My Childhood Extra Questions and Answers Short Answer Type

Question 1.
What were the qualities that Abdul Kalam admired in his parents?
Answer:
Kalam’s parents were noble and generous people. Though his father was
an austere man, he provided his family with all necessities, in terms of
food, medicine or clothes. He admired his father’s honesty and self-
discipline and his mother’s faith in goodness and kindness. He admired his
parents for respecting all religions.

Question 2.
Kalam’s childhood was a secure one both materially and emotionally.
Illustrate.
Answer:
APJ Abdul Kalam called his childhood a secure one because he had loving
and caring parents who gave love and guidance to their children and took
care of their emotional and physical needs. They provided their children
with all necessities, in terms of food, medicine or clothes.

Question 3.
How does Kalam show his father was a simple man?
Answer:
Kalam’s father was a simple self-disciplined man. He neither had formal
education nor much wealth and he avoided all inessential comforts and
luxuries.

Question 4.
What kind of a person was Kalam’s father?
Answer:
Abdul Kalam’s father, Jainulabdeen, was a tall and handsome man.
Although he did not have much of a formal education, he was progressive
and valued education. He was an austere man and didn’t have much
wealth, however, he was a generous man and provided both material and
emotional security to his family. He was a very practical man with a vast
store of wisdom and never obstructed the progressive ways of his
children.

Question 5.
How does Abdul Kalam describe his mother?
Answer:
Kalam’s mother, Ashiamma, was tall, good looking and very attached to
her children. She was an ideal helpmate to her husband. She was a gentle
and kind lady with faith in goodness and deep kindness. Like her husband,
she was very generous and fed a number of outsiders daily. Kalam
inherited the values of kindness and generosity from her. Kalam inherited
the values of kindness and generosity from her.
Question 6.
How was Kalam’s appearance different from that of his parents?
Answer:
Kalam did not take after his tall and handsome parents. He was a rather
short boy with average looks. Unlike his parents who had quite striking
features, his appearance was undistinguished.

Question 7.
Briefly describe Abdul Kalam’s ancestral house.
Answer:
Abdul Kalam’s ancestral house was situated on the Mosque Street in
Rameswaram. It had been built in the middle of nineteenth century and
was a fairly large, pucca house made of limestone and brick.

Question 8.
How did the Second World War give Abdul Kalam the opportunity to earn
his first wages?
Answer:
When stoppage of trains was cancelled at Rameshwaram because of
World War II, Kalam’s cousin, Samsuddin, who distributed newspapers in
Rameswaram, asked him for help in collecting newspaper bundles which
were thrown from the moving train. This helped Abdul Kalam earn his first
wages.

Question 9.
What are Kalam’s views about his first jobs?
Answer:
As a young boy, Kalam earned his first wage by helping his cousin,
Samsuddin, collect papers thrown from a moving train for distribution.
Half a century later, Kalam would still feel the surge of pride in earning his
own money for the first time.

Question 10.
Had Kalam earned any money before that? In what way?
Answer:
When the Second World War broke out in 1939, there was a sudden
demand for tamarind seeds in the market. Kalam collected these seeds
and sold them to earn an anna a day which was a big amount for a small
boy like him in those days.

Question 11.
Right from his childhood Kalam was very enterprising. Comment.
Answer:
Kalam was an enterprising child who used to make full use of the
opportunities that came his way. During the war, when there occurred a
great demand for tamarind seeds in the market, he used to collect these
seeds and sell them off to a provision store near his home and earn an
anna a day. Thus, he was able to earn some money for himself. Later, he
collected newspapers for his cousin, Samsuddin, and earned his first
wages. These incidents show that he was very enterprising.

Question 12.
What was Dinamani? Justify your views.
Answer:
Dinamani seems to be the name of a newspaper. Kalam mentions that he
gathered information about the World War from his brother-in-law
Jallaluddin. Later he tried to trace these stories in the headlines of
Dinamani. Since news stories can be read in newspapers, and Headline is
the heading at the top of a news item in a newspaper, Dinamani must be
a newspaper.

Question 13.
What characteristics does Kalam say he inherited from his parents?
Answer:
Kalam inherited honesty and self-discipline from his father and faith in
goodness and deep kindness from his mother.

Question 14.
Who were Kalam’s school friends? What did they become later?
Answer:
Kalam’s three close childhood friends were Ramanadha Sastry, Aravindan
and Sivaprakasan. All three of them settled well in life. Ramanadha
inherited priesthood of Rameswaram temple from his father, Aravindan
took up the business of arranging transport for visiting pilgrims and
Sivaprakasan became a catering contractor for the Southern Railways.

