The Passing Away of Bapu question answer
ক) বহুবিকল্পভিত্তিক প্রশ্নাবলী (MCQ) – মান ১ (৪০টি)
1. The author was having tea at home on the evening of:
2. The news of Gandhiji’s death was given by:
3. Gandhiji had been shot on his way to:
4. Upon hearing the news, the narrator became:
5. At the Birla House, Gandhiji’s relatives and followers had gathered round his:
6. The words of Bapu’s death had spread through Delhi like:
7. Sad groups of men and women had collected around:
8. The people clamoured, demanding to:
9. The people were calmed a little when it was announced that they would be allowed to:
10. To walk with Bapu had a:
11. The walk during the funeral procession was:
12. Thousands of people who watched the procession were:
13. For the narrator, walking with Bapu meant having a progress with:
14. Bapu’s slight figure had walked, staff in hand, over a large part of:
15. A few days after the funeral, a special train took Gandhiji’s ashes to:
16. The compartment of the train carrying the ashes was decorated with:
17. People on the train sang:
18. At every station, sorrowful crowds filled the:
19. The ashes were immersed in the:
20. After the immersion, the narrator felt that she had grown up within a:
21. With Bapu’s passing away, the narrator felt the magic circle had:
22. Bapu had brought the common people out of:
23. The author is the niece of:
24. The narrator and others like her were now mere:
25. The author felt at sea because:
26. People jostled one another in a stampede to:
27. Gandhiji’s funeral was to take place:
28. Padmasi was Mrs. Naidu’s:
29. Padmasi spoke for all of them when she said simply:
30. The crowd lining the route of the funeral procession was:
31. The people in the crowd were trying to touch Bapu’s:
32. Back in Delhi, after the immersion, the author felt:
33. The author realized that her values were not so:
34. Bapu had passed away but his India would:
35. The author of the text is:
36. The text is an extract from the author’s memoir named:
37. The author’s immediate reaction to the news was:
38. The people on the train to Allahabad did not:
39. Who were Bapu’s ‘children’ according to the author?
40. The central theme of the text is:
খ) অতি-সংক্ষিপ্ত উত্তরভিত্তিক প্রশ্নাবলী (SAQ) – মান ১ (৩৫টি)
1. When was the author called to Birla House?
উত্তর: The author was called to Birla House on the evening of 30th January, 1948.
2. How had Gandhiji been killed?
উত্তর: Gandhiji had been shot on his way to a prayer meeting.
3. What was the author’s initial reaction to the news?
উত্তর: The author was numb with shock upon hearing the news.
4. Where was Gandhiji’s body laid?
উত্তর: Gandhiji’s body was laid on the floor of a room in the Birla House.
5. How did the news of Bapu’s death spread through Delhi?
উত্তর: The news of Bapu’s death spread through Delhi like a flame fanned by wind.
6. What did the people outside Birla House demand?
উত্তর: They demanded to be allowed to see Bapu before the funeral.
7. When was the funeral scheduled to take place?
উত্তর: The funeral was scheduled to take place the day after his death.
8. Who said, “We will walk”?
উত্তর: Padmasi, Mrs. Naidu’s daughter, said, “We will walk.”
9. What did it mean to walk with Bapu’s funeral procession?
উত্তর: It was the last time they would be walking with Bapu.
10. How did the people in the procession walk?
উত্তর: They walked slowly in thousands, watching the procession silently.
11. What did walking with Bapu over the years mean to the narrator?
উত্তর: To the narrator, walking with Bapu over the years meant keeping in step with India’s recent history.
12. Where were Gandhiji’s ashes taken by a special train?
উত্তর: Gandhiji’s ashes were taken to Allahabad by a special train.
13. How was the train compartment decorated?
উত্তর: The train compartment was decorated with flowers.
14. What did the people on the train do?
উত্তর: The people on the train sang bhajans.
15. In which river were the ashes immersed?
উত্তর: The ashes were immersed in the Ganges river.
16. What did the narrator feel after coming back to Delhi?
উত্তর: After coming back to Delhi, the narrator felt at sea.
17. What is meant by the ‘magic circle’?
উত্তর: The ‘magic circle’ refers to the sense of security and protection that the narrator and others felt under Gandhiji’s presence and guidance.
18. What had happened to the magic circle with Bapu’s passing away?
উত্তর: With Bapu’s passing away, the magic circle had vanished.
19. What was the narrator’s feeling after the magic circle vanished?
উত্তর: After the magic circle vanished, the narrator felt unprotected.
20. What did Bapu do for the ordinary folk?
উত্তর: Bapu brought them out of indifference and awoke them to one another’s suffering.
21. What did the narrator and others like her become after Bapu’s death?
উত্তর: They became mere people of ordinary clay, who were no longer protected by Bapu.
