MYCHI

LDHOOD

1)Descr
ibeKal
am'
schi
l
dhood,
fami
l
yandpar
ent
s.

Ans-Kal
am wasbornintoamiddl
ecl
assTami
lfami
lyinthei
slandtownofRameswaram.He
l
ivedi
nhisancest
ralhousewhi
chwasmadeofli
mestoneandbr i
ckandwaslocat
edonthe
Mosquestr
eet.

Kalam'sfat
herJai
nulabdeenhadneithermuchf ormaleducat
ionnormuchwealthbuthadgreat
i
nnatewisdom andat r
uegenerosit
yofspi r
it
.HismotherAshiammawasal sohelpf
ul,
kind,
generousandchari
tablei
nnature.Kalam hadthreebr
othersandasist
er.

Kalam hadaver
ysecur
echildhoodbothmateri
all
yandemotional
l
y .Al
lnecessi
ti
eswere
providedf
ori
ntermsoffood,medici
neorcl
othesandall
inessent
ialcomfortsandl
uxur
ieswer
e
avoided.

2)Howdi
dKal
am ear
nmoneyf
ort
hef
ir
stt
ime?Howdi
dheear
nhi
sfi
rstwages?

Ans-Dur
ingtheSecondWorldWar,asuddendemandfort
amari
ndseedserupt
edint
hemarket
.
Kal
am usedtocoll
ectandsel
lthem t
oaprovi
sionshoponMosquest
reet
.Thisi
showhegot
hi
sfir
stearni
ngwhichwasasum ofoneanna.

Whenast ateofemergencywasdeclaredduet otheSecondWor ldwar,t

hetrai
nswhichusual
l
y
stoppedatRameswaram, di
dnothaltatthestati
on.Asar esul
t,t
henewspapershadt obe
bundledandthr
ownoutoft hemovingtrainwhichfor
cedhi scousin,
Samsuddin,who
di
stri
butednewspapersinRameswaram toaskKal am t
ohel phi
m catchthebundlesand
di
stri
butethem.Thi
sishowKalam earnedhisf i
rstwages.

3)Whatdi
dKal
am i
nher
itf
rom hi
sfat
herandmot
her
?

Ans-Kalam i
nheri
tedhonest
yandsel
f-di
sci
pli
nef
rom hi
sfat
herandf
ait
hingoodnessand
deepkindnessfr
om hismother
.

4)Whower
eKal
am'
schi
l
dhoodf
ri
ends?Whatdi
dtheydol
ateri
nthei
rli
fe?

Ans-Kalam'schi
ldhoodfri
endswer eRamanadhaSast ry,Aravi
ndanandSi vaprakasan.Al lt
hese
boyswer ef
rom ort
hodoxHi nduBrahminfamil
i
es.RamanadhaSast r
y'sf at
herPakshi
LakshmanaSastrywast hehighpri
estoftheRameswar am temple.Later,hetookov erthe
pri
esthoodoftheRameswar am t
empl efr
om hi
sf ather.Aravi
ndanwenti nt
ot hebusi nessof
arr
angingtr
ansportforv
isit
ingpi
lgri
msandSi vaprakasanbecameacat eri
ngcont ractorforthe
SouthernRail
ways.

5)Howdoy
ouknowt
hatKal
am'
sfami
l
ydi
dnotbel
i
evei
nrel
i
giousdi
ff
erences?

Ans.Dur
ingtheannual
ShriSi
taRam Kaly
anam cer
emony,Kal
am'
sfamil
yusedt
oarrangeboat
s
wit
haspecialpl
atf
ormforcar
ryi
ngtheidolsoft
helor
dfr
om thet
emplet
othemarr
iagesit
e
sit
uatedint hemi ddl
eoft hepondcalledRamaTi rt
hawhichwasnearthei
rhouse.Event
sfrom
theRamay anawer ealsonarratedtohim andhissi
bli
ngsatbedti
mebyhismot herand
grandmot her.EvenwhenKal am wasinschool,al
lhi
sfri
endswerefr
om ort
hodoxHindu
Brahminf amili
esbuthenev erfel
tanydiffer
enceamongstthemsel
vesbecauseofthei
rrel
i
gious
dif
ferencesandupbr inging.

6)Expl
ainthei
ncidentwhi
cht
ookpl
acewhenKal
am wasi
nthef
if
thgr
adeatt
heRameswar
am
El
ementarySchool.

