'The Passing Away of Bapu'- An Extract from 'Prison And Chocolate Cake', by Nayantara Sehgal

Hello Friends... 

Sure, we all are doing well... Be careful, we must stay fit and shouldn't fall ill getting our studies affected. We shall eat and drink healthy, exercise regularly, and won't avoid our domestic and social responsibilities. And whatever time we get for ourselves at the end of the day, we must study hard for most of the time, so that we learn to think... and learn. We simply cannot afford to stop thinking, for we are learners, and we are the chosen ones who got the scope to learn... 

Let's learn to think first...

This time we meet again to study a portion from a memoir together. What is a memoir? Yes, whatever we recount or remember about the past from our memory can be termed as a memoir. Memoirs constitute a large portion of our everyday chats, and our history as well. And authentic autobiographies, must be purely memoirs then, isn't it? Here we are going to study an extract from Prison  And Chocolate Cake, a memoir by Nayantara Sehgal which is included in the syllabus for the ESL students of Class X, WBBSE under the title 'The Passing Away of Bapu'.

Knowing the Context

It is very important to know about the author and the time s/he belongs to when we are going to study an autobiography, or say, a memoir. Else, how may we get to understand the context in order to negotiate the meaning for ourselves? So, why don't we choose to click here to find out who Nayantara Sehgal was, before we start with the text? Those who are interested, are welcome to search for more about the author in the internet.

Nayantara Sehgal

The Title

The text that we are going to study here goes with the title 'The Passing Away of Bapu'. For readers who are aware of Indian history need not be told who was Bapu. But for readers who are unaware, it should be told that the great Mohandas Karam Chand Gandhi is still referred to as Bapu [father] by millions of his followers. 

What does this text deals with then? It must be a personal narrative of the author about the death [passing away] of Gandhiji, right?

Shall we start reading it, then?

Unit 1

I was having tea at home on the evening of 30th January, 1948, when I was called to Birla House by an urgent telephone. Gandhiji had been shot on his way to a prayer meeting. I was numb with shock as I got into the car.

The Narrative

It's a first person narrative, isn't it? What else do we expect in an autobiography, or a memoir?

The Evening

How did the evening start? Certainly, it seemed to have started in a relaxed manner- Nayantara Sehgal, the narrator, enjoying her evening tea, right?

Grammar Indicating Meaning

But soon, we experience a turn in the situation. An 'urgent telephone' changed the relaxed poise of the evening. Have you noted the use of the adjective 'urgent' in the second clause as opposed to the sense of relaxation hinted in the first clause of the sentence? 

And what do you think about the use of different voices in the two clauses of the first sentence? The narrator seems to be in charge of the situation being the subject of the verb in the first clause which is in active voice: 'I was having tea...'. But she turns to be the one who is acted upon in the second clause being the subject of the verb phrase in passive voice- 'I was called...'.

Do we have the premonition [feeling] that now the narrator is going to be totally helpless in control of the situation that is beyond her limits?

Birla House

Have you ever been to what is now known as Gandhi Smriti [Memorial of Gandhi] in Delhi? As you might have already assumed from the name of the building, the building originally belonged to the Birla family where Gandhiji stayed for the last phase of his life. If you are interested, you may click here to know about the history of the building in detail.

The Turn

'Gandhiji had been shot...' -the unfortunate incident had already occurred, it was just that the narrator had no information till her phone rang. Perfective aspect is used in past tense to refer to events that are more past. 

The Shock

Nayantara was in shock. She was 'numb with shock'. What is your opinion about the choice of this phrase? Do you think you have a better expression to refer to an equal degree of trauma?

Even being in utter shock, Nayantara had no time to waste. She got into the car to reach Birla House. I'm sure you had no difficulty in assuming that...

At the Birla House, Gandhiji's relatives and followers had gathered round his body. There was silence in the room as Gandhiji breathed his last. Words of Bapuji's death had spread through Delhi like a flame fanned by wind. Sad groups of men and women had collected around Birla House. Out of every window one could see a brown blur of faces. They did not make a sound. There was an unnatural silence. It was as if time stood still for those few minutes.

Perfective Aspect

Do you now understand that 'Gandhiji's relatives and followers' reached Birla House before Nayantara? Where lies the clue? 

Yes, you are right- the use of perfective aspect [had gathered] in past tense indicates the fact.

The Death of Bapu

From the very title of the extract we are reading here together, it was clear to us that we are reading a text about Bapu's death, right?