Question 15.
“On the whole, the small society of Rameswaram was very rigid in terms
of the segregation of different social groups,” says the author. Which
social groups does he mention? Were these groups easily identifiable?
Answer:
Dr. Kalam mentions two social groups of Rameshwaram—orthodox
Brahmins and Muslims.
Yes, these groups were easily identifiable by the way they dressed. Kalam
wore a cap which marked him as a Muslim, while Ramanadha Sastry wore
a sacred thread which marked him a Hindu.

Question 16.
Despite their differences, the social groups shared friendships and
experiences. Elaborate.
Answer:
The social groups shared friendships and experiences and lived in
harmony. Kalam’s mother and grandmother often told the children of his
family bedtime stories about the events from the Ramayana and from the
life of the prophet. During the Shri Sita Rama Kalyanam ceremony, his
family used to arrange boats with a special platform for carrying idols of
the Lord from the temple to the marriage site. When Ramanadha Sastry’s
father heard that the new teacher tried to segregate pupils on the basis of
religious divisions, he called the teacher and advised him to revert his
decision or quit. Kalam’s Science teacher, Shivasubramania Iyer, invited
Kalam to have meal with him. This way he changed his conservative wife’s
mindset.

Question 17.
There were sharp differences that existed in the minds of some people
belonging to these social groups. Illustrate.
Answer:
Although most people lived together in harmony with each other, there
were some people who were very aware of the differences among them
and rigidly enforced them. These included the young teacher who joined
the Rameshwaram Elementary School and taught Kalam’s class, the fifth
standard. He tried to separate the Hindu Brahman boy, Ramanadha Sastry
and Abdul Kalam, who was a Muslim. Kalam’s science teacher’s
conservative wife also refused to serve Kalam in her kitchen. However,
others in society, made them see the error of their ways and harmony was
maintained.

Question 18.
What did Kalam’s family do during the annual Shri Sita Rama Kalyanam
ceremony?
Answer:
During the annual Shri Sita Rama Kalyanam ceremony, Kalam’s 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 Kalam’s house.

Question 19.
Who asked Kalam to sit on the back bench of his class? Why?
Answer:
A new teacher at the Rameswaram Elementary School could not tolerate
that Kalam, a Muslim, sat with Ramanadha Sastry, a Hindu wearing the
sacred thread. This was contrary to the teacher’s notion of social ranking.
So, he ordered Kalam to sit on the back bench.

Question 20.
Do you think the teacher at Rameswaram Elementary School deserved the
treatment meted out to him by Lakshmana Sastry?
Answer:
Yes, the teacher deserved the treatment meted out to him by Lakshmana
Sastry. He was spreading the poison of social inequality and communal
intolerance in the minds of innocent children. Spreading such divisive
tendencies is a serious crime If a teacher indulges in such an damaging
act he deserves no sympathy.

Question 21.
“I felt very sad and so did Ramanadha Sastry”. What made Kalam and his
friend feel sad?
Answer:
Kalam and his friend Ramanadha Sastry were good friends and sat
together in class. They felt very sad when the new teacher ordered Kalam
to go and sit on the back bench of the class. Ramanadha was absolutely
downcast and as Kalam shifted his seat to the last row, there were tears in
his eyes. Kalam could never forget these tears all his life.

Question 22.
What did Ramanadha Sastry’s father do when his son told him that the
new teacher had sent Kalam to the last seat?
Answer:
Ramanadha’s father, Lakshmana Sastry was deeply distressed to leam
that the new school teacher had shifted Kalam to the last bench. He did
not approve of this segregation in society. He summoned the teacher and
told him not to spread the poison of social inequality and communal
intolerance in young minds. He bluntly told him to either apologise or
leave the school. The teacher not only regretted his action but also
reformed himself.

Question 23.
What was the difference in the attitudes of the science teacher and his
wife towards A.P.J. Abdul Kalam?
Answer:
Though the Science teacher was a Brahmin, he broke the social barriers,
and mixed with people belonging to a different religion and community.
He invited Abdul home and served him his meal and even sat and ate with
him. On the contrary, his wife, at first, was conservative and refused to
serve Abdul in her kitchen. However, by the next time, she was also
transformed and served Abdul Kalam herself.

