6 My Childhood
BEFORE YOU READ
·
Can
you think of any scientists, who have also been statesmen?
·
A.P.J.
Abdul Kalam, whose projects in space, defence and nuclear technology guided
India into the twenty-first century. became our eleventh President in 2002.
·
In
his autobiography, Wings of Fire, he speaks of his childhood.
1. I WAS born
into a middle-class Tamil family in the island town of Rameswaram in the
erstwhile Madras State. My father, Jainulabdeen, had neither much formal
education nor much wealth; despite these disadvantages, he possessed great
innate wisdom and a true generosity of spirit. He had an ideal helpmate in my
mother, Ashiamma. I do not recall the exact number of people she fed every day,
but I am quite certain that far more outsiders ate with us than all the members
of our own family put together.
2. I was one of
many children — a short boy with rather undistinguished looks, born to tall and
handsome parents. We lived in our ancestral house, which was built in the
middle of the nineteenth century. It was a fairly large pucca house, made of
limestone and brick, on the Mosque Street in Rameswaram. My austere father used
to avoid all inessential comforts and luxuries. However, all necessities were
provided for, in terms of food, medicine or clothes. In fact, I would say mine
was a very secure childhood, both materially and emotionally.
3. The Second
World War broke out in 1939, when I was eight years old. For reasons I have
never been able to understand, a sudden demand for tamarind seeds erupted in
the market. I used to collect the seeds and sell them to a provision shop on
Mosque Street. A day’s collection would fetch me the princely sum of one anna.
My brother-in-law Jallaluddin would tell me stories about the War which I would
later attempt to trace in the headlines in Dinamani. Our area, being isolated,
was completely unaffected by the War. But soon India was forced to join the
Allied Forces and something like a state of emergency was declared. The first
casualty came in the form of the suspension of the train halt at Rameswaram
station. The newspapers now had to be bundled and thrown out from the moving
train on the Rameswaram Road between Rameswaram and Dhanuskodi. That forced my
cousin Samsuddin, who distributed newspapers in Rameswaram , to look for a
helping hand to catch the bundles and, as if naturally, I filled the slot.
Samsuddin helped me earn my first wages. Half a century later, I can still feel
the surge of pride in earning my own money for the first time.
4. Every child
is born, with some inherited characteristics, into a specific socio-economic
and emotional environment, and trained in certain ways by figures of authority.
I inherited honesty and self- discipline from my father; from my mother, I
inherited faith in goodness and deep kindness and so did my three brothers and
sister. I had three close friends in my childhood — Ramanadha Sastry, Aravindan
and Sivaprakasan. All these boys were from orthodox Hindu Brahmin families. As
children, none of us ever felt any difference amongst ourselves because of our
religious differences and upbringing. In fact, Ramanadha Sastry was the son of
Pakshi Lakshmana Sastry, the high priest of the Rameswaram temple. Later, he
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.
5. During the
annual Shri Sita Rama Kalyanam ceremony, our 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 our
house. Events from the Ramayana and from the life of the Prophet were the
bedtime stories my mother and grandmother would tell the children in our
family.
6. One day when
I was in the fifth standard at the Rameswaram Elementary School, a new teacher
came to our class. I used to wear a cap which marked me as a Muslim, and I
always sat in the front row next to Ramanadha Sastry, who wore the sacred
thread. The new teacher could not stomach a Hindu priest’s son sitting with a
Muslim boy. In accordance with our social ranking as the new teacher saw it, I
was asked to go and sit on the back bench. I felt very sad, and so did
Ramanadha Sastry. He looked utterly downcast as I shifted to my seat in the
last row. The image of him weeping when I shifted to the last row left a
lasting impression on me.
7. After school,
we went home and told our respective parents about the incident. Lakshmana
Sastry summoned the teacher, and in our presence, told the teacher that he
should not spread the poison of social inequality and communal intolerance in
the minds of innocent children. He bluntly asked the teacher to either
apologise or quit the school and the island. Not only did the teacher regret
his behaviour, but the strong sense of conviction Lakshmana Sastry conveyed
ultimately reformed this young teacher.
8. On the whole,
the small society of Rameswaram was very rigid in terms of the segregation of
different social groups. However, my science teacher Sivasubramania Iyer,
though an orthodox Brahmin with a very conservative wife, was something of a
rebel. He did his best to break social barriers so that people from varying
backgrounds could mingle easily. He used to spend hours with me and would say,
“Kalam, I want you to develop so that you are on par with the highly educated
people of the big cities.”
