Chapter 6 The Ghat of the Only World Solutions
Question - 1 : - What impressions of Shahid do you gather from the piece?
Answer - 1 : -
Introduction. Shahid came to befriend with the writer Amitav during his last days of life. Shahid was basically an Indian like the author. As the very name suggests, he was a Muslim He belonged to Kashmir. He sought his education in Delhi. While in India they shared common friends and nothing more. But as Shahid shifted to Brooklyn in 2000, he came to entrust a very important task to the writer.
An Endless Revealer. Shahid had great love for fun and festivity. The smell of food would make him cry ‘Kya Badia Khana Hat.’ He was fond of exactitude in the cooking of food. He himself would host parties almost daily. He would do long preparations and cooking to host such parties. He always liked to hold ‘addas’ and surrounded with friends and relatives. ‘Food, fun, friends and poetry all were his weaknesses.
Aware of Impending Death. Shahid suffered from brain tumour. The fact came to be established a year or so before his death. Before that also he had been under treatment for cancer. He had sensed his death. But he didn’t want to cry to death. He wanted to sip up the last drop of joy of life with great relish and enjoyment. He described about his approaching death in many of his works. But he was quite cool and at ease and peace with death, as he had consoled himself that he was going to reunite his departed mother in the “other life” after the earthly life.
His friendship with Amitav : After shifting to Brooklyn, Shahid started meeting and eating with Amitav almost everyday. He entrusted him to write about him after he was gone. He didn’t want that he should he remembered just through the words of memory but he wanted to be remembered through some writing about him. This Amitav did successfully later on keeping his friendly pledge.
A Peaceful End. Shahid, it seems was tom due to the stormy and voilent political atmosphere in Kashmir. During his last days, he would talk about Kashmir a lot. He actually wanted to die there, to lie peacefully beside his mother’s grave. But due to logistic reasons he had to change his idea. Still there is Northampton, in the vicinity of Amherst, the sacred place of his beloved Emily Dickinson, he felt he would rest peacefully. So on Dec. 8 at 2 a.m. he died a quite, serene and peaceful death while in deep sleep.Conclusion. To conclude with we can say, that apart from being a great poet, Shahid was an incarnation of joy, optimism, love and wisdom.
Question - 2 : - How do Shahid and the writer react to the knowledge that Shahid is going to die?
Answer - 2 : -
Shahid had gone for scan-test. It was scheduled for 2.30 in the afternoon. The writer got restless and he started calling at his home. He phoned many a times in the afternoon in the evening to have the latest information about the position of the ailment of his dear friend.
Nobody responded. But he couldn’t be hindered and he phoned in the early next morning. This time Shahid responded. Without any preambles he straightway started giving the bad news of his ailment which had already taken a devasting form. He told that the doctors had stopped his all the medicines and treatment like chemotherapy. They just would give him radiation a little later. But they didn’t hope much from that also.
At this writer is dazed and lost the sense of uttering some words of consolation. He could merely ask, “What would you do now, Shahid?” At this Shahid in a quite untroubled a matter of fact manner told that first he would arrange his passport, set his will and then leave for Kashmir to die there. He didn’t want to trouble his children there. Moreover, he wanted to have some moral support from his father, who was still in Srinagar. He wanted to lie in peace in his grave beside his mother’s grave there.
So we see that Shahid wore quite a bold upfront as if he was all prepared to welcome his impending death. He just wanted to complete his all the due responsibilities so that his children have no problems after he is gone. Whereas the writer is too shocked and stunned to react properly according to the occasion.
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 : -
‘Diaspora’ simply means ‘dispersion’ or a ‘scattering’ as per dictionary. The present extract ‘The Ghat of the Only World’, dabs a very morbid line of Indian diaspora. First of all the writer talks about indian citizens living in different parts of the world like America, England and so on. Their life-style go with them to foreign lands. Like Shahid went to settle in Brooklyn.
But his love for rogan josh, Heeng never ceased. He won’t throw parties where Indian dishes, well cooked and delicately served were the main attractions. He was fond of Kishore Kumar. His love for poetry and in that too Kashmir had almost become a universal topic during his declining days.
Secondly, I feel perhaps that the writer felt somewhat scattered and greatly affected due to the violent political atmosphere in his beloved State Kashmir. He wanted that politics and religion must be kept secret. He expressed his desire to die in Kashmir.
It proves clearly, that in spite of all the worldly luxuries his soul craved to touch his home land. So it was an ‘emotional diaspora’ on the part of Shahid, which I feel every Indian settled in foreign land must be suffering from. Finally, his own residence in New York, presented various tastes of various continents.