The Ghat of the Only World by Amitav Ghosh.pptx

Presentation on the lesson "The Ghat of the Only World" by Amitav Ghosh from the English syllabus of CBSE Class 11

1. ENGLISH SEMINAR The Ghat of the Only World

2. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Amitav Ghosh is a renowned Indian author known for his compelling storytelling and his ability to merge history, culture, and personal narratives in his works. Born in Kolkata , India, Ghosh has crafted a diverse body of work that spans various genres, including fiction, non-fiction, and historical fiction . Ghosh's works have garnered critical acclaim and a dedicated global readership. His contributions to contemporary literature have earned him numerous awards and accolades, solidifying his place as one of the most celebrated authors of our time.

3. AGHA SHAHID ALI Shahid is the central character of the story. He was a Kashmiri poet and a friend of Amitav Ghosh. He loved expressing his feelings towards his love for Kashmir through his works. He had a versatile personality and always had a positive outlook on life. He believed in secularism, and his writings portrayed his thoughts quite well. Even though he was battling a brain tumour , he never let himself get depressed.

4. THEME OF THE LESSON The lesson ‘The Ghat of the Only World’, offers us great insight about friendship and the fulfilment of the promise to a dying friend. This story is written by Amitav Ghosh in honour of his friend and great Kashmiri poet Agha Shahid Ali. For 14 months, Shahid suffered from a brain tumour which later succumbed to death, but there was never a dull moment with him. He once told Amitav to write about him after he had passed away. In essence, he wanted to be remembered through the words of a writer. This lesson is about the fulfillment of a promise and is an homage to a brilliant writer and dear friend.

5. SUMMARY Agha Shahid Ali was a Kashmiri living in the US. He was diagnosed with a brain tumour and was undergoing treatment for over 14 months. Though he never let it spoil his mood and was always enthusiastic and fun to be around. Shahid and Amitav , both, had studied at Delhi University together but had never met before. During 1998 and 1999, they had several conversations, thanks to the common friends that had helped them meet. However, they were no more than acquaintances at that time. Only after they had moved to Brooklyn, US, did they become friends. After experiencing a sudden blackout in February’ 2000, Shahid had moved from Manhattan to Brooklyn to live near his sister, Sameetah . The narrator of the story lived eight blocks away from her.

6. SUMMARY They became friends. Shahid mentions his death that was near due to a malignant brain tumor to the narrator, Amitav . He was dead serious while he talked about his approaching death, and then he mentioned his wish to have the narrator write something about him. Though puzzled, the narrator promised Shahid that he would try his best. From that day onwards, he started to note down all his conversations with Shahid because he knew that to be able to write about Shahid , he must have a record of the poet’s words and their discussions. Shahid’s 1997 collection told the author a lot about him and his love for Kashmir through his poem ‘The Country Without a Post Office’. The narrator was impressed with the way he wrote.

7. SUMMARY Shahid expressed his sorrow for the Kashmiri Pandits who left and expressed his joy of Bengali food through his writings. His comments were equally sharp and smart. Once he was travelling back from Spain, and at the airport, he was asked whether he was carrying something that could be harmful to people, to which he replied that he was carrying his heart. He was a true poet who found energy in everything around him.

8. SUMMARY As a teacher, he was quite popular. He taught at several colleges. Following 1975, he lived in America with his siblings, but his parents were still in Srinagar. He saw the political violence of Kashmir, and it had a great impact on his writings. He wanted to bring attention to the all-embracing nature of Kashmiris to everyone around the country. He always mentioned the small temple in his room that his mom helped him set up whenever someone talked about religious intolerance.

9. SUMMARY On 4th May, he was informed by his doctors that Chemotherapy and other medications weren’t working. He expressed his thought of moving back to Kashmir and lying at peace there. Due to logistical and other reasons, he changed his mind. He died peacefully in his sleep on 8th December at 2 p.m. and was laid at rest in Northampton.

10. (1) Why do you think the lesson is called “The Ghat of the Only World” ? (2) Why did Shahid wanted to be remembered through words ? (3) What common interests did the author and Shahid have? QUESTIONS

11. (1) The word ‘Ghat’ in Hindi means ‘bank’ of a river; in the title of the chapter, it signifies the edge of life, where Shahid was struggling for life. Owing to his malignant tumor, he was about to leave this world and start a mysterious journey into the unknown world that exists after death. Since the word ‘Ghat’ refers to the brink of our world, which is the only world known to us, the title is justified. ANSWERS

12. (2) Shahid wanted himself to be remembered through written words, not just spoken words. To writers to whom things became real only in the process of writing, there is an inbuilt resistance to dealing with loss and bereavement. Amitav would have avoided writing about Shahid ; thus, Shahid specifically requested that Amitav write about him. Shahid knew Amitav was also a literary man like him; he knew only Amitav would do the justice of writing an authentic account of him. ANSWERS

13. (3) Love for poetry and literature bound the narrator to Shahid . His work, "The Country Without a Post Office," made a deep impression on the narrator. They had common friends in Delhi as well as in America. Their love for Rogan Josh, Roshanara Begam , and Kishore Kumar further cemented their friendship. Both of them were fond of Bombay films and had a mutual indifference towards cricket. ANSWERS

14. THANK YOU !!!