9. One day, he
invited me to his home for a meal. His wife was horrified at the idea of a
Muslim boy being invited to dine in her ritually pure kitchen. She refused to
serve me in her kitchen. Sivasubramania Iyer was not perturbed, nor did he get
angry with his wife, but instead, served me with his own hands and sat down
beside me to eat his meal. His wife watched us from behind the kitchen door. I
wondered whether she had observed any difference in the way I ate rice, drank
water or cleaned the floor after the meal. When I was leaving his house,
Sivasubramania Iyer invited me to join him for dinner again the next weekend.
Observing my hesitation, he told me not to get upset, saying, “Once you decide
to change the system, such problems have to be confronted.” When I visited his
house the next week, Sivasubramania Iyer’s wife took me inside her kitchen and
served me food with her own hands.
10. Then the
Second World War was over and India’s freedom was imminent. “Indians will build
their own India,” declared Gandhiji. The whole country was filled with an
unprecedented optimism. I asked my father for permission to leave Rameswaram
and study at the district headquarters in Ramanathapuram.
11. He told me
as if thinking aloud, “Abul ! I know you have to go away to grow. Does the
seagull not fly across the sun, alone and without a nest?” He quoted Khalil
Gibran to my hesitant mother, “Your children are not your children. They are
the sons and daughters of Life’s longing for itself. They come through you but
not from you. You may give them your love but not your thoughts. For they have
their own thoughts.”
Author: A.P.J.
ABDUL KALAM [an extract from Wings of Fire]
********************************
erstwhile:
former
innate: inborn;
(a quality or feeling) in one’s nature
austere: simple,
strict and severe
could not
stomach: could not tolerate
downcast: sad or
depressed
conviction: a
strong opinion or belief
ritually pure:
kept protected from all outside influences for the observances of religion
**********************************
Thinking about
the Text
I. Answer these
questions in one or two sentences each.
1. Where was
Abdul Kalam’s house?
2. What do you
think Dinamani is the name of? Give a reason for your answer.
3. Who were
Abdul Kalam’s school friends? What did they later become?
4. How did Abdul
Kalam earn his first wages?
5. Had he earned
any money before that? In what way?
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?
2. What
characteristics does he say he inherited from his parents?
III. Discuss
these questions in class with your teacher and then write down your answers in
two or three paragraphs each.
1. “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)?
(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.)
(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?
(iv) Narrate two
incidents that show how differences can be created, and also how they can be
resolved. How can people change their attitudes?
2.
(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?
Thinking about
Language
I. Find the
sentences in the text where these words occur:
erupt
surge
trace
undistinguished
casualty
Look these words
up in a dictionary which gives examples of how they are used.
Now answer the
following questions.
1. What are the
things that can erupt? Use examples to explain the various meanings of erupt.
Now do the same for the word surge. What things can surge?
2. What are the
meanings of the word trace and which of the meanings is closest to the word in
the text?
3. Can you find
the word undistinguished in your dictionary? (If not, look up the word
distinguished and say what undistinguished must mean.)
II. 1. Match the
phrases in Column A with their meanings in Column B.
|
A
|
B
|
|
(i) broke out
|
(a) an
attitude of kindness, a readiness to give freely
|
|
(ii) in
accordance with
|
(b) was not
able to tolerate
|
|
(iii) a
helping hand
|
(c) began
suddenly in a violent way
|
|
(iv) could not
stomach
|
(d) assistance
|
|
(v) generosity
of spirit
|
(e) persons
with power to make decisions
|
|
(vi) figures
of authority
|
(f) according
to a particular rule, principle, or system
|
2. Study the
words in italics in the sentences below. They are formed by prefixing un – or
in – to their antonyms (words opposite in meaning).
• I was a short
boy with rather undistinguished looks. (un + distinguished)
• My austere
father used to avoid all inessential comforts.(in + essential)
• The area was
completely unaffected by the war.(un + affected)
• He should not
spread the poison of social inequality and communal intolerance. (in +
equality, in + tolerance)
Now form the
opposites of the words below by prefixing un- or in-. The prefix in-can also
have the forms il-, ir-, or im- (for example: illiterate–il + literate, impractical
–im + practical, irrational –ir + rational). You may consult a dictionary if
you wish.
|
_____ adequate
|
_____
acceptable
|
_____ regular
|
_____ tolerant
|
|
_____
demanding
|
_____ active
|
_____ true
|
_____
permanent
|
|
_____
patriotic
|
_____ disputed
|
_____ accessible
|
_____ coherent
|
|
_____ logical
|
_____ legal
|
_____
responsible
|
_____ possible
|
III. Passive
Voice
Study these
sentences:
• My parents
were regarded as an ideal couple.
• I was asked to
go and sit on the back bench.
• Such problems
have to be confronted.
The italicised
verbs in these sentences are made up of a form of the verb be and a past
participle. (For example: were + regarded, was + asked, be + confronted)
These sentences
focus on what happens, rather than who does what. Notice that the doer of the action
is not included in the sentences.
