My Childhood
Thinking about the text
Activity
What language(s) do you think are spoken in Rameswaram and Dhanuskodi? What languages do you think the author, his family, his friends and his teachers spoke with one another?
Answer: Rameswaram and Dhanuskodi are in Tamil Nadu, so Tamil was the main language spoken there. Abdul Kalam, his family, friends and teachers generally communicated with one another in Tamil.
I. Answer these questions in one or two sentences each.
1. Where was Abdul Kalam's house?
Answer: Abdul Kalam’s house was on Mosque Street in Rameswaram.
2. What do you think Dinamani is the name of? Give a reason for your answer.
Answer: Dinamani was the name of a newspaper. Abdul Kalam mentions reading its headlines to follow the news of the Second World War.
3. Who were Abdul Kalam's school friends ? What did they later become?
Answer: Abdul Kalam’s school friends were Ramanadha Sastry, Aravindan and Sivaprakasan. Ramanadha Sastry later became the priest of the Rameswaram temple, Aravindan arranged transport for pilgrims, and Sivaprakasan became a catering contractor for the Southern Railways.
4. How did Abdul Kalam earn his first wages?
Answer: Abdul Kalam earned his first wages by helping his cousin Samsuddin collect and distribute bundles of newspapers.
5. Had he earned any money before that? In what way?
Answer: Yes, he had earned money before that. During the Second World War, he collected tamarind seeds and sold them to a provision shop on Mosque Street.
II. Answer each of these questions in a short paragraph (30 words)
1. How does the author-
(i) his father
Answer: The author describes his father, Jainulabdeen, as a simple and disciplined man with little formal education or wealth. However, he possessed great wisdom, honesty and generosity.
(ii) his mother
Answer: His mother, Ashiamma, was a kind, loving and generous woman. She regularly fed many people and created a caring and secure atmosphere for her family.
(iii) himself?
Answer: Abdul Kalam describes himself as a short boy with ordinary looks, born to handsome parents. He grew up in a secure family environment and was deeply influenced by his parents’ values.
2. What characteristics does he say he inherited from his parents?
Answer: Abdul Kalam says that he inherited honesty and self-discipline from his father and faith in goodness and deep kindness from his mother.
III. Discuss these questions in class with your teacher and then write down your answer 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)
Answer: The author mainly mentions Hindus, particularly orthodox Brahmins, and Muslims. These groups could often be identified by their dress and religious customs.
For example, Abdul Kalam wore a cap that marked him as a Muslim, while his friend Ramanadha Sastry, the son of the temple priest, wore the sacred thread associated with orthodox Brahmins.
ii. Were they aware only 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)
Answer: Although people were aware of religious and social differences, they also shared close friendships and experiences. Kalam’s close friends came from orthodox Brahmin families, yet their friendship was natural and strong.
At home, Kalam heard stories from both the Ramayana and the life of the Prophet. His family also took part in arrangements connected with the annual Shri Sita Rama Kalyanam ceremony, showing cooperation and mutual respect among different communities.
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.
Answer: The new teacher at Kalam’s school was very conscious of religious differences. He separated Kalam from Ramanadha Sastry because Kalam was a Muslim boy sitting beside the son of a Hindu priest.
On the other hand, Lakshmana Sastry opposed such discrimination and corrected the teacher. Sivasubramania Iyer also tried to break social barriers by inviting Kalam to eat at his home and treating him with respect.
4. Narrate two incidents that show differences can be created and also how they can be resolved. How can people change their attitudes?
Answer: The first incident happened when a new teacher asked Kalam to leave the front row because he was a Muslim sitting next to Ramanadha Sastry, a Hindu priest’s son. Ramanadha Sastry’s father strongly objected and warned the teacher against spreading social inequality among children. The teacher later changed his behaviour.
The second incident involved Sivasubramania Iyer. His wife initially refused to serve Kalam in her kitchen because he was a Muslim. Iyer served Kalam himself and later invited him again. On the second occasion, his wife had changed her attitude and served Kalam herself.
These incidents show that prejudice can be overcome through courage, understanding and the example set by broad-minded people.
2.
I. Why did Abdul Kalam want to leave Rameswaram?
Answer: Abdul Kalam wanted to leave Rameswaram so that he could continue his studies at the district headquarters in Ramanathapuram.
2. What did his father say to this?
Answer: His father accepted that Kalam had to leave home in order to grow. He compared him to a seagull that flies across the sun alone and without a nest.
3. What do you think his words mean? Why do you think he spoke these words?
Answer: His father’s words mean that children must eventually leave the security of home to grow, learn and build their own future.
He spoke these words to encourage Kalam and to help both him and his mother understand that separation was necessary for his education and development.
Thinking about the language
Q.1. Find the sentences in the text where these words occur. erupt surge trace undistinguished casuality
Answer: These words occur in different parts of the lesson. They are used while describing the Second World War, Kalam’s childhood and the changes that took place in Rameswaram during that period.
II.Q.1. Match the phrases in column A withtheir meanings in column B.
| A | B |
|---|---|
| (i) break out | (c) began suddenly in a violent way |
| (ii) in accordance with | (f) according to a particular rule, principle or system |
| (iii) a helping hand | (d) assistance |
| (iv) could not stomach | (b) was not able to tolerate |
| (v) generosity of spirit | (a) an attitude of kindness, readiness to give freely |
| (vi) figures of authority | (e) persons with power to make decisions |
ADDITIONAL QUESTION-ANSWERS
Q.1. What is the name of APJ Abdul Kalam’s autobiography?
Answer: The name of A. P. J. Abdul Kalam’s autobiography is Wings of Fire.
Q.2. What is the name of Abdul Kalam’s father?
Answer: Abdul Kalam’s father was named Jainulabdeen.
Q.3.Where is Rameswaram? What type of a town it is?
Answer: Rameswaram is in Tamil Nadu. It is an island town.
Q.4. When did Abdul Kalam become the President of India?
Answer: Abdul Kalam became the President of India in 2002.
Q.5. What type of boy was Abdul Kalam?
Answer: Abdul Kalam describes himself as a short boy with undistinguished looks who grew up in a simple and secure family environment.
Q.6. When did the second World War break out.
Answer: The Second World War broke out in 1939.
Q.7. What happened when Abdul kalam visited his science teacher’s house the second time?
Answer: When Abdul Kalam visited his science teacher’s house for the second time, the teacher’s wife had changed her attitude. She invited Kalam into the kitchen and served him food herself.
1. Answer these questions in one or two sentences each.
এটা বা দুটা বাক্যত প্ৰশ্নসমূহৰ উত্তৰ দিয়া
1. Where was Abdul Kalam's house?
আব্দুল কালামৰ ঘৰ কত?
Answer:- Abdul Kalam's house was in Rameswaram.
আব্দুল কালামৰ ঘৰ ৰামেশ্বৰমত।
2. What do you think Dinamani is the name of? Give a reason for your answer.
(তোমাৰ মতে দীনমনি কাৰ নাম হয়? উত্তৰৰ বাবে উপযুক্ত কাৰণ দৰ্শোৱা।)
Answer:- Dinamani is the name of a newspaper. Abdul Kalam attempts to trace the second world war's news in the headlines of this newspaper.
দীনমনি এখন বাতৰি কাকতৰ নাম। এই বাতৰি কাকতখনৰ শিৰোনামত আব্দুল কালামে দ্বিতীয় বিশ্বযুদ্ধৰ বাতৰি প্ৰকাশ কৰিছিল।
3. Who were Abdul Kalam's school friends ? What did they later become?
আব্দুল কালামৰ স্কুলৰ বন্ধু কোন কোন আছিল? এওঁলোকে পাছলৈ কি হৈছিল?
Answer:- Abdul Kalam's school friends were Ramanadha Sastry, Aravindan and Sivaprakasan. Later Ramanadha become the high priest of the Rameswaram temple, Aravindan went in to the business of arranging transport for visiting pilgrims and Sivaprakasan become a catering contractor for the southern Railways.
আব্দুল কালামৰ স্কুলৰ বন্ধু আছিল ৰামানাধ শাস্ত্ৰী, অৰবিন্দন আৰু শিৱপ্ৰকাশন ।পৰৱৰ্তী সময়ত ৰামানাধ শাস্ত্ৰী মন্দিৰৰ প্ৰধান পুৰোহিত হৈছিল। ঠিক তেনেদৰে অৰবিন্দনে তীৰ্থ যাত্ৰী সকলৰ যাতায়তৰ ব্যৱসায়ত হাত দিছিল আৰু শিৱপ্ৰকাশনে দক্ষিণ ৰেলবিভাগৰ বাবে খাদ্য যোগানৰ কাম কৰিছিল।
4. How did Abdul Kalam earn his first wages?
আব্দুল কালামে প্ৰথম আয় কিদৰে উপাৰ্জন কৰিছিল?
Answer:- Abdul Kalam earn his first wage by distributing newspaper.
আব্দুল কালামে প্ৰথম আয় বাতৰি কাকত বিতৰণ কৰি উপাৰ্জন কৰিছিল।
5. Had he earned any money before that? In what way?
ইয়াৰ পূৰ্বে তেওঁ উপাৰ্জন কৰিছিল নে? যদি কৰিছিলে কেনেকৈ?
Answer:- Yes he had earned money before that. He used to sell tamarind seeds to a provision shop on Mosque street for which he got one anna.
( হয় ইয়াৰ পূৰ্বেও তেখেতে পইচা উপাৰ্জন কৰিছিল। তেখেতে মস্ক ষ্টীটৰ এখন পাইকাৰী দোকানত তেতেলীৰ গুটি বিক্ৰী কৰি পইচা অৰ্জন কৰিছিল যাৰ বাবে তেওঁ এক অনাকৈ টকা পাইছিল।)
II. Answer each of these questions in a short paragraph (30 words)
চমুকৈ প্ৰতিটো প্ৰশ্নৰ উত্তৰ দিয়া ( ৩০ টা শব্দৰ ভিতৰত)
1. How does the author-
(i) his father
(ii) his mother
(iii) himself?
লিখকে কিদৰে বৰ্ণনা কৰিছিল (i) দেউতাকক (ii) মাকক আৰু (iii) তেখেতক
Answer:- (i) The author describes his father as a wise and generous person who felt happy by helping others. He was a man of confidence and great wisdom though he had no formal education and much money.
লিখকে তেখেতৰ দেউতাকক এজন বুদ্ধিয়ক তথা দয়ালু মানুহ হিচাপে পৰিচয় কৰাইছে যিয়ে মানুহক সহায় কৰি ভাল পায়। যদিও তেখেতৰ আনুষ্ঠানিক শিক্ষা নাছিল তথাপিও তেখেত জ্ঞানী আৰু বিজ্ঞ মানুহ আছিল।
(ii) His mother was a noble kind hearted and a typical Indian woman. She loves to feed a large number of people.
তেখেতৰ মাঁক এগৰাকী দয়ালু ভাৰতীয় মহিলা আছিল যিয়ে আনক শুশ্ৰষা কৰি ভাল পাইছিল।
(iii) He was born into a middle class Tamil family, a short boy with undistinguished looks born to tall and handsome parents. He studied physics and arospace engineering and become a scientist.
তেখেতে এটা মধ্যবিত্ত পৰিয়ালৰ ঘৰত জন্মগ্ৰহণ কৰিছিল।তেওঁ দেখিবলৈ অতি সাধাৰণ তথা চাপৰ আছিল যাৰ পিতৃ- মাতৃ দেখনিয়াৰ আছিল। তেওঁ পাছলৈ পদাৰ্থ বিজ্ঞান আৰু এৰোস্পেচ অভিযন্তাৰ পাঠ গ্ৰহণ কৰি পাছলৈ বিজ্ঞানী হৈছিল।
2. What characteristics does he say he inherited from his parents?
তেওঁৰ মতে তেওঁ মাক দেউতাকৰ পৰা কি গুণ লাভ কৰিছিল?
Answer:- The author inherited humility and benevolence from his parents. He learned lesson in honesty and integrity from his parents. He was self- disciplined because of his parents exemplary life.
লিখকে নিজৰ পিতৃ মাতৃৰ পৰা নম্ৰতা তথা পৰোপকাৰী আদি গুণ লাভ কৰিছিল। তেখেতে নিজৰ পৰিয়ালৰ পৰা সৰলতা সাধু পৰায়ণতা আদি গুণৰ পাঠ শিকিছিল। তেওঁ নিয়মানুৱৰ্তিতা উদাহৰণ পিতৃ মাতৃৰ পৰাই লাভ কৰিছিল।
III. Discuss these questions in class with your teacher and then write down your answer in two or three paragraphs each.
শিক্ষকৰ লগত আলোচনা কৰি প্ৰশ্নসমূহৰ উত্তৰ দিয়া।
1. “On the whole, the small society of Rameswaram was very rigid in terms of the segregation of different social groups." says the author.
ৰামেশ্বৰমৰ সৰু সমাজখন বিভিন্ন শ্ৰেণীৰ লোকৰ মাজত প্ৰভেদ অনাৰ ক্ষেত্ৰত অতি দৃঢ় আছিল।
i. Which social groups does he mention? Were these groups easily identifiable? ( for example, by the way they dressed)
তেখেতে কোনটো শ্ৰেণীৰ কথা কৈছে? এই শ্ৰেণীটো সহজে চিনাক্ত কৰিব পৰা যায়নে? ( উদাহৰণস্বৰূপে তেওঁলোকৰ সাজপাৰৰ পৰা)
Answer:- The author talks about the people who belong to various castes and follow various religious preaching. Yes they were easily identifiable because of their different dress, tradition and culture.
লিখকে এক বিশেষ শ্ৰেণীৰ কথা উল্লেখ কৰিছে যিয়ে বিভিন্ন ধৰ্মীয় ৰীতি- নীতি পালন কৰে। এইসকললোকক সহজে চিনাক্ত কৰিব পাৰি তেওঁলোকৰ সাজ পাৰ তথা পৰম্পৰাৰ জৰিয়তে।
ii. Were they aware only 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)
তেওঁলোকে মাথো নিজৰ সামাজিক বৈষম্যতাৰ বিষয়ে জ্ঞাত নে তেওঁলোকে পৰম্পৰাৰ মাজত বন্ধুত্ব সুলভ সম্পৰ্কও ৰক্ষা কৰে। কালামে মাকৰ লগত শোৱাপাটীত কটোৱা সময়বিলাক মনত পেলোৱা।
Answer:- They did share their personal experiences and friendships. Lakshmana Sastry summoned the teacher who separated the author and his friend in the class and told him not to spread the poison of social inequality and communal interference in the mind of innocent children.
তেওঁলোকে নিজৰ অভিজ্ঞতা আৰু বন্ধুত্ব দুয়োটাই ভগাই লৈছিল। লক্ষ্মন শাস্ত্ৰীয়ে এই শিক্ষকজনক মাতি পঠিয়াইছিল যিয়ে লিখক আৰু তেওঁৰ বন্ধুজনৰ মাজত প্ৰভেদ আনিছিল। শাস্ত্ৰীয়ে তেখেতক কৈছিল যাতে তেওঁ বৰ্ণ বৈষম্যৰ বীজ শিশুসকলৰ মাজত নিসিচে।
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.
লিখকে দুই প্ৰকাৰৰ মানুহৰ বিষয়ে উল্লেখ কৰিছে। এক প্ৰকাৰৰ মানুহ যিয়ে শ্ৰেণী বৈষম্যত বিশ্বাসী আৰু দ্বিতীয়তে সেইচাম মানুহ যিয়ে এই বিভেদ নাইকিয়া কৰিবলৈ চেষ্টা কৰে। তুমি তেনে মানুহক পাঠটিৰ পৰা চিনাক্ত কৰিব পাৰিবানে?
Answer:- The school teacher encouraged communal differences and Lakshmana Sastry and Sivasubramania iyer discouraged this malpractice.
স্কুল শিক্ষকজনে বৰ্ণ বৈষম্যক সমৰ্থন কৰিছিল। ইয়াৰ পৰিৱৰ্তে লক্ষ্মন শাস্ত্ৰী আৰু শিবসুব্যমন্য আয়াৰে ইয়াৰ বিৰোধীতা কৰিছিল।
4. Narrate two incidents that show differences can be created and also how they can be resolved. How can people change their attitudes?
দুটা ঘটনা উল্লেখ কৰা কেনেদৰে প্ৰভেদ স্হাপন কৰিব পাৰি আৰু প্ৰভেদ নাইকিয়া কৰিব পাৰি। এইক্ষেত্ৰত মানুহৰ ধাৰণা কিদৰে সলনি হয়?
Answer:- The influential people can do both the things. A teacher has the ability to bridge communal differences and can play with sentiments of the innocent and ignorant people. This is what the now teacher did. But the science teacher Sivasubramania iyer changed his wife's attitude and showed her the right path.
যিকোনো প্ৰভাৱশালী ব্যক্তিয়ে সমাজক প্ৰভাৱিক কৰা কাম কৰিব পাৰে। নতুন শিক্ষকজনে শিশুবিলাকৰ মাজত বৈষম্যতাৰ বীজ সিঁচিছিল। আৰু ইয়াৰ পৰিৱৰ্তে বিজ্ঞান শিক্ষক শিবসুব্যমণি আয়াৰে নিজৰ ঘৈণীয়েকৰ ধাৰণা সলনি কৰি তেখেতক শুদ্ধ পথত আনিছিল।
2.
I. Why did Abdul Kalam want to leave Rameswaram?
( আব্দুল কালামে কিয় ৰামেশ্বৰম ত্যাগ কৰিব বিচাৰিছিল?)
Answer:- Abdul Kalam wanted to leave Rameswaram to study at the district headquarters in Ramanathapuram.
ৰামানাথপুৰমত পঢ়িবলৈ যাব বাবে আব্দুল কালামে ৰামেশ্বৰম ত্যাগ কৰিব বিচাৰিছিল।
2. What did his father say to this?
তেওঁৰ দেউতাকে এই ক্ষেত্ৰত কি কৈছিল?
Answer:- His father said that to grow one had to go. He gave the example of a seagull who flies across the sun alone and without a nest.
তেওঁৰ দেউতাকে কৈছিল ডাঙৰ হবলৈ মানুহ ঘৰৰ পৰা আঁতৰত যাবই লাগিব। তেওঁ এটা শৃগালৰ উদাহৰণ দিছিল যিয়ে সূৰ্য্যতাক আগলৈ অকলে উৰি গৈছিল।
3. What do you think his words mean? Why do you think he spoke these words?
তেওঁ এই কথাবোৰৰ জৰিয়তে কি বুজাব বিচাৰিছিল? তেওঁ এই কথাবোৰ কিয় কৈছিল?
Answer:- In order to hone his son's skill, he spoke these words. As he knew the harsh reality of life that children may have to live while going far from home to make their career and earn their livelihood.
নিজ পুত্ৰৰ পাৰদৰ্শিতা ক্ষীপ্ৰতৰ কৰি তুলিবৰ বাবে তেওঁ এইষাৰ কথা কৈছিল। কিয়নো তেওঁ সমাজৰ কঠোৰ বাস্তৱৰ সৈতে পৰিচিত আছিল। আৰু তেওঁ জানিছিল যে পৰিয়ালৰ পৰা আঁতৰত থাকিলে সকলোৱে কষ্ট ভোগ কৰিব লাগিব কিয়নো সফলতা লাভৰ বাবে ই নিতান্তই প্ৰয়োজন।
Re-Arrange By Dipawali Bora
Author Angamita Dutta
Post Id: DABP001278