Question 24.
Sivasubramania Iyer was “something of a rebel”. Elaborate.
Answer:
Sivasubramania Iyer was Kalam’s science teacher. Though he was a
brahmin, he was something of a rebel. A man of liberal views, he wanted
to change the society that was rigid in terms of segregation of different
social groups. He invited Kalam to his home for a meal. His wife, an
orthodox Brahmin, refused to serve food to a Muslim boy in her so called
ritually pure kitchen. Iyer served him with his own hands and sat down
beside him to eat his meal. He convinced his wife to rise above these
narrow barriers and thus was successful in changing the conservative
attitude of his wife.
Question 25.
Why did Sivasubramania’s wife refuse to serve food to Kalam in her
kitchen?
Answer:
Sivasubramania Iyer’s wife was an orthodox and conservative Brahmin.
She believed the sanctity of her kitchen would be defiled if she served
meals there to someone who belonged to a different faith. So, she refused
to serve food to a Muslim boy in her kitchen.

Question 26.
How did Sivasubramania react to his wife’s behaviour when she refused to
serve Kalam (a Muslim boy) in her kitchen?
Answer:
Sivasubramania probably expected such behaviour from his conservative
wife. So, without getting angry or perturbed, he served Kalam with his
own hands and sat beside him to eat his meal.

Question 27.
Why did Sivasubramania invite Kalam for dinner again the next weekend?
Answer:
The young Kalam was upset by Sivasubramania Iyer’s wife’s refusal to
serve him food in her kitchen. This, coupled with the desire to transform
his wife, probably prompted Sivasubramania to make amends to Kalam.
So he invited Kalam to dinner again the following weekend. He also told
Kalam, “Once you decide to change the system, such problems have to be
confronted.”

Question 28.
What thoughts crossed Kalam’s mind when he was having food at
Sivasubramania’s house for the first time?
Answer:
Kalam noticed that Sivasubramania’s conservative wife was watching him
from behind the kitchen door while he was having food. At this time he
wondered whether she observed any difference in the way a Muslim ate
rice, drank water or cleaned the floor after the meal.

Question 29.
What influence did his teacher Sivasubramania Iyer have on the young
Kalam?
Answer:
Sivasubramania Iyer taught Kalam to confront prejudice. He told him that
if he wanted to bring about a change, such problems needed to be
confronted. Sivasubramania Iyer, the science teacher, was a Brahmin.
When he invited Kalam for dinner, his orthodox wife thought Kalam’s
presence would make it impure and refused to serve him. Sivasubramania
Iyer served him with his own hands, and invited him again. This not only
changed his wife’s attitude, it also had a profound influence on young
Kalam.
Question 30.
Narrate two incidents – one to show how differences can be created, and
another how they can be resolved.
Answer:
The first incident to show how differences can be created is that when the
new young teacher found a Muslim student sitting beside a Hindu student.
He asked Kalam to sit in the last row.
The other incident shows how differences can be resolved. The author’s
science teacher, Sivasubramania Iyer, though a tried to bridge these
differences.

Question 31.
What does Abdul tell about his days during the World War?
Answer:
Abdul Kalam was only eight years old when the World War broke out in
1939. Although at first, Rameswaram, 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. His brother-in-law
Jallaluddin used to tell him stories about the Second World War. He read
these stories in the newspaper too. He also started earning at a young
age. The War brought a sudden demand for tamarind seeds and Kalam
used to collect the seeds and sell them to a provision shop on Mosque
Street for an anna a day. He also began working for his cousin,
Samsuddin, who distributed newspapers.

Question 32.
How did the Indians feel when the nation’s Independence was in full sight?
Answer:
Indians were filled with unprecedented optimism when the Second World
War ended. India’s independence seemed imminent. Gandhiji declared
that Indians would build their own India.

Question 33.
Why did Abdul Kaiam want to leave Rameswaram?
Answer:
Kalam wanted to leave Rameswaram because the place did not offer any
options for higher education. It just had an elementary school. An
ambitious Kalam who was keen to study further wished to go to the
district headquarters at Ramanathapuram that had many educational
facilities.

Question 34.
Why did Kalam’s father allow Kalam to leave Rameswaram and go to
Ramanathapuram?
Answer:
Though not educated himself, Kalam’s pragmatic father understood the
significance of education. He did not want to stand in the way of his
children’s growth in any way. Since Rameswaram had nothing more than
an elementary school, his father willingly allowed Kalam to go to
Ramanathapuram to pursue higher studies and persuaded his wife to do
the same.

