MY CHILDHOOD________A.P.J.ABDUL KALAM. CLASS-IX, SEBA/ CBSE)
ABOUT THE LESSON::
"My Childhood" IS an extract from Wings of Fire- an autobiography of A.P.J.Abdul Kalam. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam was born into a middle-class Tamil family in the island town of Rameswaram. He inherited honesty and self-discipline from his father, Jainulabdeen, and a deep faith in goodness from his mother, Ashiamma. Despite being a successful family, they lived a simple and austere life, avoiding all inessential comforts and luxuries. Growing up in a society where Hindus and Muslims lived together peacefully, Kalam had a very secure and secular childhood. He had three close friends—Ramanadha Sastry, Aravindan, and Sivaprakasan—all from orthodox Hindu Brahmin families.
During the Second World War, Kalam earned his first wages by helping his cousin, Samsuddin, catch bundles of newspapers thrown from a moving train. He faced religious discrimination once when a new teacher asked him to sit on the back bench because he was Muslim, but the issue was later resolved by Lakshmana Sastry. His science teacher, Sivasubramania Iyer, broke social barriers by inviting Kalam to his home for a meal, showing him that change requires confronting tradition. Kalam was a curious student who was encouraged by his father to leave Rameswaram and go to Ramanathapuram for higher studies to grow like a seagull. The chapter highlights how Kalam’s childhood experiences with family, friends, and teachers shaped him into a great scientist and the "People’s President."
ABOUT APJ KALAM::
A.P.J. Abdul Kalam was born into a middle-class Tamil family in the island town of Rameswaram. in 15 Oct 1931.…His father, Jainulabdeen, was a man of great innate wisdom and true generosity of spirit. His mother, Ashiamma, was a kind-hearted woman who fed many outsiders in their home every day. From his parents, Kalam inherited the values of honesty, self-discipline, and a deep faith in goodness. He had a very secure childhood, both materially and emotionally, despite living a simple and austere life. During the Second World War, he earned his first wages by helping his cousin distribute newspapers. He had three close friends from orthodox Hindu Brahmin families, proving the religious harmony of his upbringing. A turning point in his life was when his science teacher, Sivasubramania Iyer, invited him for dinner to break social barriers. Kalam was a determined student who eventually left Rameswaram to pursue higher studies in Ramanathapuram. These early experiences in Rameswaram laid the foundation for him to become a great scientist and the President of India later on Kalam died in 27 July, 2015.
Difficult words/ Vocabulary and meaning::
Erstwhile: Former; something that happened or existed previously.
Innate: Inborn; a quality or feeling that is natural and part of one's character.
Austere: Simple, strict, and severe; someone who avoids luxuries and comforts.
Undistinguished: Ordinary or common; not special or eminent in appearance.
Orthodox: Traditional; strictly following the established beliefs or customs of a religion.
Casualty: A person or thing badly affected, injured, or lost due to a particular situation or event.
Perturbed: Feeling anxious, unsettled, or concerned.
Confronted: Faced or dealt with a difficult situation or person head-on.
Unprecedented: Something that has never happened or been known before.
Segregation: The act of setting someone or something apart from others; separation based on groups.
Some phrases and meaning::
Generosity of spirit: An attitude of kindness and a readiness to help others freely.
Could not stomach: Was unable to tolerate or accept a particular situation.
Figures of authority: Persons who have the power to make decisions or give orders (like parents, teachers, or officials).
In accordance with: According to a particular rule, system, or principle.
Surge of pride: A sudden, strong feeling of satisfaction or pleasure in one's own achievement.
Princely sum: Literally a generous amount, but used ironically in the text to refer to a very small amount of money.
Ritually pure: Kept clean and protected from outside influences according to religious traditions.
Allied Forces: The armies of the U.K., U.S.A., and Russia that fought together during the Second World War.
Dinamani: A popular Tamil daily newspaper mentioned in the story.
Anna: An old Indian coin formerly worth about six paise.
TEXTUAL QUESTION ANSWERS:::
I: Answer these questions in one or two sentences each.
2.Where was Abdul Kalam’s house?
Ans--
Abdul Kalam’s house was located on Mosque Street in the island town of Rameswaram, in the erstwhile Madras State.
3.What do you think Dinamani is the name of? Give a reason for your answer.
Ans-
Dinamani is the name of a local Tamil newspaper because Kalam mentions tracing the stories of the Second World War in its headlines. This is further supported by the fact that his cousin distributed newspaper bundles, and Kalam helped catch the bundles on news paper & distribute them.
3. Who were Abdul Kalam’s school friends? What did they later become?
Ans-
His three close friends were Ramanadha Sastry, Aravindan, and Sivaprakasan. Later, Ramanadha became the high priest of the Rameswaram temple, Aravindan went into the transport business, and Sivaprakasan became a catering contractor for the Southern Railways.
4.How did Abdul Kalam earn his first wages?
Ans-
Kalam earned his first wages by helping his cousin Samsuddin catch bundles of newspapers thrown from a moving train at Rameswaram station. This happened because the train halt at the station was suspended during the Second World War.
5. Had he earned any money before that? In what way?
Ans-
Yes, he had earned a small amount of money by collecting tamarind seeds and selling them to a provision shop on Mosque Street. A day’s collection would fetch him the "princely sum" of one anna.
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?
Ans-
Kalam describes his father as a man of great innate wisdom and honesty who lived a simple, austere life. He describes his mother as a generous woman who fed many outsiders, and himself as a short boy with undistinguished looks born to tall and handsome parents.
2.What characteristics does he say he inherited from his parents?
