My Childhood (A.P.J. Abdul Kalam) — Practice

Question 1

From which autobiography is the chapter 'My Childhood' taken?

Accepted Answer

✦ Answer: From 'Wings of Fire' (1999) — APJ Abdul Kalam's autobiography, co-authored with Arun Tiwari.

Question 2

Who were Kalam's parents and what did his father do?

Accepted Answer

✦ Answer: Father Jainulabdeen was a boat-owner (ferried pilgrims between Rameswaram and Dhanushkodi) and a mosque imam. Mother Ashiamma was a devoted homemaker. Kalam was the youngest of three brothers and one sister.

Question 3

Describe the incident with the new school teacher and how it was resolved.

Accepted Answer

Step 1 — The new teacher arrives.
  When Kalam was in fifth standard, a new teacher came to his school. The teacher saw Kalam (Muslim) sitting in the front row next to Ramanadha Sastry (Brahmin, son of temple priest).

Step 2 — The discrimination.
  Uncomfortable with this seating, the teacher ordered Kalam to MOVE TO THE BACK ROW — implying that a Muslim should not sit with a Brahmin priest's son.

Step 3 — Both boys felt hurt.
  Kalam felt humiliated; Ramanadha's eyes filled with tears. They both told their parents about the incident.

Step 4 — Lakshmana Sastry's intervention.
  Lakshmana Sastry (Ramanadha's father, head priest of Rameswaram Temple) was furious. He summoned the teacher to his home and rebuked him strongly: religion should NEVER divide children. He gave the teacher a choice — APOLOGISE OR LEAVE RAMESWARAM.

Step 5 — Resolution.
  The teacher realised his mistake, apologised, and changed his ways. The incident became a powerful turning point for Kalam — he saw firsthand how good people can defend communal harmony.

✦ Answer: A new teacher in Class 5 made Kalam move from the front row to the back row because Kalam (Muslim) was sitting next to Ramanadha Sastry (Brahmin priest's son). Both boys felt hurt. Ramanadha's father — Lakshmana Sastry, the temple high priest — summoned the teacher, rebuked him, and gave him a choice: apologise or leave Rameswaram. The teacher apologised and reformed. The incident taught Kalam how communal harmony depends on good people standing up to prejudice.

Question 4

What happened when Kalam went to Sivasubramania Iyer's home for a meal?

Accepted Answer

Step 1 — The invitation.
  Sivasubramania Iyer, Kalam's Brahmin science teacher, invited Kalam home for a meal. This was unusual because orthodox Brahmin homes traditionally did not serve food to Muslims in their kitchens.

Step 2 — The wife's refusal.
  When Kalam arrived, the teacher's wife refused to serve food to him in her kitchen — citing the orthodox custom.

Step 3 — The teacher's quiet conviction.
  Sivasubramania Iyer was undeterred. He SERVED THE FOOD HIMSELF to Kalam — in his own kitchen — while his wife watched.

Step 4 — The transformation.
  The teacher invited Kalam again the next week. This time, the WIFE SERVED KALAM HERSELF — she had reflected and changed her view.

Step 5 — The lesson.
  This quiet incident taught Kalam: change is possible; one person's principled example can break centuries-old prejudices; India's tolerance is built one heart at a time.

✦ Answer: Sivasubramania Iyer, Kalam's Brahmin science teacher, invited Kalam home for a meal. His wife refused to serve a Muslim. The teacher quietly served Kalam himself in the kitchen — while his wife watched. The next week, when Kalam was invited again, the WIFE HERSELF served him — she had changed her view. This incident taught Kalam that one person's quiet conviction can transform deep-rooted prejudices.

Question 5

How do the two formative incidents in the chapter together illustrate India's secular, composite culture? What lessons do they offer for today?

Accepted Answer

Step 1 — The two incidents.
  Incident 1: Lakshmana Sastry rebuking the prejudiced new teacher.
  Incident 2: Sivasubramania Iyer's wife changing her mind about serving a Muslim guest.

Step 2 — What they share.
  Both incidents involve a HINDU person (Lakshmana Sastry, Sivasubramania Iyer) standing up FOR a MUSLIM (Kalam). Both show prejudice DEFEATED by principled action.

Step 3 — India's composite culture (Ganga-Jamuni tehzeeb).
  These incidents are not abstract — they are LIVED examples of India's pluralistic ethos. Hindu temple priest defending Muslim child. Brahmin teacher's wife changing her mind. This is what India looks like when it is at its best.

Step 4 — The role of individuals.
  Both incidents show that COMMUNAL HARMONY DEPENDS ON INDIVIDUAL COURAGE. It doesn't happen automatically. It requires:
  • Lakshmana Sastry to summon the teacher
  • Sivasubramania Iyer to serve the food himself
  • The Brahmin wife to reflect and change

Step 5 — The young Kalam absorbs.
  Both incidents happened to him personally. He saw both — the prejudice AND the brave response. He carried these lessons through life. As President of India, he was loved by people of ALL religions — fruit of these childhood seeds.

Step 6 — Lessons for today (2026).
  • Communal harmony is NOT automatic — it must be actively defended
  • Prejudice is real but can be challenged successfully
  • One brave act can change attitudes
  • Children watch us — what we do shapes their worldview
  • India's strength is its diversity; protecting it is our shared duty

Step 7 — Application to current India.
  In 2026, India faces tensions over religion in many parts. Kalam's chapter is taught in CBSE schools across India PRECISELY BECAUSE these lessons are needed. Every classroom that reads this chapter is a small Lakshmana Sastry moment.

Step 8 — Beyond religion.
  The lessons apply beyond Hindu-Muslim relations:
  • Caste prejudice
  • Regional prejudice
  • Gender prejudice
  • Class prejudice
  Wherever prejudice appears, the lessons are the same.

Step 9 — Kalam's legacy.
  Kalam's life — Missile Man + People's President + loved by all communities — is the FRUIT of these childhood lessons. India's composite culture made him; and his life made India proud.

Step 10 — Conclusion.
  The two incidents together are not just personal anecdotes — they are MICROCOSMS of India's secular vision. They show that real secularism is built through individual acts of courage, friendship, and principled action.

✦ Answer: The two incidents illustrate India's secular culture in action — Lakshmana Sastry (Hindu temple priest) defending Kalam against a prejudiced teacher, and Sivasubramania Iyer (Brahmin teacher) breaking a caste-based food custom in his own home. Both show that COMMUNAL HARMONY IS BUILT BY INDIVIDUAL COURAGE — not just institutions or speeches. Lessons for today's India: prejudice can be challenged successfully, one act at a time; children absorb what they see; protecting India's diversity is a shared responsibility. Kalam's later life — beloved Missile Man and People's President — is the fruit of these childhood seeds.

Practice — My Childhood (A.P.J. Abdul Kalam)

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