Question 35.
What did Kalam’s father say when Kalam sought his permission to leave
Rameswaram and go to Ramanathapuram?
Answer:
When Kalam sought his father’s permission to leave Rameswaram and go
to Ramanathapuram to study, Kalam’s father told him that he trusted his
son’s decision to grow. He gave him the example of young seagulls who
leave their parents’ nest to learn to fly. So, must the children be allowed
to leave home and gain knowledge in the big world outside.

Question 36.
What did Kalam’s father mean to say when he quoted Khalil Gibran? Why
do you think he spoke these words?
Answer:
Kalam’s father meant that every human being must be given the
opportunity to build his life as per his wishes and parents should not
hinder this effort. He spoke these words to convince Kalam’s mother that
her son’s decision to leave home was right. She should allow him happily
to shape his life according to his own ideas.

My Childhood Extra Questions and Answers Long Answer Type

Question 1.
What do you learn about APJ. Abdul Kalam’s family from the lesson “My
Childhood”?
Answer:
Abdul Kalam tells us that his family was a middle class Tamil Muslim
family from Rameshwaram. His parents were good, kind and wise people
who gave their children a childhood that was emotionally and materially
secure. His father, Jainulabdeen, was not much educated, wasn’t rich but
was generous, wise, simple man but was austere and used to avoid all
inessential comforts and luxuries. However, all necessities were provided
for, in terms of food, medicine or clothes.

His mother Ashiamma was a generous lady, and used to feed unlimited
numbers of people. The family respected all religions and took part in
Hindu festivals. During the annual Shri Sita Rama Kalyanam ceremony,
Kalam’s 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 their house. Events
from the Ramayana and from the life of the Prophet were the bedtime
stories Kalam’s mother and grandmother would tell the children in the
family. The parents always showered their love on their children and
never forced their views on them.
Question 2.
What incident took place at the Rameswaram Elementary School when a
new teacher came to the class?
Answer:
Kalam, who was a Muslim, used to wear a cap and his friend, Ramanadha
Sastry, the son of the head priest at the Rameswaram temple, wore a
sacred thread which marked him to be a Brahmin. When the new teacher
came he could not stomach a Hindu priest’s son sitting with a Muslim boy.
In accordance with social ranking as the new teacher saw it, Abdul Kalam
was asked to go and sit on the back bench.

Both the boys felt very sad. Ramanadha Sastry looked utterly downcast
and as Kalam shifted to his seat in the last row, he saw tears in his eyes.
Both the kids narrated the incident to their parents. Lakshmana Sastry
summoned the teacher, and reprimanded him for spreading the poison of
social inequality and communal intolerance in the minds of innocent
children. The teacher was asked 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 him.

Question 3.
Narrate the incident of new teacher’s behaviour in the classroom. Was his
action appropriate? What values did the new teacher learn after that
incident?
Answer:
When Abdul Kalam was in the fifth standard, a new teacher, who had a
conservative and narrow outlook, came to teach them. He saw Abdul
Kalam sitting in the front row with Ramanadha Sastry. He identified Kalam
as a Muslim as he used to wear a cap which marked him as one and
Ramanadha Sastry, who wore the sacred thread as a Brahmin. The
teacher could not digest a Muslim boy sitting with a Brahmin boy, that too
the son of a priest. In accordance with their social ranking as he saw it, he
asked Kalam to go and sit on the back bench.

Abdul Kalam and Ramanadha Sastry, both, felt very sad. His action was
not at all appropriate as all human beings are equal. After this incident,
Ramanadha Sastry’s father, Lakshmana Sastry, called the teacher and
taught him the lesson that one must have respect for all religions and
work for communal harmony. He 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. His strong sense of conviction
ultimately reformed this young teacher.

Question 4.
How did Abdul Kalam earn his first wages? How did he feel at that time?
Explain.
Answer:
Abdul Kalam’s cousin, Samsuddin, helped him earn his first wages. He
used to collect newspapers from the station and distribute in
Rameswaram. It was the time of the Second World War. Initially his area,
being isolated, was completely unaffected by this War. But, soon the
Indian forces also joined the Allied forces. A state of emergency was
declared. The first casualty of the emergency was the suspension of train
halt at Rameswaram.

It affected Samsuddin’s business adversely. Now, the bundles of

newspapers had to be thrown from the moving train from the moving train
on the Rameswaram Road between Rameswaram and Dhanuskodi.
Samsuddin wanted a helping hand who could catch the bundles thrown
from the moving train. Abdul Kalam was engaged for this job by him.
Thus, he earned his wages for the first time. Abdul Kalam felt a great
sense of pride when he earned his first wages.

