Nayantara Sehgal
Nayantara Sehgal is one of the first female writers in English in India. Her writings mostly deal with the political crisis during the British Period.
The text, an extract from her memoir 'Prison and Chocolate Cake' tells vividly the sudden shock that the author and the whole India witnessed when they heard the sudden assassination of their beloved father, Bapu.
Q & A FROM UNIT 1
1. When was the author called to Birla House ?
= When the author was having tea at home on the evening of 30th January in 1948, she was called to Birla House .
2. How was the author called to Birla House?
= The author was called to Birla House by telephone.
3. When was Gandhiji shot ?
= Gandhiji was shot when he was on his way to a prayer meeting.
4. Whom did the author find on reaching Birla House?
= On reaching Birla House the author found that Gandhiji's relatives and followers had gathered round his body.
5. What was there in the room as Gandhiji breathed his last?
= There was an unnatural silence in the room where Gandhiji had breathed his last.
6. How did the words of Gandhiji's death spread through Delhi ?
= The words of Gandhiji's death spread through Delhi like a flame fanned by wind.
7.What could one see out of every window?
= One could see out of every window a brown blur of faces.
8.Why couldn't the people speak in the beginning?
= The people who had gathered around the Birla House were too stunned to speak in the beginning.
9.When did the people calm down a little ?
= People calmed down a little when they would be allowed to see Gandhiji before his funeral.
10.When does a person begin to whimper ?
= When a person receives a shock at the death of a near and dear one , he or she begins to whimper.
11. What question is uppermost in the mind of the mourning people?
= The question that is uppermost in the mind of the mourning people is what will happen to them now that their guardian has left them.
12. How did the people look like?
= The people looked like lost children.
13. What was the broadcast telling the people?
= The broadcast was telling the people of India that their Bapu was no more.
Q & A FROM UNIT 2
1. When was Gandhiji's funeral decided to take place ?
=Gandhiji's funeral was decided to take place on the day after his death.
2. What did Padmasi tell the followers of Gandhiji?
= Padmasi told the followers of Gandhiji that they would walk with Gandhiji's procession .
3. Who was Padmasi ?
= Padmasi was Mrs. Naidu's daughter.
4. Who watched the procession and how?
= Thousands of people watched the procession silently.
5. How was average Gandhiji taken to the cremation ground ?
= Gandhiji’s body was taken on an open truck covered with flowers.
6. Where and how did Gandhiji walk?
= Gandhiji walked with a staff in hand over a large part of India.
7. What was open to average Indian?
= Walking was the only open way to average Indian.
8. What does walk normally require?
= Walk normally required no vehicle except one's body that cost one nothing but one's energy.
9. Why was the walk agonizing to the author?
= Gandhiji's death sent a shock wave through his followers. The author was deeply pained by it. So it was a agonizing walk for her.
10. What could not the author accept?
= The author could not accept the fact that this man was never again going to walk with them.
Q & A FROM UNIT 3
1. How did the people do on the train?
= On the train people did not weep anymore but instead continued to sing bhajans.
2. How were Gandhiji's ashes taken to Allahabad?
= Gandhiji's ashes were taken to Allahabad in a special train some days after the funeral.
3.What was the feeling of the author once she was back in Delhi?
= The author felt at sea as the magic circle she had grown up in had vanished.
4. What did Bapu do for the ordinary folk?
= Bapu brought the ordinary folk out of their ignorance and indifference.
5. What would happen to India after Bapu had passed away?
= Even after Bapu had passed away his India would continue to live in his children.
6. Why didn't people weep anymore?
= People didn't weep anymore because they could feel Gandhi's presence among the flowers and the songs.
7. Why did the author feel unprotected?
= The author felt unprotected because at the death of Bapu the magic circle vanished.
Comprehension Exercise
1.Choose the correct alternative to complete the following sentences:
a) Gandhiji had been shot on his way to
i) the Birla House
b) The author came to know of Gandhi's death by
ii) a telephone call
c) When one is faced with the shock of a loved ones death, one
i) whimpers
2. Fill in the chart with information from the text:
a) 30th January 1948
b) Birla House
c) Bapu was no more
3. State whether the following statements are True or False. Provide sentences/Phrases/words in support of your answer:
a) False
S.S - "I was having tea at the evening of 30th January ..."
b) True
S.S- " They jostled one another in a stampede to break into the house."
c) False
S.S- "It was the question in many of our hearts as we sat, still shocked and unbelieving."
Unit -2
4.Choose the correct alternative to complete the following sentences:
a) Gandhiji's funeral was to take place
iii) one day after his death.
b) Padamsi was Mrs.Naidu's
iv) daughter
c) While walking, Bapu used to carry in his hand a
i) staff
5. Complete the following sentences with information from the text:
a) Thousands of people wept, trying to touch Bapu's feet.
b) The author was among people for whom walking with Bapu had a special meaning.
c) To walk is to make slow progress.
6. Fill in the chart with information from the text:
a) the crowd was very thick as thousands of weeping people gathered trying to catch Bapu's feet.
b) It was the last time that they would walk with Gandhiji.
c) there was not much means of journey available at that time. Transportation was very costly for average Indian.
Unit - 3
7. Choose the correct alternative to complete the following sentences:
a) Gandhiji's ashes were taken to
ii) Allahabad
b) A huge crowd had gathered by the
i) Ganges
c) Gandhiji awakened people to one another's
iii) suffering
8. Complete the following sentences with information from the text:
a) people on the special train sang bhajans while going to Allahabad to immerse the last ashes of Gandhiji.
b) The author felt that she had grown up within a magical circle and with Bapu's sudden demise that circle had vanished.
c) Bapu had passed away but his India would continue to live in his children.
9. Fill in the chart with information from the text:
a) they could feel Gandhiji's presence amid the flowers and songs.
b) the author felt unprotected.
c) the author's values were not so week.
1. Choose the correct alternative to completethe following sentences:
(a) Gandhiji’s ashes were taken to
(i) Ahmedabad
(ii) Allahabad
(iii) Delhi
(iv) Benaras
Ans: (ii) Allahabad
(b) A huge crowd had gathered by the
(i) Ganges
(ii) Yamuna
(iii) Brahmaputra
(iv) Narmada
Ans: (i) Ganges
(c) Gandhiji awakened people to one another’s
(i) indifference
(ii) jealousy
(iii) suffering
(iv) greed
Ans:- (iii) suffering