22. What did the narrator realize about her values?
উত্তর: The narrator realized that her values were not so weak.
23. What did the author mean by “Bapu’s children”?
উত্তর: By “Bapu’s children,” the author meant the common people of India, including herself, who followed his ideals.
24. From which book is ‘The Passing Away of Bapu’ taken?
উত্তর: The text is an extract from Nayantara Sehgal’s memoir, ‘Prison and Chocolate Cake’.
25. What did the crowd do at every station where the special train stopped?
উত্তর: At every station, sorrowful crowds filled the platform, trying to get a glimpse of the ashes.
26. Why did people not weep on the train?
উত্তর: People did not weep because they could feel Gandhiji’s presence amid the flowers and the bhajans.
27. How did people try to show their respect during the funeral procession?
উত্তর: They tried to touch Bapu’s feet to show their respect.
28. Why was the walk agonizing?
উত্তর: The walk was agonizing because it was a slow, sad funeral march, and the crowd was so thick that movement was difficult.
29. Who were gathered around Bapu’s body at Birla House?
উত্তর: Gandhiji’s relatives and followers were gathered around his body at Birla House.
30. What was the state of the people who gathered around Birla House?
উত্তর: They were in a state of stunned silence initially, and then they clamoured wildly, shouting and crying.
31. What did walking with Bapu’s staff in hand signify?
উত্তর: It signified his simple lifestyle and his long journeys on foot across India to connect with the common people.
32. How would Bapu’s India continue to live?
উত্তর: Bapu’s India would continue to live in his children, the people who followed his path.
33. What was the final realisation of the narrator?
উত্তর: The final realisation was that though Bapu was gone, his ideals were alive, and she and others had to carry on his work without his direct presence.
34. What did the narrator feel after the immersion of the ashes?
উত্তর: After the immersion, the narrator felt a sense of loss and insecurity, as if the ‘magic circle’ of Bapu’s protection had vanished.
35. What does the expression “at sea” mean?
উত্তর: The expression “at sea” means feeling completely lost, confused, and uncertain.
গ) সংক্ষিপ্ত উত্তরভিত্তিক প্রশ্নাবলী – মান 2 (২৫টি)
1. Describe the scene at the Birla House when the narrator arrived.
উত্তর: When the narrator arrived at the Birla House, she saw Gandhiji’s relatives and followers gathered around his body. The room was filled with a sad silence and the air was thick with unspoken grief. Outside, sad groups of men and women had collected.
2. “The people were too stunned to speak in the beginning.” – Why were they stunned? What did they do afterwards?
উত্তর: The people were stunned because the news of their beloved leader’s assassination was sudden and shocking. Afterwards, they broke their silence and clamoured wildly, shouting, crying, and jostling one another in a stampede to see him.
3. What was the special meaning of walking with Bapu? Why was the last walk different?
উত্তর: Walking with Bapu had a special meaning as it symbolized progress and participation in India’s struggle for freedom. The last walk was different and agonizing because it was a funeral procession, marking the end of an era and the final journey with their leader.
4. “It was the last time we should be walking with Bapu.” – Explain the significance of this statement.
উত্তর: This statement signifies the finality of Gandhiji’s death. For the common people, walking was a powerful symbol of their connection with Bapu. This last walk was their final opportunity to be physically part of his journey, making it an emotionally heavy and significant event.
5. “I felt at sea.” – Who felt “at sea” and why?
উত্তর: The narrator, Nayantara Sehgal, felt “at sea” after returning to Delhi from Allahabad. She felt this way because with Gandhiji’s death, the ‘magic circle’ of security and guidance had vanished, leaving her and millions of others feeling lost, unprotected, and uncertain about the future.
6. What was the “magic circle” and what happened to it?
উত্তর: The “magic circle” was the sense of protection, security, and clear direction that the author and many others felt under Gandhiji’s leadership. With his death, this protective shield vanished, leaving them feeling vulnerable and uncertain.
7. How did Bapu transform the ‘ordinary folk’?
উত্তর: Bapu transformed the ‘ordinary folk’ by bringing them out of their state of indifference and passivity. He made them aware of one another’s suffering and inspired them to become active participants in the struggle for a better India.
8. “Bapu had passed away but his India would continue to live in his children.” – Explain the meaning of this line.
উত্তর: This line means that although Gandhiji was physically no more, his ideals, values, and vision for India were not dead. They would be carried forward by his followers, “his children,” who would continue to build the India of his dreams.
9. Describe the atmosphere on the special train carrying Gandhiji’s ashes.
উত্তর: The atmosphere on the train was somber yet serene. The compartment was decorated with flowers, and people sang bhajans. They did not weep, as they could feel Gandhiji’s peaceful presence amidst the flowers and the devotional songs.
10. Why did the author feel that her values were not so weak?
উত্তর: After the initial shock and despair, the author realized that the values Gandhiji had instilled in them, such as courage and responsibility, were still alive. This realization gave her strength and made her feel that her values were not weak and could withstand the challenge of his absence.
11. Why do you think Padmasi said, “We will walk”?
উত্তর: Padmasi said, “We will walk” because walking was the most fitting tribute to a man who had walked tirelessly for and with the common people of India. It was a way for ordinary citizens to participate directly in his final journey, rather than being passive spectators.
12. What was the difference between the crowd’s behaviour at Birla House and during the funeral procession?
উত্তর: At Birla House, the crowd was initially stunned, then became loud and chaotic, clamouring to see Bapu. During the funeral procession, the vast crowd was mostly silent, watching the procession with deep reverence and sorrow, creating a somber and respectful atmosphere.
13. “For many of us, it was a slow, painful walk.” – Why was it slow and painful?
উত্তর: The walk was slow because of the immense, thick crowd that moved along the procession route. It was painful not just physically but emotionally, as every step was a sad reminder that their beloved leader was gone forever.
14. How does the author connect her personal grief with the nation’s grief?
উত্তর: The author presents her personal grief—her numbness, her feeling of being “at sea,” and losing the “magic circle”—as a reflection of the nation’s collective feeling. By using “we” and describing the reactions of the crowd, she shows that her sorrow was shared by millions, making it a national grief.
15. What does the author mean when she says she was “among people for whom walking with Bapu had a special meaning”?
উত্তর: She means she was with people who understood that walking with Bapu was not just a physical act. It was a symbolic act of solidarity, a commitment to his ideals of simplicity, and a way of connecting with the masses of India, just as he did.
16. “There was a huge crowd at the bank of the Ganges.” – What were these people doing there?
উত্তর: These people had gathered at the bank of the Ganges to witness the final rites for their leader. They were there to pay their last respects as Gandhiji’s ashes were being immersed in the holy river.
17. “The author was merely one of the ‘people of ordinary clay’.” – Explain.
উত্তর: This expression means that without Bapu’s inspiring presence and guidance, the author and others like her felt like ordinary, unremarkable individuals. Bapu had lifted them up and made them feel extraordinary, and with his death, they felt they had returned to their simple, common state.
18. How did the news of Gandhiji’s death travel so fast without modern technology?
উত্তর: The news spread “like a flame fanned by wind,” which is a metaphor for word-of-mouth communication. In a city like Delhi, the shocking news would have been passed rapidly from person to person, creating a wave of grief that swept through the city.
19. What made the narrator feel that Bapu’s presence could still be felt on the train?
উত্তর: The narrator felt his presence “amid the flowers and the bhajans.” The serene and devotional atmosphere created by the floral decorations and the continuous singing of his favourite hymns made it seem as if his peaceful spirit was still with them.
20. What is the significance of immersing the ashes in the Ganges?
উত্তর: The Ganges is considered the holiest river in India. Immersing the ashes there is a sacred Hindu ritual that symbolizes the soul’s final journey and release. For a national leader like Gandhiji, it also symbolized his final merging with the spirit of India.
21. How did the author’s feeling of being “unprotected” change by the end of the text?
উত্তর: Initially, she felt unprotected and lost. However, by the end, she realizes that Bapu’s teachings and values are still with them. This realization gives her and others the courage to move forward, not as protected children, but as responsible citizens carrying his legacy.
22. Why did people try to touch Bapu’s feet?
উত্তর: In Indian culture, touching the feet of an elder or a revered person is a sign of deep respect and seeking blessings. By trying to touch Bapu’s feet one last time, the people were showing their immense love, devotion, and reverence for him.
23. What is the central message of the prose piece?
উত্তর: The central message is that while the loss of a great leader is devastating, their ideals and vision live on through their followers. It is the responsibility of the people to carry that legacy forward and build the future the leader envisioned.
24. Who was Nayantara Sehgal? How was she related to the events?
উত্তর: Nayantara Sehgal is a renowned Indian writer. As the niece of Jawaharlal Nehru, India’s first Prime Minister, she was part of the inner circle of national leaders and witnessed these historical events firsthand, giving her account a personal and intimate quality.
25. “One could not now retreat.” – Explain the meaning in the context of the passage.
উত্তর: This means that after being inspired by Bapu and participating in the freedom struggle, they could not go back to being passive or indifferent. They had a responsibility to uphold the values Bapu had taught them and continue to work for the betterment of India, even without his physical presence.
The Passing Away of Bapu Nayantara Sehgal question answer, MCQ, Very short, and essay-style question and answer : Class 10 English The Passing Away of Bapu question answer