Ans-WhenKal am wasinthefift
hstandar dattheRameswar am ElementarySchool,anew
teachercamet otheircl
ass.Kalam,beingaMusl i
m, usedt owearacaponhi sheadandal way s
sati nt
hef rontrownexttoRamanadhaSast r
y,whobei ngaHi nduBrahmin,wor easacred
thread.Thenewt eachercouldnottolerateaMusl i
m boysi tt
ingnexttoaHi ndupriest
'ssonand
askedKal am t ogoandsitont hebackbench.Kal am feltverysadandRamanadhaSast rycri
ed.
Afterschool ,
theywenthomeandi nformedt heirparentsaboutt heinci
dent.LakshmanaSast r
y
calledtheteacherandt ol
dt henewt eacherthatheshoul dnotspr eadthepoisonofsoci al
i
nequal i
tyandcommunal i
ntoler
ancei nthemindsofi nnocentchi l
dren.Heaskedt heteacherto
eit
herapol ogisearleavetheschoolandt hetown.Thet eacherregrett
edhisbehav i
ourandwas
reformed.

7)WhowasKal
am'
ssci
encet
eacher?Howdi
dheencour
ageKal
am ?

Ans-Kal
am'ssci
enceteacherwasSi v
asubramanialyerwho,thoughanort
hodoxBr
ahmin,
was
somethi
ngofarebel
.Heencour agedKalam bysayingthatheshoulddev
elopsot
hathe
becomesequalt
othehighlyeducatedpeopleofthebigciti
es.

8)Nar
rat
ethei
nci
dentt
hatt
ookpl
acei
nKal
am'
ssci
encet
eacher
'shouse.

Ans-OnedayKal am'sscienceteacherinv i
tedhimt ohishousef orameal .Hiswifewhowasa
veryconserv at
ivel
adywashor ri
fi
edatt heideaofaMusl i
m boybei nginv
itedtodineinher
ri
tuall
ypureki t
chen.Sher ef
usedt oserveKal am inherkit
chenbutKal am'steacher,
wi t
hout
beingaffectedbyhiswife'sbehav i
our,servedhim withhisownhandsandsatdownbesi dehim
toeathismeal .Hiswifewat chedthem f r
om behindt heki
tchendoorandobser v
edt hatther
e
wasnodi f
ferencebetweent hewayt heybot hate,drankandcleanedt hefloor
.WhenKal am was
l
eav i
ng,histeacheragaininvit
edhimf orameal nextweek.Kalam washesi t
anttocomeagai n
buthisteacherexplai
nedt ohimt hatifonedeci destochanget hesy st
em, onehastobe
confront
edwi t
hmanypr oblems.WhenKal am vi
sitedhist
eacher '
shousenextt i
me,his
teacher'
swi fetookhi
mi nsideherkitchenandser vedhimfoodwi thherownhands.

9)Whydi
dKal
am deci
det
oleav
eRameswar
am andgot
oRamanat
hapur
am?

Ans-Kal
am deci
dedt
oleav
eRameswar
am andgot
oRamanat
hapur
am f
orhi
gherst
udi
es.
10)Whatdi
dKal
am'
sfathert
ell
him whenhedeci
dedt
oleav
eRameswar
am?Howdi
dhe
conv
inceKal
am'
smother?

Ans-Kal
am'sfat
hert
oldhi
mt hathehadtogoawayinor
dertogrowandgavet
heexampl
eofa
seagul
lwholeav
esit
snestandfli
esaloneacr
osst
hesunindependent
ly.

Kalam'smot herwashesit
anttoleaveKalam buthisfat
hertol
dherthatchildr
enhavetoleav
ein
ordertogrowasonecanonl ygivebir
thtothem butcannotdecidet
heirfut
ureandthei
rdesti
ny.
Onemustnoti mposeone'sthoughtsontheirchi
ldr
enbutinsteadtr
ytorespectandappreci
ate
thethoughtsofthei
rchil
dren.Theyhav et
heirownthoughtsandaspirati
onsandparent
smust
cooperatewiththem t
ofulfi
l
l i
t.

Quest
ionsf
orsel
f-
assessment-

1.HowwasKal
am'
schi
l
dhoodmat
eri
all
yandemot
ional
l
ysecur
e?

2.WhowasKal
am'
sbr
other
-i
n-l
aw?Whatdi
dhet
ell
him about
?

3.Whatki
ndofamanwasKal
am'
snewt
eacher
?

4.Whydi
dSi
vasubr
amani
aIy
erser
vef
oodt
oKal
am wi
thhi
sownhands?

5.Whatdoy
oul
ear
naboutKal
am f
rom t
hischapt
er?