Ans-
A.P.J. Abdul Kalam describes how he inherited specific core values from both his parents that shaped his personality. From his father, Jainulabedin he inherited the qualities of honesty and self-discipline, which provided him with a strong moral foundation and a sense of responsibility. From his mother, Ashiamma, he inherited a profound faith in goodness and deep kindness, which he shared with his three brothers and sister. These inherited traits, combined with his parents' simple and austere lifestyle, helped Kalam develop into a person of great integrity and compassion.
III—These questions are not needed.
2.
i) Why did Kalam want to leave Rameswaram ?
Ans-
Kalam wanted to leave Rameswaram to pursue higher education at the district headquarters in Ramanathapuram. He felt a sense of "unprecedented optimism" following the end of the Second World War and was inspired by Gandhiji’s belief that Indians would build their own country. His father supported this ambition, explaining that like a seagull, a child must eventually fly across the sun alone to find their own path and grow.
ii) What did his father say to this?
Ans-
His father encouraged him by using the metaphor of a seagull that must fly across the sun alone to find its own path and grow. He also quoted the poet Khalil Gibran to Kalam’s hesitant mother, explaining that children are not the "property" of their parents but the sons and daughters of "Life’s longing for itself." Finally, he told her that while parents can give children their love, they cannot give them their thoughts, as children have their own thoughts and destinies to follow.
iii) What do you think his words mean? Why do you think he spoke those words?
Ans-His father's words mean that children are independent individuals with their own destinies, not just extensions of their parents. By using the seagull metaphor, he explained that just as a bird must leave its nest to learn to fly, a child must leave home to gain knowledge and maturity.
He spoke these words
primarily to console and convince Kalam’s mother, who was hesitant
and emotional about letting her son move away. He wanted her to understand that
their role as parents was to provide love and support, but they should not hold
him back from his own dreams and "thoughts."
EXTRA QUESTION AND ANSWERS::
1. Where was Abdul Kalam born?
Ans-Abdul Kalam was born into a middle-class Tamil family in the island town of
Rameswaram.
2.What were the names of Kalam’s parents?
Ans-His father’s name was Jainulabdeen and his mother’s name was Ashiamma.
3.What did Kalam’s father avoid in their daily life?
Ans-His father avoided all inessential comforts and luxuries, leading a simple and
austere life.
4.In which year did the Second World War break out?
Ans-The Second World War broke out in 1939, when Kalam was eight years old.
5.What did Kalam collect to earn a small amount of money?
Ans-Kalam collected tamarind seeds and sold them to a provision shop on Mosque
Street.
6.Who was Kalam’s cousin who distributed newspapers in Rameswaram?
Ans-His cousin’s name was Samsuddin.
7.Name the three close friends of Abdul Kalam.
Ans-His three friends were Ramanadha Sastry, Aravindan, and Sivaprakasan.
8.Who was the high priest of the Rameswaram temple?
Ans-Pakshi Lakshmana Sastry was the high priest of the Rameswaram temple (and
Ramanadha’s father).
9.What was the name of the local Tamil newspaper mentioned in the lesson?
Ans-The name of the newspaper was Dinamani.
10.Who was Kalam’s science teacher that invited him for a meal?
Ans- His science teacher’s name was Sivasubramania Iyer.
Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs)
1. In which state was Kalam born?
A. Andhra Pradesh
B. Madras State (now Tamil Nadu)
C. Karnataka
D. Kerala
Answer: B
2. What kind of house did Kalam live in?
A. A small hut
B. A modern apartment
C. A large ancestral house made of
limestone and brick
D. A government bungalow
Answer: C
3. When did the Second World War break out?
A. 1914
B. 1939
C. 1945
D. 1947
Answer: B
4. Kalam used to sell tamarind seeds to a provision shop on which street?
A. Temple Street
B. Mosque Street
C. Station Road
D. Main Bazaar
Answer: B
5. Who was Kalam's cousin that distributed newspapers in Rameswaram?
A. Samsuddin
B. Ramanadha
C. Aravindan
D. Sivaprakasan
Answer: A
6. What quality did Kalam inherit from his father?
A. Kindness
B. Faith in goodness
C. Honesty and self-discipline
D. Artistic skills
Answer: C
7. How many close friends did Kalam have in his childhood?
A. Two
B. Three
C. Four
D. Five
Answer: B
8. What did Ramanadha Sastry become later in life?
A. A scientist
B. The high priest of the
Rameswaram temple
C. A politician
D. A businessman
Answer: B
9. Why did the new teacher at the primary school tell Kalam to sit on the
back bench?
A. Because he was weak in studies
B. Because he was making noise
C. Because he was a Muslim boy
sitting with a Hindu priest's son
D. Because he was late to class
Answer: C
10. Who summoned the new teacher and told him not to spread the poison of
social inequality?
A. Jainulabdeen
B. Lakshmana Sastry
C. Sivasubramania Iyer
D. Samsuddin
Answer: B
11. Who was the Science teacher who tried to break social barriers?
A. Sivasubramania Iyer
B. Ramanadha Sastry
C. Lakshmana Sastry
D. Samsuddin
Answer: A
12. What was the reaction of the Science teacher's wife when Kalam was first
invited to dinner?
A. She was very happy
B. She was horrified and refused
to serve him
C. She welcomed him warmly
D. She ignored him
Answer: B
13. Who served Kalam food with his own hands when his wife refused?
A. Kalam's father
B. Sivasubramania Iyer
C. Lakshmana Sastry
D. Samsuddin
Answer: B
14. Where did Kalam go for his higher studies?
A. Madras
B. Ramanathapuram
C. Delhi
D. Mumbai
Answer: B
15. Whose lines did Kalam’s father quote to his mother at the end of the
lesson?
A. Mahatma Gandhi
B. Rabindranath Tagore
C. Khalil Gibran
D. Sarojini Naidu
Answer: C
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