If necessary, we
can mention the doer of the action in a by-phrase. For example:
• The tree was
struck by lightning.
• The flag was
unfurled by the Chief Guest.
IV. Rewrite the
sentences below, changing the verbs in brackets into the passive form.
1. In
yesterday’s competition the prizes (give away) by the Principal.
2. In spite of
financial difficulties, the labourers (pay) on time.
3. On Republic
Day, vehicles (not allow) beyond this point.
4. Second-hand
books (buy and sell) on the pavement every Saturday.
5. Elections to
the Lok Sabha (hold) every five years.
6. Our National
Anthem (compose) Rabindranath Tagore.
V. Rewrite the
paragraphs below, using the correct form of the verb given in brackets.
1. How Helmets
Came To Be Used in Cricket
Nari Contractor
was the Captain and an opening batsman for India in the 1960s. The Indian
cricket team went on a tour to the West Indies in 1962. In a match against
Barbados in Bridgetown, Nari Contractor (seriously injure and collapse). In
those days helmets (not wear). Contractor (hit) on the head by a bouncer from
Charlie Griffith. Contractor’s skull (fracture). The entire team (deeply
concern). The West Indies players (worry). Contractor (rush ) to hospital. He
(accompany) by Frank Worrell, the Captain of the West Indies Team. Blood
(donate) by the West Indies players. Thanks to the timely help, Contractor
(save). Nowadays helmets (routinely use) against bowlers.
2. Oil from
Seeds
Vegetable oils
(make) from seeds and fruits of many plants growing all over the world, from
tiny sesame seeds to big, juicy coconuts. Oil (produce) from cotton seeds,
groundnuts, soya beans and sunflower seeds. Olive oil (use) for cooking, salad
dressing etc. Olives (shake) from the trees and (gather) up, usually by hand.
The olives (ground) to a thick paste which is spread onto special mats. Then
the mats (layer) up on the pressing machine which will gently squeeze them to
produce olive oil.
Dictation
Let the class
divide itself into three groups. Let each group take down one passage that the
teacher dictates. Then put the passages together in the right order.
To Sir, with
Love
1. From
Rameswaram to the Rashtrapati Bhavan, it’s been a long journey.
Talking to Nona
Walia on the eve of Teacher’s Day, President Dr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam talks about
life’s toughest lessons learnt and his mission — being a teacher to the Indian
youth. “A proper education would help nurture a sense of dignity and
self-respect among our youth,” says President Kalam.
There’s still a child in him though,
and he’s still curious about learning new things. Life’s a mission for
President Kalam.
2.Nonetheless,
he remembers his first lesson in life and how it changed his destiny. “I was
studying in Standard V, and must have been all of 10. My teacher, Sri
Sivasubramania Iyer was telling us how birds fly. He drew a diagram of a bird
on the blackboard, depicting the wings, tail and the body with the head and
then explained how birds soar to the sky. At the end of the class, I said I
didn’t understand. Then he asked the other students if they had understood, but
nobody had understood how birds fly,” he recalls.
3.“That evening,
the entire class was taken to Rameswarm shore,” the President continues. “My
teacher showed us sea birds. We saw marvellous formations of them flying and
how their wings flapped. Then my teacher asked us, ‘Where is the birds’ engine
and how is it powered?’ I knew then that birds are powered by their own life
and motivation. I understood all about birds’ dynamics. This was real teaching
— a theoretical lesson coupled with a live practical example. Sri Siva
Subramania Iyer was a great teacher.”
That day, my future was decided. My
destiny was changed. I knew my future had to be about flight and flight
systems.
Speaking
Here is a topic
for you to
1. think about;
2. give your
opinion on.
Find out what
other people think about it. Ask your friends/seniors/parents to give you their
opinion.
‘Career Building
Is the Only Goal of Education.’
or
‘Getting a Good
Job Is More Important than Being a Good Human Being.’
You can use the
following phrases
(i) while giving
your opinion:
• I think that
...
• In my opinion
...
• It seems to me
that ...
• I am of the
view that ...
• As far as I
know ...
• If you ask me
...
(ii) saying what
other people think:
• According to
some ...
• Quite a few
think ...
• Some others
favour ...
• Thirty per
cent of the people disagree ...
• Fifty per cent
of them strongly feel ...
(iii) asking for
others’ opinions:
• What do you
think about ...
• What do you
think of ...
• What is your
opinion about ...
• Do you agree
...
• Does this make
you believe ...
Writing
Think and write
a short account of what life in Rameswaram in the 1940s must have been like.
(Were people rich or poor? Hard working or lazy? Hopeful of change, or
resistant to it?).
