Strong Roots -- “Our locality was predominantly Muslim”

Strong Roots (Wings of Fire)

A.P.J. Abdul Kalam

Important Questions & Answers (Marks – 05)

👉 Important Questions & Answers (Marks – 05)

👉 “Our locality was predominantly Muslim”

– Who is the speaker? How does the speaker describe the locality? What picture of communal harmony do you find in this description?

Here the speaker is Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam.

Kalam spent his childhood in their ancestral house in Rameshwaram with his parents and siblings. The famous Shiva Temple of Rameshwaram was situated in their locality. Their locality was mainly Muslim; many Hindu families lived there in absolute peace with their Muslim neighbours.

The locality where Kalam’s family lived was a perfect picture of communal harmony. Kalam along with his father used to visit a very old mosque in their locality for evening prayers. The people of Rameshwaram irrespective of their religions gathered outside the mosque to receive Kalam’s father's blessings to cure the invalids.

They would wait for Jainulabdeen to come out of the mosque because they believed that Jainulabdeen possessed special healing powers. Many people were often cured and they went back to thank Jainulabdeen. The high priest of the Shiva temple of Rameshwaram Pakshi Lakshmana Shastry and Jainulabdeen had great respect for each other and often discussed spiritual matters. The two shared a great bond of friendship. A spirit of brotherhood among different communities existed in the town.

👉 “I normally eat with my mother”

– Who ate with his mother? Name his mother. Where did he eat with his mother? What did he eat with his mother?

The great Indian scientist and 11^th President of India Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam ate with his mother.

The name of his mother is Ashiamma.

Abdul Kalam usually ate with his mother sitting on the floor of the kitchen of their ancestral house in Rameshwaram.

Kalam and his mother ate authentic South Indian food. Kalam’s mother would place a banana leaf before him on which she then ladled rice and aromatic sombar, a verity of sharp, home-made pickle and a dollop of fresh coconut chutney.

👉 “We lived in our ancestral house"

- Who is the speaker? When was the house built? What kind of house was it? How did the inmates of the house lead their lives in the house?

In the essay Strong Roots, an extracted piece from Kalam’a autobiography- Wings of Fire, Dr. Kalam talks about his childhood.

The house was built in the middle of the 19^th century.

The house was an enough spacious pucca one, made of limestone and brick. It was constructed on the mosque street in Rameswaram. The house was nearly a ten-minute walk from the famous Shiva temple of the island town.

The inmates of the house led a simple and peaceful life. Kalam was born into a middle class Tamil family in Rameshwaram to Jainulabdeen and Ashiamma. Kalam lived in their ancestral house with his parents and siblings. He remembered that his mother Ashiamma, used to feed many outsiders daily along with the family members. They avoided all unnecessary comforts and luxuries. However, Jainulabdeen and Ashiamma never deprived Kalam and the other children of any basic needs like foo, medicine or clothing. Kalam’s parents created an emotionally and materially secured childhood for boy Kalam. Kalam stated that the strict daily routine maintained by his father, his wise teachings and the care of his generous mother shaped his personality.

👉 Why does Kalam feel that he had a secure childhood?

In the prose Strong Roots, extracted from Kalam’a autobiography, Wings of Fire, we see that Kalam along with his family members lived in their ancestral house in the island town of Rameswaram.

His father Jainulabdeen, who was immensely respected by both to Hindus and the Muslims for his healing powers, led a very disciplined and simple life. He could preach complex spiritual concepts in simple Tamil.

In their childhood Kalam and his siblings were provided with all the basic necessities like food, medicine and clothing but were prohibited from enjoying inessential comforts and luxuries. Kalam’s mother Ashiamma worked tirelessly to feed her large family as well as many outsiders. The love, care and proper guidance of his worthy parents made Kalam’s childhood, an emotionally and materially secure one.

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👉 Strong Roots (Wings of Fire) | Short Questions and Answers (S.A.Q.)

👉 The Three Questions | Questions (Textual Grammar)