MY CHILDHOOD (Beehive)

 By A.P.J. Abdul Kalam

1. Where was Abdul Kalam’s house?

Abdul Kalam’s house was on the Mosque Street in Rameswaram.

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

Dinamani is the name of a local newspaper. It is because Abdul Kalam tried to trace the stories of the Second World War in the headlines in Dinamani.

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

Ramanadha Sastry, Aravindan and Shivaprakasan were Abdul Kalam’s school friends. Ramanadha took over the priesthood of the Rameswaram temple from his father; 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?

 During the Second World War, when the stoppage of trains was cancelled at Rameshwaram, the newspapers were bundled and thrown out of a moving train. Kalam's cousin, who distributed newspapers, asked him to help in collecting these bundles. This task helped Abdul Kalam earn his first wages.

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

Yes, Abdul Kalam had earned some money before that. When the Second World War broke out, there was a huge demand for tamarind seeds in the market. He used to collect the seeds and sell them at a provision shop on Mosque Street. This helped him earn one anna a day.

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

(i) The author, Abdul Kalam describes his father as an honest and generous man. He had neither much formal education nor much wealth. However, he possessed great innate wisdom and a kind heart. He was self-disciplined and avoided all inessential luxuries.

(ii)  He describes his mother, Ashiamma as an ideal helpmate to her husband. She was a woman with a big heart who fed many people every day.

(iii) He describes himself as a short boy with undistinguished looks. He possessed the qualities of honesty, self-discipline and kindness which he inherited from his parents.

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

He says that he inherited honesty and self-discipline from his father. From his mother he inherited faith in goodness and deep kindness.

8. “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)?

 (i) He mentions two social groups of orthodox Brahmins and Muslims. Yes, these groups were easily identifiable. They had their different dress codes and rituals. For example, Kalam used to wear a cap while his friend Ramanadham used to wear the sacred thread.

(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.)

(ii) No, they were not only aware of their differences but also they naturally shared friendships and experiences. Kalam’s mother and grandmother would tell the children of their family bedtime stories about the events from the Ramayana and from the life of the prophet. During the annual Shri Sita Rama Kalyanam ceremony, his family used to arrange boats with a special platform for carrying idols of the Lord from the temple to the marriage site, situated in the middle of the pond called Rama Tirtha which was near his house.

(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?

(iii) The people who were very aware of the differences were:

·         Kalam's new teacher who tried to segregate pupils on the basis of the religious divisions, and wife of Sivasubramania Iyer (his science teacher) who did not allow Kalam to eat in her pure Hindu kitchen. 

Among the people who tried to bridge these differences were:

·         Kalam’s science teacher Sivasubramania Iyer who invited, served and dined with him to break social barriers.  Lakshmana Sastry who conveyed the strong sense of conviction to the new young teacher to reform him.

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

(iv) Two incidents that show how differences can be created are mentioned below:

·         When Kalam was in the fifth standard, a new teacher came to their class. Kalam always sat next to Ramanandha Sastry. The teacher was unhappy to see a Hindu priest’s son sitting with a Muslim boy. He immediately asked Kalam to sit in the last row. Both Kalam and his friend Ramanadha Sastry were extremely unhappy with this.

·         In the second incidence, Kalam's science teacher Sivasubramania Iyer invited him for a meal to his house. His wife, who was very conservative got worried about the idea of a Muslim boy eating in her pure Hindu kitchen. So, she refused to serve him in her kitchen. 

Now, the other incidents that show that how differences can be resolved are mentioned below:

·         When Kalam and Ramanadha Sastry were heartbroken by their new teacher's order they informed their respective parents. Then Lakshmana Sastry summoned the teacher and conveyed the strong sense of conviction which ultimately reformed him.·         The second incidence took place when, the author’s science teacher, Sivasubramania Iyer, though an orthodox Brahmin invited, served and dined with Kalam to bridge these differences

9. (i) Why did Abdul Kalam want to leave Rameswaram?

(ii) What did his father say to this?

(iii) What do you think his words mean? Why do you think he spoke those words?

 (i) Kalam wanted to leave Rameswaram for further studies. He wanted to study at the district headquarters in Ramanathapuram.

(ii) Kalam's father said that he knew that one day Kalam had to go away to grow. He gave him the example of the young seagulls who leave their parents’ nest to learn to fly.

(iii) Abdul Kalam’s father’s words bear deep meanings. He encouraged his son to go ahead giving the example of the seagull. He also explained Kalam’s mother to let her son go to grab the opportunities growth and success. Parents can nurture their kids with love, but they cannot give them their thoughts.  They have their own thoughts. Kalam’s father spoke those words to control his wife’s emotions for their son.

Click for the Poem included in Unit 6 of Beehive