But, this is for the first time we are directly told in the text [Gandhiji breathed his last] about Bapu's death. Earlier, we were only informed about he being shot in the first paragraph.

Flame fanned by wind

News [Words] of Bapu's death spread through the city with increasing momentum, just like a fire burns with more intensity when it is supported with a steady flow of wind. We have the idiom 'fan the flame' to refer to the process of increasing intensity in English.

Sadness

People were extremely sad for they had lost their beloved Bapu. They were gathering at Birla House to pay their respect.

I am sure you had no difficulty in understanding this, right? But what about the 'brown blur of faces'? Why do you think one could see out of every window a brown blur of faces? Any idea?

Actually, it was the narrator, Nayantara herself, who could see a brown blur of faces out of every window. She was then inside Birla House, but many couldn't enter. They stood at the windows to have a glimpse of Bapu. Nayantara was in tears, feeling sad. And through her tears, she could only see those brown [that's the colour of the Indians mostly] faces in a blur. It was obviously same with other people there as well; and hence, Nayantara had made the comment using the indefinite pronoun 'one'.

Would you like to think of some other logically acceptable explanation?

Silence

It is perhaps the most brooding theme of the paragraph. Have you counted that we have this silence referred to in the paragraph for three times?

Don't you think that this silence is associated with primarily sadness? Then why do you think the narrator refers to this silence as 'unnatural'?

Well, silence is never associated with crowd naturally. But the death of Bapu was a shock, and people behaved unnaturally out of sheer shock. They seemed to have even forgotten to cry their pain out loud.

Frozen Time

'It was as if time stood still for those few minutes.'

Now we know that the unnatural silence occurred for few minutes only. But it's interesting to note how the narrator described the time that witnessed the unnatural silence- 'as if time stood still'. Can you visualise the effect?

The people were too stunned to speak in the beginning. Later they clamoured wildly, shouting and crying. They jostled one another in a stampede to break into the house. They calmed a little when it was announced that they would be allowed to see Gandhiji before the funeral.

The People

Here we find the crowd reacting their 'natural way', right?

First Reaction

The people were so shocked [stunned] that they could not speak in the beginning. 

Have you noticed how the simple sentence from the original text can be transformed to a complex sentence with a 'so-that' clause? Which type of sentence would you like to use in a similar situation, and why?

Second Phase

Here comes the 'natural' reaction: the people shrieked and yelled [clamoured] furiously [wildly]. 

Why do you think the author refers to the same action by three synonymous words- 'clamoured', 'shouting', and 'crying'?

They also pushed [jostled] each other in a rush [stampede], trying to enter forcibly [break into].

Third Phase

They just needed some consolation as they all felt lost at the death of their dear leader, right? Hence, they calmed down to certain extent when they were told that they would be able to pay their Bapu their last visit before the cremation [funeral].

When one is faced with the shock of a loved one's death, one whimpers: "What will become of me now that he has left me?" This was surely the question uppermost in the mind of the mourning people. They looked like lost children. It was the question in many of our hearts as we sat, still shocked and unbelieving. We listened to the broadcast telling the people of India that their Bapu was no more.

The Impact

Many among you are lucky not to have experienced the death of any near and dear one. But certainly all are not so lucky. Those who already have the traumatic experience live in your memory might discuss your feelings with the rest. What was it that bothered you the most when you lost a near one forever? 

Was it the fear that the deceased person won't be anymore cared and loved as s/he used to be by you in this world? Did you consider the death to be a loss on the part of the dead person?

Or did it bother you that you won't be anymore loved and cared by the one whom you had lost? Did you feel yourself to be at a loss then? 

Well, the feeling might be different for different person. But mostly, when we face the death of a father-figure, we mostly find ourselves at a loss. At least, the author was certain about it. Hence she makes the comment: 'When one is faced with the shock of a loved one's death, one whimpers [cries feebly in pain]: "What will become of me now that he has left me?" This was surely [told you, the author was certain about it] the question uppermost in the mind of the mourning [sad] people.' So, it is actually for us that we feel the worry about. 

The people looked like 'lost children'. Do you get the role Gandhiji played in their lives? Yes, he was the father-figure of the whole nation undoubtedly.

Unbelieving

Sometimes, we tend to avoid the reality, if it's too harsh or against us. Can you recall any such situation when you wanted to deny the reality knowing well that truth can never be denied?

