shahid wanted to make his will and leave for Kashmir after that as he wanted to
die there. He later changed his mind and decided to be laid to rest in
Northampton due to logistical and other reasons.
Narrator's
Last Meeting with Shahid
The narrator met Shahid the last time on 27th October,
2001 Shahid was at his brother's house and was able to talk intermittently. He
seemed to be calm and contended although he was aware of his impending death.
He was surrounded by his family and friends. He died peacefully in his sleep at
2 am on 8th December, 2001. The narrator felt a vast void after his death and
remembered his presence in his living room where Shahid had once read "I
Dream I Am at the Ghat of the Only World."
NCERT SOLUTIONS FOR CLASS 11 ENGLISH CHAPTER 4 SNAPSHOTS
the ghat of the only world question answer
(Reading with
Insight)
Question 1. What impressions of Shahid do you gather
from the piece?
Answer: The author Amitav Ghosh’s biography of Shahid
reveals that the poet was a complex individual. Even the dreadful disease of
cancer couldn’t break him down. He was a fighter who never gave up in the face
of adversity. While in the hospital, he refused to use the wheelchair and
preferred to walk on “his own feet.” He was also an exceptional teacher. Shahid
had a deep appreciation for good poetry, music, and food. He was a fine poet himself
and enjoyed the company of other poets and writers. His wit and sense of humor
were also one of a kind. He was a non-religious man. The political situation
and violence in Kashmir affected him so much that the central theme of his poem
became – ‘Kashmir’. He was a truly gifted individual.
Question 2. How do Shahid and the writer react to the
knowledge that Shahid is going to die?
Answer: Shahid was initially tense, but quickly
revealed his feelings and asked Amitav Ghosh to write about him after his
death. The writer was taken aback and didn’t know how to react to the situation.
Later, he said the standard words, “Nothing will happen to you.” You’ll be
fine.”
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: The term ‘diaspora’ refers to ‘people who come
from a specific nation, or whose ancestors came from it, but now live in
various parts of the world.’
According to this article, Shahid, his brother, and
two sisters were living in the United States of America. Not only them, but
many Indians today move abroad for a variety of reasons such as education,
employment, or some other reason. They run into each other now and then. The
Indian diaspora is larger than that of any other country. In this piece, we see
that despite having migrated abroad, Shahid spends every summer in Srinagar,
indicating that though people settle elsewhere, the love for their country
never dies and they never forget their motherland.
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