Question 5.
When Sivasubramania told Kalam, “Once, you decide to change the
system, such problems have to be confronted”. What system was he
referring to? What are “such problems”? What values did he want to teach
Kalam?
Answer:
Abdul Kalam’s science teacher, Sivasubramania Iyer, was a rebel by
nature. He was against the prevalent system of segregation of social
groups. He wanted to break these social barriers so that people from
varying backgrounds could mingle easily When he invited Abdul Kalam to
his home, his wife, in keeping with the prevailing system, refused to serve
Kalam, a Muslim, food in her kitchen.

But, Iyer not only served him food himself but also invited him next week
again. He told Abdul Kalam that when one decides to go against the age-
old social barriers, one has to face many problems. He proved that if one
is determined to face problems ’ and change the system, one succeeds.
He also tried to teach him that sometimes it is good to rebel. We should
fight for right reasons and to achieve higher goals.

Question 6.
How was the Science teacher Sivasubramani Iyer, though an orthodox
Brahmin with a very conservative wife, an important influence in Abdul
Kalam’s life? Give incidents to support your answer.
Answer:
The Science teacher, Sivasubramania Iyer wanted Kalam to be very highly
educated as he recognized his intelligence. He used to spend hours with
the young boy and would express his desire that Kalam develops his
abilities so that he was on par with the highly educated people of the big
cities. He also, wanted to break the social barriers between the Hindus
and the Muslims. One day, he invited him over for a meal.
His orthodox wife was totally horrified at the idea of a Muslim boy dining
in her ritually pure kitchen. He did not heed anything said by his very
conservative wife. He rather served Kalam food with his own hands. He
also sat with him and dined together with him. Not only that, he invited
him over again for another meal the coming weekend. Thus, this shows
that he was an important influence on Abdul Kalam even though Kalam
was a Muslim and he himself was an orthodox Brahmin.

Question 7.
What influence did Abdul Kalam’s teachers have on him?
Answer:
Teachers play a very important role in the lives of their students. Abdul
Kalam’s life, too, was influenced in a major way by some experiences that
he had during his school days. These episodes were instrumental in
shaping his character and later on his career. Once, when he was in the
fifth standard, a new teacher came to his class. A man with a conservative
and narrow outlook, he could not digest a Muslim boy sitting with a
Brahmin boy, that too the son of a priest. In accordance with their social
ranking as he saw it, he asked Kalam to go and sit on the back bench.

This was a heart-breaking experience for Kalam. This poison of social

inequality and communal intolerance could have demoralized the young
Kalam if his friend’s father, Lakshmana Sastry had not intervened. He
ensured that the teacher not only regretted his action but also reformed
himself.

Another very important influence in his life was Sivasubramania Iyer, his
Science teacher. He wanted Kalam to be very highly educated as he
recognized his intelligence. He used to spend hours with the young boy
and would express his desire that Kalam develops his abilities so that he
was on par with the highly educated people of the big cities. He also,
wanted to break the social barriers between the Hindus and the Muslims.
He invited him over for a meal and when his orthodox wife refused to
serve food to a Muslim boy in her ritually pure kitchen he served Kalam
food with his own hands.

He also sat with him and dined together with him. Not only that, he invited
him over again for another meal the coming weekend. He advised Kalam,
“Once you decide to change the system, such problems have to be
confronted”. These two experiences shaped Kalam’s outlook as they made
him realise the importance of confronting problems and fighting divisive
forces.

Question 8.
Why did the narrator’s father say, “Does the seagull not fly across the
sun, alone and without a nest”?
Answer:
When Abdul Kalam asked his father for permission to leave Rameswaram
and study at the district headquarters in Ramanathapuram, his father did
not get upset, nor did he try to stop him. On the contrary, he encouraged
his son to leave Rameshwaram and to spread his wings and go to make
his own way. He took example of young seagulls who leave their parents’
nest to leam to fly. His words have very a very important lesson.

Unlike human beings, most of the animals teach their young ones the
skills of survival and allow them to fend for themselves after a certain age.
This makes them more independent and courageous. For human also after
a certain age certain degree of responsibility and independence is always
helpful in making a perfect adult. Kalam’s father realised his son wanted
to go away to grow.

He was a wise man and was aware of the need of an individual to grow
and achieve his/ her full potential. He knew that life is not easy. His son
would have to make tremendous efforts to face the hardships of life. The
sons and Daughters must live their own lives.