Strong Roots - APJ Abdul Kalam , Most Important Question Class 12 3rd Semester

"Strong Roots": A Glimpse into Dr. Kalam's Inspiring Childhood

This blog post, inspired by the text "Strong Roots," offers a one-liner answer to practice questions, a concise summary, and a fact file about this insightful piece by Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam.

"Strong Roots" Summary

"Strong Roots" is an excerpt from Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam's autobiography, 'Wings of Fire'. In this piece, Kalam fondly recounts his early life in Rameswaram, emphasizing the profound impact of his parents and his environment on his development, particularly his spiritual growth. He describes his parents, Ashiamma and Jainulabdeen, as ideal figures who, despite lacking formal education and wealth, possessed great innate wisdom and a generous spirit. His father, in particular, served as his guide in understanding complex spiritual concepts in simple terms. The narrative highlights the communal harmony of Rameswaram, where Hindu and Muslim families lived together amicably. Kalam's childhood was secure, both materially and emotionally, shaped by his parents' simple lifestyle and deep-rooted faith. The text underscores the idea that true strength and fulfillment come from a connection to a divine power and an understanding of one's place in the cosmos, lessons Kalam carried into his world of science and technology.

Fact File: Strong Roots

• Author: APJ Abdul Kalam
• Source Book: 'Wings of Fire' (Autobiography of APJ Abdul Kalam)
• Author's Parents: Jainulabdeen (father), Ashiamma (mother)
• Father's Qualities: Innate wisdom, generosity of spirit, austere, spiritual, mediator
• Mother's Lineage: More distinguished than father's; one forebear awarded 'Bahadur' title by the British
• Birthplace: Rameswaram, in erstwhile Madras state
• Childhood Locality: Predominantly Muslim, close to the Shiva temple
• Ancestral House: Built in the mid 19th century, made of limestone and brick
• Communal Harmony: Hindu and Muslim families lived amicably in the locality
• Father's Daily Routine: Started at 4 am with namaz before dawn, then walked to the coconut grove
• Distance to Coconut Grove: About 4 miles
• Father's Teachings: Emphasized the relevance of prayer, the concept of transcending the body to become part of the cosmos, and viewing adversity as an opportunity for introspection
• Key Message: The importance of strong roots (values, faith, upbringing) in shaping an individual's life and providing a sense of security and purpose.

Practice Question Answers (One-Liners)

