Strong Roots - (D.A.Q) Describe Kalam's father's daily routine

Strong Roots (Wings of Fire)

A.P.J. Abdul Kalam

Descriptive Q. & Ans. (Marks – 05)

1. Describe Kalam's father's daily routine.

What kind of life would Kalam's father lead?

Answer:- Kalam's father Jainulabedeen was a religious person. So he would lead an austere and simple life leaving all inessential comforts and luxuries. He would start his day by reading the Namaz before dawn. After Namaz he would walk down to a small coconut grove they possessed. The coconut grove was about four miles away from their house. He would return home with about a dozen coconuts tied together thrown over his shoulder. Only then he would have his breakfast. This maintained this routine even when he was in his sixties.

2. Why Does APJ Abdul Kalam feel that he had a secure childhood?

OR
Describe Kalam's Childhood in "Strong Roots" as described by APJ Abdul Kalam.

Answer: - From APJ Abdul Kalam's "Strong Roots" we come to know that APJ Abdul Kalam was born in a middle class Tamil family. His father, Jainulabdeen,had neither much formal education nor much wealth but he had a great innate wisdom. His mother, Asiamma, was busy with the household services. Overall his parents were an ideal couple. Kalam was short boy with rather undistinguished looks. He lived in their ancestral house which was large pucca house, made by limestone and brick. He was provided with all essential comforts like food, medicine and clothing in his childhood. He was brought up in happiness. That is why Kalam says that he had a secure childhood without any hardship or difficulties.

3. What was Kalam's father's response to his son's query about prayer and spirituality?

Answer:- Kalam's father was a religious person. Naturally Kalam was brought up in a religious atmosphere. One day when Kalam asked his father about the relevance of prayer his father explained it very clearly. He told that there was nothing mysterious about prayer. In fact prayer made possible a communion of spirit between people. He further told that when a person prayed he transcended his body and became a part of the cosmos. He becomes a part of the cosmos without any division of wealth, age, caste or creed. As for spirituality Kalam's father told that every human being is a specific part within the whole of the manifest divine being. So we should not be afraid of our sufferings. When we are in trouble we should try to understand the relevance of our trouble because adversity always presents opportunities for introspection.

4.What was Kalam’s father’s advice about dealing with adversity?

Answer:-Kalam’s father could convey complex spiritual concepts in a very simple down to earth Tamil. He once told Kalam that in his own place, in own time – every human being is a specific element within the whole of the manifest divine Being. So, one should not be afraid of difficulties, sufferings and problems. When troubles come, one should try to understand the relevance of those sufferings. He always told Kalam that adversity always presents opportunities for introspection.

5. How did his father's attitude to adversity influence young Kalam?

Answer:- Kalam was immensely inspired by his father's advice from his childhood. His father once told him that people should always try to understand the relevance of their sufferings if they are in trouble because adversity always presents opportunities for introspection. Kalam throughout his life followed his father's words in his world of science and technology. He always tried to understand the fundamental truths revealed to him by his father. He felt convinced that there existed divine power. This divine power could lift one up from confusion, misery etc. He even realized that it could guide a person to his true place. Once an individual could free himself from his emotional and physical bond he would achieve freedom, happiness and mental peace.

6. “Why don’t you say this to the people who come to you…?”

- Who says this and to whom? What is referred to by the word ‘this’? Why do the people come to the person spoken to?

Answer: - In his autobiography APJ Abdul Kalam says this to his father Jainulabdeen.

According to Jainulabdeen, “every human being is a specific element withing the whole of the manifest divine being. So, why be afraid of difficulties, sufferings and problems? When troubles come, try to understand the relevance of your sufferings. Adversity always presents opportunities for introspection”. This fact is referred to by the word ‘this’.

People come to the person spoken to because they are in trouble and in distress condition. They come to Kalam’s father for help and advice to get rid of their problems.

7. “I have endeavoured to understand the fundamental truths”

– who is ‘I’ referred to here? What are the fundamental truths? Who revealed them to the speaker?

Answer:-Here ‘I’ referred to A.P.J Abdul Kalam, the author of the piece ‘Strong Roots’.

The Fundamental truths referred to here are that there exists a divine power that can lift one up from confusion, misery, melancholy and failure, and guide one to one’s true place. And once an individual severs his emotional and physical bond, he is on the road to freedom, happiness and peace of mind.

A.P.J.Abdul Kalam's father Jainulabdeen revealed them to his son A.P.J Abdul Kalam.

8. Who was a very close friend of Jainulabdeen?

- What did they discuss? What did Kalam’s father say about prayer?

Answer: - The high priest of the Rameswarm temple, Pakshi Lakshmana Sastry, was a very close friend of Jainulabdeen.

They used to discuss spiritual matters.

According to Kalam’s father, there is nothing mysterious about prayer. Rather, prayer makes possible a communion of the spirit between people. When we pray, we transcend our body and become a part of the cosmos, which knows no division of wealth, age, caste or creed.

*****

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