NCERT Solutions for Class 11 English Snapshots Chapter 6 - The Ghat of the Only World

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

Ans: From the piece, it could be inferred that Shahid had a multi-faceted personality. He seemed to be a sensitive soul. His birthplace was Srinagar but he studied in Delhi. Then he migrated to America and worked for different colleges and universities. Shahid was a good scholar and an amazing teacher which is evident by the love and respect that he got from his students. Shahid loved good poetry, music, food and clothes. He always used to think about Kashmir and he used to get hurt by the aggravating violence there. His finest work was related to writing about Kashmir, although he wasn’t a political poet. He believed in not mixing politics and religion. He was such a strong soul that even cancer could not break his spirit. He did not lose courage in the face of misfortune. He even refused to use the wheelchair in the hospital.

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

Ans: Shahid said a few words, which very clearly showed that he was feared by death. The words are, “Oh dear! I can’t see a thing… I hope this doesn’t mean that I’m dying." His tone depicted that he was scared and felt for the first time that he was about to die. His realisation of death became clear and stronger to him as his memory lapses became serious. When he was talking to Amitav Ghosh, he said in a very clear voice, “When it happens, I hope you will write something for me.” The writer was blank and could not say anything to this. But he managed to say, “I’ll do the best I can.” That day onwards, the writer started to keep a record of all the conversations that he had with Shahid. This record proved to be very helpful to him in fulfilling his promise and writing about Shahid.

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 when an originally homogeneous entity is dispersed, for example, language or culture. In reference to the piece, the Indian diaspora has become more eminent in Ghosh’s writings. From the text, we got to know that many Indians have settled abroad, especially in England and the US. People like Shahid, his brother and sisters, the writer and Suketu Mehta are a part of the Indian diaspora in America. Shahid’s birthplace was Kashmir but he shifted to America later in 1975. His elder brother had already settled there and his sisters followed them later. Although these people live in different lands, they never forget about their motherland. They feel a sense of unity in a foreign land and meet with each other on occasions.

NCERT Solutions for Class 11 English Snapshots Chapter 6 The Ghat of the Only World

Solution on Class 11 English Chapter

1. Draw a Character Sketch of Shahid from the Ghat of the Only World.

Ans: The piece, ‘The Ghat Of The Only World’, does great justice in bringing up the character of  Agha Shahid Ali in this brief sketch of the character. To begin with, this is a character that we can never judge completely. The way that Shahid is brought up in the story gives the readers an idea of a man who was dying. Throughout the piece, Shahid remains an extremely lucid person who didn’t drop a single bar on the enthusiasm of life. Yes, Shahid was afraid of dying, just like any other normal man but in the same place, he didn’t give up on living.

Shahid broadly ignored the reassurances given by and focused on living his life to the fullest till his last breath. He was a man who wanted to embark his journey onto the people's memories and not through spoken recitatives that revolved around friendship but much relied on the written word. As the story proceeds, we notice how Shahid has reached a severe stage of his illness; however, he does not allow it to impede the progress of the friendship between him and the author. 

2. What Were the Reactions of Shahid and the Writer Upon the Knowledge That Shahid Is Living on Limited Time?

Ans: As quoting the lines from the poem, “Oh dear! I can’t see a thing...I hope this doesn't mean that I am dying,” readers can have a clear picture of the fear of death that Shahid had and the fear is also immensely visible in Shahid's tone of voice and the choice of words in the poem. He was very scared when he got to know that he was dying, for the first time. Readers can notice the transition around the character when Shahidh comes across his occasional memory lapses that only become more serious as we progress through the poem. The vocabulary used in the poem only represents a strong urge for death drawing and only becomes more vital. 

As the character was in conversation with Amitav Ghosh, Shahid spoke in a clear ringing voice - “When it happens, I hope you will write something for me.” The writer was amazed at the moment and had no idea about what he should reply at the exact moment. Considering the fact that the writer had no reply to such a topic, we can understand the graveness of the conversation. Lastly, he promises, “I'll do the best I can.”