Still, Nayantara and other people were not ready to believe the news that Bapu was no more. They sat in front of Bapu lying dead, shocked, listening to the radio [broadcast] announcing the news of Bapu's death, but were not ready to accept the reality.

An Interesting Structure

'What will become of me now that he has left me?'- Can you sense the co-relation of the cause and effect in the structure of the question being asked here?

Yes, the cause is referred to in the second part of the question in present perfect, whereas the effect of the cause is being asked about in the first part in simple future.

Will you construct a few similar questions now that you have studied the structure of such questions?

Unit 2

Gandhiji's funeral was to take place the day after his death. Hours in advance, people lined the route the funeral procession was to follow. Padmasi, Mrs. Naidu's daughter, spoke for us all when she said simply: we will walk. It is the last time we shall be walking with Bapu.

The Funeral Procession

The cremation was arranged on the 31st January, 1948. The path [route] of the funeral procession was declared beforehand. People stood along [lined] the route hours ahead of the scheduled time. Obviously they were eager to see their leader, and to join the procession as well, right? Can you measure the immense popularity of the great national leader from this?

Padmaja, Sarojini Naidu's Daughter

I have no idea if Nayantara used to call Padmaja fondly 'Padmasi', or not. If you have the information, let me know. Otherwise, if you have a copy of Prison And Chocolate Cake at your hand, would you mind checking if here we do have a printing mistake or not?

Sarojini Naidu and Padmaja, both will be remembered for their contributions in India's freedom movement and in shaping the course of independent India along with their individual excellencies. If you are interested, click here to know more about Mrs. Naidu, and to read about Padmaja, click this link. And you are always free to do a little bit of more research on your own.

The Last Walk Together

It was Padmasi who proposed to walk first- 'we will walk'. They themselves were quite important people to get cars arranged for the procession by their own virtues in those days, but still, chose to walk. Nayantara felt that to be the wish of all of them, as if Padmasi represented all of them present there at the moment.

The reason is clearly stated. That would be their last walk with Bapu. Can you now feel the emotion they felt towards Bapu at that moment?

It was an agonizing walk. Thousand silently watched the procession. Bapu lay on an open truck covered with flowers. Thousands of people wept, trying to touch Bapu's feet. It was impossible to move in the thick crowd.

The Walk

It was a painful [agonizing] walk. 

Why do you think it was agonising? Was it so because people were walking with Bapu for the last time? Was it because the distance the procession covered was too long too walk? Was it painful for the crowd was too thick as there were many people in the procession? Do you think there might be some other reason as well?

The Crowd

It was indeed a dense crowd, very difficult to move through. Many walked along the procession. Thousands watched the procession silently, and thousands wept and tried to touch Bapu's feet. 

Have you noted how silence here is associated with respect. People are no more silent out of sheer shock as they were earlier, They are now silently paying their leader their last respect. They wept silently, but did not cry out loud anymore. 

I don't think I need to explain that touching the feet of elderly people is an old custom of showing respect that still prevails in India and many other Asian countries, right?

As I moved forward slowly I understood I was not merely in the midst of grieving people. This was even more than the funeral procession of India's beloved leader. I was among people for whom walking with Bapu had a special meaning. We had walked with Bapu over the rough and smooth of India's recent history. We could not now accept the fact that the man who had led us over many difficult paths, was never going to walk with us again. Bapu's slight figure had walked, staff in hand, over a large part of India. To walk is to make slow progress. It is to think with clarity and closely look at all that is around you, from small insects to the horizon in the distance. Moreover, to walk was often the only way open to the average Indian. It required no vehicle except his own body and cost him nothing but his energy. Gandhiji took this necessity, as he took much that was commonplace and transformed it into a joyful effort.

Walking with Gandhiji

A Special Walk

It took some time for the narrator to realise that she was not just [merely] among [in the midst] some sad [grieving] people walking along the funeral procession of Bapu. It was something more than that. These were the people for whom walking with Gandhiji was really special.

The Reasons

How can walking with somebody be special? Can you think of anybody from your association with whom walking is special for you? Would you like to share the reason behind? Why don't we find out how our reason is similar to or different from the reason those people felt special while walking with Bapu?

Long Marches- Voice of the People

First, those people were used to walk long marches with Bapu- 'We had walked with Bapu over the rough and smooth of India's recent history.'. If you are not aware of the mode Gandhiji adopted to achieve India's freedom, you might choose to read at least a bit about the famous Salt/Dandi March. Walking long marches was adopted by Bapu as a mode to reach and unite people to raise their voices in a non-violent way. 