• 'Strong Roots' is written by APJ Abdul Kalam.
• The full name of APJ Abdul Kalam is Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam.
• 'Strong Roots' is part of an autobiography.
• 'Strong Roots' is taken from 'Wings of Fire'.
• 'Strong Roots' presents a sketch of APJ Abdul Kalam's spiritual growth.
• Kalam says he was born into a lower middle-class family.
• APJ Abdul Kalam was by birth a Tamil.
• APJ Abdul Kalam's birthplace was in the town of Rameswaram.
• Abdul Kalam was born in the erstwhile Madras.
• The word 'erstwhile' means previous.
• Jainulabdeen in the extract is the author's father.
• Dr Kalam's father had neither formal education nor wealth.
• Kalam's father possessed great innate wisdom and a true generosity of spirit.
• For Kalam's father, his mother was an ideal helpmate.
• APJ Abdul Kalam's mother was Ashiamma.
• More outsiders than all the family members put together ate every day at Dr Kalam's house.
• Abdul Kalam's mother was known for her compassion and generosity towards others.
• Abdul Kalam describes his parents as being neither wealthy nor highly educated but kind, wise and large-hearted.
• Kalam's parents were widely regarded as an ideal couple.
• One of the forebears of Kalam's mother was awarded by the British the title of Bahadur.
• Kalam was a short boy with undistinguished looks.
• Kalam was born to religious parents.
• Kalam and his family lived in their ancestral house.
• Abdul Kalam's ancestral house was built in the mid 19th century.
• Kalam's house was a fairly large pucca house.
• Kalam's ancestral house was made of limestone and brick.
• Kalam's father used to avoid all inessential comforts and luxuries.
• Kalam's father was not luxurious.
• APJ Abdul Kalam sums up his childhood in Rameswaram as a very secure time, materially and emotionally.
• Kalam normally ate with his mother.
• The speaker usually ate sitting on the floor of the kitchen.
• Kalam's mother would serve him rice on a banana leaf.
• During his childhood, Kalam's lunch would include all of the above (rice and aromatic sambar, home-made pickle, fresh coconut chutney).
• The sambar served to Kalam was fragrant.
• The chutney that was prepared in Kalam's house was prepared with coconut.
• Rameswaram was famous to pilgrims.
• Rameswaram was famous to pilgrims for the Shiva temple.
• The temple near Kalam's house was dedicated to Lord Shiva.
• The locality where Kalam spent his childhood was predominantly Muslim.
• Kalam describes his neighbourhood as a predominantly Muslim locality close to the famous Shiva temple where Hindu families lived amicably with their Muslim neighbours.
• People in Rameswaram lived in harmony.
• Kalam's father would take him to the mosque for pre-dawn prayers.
• The prayers chanted in the mosque were in Arabic.
• Young Kalam had no idea of the meaning of the prayers chanted because the language was unknown to him.
• Kalam was totally convinced that the prayers reached God.
• People sat outside the mosque and waited for Kalam's father.
• When Kalam's father came out of the mosque, he saw people asking him for help.
• Many people offered bowls of water to Kalam's father who would dip his fingertips in them and say a prayer.
• Having dipped his fingertips in the bowls of water and saying a prayer, Kalam's father sanctified the water.
• The water sanctified by Kalam's father was carried home for invalids.
• People visited Kalam's home to offer thanks after being cured.
• Father always smiled and asked them to thank Allah.
• When people thanked Jainulabdeen after being cured, he always smiled and asked them to thank Allah the merciful.
• Kalam's father was well-known in their locality because he was a healer who prayed for the well-being of his fellow men.
• Kalam's father was acknowledged as a spiritual person because the priest of the Rameswaram temple had discussions with him.
• The name of the high priest of Rameswaram temple was Pakshi Lakshmana Sastry.
• Pakshi Lakshmana Sastry was a friend to Kalam's father.
• The 'two men' here refer to Jainulabdeen and Pakshi Lakshmana Sastry.
• Both Kalam's father and the high priest used to wear traditional attire.
• Kalam's father and the high priest used to discuss about the spiritual matters.
• Kalam once asked his father about the relevance of prayer.
• Kalam's father told him that there was nothing mysterious about prayer.
• According to Jainulabdeen, prayer made possible a communion between man and God.
• Jainulabdeen said that through prayer a man can transcend his body.
• According to Dr Kalam's father, during prayer one becomes a part of the cosmos.
• No division of wealth, age, caste or creed is known to the cosmos.
• Abdul Kalam's father would convey complex spiritual concepts in simple, down-to-earth Tamil.
• According to Kalam's father every human being is a specific element within the whole of the manifest divine Being.
• The author learns from his father's words about troubles and sufferings to view challenges as opportunities for growth and self-discovery.
• In the words of Abdul Kalam's father, adversity always presents opportunities for introspection.
• According to Kalam's father since adversity always presents opportunities for introspection, we must try to understand its relevance.
• Here the word 'introspection' means deep thought about one's own thoughts, feeling or behaviour.
• The people came to Kalam's father for help and advice.
• Looking straight into Kalam's eyes, Jainulabdeen tried to judge Kalam's capacity to comprehend his words.
• Kalam's father answered his question in a low, deep voice.
• The words of Abdul Kalam's father filled him with a strange energy and enthusiasm.
• According to Kalam's father, whenever one feels lonely, one starts looking for company.
• According to Kalam's father, when people are in trouble, they look for someone to help them.
• According to Kalam's father, whenever people reach an impasse they look for someone to show them the way out.
• Every recurrent anguish, longing and desire finds its own special helper.
• The people who came to Jainulabdeen were in distress.
• Kalam's father believed that for people in distress, he was a mere mediator.
• Kalam's father works as a go-between in people's effort to propitiate demonic forces with prayers and offerings.
• Here 'This' refers to propitiating demonic forces with prayers and offerings.
• One must understand the difference between a fear-ridden vision of destiny and the vision that enables us to seek the enemy of fulfilment within ourselves.
• Kalam's father emphasized simplicity and spirituality as the key to a peaceful life.
• Kalam remembers his father starting his day at 4 am.
• Jainulabdeen started his day at 4 am with namaz.
• After reading the namaz before dawn, Abdul Kalam's father used to go to the coconut grove.
• The distance between Kalam's house and the coconut grove was about four miles.
• Kalam's father would return from the grove with about a dozen coconuts.
• Kalam's father used to take his breakfast after returning from the coconut grove.
• Kalam's father followed his routine till his death.
• APJ Abdul Kalam's own world was concerned with science and technology.
• Kalam endeavoured to understand the fundamental truths revealed to him by his father.
• The fundamental truth revealed to Kalam by his father was that there exists a divine power.
• According to APJ Abdul Kalam, the divine power can lift one up from all of these (confusion, misery, failure).
• The divine power can guide one to one's true place.
• According to Kalam, severing physical and emotional bond leads one to all of these (peace, happiness, freedom).
• Kalam is also spiritual because he believes in the power of the divine.
• The significance of the title 'Strong Roots' is that it symbolizes the important values instilled in the author during his childhood.

