The Passing Away of Bapu Unit 2

 Lesson 3

The Passing Away of Bapu 

Nayantara Sehgal 

 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.

It was an agonizing walk. Thousands 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 Passing Away of Bapu

As 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.

Word meaning in Bengali

hours in advance- নির্দিষ্ট সময়ের বহু আগে থেকেই;    lined- সারিবদ্ধভাবে দাঁড়িয়ে থাকা;  route - যাওয়ার রাস্তা;      procession- মিছিল;    simply - সহজভাবে;    agonising - মানসিক যন্ত্রণাদায়ক;       silently - নিরবে;      watched - দেখেছিল;     wept - কেঁদেছিল;     impossible - অসম্ভব;     thick - ঘন;    slowly - ধীরে ধীরে;     merely - শুধুমাত্র;    grieving - শোকাহত;  beloved - খুব প্রিয়;    rough -  ওসমান;   smooth - মসৃণ;    recent -সাম্প্রতিক;    accept- গ্রহণ করা;  had led - নেতৃত্ব দিয়েছিলেন;    paths - পথ;    slight - পলকা / দুর্বল;    staff - ভর দিয়ে হাটার লাঠি;    progress - উন্নতি;     clarity - ভাবনায় পরিচ্ছন্নতা;      insect - পতঙ্গ;    horizon- দিগন্ত;     vehicle - গাড়ি;    energy - শক্তি;    necessity - প্রয়োজনীয়তা;     commonplace- গতানুগতিক;     transformed - রূপান্তর করেছিল;   joyful - আনন্দদায়ক;     effort- প্রচেষ্টা;

The Passing Away of Bapu Unit 2 Question and Answer 

Comprehension exercises

4. Choose the correct alternative to complete the following sentences:

(a) Gandhiji's funeral was to take place

(i) on the day of his death

(ii) two days after his death

(iii) one day after his death

(iv) a week after his death

(b) Padmasi was Mrs. Naidu's

(i) niece

(ii) sister

(iii) friend

(iv) daughter

(c) While walking, Bapu used to carry in his hand a/an

(i) flag

(ii) staff

(iii) umbrella

(iv) cane

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: