My Childhood by APJ Abdul Kalam

 

I.                Answer these questions in one or two sentences each.

1.     Where was Abdul Kalam’s house?

Abdul Kalam's house was located on the Mosque Street in Rameswaram, a small island town in the former Madras State.

2.     What do you think Dinamani is the name of? Give a reason for your answer.

Dinamani is the name of a newspaper. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam mentions that he would search the headlines in Dinamani to trace the stories of the Second World War, which his brother-in-law Jallaluddin would tell him. Only a newspaper would have the headlines and news reports necessary for him to track and confirm the war news.

3. Who were Abdul Kalam’s school friends? What did they later become?

Abdul Kalam had three close school friends: Ramanadha Sastry, Aravindan, and Sivaprakasan.

Ramanadha Sastry took over the priesthood of the Rameswaram temple from his father, Pakshi Lakshmana Sastry. Aravindan went into the business of arranging transport for visiting pilgrims. And, Sivaprakasan became a catering contractor for the Southern Railways.

4.   How did Abdul Kalam earn his first wages?

Abdul Kalam earned his first wages by helping his cousin, who distributed newspapers during the Second World War.( He helped to collect the newspapers that were thrown out of the moving train at Rameswaram station and distribute them. This was how he earned his first small amount of money through hard work.)

5. Had he earned any money before that? In what way?

Yes, before earning wages from newspaper distribution, Abdul Kalam used to collect tamarind seeds and sell them to a shop near his house.

II.                   Answer each of these questions in a short paragraph (about 30 words)

1.     How does the author describe: (i) his father, (ii) his mother, (iii) himself?

i.                 His father:

The author describes his father, Jainulabdeen, as a simple, honest, wise, and self-disciplined man. Though uneducated, he possessed great inner strength, spiritual depth, and integrity, earning respect from everyone around him.

ii.       His mother:

His mother, Ashiamma, was kind-hearted, generous, and deeply religious. She fed many people daily, believed in goodness, and supported her family with love and faith, nurturing moral values in her children.

iii.      Himself:

The author, A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, saw himself as a humble, hardworking, and curious child. He inherited honesty, faith, and kindness from his parents and valued simplicity, learning, and respect for all religions.

2.      What characteristics does he say he inherited from his parents?

A.P.J. Abdul Kalam says he inherited honesty and self-discipline from his father, and from his mother, he inherited faith in goodness and deep kindness. These qualities shaped his character and outlook on life.

III. Discuss these questions in class with your teacher and then write down your answers in two or three paragraphs each.

1.     “On the whole, the small society of Rameswaram was very rigid in terms of the segregation of different social groups,” says the author.

i.                   Which social groups does he mention? Were these groups easily identifiable (for example, by the way they dressed)?

In Rameswaram, the author mentions two main social groups — Hindus and Muslims. These groups were easily identifiable by their dress, customs, and religious practices. For example, Abdul Kalam’s family followed Islamic traditions, while his close friends came from orthodox Hindu Brahmin families who wore the sacred thread and followed strict rituals.

ii.                   Were they aware only of their differences or did they also naturally share friendships and experiences? (Think of the bedtime stories in Kalam’s house; of who his friends were; and of what used to take place in the pond near his house.)

Although these groups had clear social and religious differences, they shared close friendships and experiences. Kalam’s friends — Ramanadha Sastry, Aravindan, and Sivaprakasan — were all Hindus, yet their friendship was deep and genuine. In his home, his mother and grandmother used to tell children stories from both the Ramayana and the life of the Prophet, showing respect for all religions. Children from different faiths also played and bathed together near the pond without any sense of division.

iii.                   The author speaks both of people who were very aware of the differences among them and those who tried to bridge these differences. Can you identify such people in the text?

Or

Narrate two incidents that show how differences can be created, and also how they can be resolved. How can people change their attitudes?

Some people, like the new teacher, tried to create differences when he objected to Kalam, a Muslim boy, sitting next to a Hindu Brahmin. But Lakshmana Sastry, Ramanadha’s father, strongly opposed such discrimination and made the teacher apologize. Another example is Kalam’s father, who tried to bridge differences by showing generosity and helping people of all religions equally. These incidents show that prejudices are created by narrow minds, but they can be resolved when people act with understanding, respect, and equality. Change in attitude comes through education, empathy, and moral courage.