"Strong Roots" Fill in the Blanks Practice

• Kalam was born into a middle-class Tamil family in the island town of Rameswaram in the erstwhile Madras state.
• Kalam's father, Jainulabdeen, had neither much formal education nor much wealth.
• Kalam's parents were widely regarded as an ideal couple.
• Dr Kalam's mother's lineage was more distinguished than his father's.
• One of Kalam's mother's forebears had been bestowed the title of Bahadur by the British.
• Kalam lived in their ancestral house, which was built in the middle of the 19th century.
• Dr Kalam lived on Mosque Street.
• Kalam's father used to avoid all inessential comforts and luxuries.
• Kalam's father would not provide his family inessential comforts and luxuries.
• In fact, I would say mine was a very secure childhood, materially and emotionally.
• On the banana leaf, Ashiamma ladled rice and aromatic sambar.
• The Shiva temple made Rameswaram famous to pilgrims.
• The Shiva temple was ten minutes' walk from Abdul Kalam's house.
• Kalam's locality was predominantly Muslim, but there were quite a lot of Hindu families too.
• Dr Kalam lived amicably with both Hindu and Muslim neighbours.
• Kalam grew up in a society which was secular and integrated.
• When Jainulabdeen came out of the mosque after the prayers, people of different religions would be sitting outside.
• Many of them offered bowls of water to Kalam's father.
• Kalam also remembers people visiting their home to offer thanks after being cured.
• Pakshi Lakshmana Sastry used to discuss spiritual matters with Kalam's father.
• One of the most vivid memories of Kalam's early childhood is of the two men, each in traditional attire discussing spiritual matters.
• Prayer made possible a communion of spirit between people.
• When you pray, you transcend your body and become a part of the cosmos.
• Kalam's father could convey complex spiritual concepts in very simple, down-to-earth Tamil.
• Every human being is a specific element within the whole of the manifest divine being.
• When troubles come, try to understand the relevance of your sufferings.
• Adversity always presents opportunities for introspection.
• Kalam's father judged his capacity to comprehend his words.
• Whenever human beings find themselves alone, they start looking for company, a natural reaction.
• Whenever they reach an impasse, they look for someone to show them the way out.
• Every recurrent anguish, longing and desire finds its own special helper.
• The people who came to Jainulabdeen were in distress.
• Kalam's father believed that for people in distress, he was a mere mediator.
• Kalam's father works as a go-between in people's effort to propitiate demonic forces with prayers and offerings.
• Here 'This' refers to propitiating demonic forces with prayers and offerings.
• One must understand the difference between a fear-ridden vision of destiny and the vision that enables us to seek the enemy of fulfilment within ourselves.
• Kalam's father emphasized simplicity and spirituality as the key to a peaceful life.
• Kalam remembers his father starting his day at 4 am.
• Jainulabdeen started his day at 4 am with namaz.
• After reading the namaz before dawn, Abdul Kalam's father used to go to the coconut grove.
• The distance between Kalam's house and the coconut grove was about four miles.
• Kalam's father would return from the grove with about a dozen coconuts.
• Kalam's father used to take his breakfast after returning from the coconut grove.
• Kalam's father followed his routine till his death.
• APJ Abdul Kalam's own world was concerned with science and technology.
• Kalam endeavoured to understand the fundamental truths revealed to him by his father.
• The fundamental truth revealed to Kalam by his father was that there exists a divine power.
• According to APJ Abdul Kalam, the divine power can lift one up from all of these (confusion, misery, failure).
• The divine power can guide one to one's true place.
• According to Kalam, severing physical and emotional bond leads one to all of these (peace, happiness, freedom).
• Kalam is also spiritual because he believes in the power of the divine.
• The significance of the title 'Strong Roots' is that it symbolizes the important values instilled in the author during his childhood.