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.
At the Birla house, gandhiji’s relatives and followers had
gathered around 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.
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.
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.
1.
Choose the correct alternative to complete the
following sentences:
(a)
Gandhiji had been shot on his way to
(i)
The Birla House
(ii)
The author’s house
(iii)
A prayer meeting
(iv)
A family gathering
(b)
The author came to know of Gandhiji’s death by
(i)
A letter
(ii)
A telephone
(iii)
A mail
(iv)
A public broadcast
(c)
When one is faced with the shock of a loved
one’s death, one
(i)
Whimpers
(ii)
Laughs
(iii)
Claps
(iv)
Shouts
(d)
When Gandhiji breathed his last, the room became
(v)
a silent
(vi)
noisy
(vii) full
of wails
(viii)empty
(e)
Gandhiji was assassinated on
(ix)
31 January,1949
(x)
30 January,1948
(xi)
31 January,1948
(xii) 30
January,1949
(f)
In the evening of Gandhiji’s death the author
was
(xiii)Preparing tea
(xiv)Drinking tea
(xv) Buying tea
(xvi)Serving tea
(g)
Gandhiji was lovingly called by the name
(xvii)
Papaji
(xviii)
Netaji
(xix)Bapuji
(xx) Chachaji
2.
Fill in the chart with information from the text:
(a)
Date on which Gandhiji was dead
|
|
(b)
Place where Gandhiji breathed his last
|
|
(c)
Information given by the broadcast
|
3.
State whether the following statements are True
or False. Provide sentences/Phrases/ Words in support of your answer:
(a)
The author received an urgent telephone call in
the morning.
supporting sentence __________________________________________
(b)
People attempted to break into the Birla House.
supporting sentence __________________________________________
(c)
The News of Gandhiji’s death did not shock the
people.
supporting sentence __________________________________________
(d)
Gandhiji died in Delhi.
supporting sentence __________________________________________
(e)
Bapuji died of heart attack.
supporting sentence __________________________________________
4.
Answer the following questions:
(h)
How did the news of Gandhiji’s dead speard?
___________________________________________________
(i)
What announcement had calmed the people?
____________________________________________________