And those people had walked with Bapu in both good and bad [rough and smooth] times in the history of contemporary India. As they were quite used see Bapu walking and leading long marches every now and then, they could not accept the fact that he was not going to walk again- 'We could not now accept the fact that the man who had led us over many difficult paths, was never going to walk with us again.'.

Walk- to Reach the People

Walking, as I have told you earlier, was a mean for Bapu to reach people. Hence, he had walked over a large part of the country on foot- 'Bapu's slight [thin] figure had walked, staff [stick] in hand, over a large part of India.'. 

Walking is not as fast as moving via a car. Rather, people move [progress] quite slow when they choose too walk.

A Scope to Think

And this gives us the scope to study [think with clarity (clearly) and closely look at all] everything [from small insects to the horizon in the distance (far away)] in detail. You don't get to notice the details around when you move in a fast moving car. But as you walk home from your school, you get to notice more details, right?

Only Option for the Common People

Furthermore, walking was the only option [only way open] for the common [average] people in India who were poor. Public transport was not as developed as now back then in the 1940s. Anybody can walk if s/he has got a fit body and enough energy, right? Walking needed [required] no car or bus or other means of transport [vehicle], or any expense or cost on their part. It was a necessity for the common Indians.

Gandhiji's Adopted Tool

Gandhiji adopted [took] this necessity of the ordinary [commonplace] Indians, and changed it [transformed] to a process that his followers were happy [joyful] to undertake to realise themselves and to find their voices. He had a special ability to change the most ordinary thing to an extraordinary one.

Grammar for Meaning

I assume that many of you have found this particular paragraph quite difficult as the sentences are are longer than usual. But at the same time search sentences provide us the scope to study complex structures that are useful to convey complex meaning-

Foregrounding to Emphasise

Let's consider the very first sentence of the paragraph for instance: 'As I moved forward slowly I understood I was not merely in the midst of grieving people.' If we had thought of the expression ordinarily we would have said: 'I understood I was not merely in the midst of grieving people as I moved forward slowly.' Do you agree with me? Yes, normally we begin our sentences with the main clause itself. Then why do you think the author began the sentence with the adverbial clause? Simple. She foregrounded the time of her realisation because of it's significance. Had she not opted to walk, she might have never realised this. Do you understand this?

Highlighting What Is More

We all know that the word 'more' is used to compare. 'You are more intelligent than me.' Why don't you find out how how the following sentence is different from the previous one? 'You are even more intelligent than me.' Do you think that in a particular sentence we have the difference, particularly the one which is more being highlighted? Can you then make out why the author chose to say 'This was even more than the funeral procession of India's beloved leader. '

Complex Sentence for Complex Meaning

Shall we discuss the structure of 'We could not now accept the fact that the man who had led us over many difficult paths, was never going to walk with us again.'? We have three clauses in this sentence. Let's split the sentence first:

The man had led us over many difficult paths.

He was never going to walk with us again.

We could not now accept the fact.

Which way do you prefer the communication? Well, it's easier when the original sentence is split up, right? And those split up sentences convey the same bits of information, right? But still there is a difference of meaning. Unless you combine the three simple split up sentences, you can't foreground the fact that the author and her associates could not accept Bapu's death. And here in this part of the text, the author wanted to share their feelings primarily, and not the other bits information that we also get to know from the sentence. Do you understand why it was so crucial for her to write the sentence in such a complex way?

Infinitives as the Subject

It is interesting to note how infinitives can act as the subject to a verb phrase particularly in reflective statements:

To err is human, to forgive (is) divine.

Why don't you check for such examples in this particular paragraph?

And...

The simplest conjunct 'and' is used to join words, phrases and sentences as well. When skilfully used, this basic conjunct can do wonders by adding up similar ideas and helping the reflective readers to grow their chain of thoughts in a linear fashion:

It required no vehicle except his own body and cost him nothing but his energy. 

Gandhiji took this necessity, as he took much that was commonplace and transformed it into a joyful effort.

Unit 3

Some days after the funeral, a special train took Gandhiji's ashes to Allahabad. The compartment (coach) was decked (covered) with flowers. People on the train sang bhajans (devotional songs). People did not weep anymore for they could feel Gandhiji's presence amid (among) the flowers and the songs. At every station sorrowful crowds filled the platform. Amid song and prayer the train reached Allahabad. The ashes were immersed (dipped) in the Ganges where a huge crowd had gathered at the bank (side of the river) . Afterwards we all went back to Delhi.

A Simple Recollection

Was this paragraph a linguistic relief after the previous one? Yes, here we do have mostly shorter sentences that are easier to comprehend. Here in the whole paragraph we do have only two complex sentences and the rest are all simple sentences.

Do you have the feeling anyway that though the author is still recalling past events, she is being less reflective or thoughtful right now? Do you think that the length of the sentences has got something to do with your feeling? Would you like to explain?

Back in Delhi, I felt at sea. I had not directly walked with Gandhiji, gone to prison at his call or made any sacrifice for my country. My sisters and I, and other young people like me, had been merely onlookers. But still I felt at sea. I felt I had grown up within a magic circle. With Bapu's passing away, I felt the magic circle had vanished, leaving me unprotected.

Being Thoughtful

Do you feel the author is being thoughtful once again? Indeed, she is... 

Here the author is now being reflective about her confusion. After she returned to Delhi, she felt confused (at sea). Is it very difficult to guess why?

Feeling at Sea

Yes, certainly she felt helpless and confused because Gandhiji was no more. But why it was so obvious for her to feel at sea as Bapu was no more? She didn't participate directly in any march with Bapu like his followers. She didn't go to jail with Bapu even for once as many of his followers did. She herself thought that she had not sacrificed anything for her country as thousands of Bapu's followers had done. Instead, she had been just an onlooker, watching Bapu laying the foundation of free India. Still she wondered why she felt so connected with Bapu.

The Magic Circle

Have you got her answer? Yes, she felt so connected with Bapu because he had been able to create a magic circle (Does the analogy remind you of Lakshman marking a protective circle to secure Sita in the story of Ramayana?) to protect each and everyone in his country irrespective of whether they were directly involved with him or not. After Bapu passed away, hence, Nayantara felt that the protective magic circle had also vanished, and she felt unprotected, helpless, confused, at sea...

Comma to Add

Isn't it interesting to note how comma can be used to add? Why don't you study the paragraph once again to find out such instances?

With an effort I roused myself. I asked myself- had Bapu lived and died for nothing? How could I so easily lose courage when he was no longer there? My values were not so weak. Millions of people would have been ordinary folk but for Bapu. He brought them out of indifference and awakened them to one another's suffering. What if now Bapu is gone? We were still there, young, strong and proud to bear his banner before us.

Self-motivation

Here comes the motivating part. Nayantara finally pulled herself up [roused] from the situation. Do you wonder how could she motivate herself?

The Life of Bapu

She looked upon the life Bapu had lived, and the values he taught others by the virtue of his own life. He incited sympathy in others, and turned them to extraordinary beings rather than being ordinary. She pulled herself out from the depression from the strength of Bapu's teaching.

Grammar for Meaning

Foregrounding to emphasise

'With an effort I roused myself.'- Would you like to point out why the sentence begins with the adverbial phrase instead of the subject?-

How-When

'How could I so easily lose courage when he was no longer there?'-  Why don't we study the sentence minutely to understand the connection between the two clauses so that we might construct similar sentences whenever required? How can we expect to learn the language when we are not ready to study minutely?

'But' for Exception

'Millions of people would have been ordinary folk but for Bapu.'- Had Bapu not been there, millions of people would have been ordinary folk. Do you get how 'but' can be used to refer to exceptions in particular? Or do you understand everything but this?

Complements

'We  still there, young, strong and proud to bear his banner before us.'- You might find this interesting to note how we may add multiple complements to a state verb [were] using comma and conjuncts. You must have noticed this on your own as you are intelligent, observant and curious to know. 

 

Bapu had passed away but his India would continue to live in his children.

The Optimism

Don't you feel the note of optimism here? Yes, it's hard to miss since it's so emphasised. The conjunct 'but' does the trick. Don't you agree? Ok, let me rephrase the sentence:

His India would continue to live in his children though Bapu had passed away.

Do you still feel the note of optimism as high as in the original sentence?

But...

In fact, the conjunct 'but' has the unique ability to emphasize any point by highlighting the contrast. Please note how the sentence begins with Bapu passing away. It begins on a sad note, right? But then we have a sharp turn in the mood, brought in by 'but', and we conclude being optimistic about life itself. 

Feel free to ask me questions, if you have any, in the space meant for publishing comments. And you are certainly welcome to share your views which are different from mine. An academic argument is always the best way to learn...