“Strong Roots” : APJ Abdul Kalam

“Strong Roots” : APJ Abdul Kalam

1 “We lived in our ancestral house,” – Who is the speaker? When was the house built? What kind of house was it? How did the inmates of the house lead their lives in the house?

Ans: A.P.J. Kalam in “Strong Roots” is the speaker here.

The house was built in the middle of the 19th century.

The house was a fairly large pucca house, made of limestone and brick, on the Mosque Street in Rameswaram. The house was about a ten-minute walk from the famous Shiva Temple.

APJ Abdul Kalam took birth in a middle class Tamil family in the town of Rameswaram. He lived in their ancestral house with his parents. His mother, Ashiamma, fed many outsiders daily along with his family members.

2 “Our locality was predominantly Muslim” – Who said this? How does the speaker describe the locality? Give the picture of communal harmony in this description.

Or,

Give the picture of the locality.

Ans: The speaker of the quoted line is APJ Abdul Kalam.

The locality Kalam lived was predominantly Muslim. There was a famous Shiva temple in the locality. Many Hindu families also lived in the locality. There was amicable relationship among the people. People lived in amity and peace. There was also an old mosque in the locality. People of all religions paid visit to the mosque and asked for the blessings of Kalam’s father. Moreover, Kalam’s father was an intimate friend of the head priest of Rameshwaram, Pakshi Lakshmana Sastry. They both discussed complex spiritual matters. This pen picture of the locality is depicted.

3 “This is not a correct approach at all” – Who is the speaker? What does the ‘approach’ refer to? Why is the approach not correct?

Ans. The above quoted line is said by APJ Abdul Kalam’s father Jainulabdeen.

Here the ‘approach’ refers to the way in which agonized people try to satisfy the demonic forces with prayers and offerings. The sorrowful people consider their anguish as an expression of anger of the demonic forces. To appease/reduce the demonic forces, Jainulabdeen takes a very special role.

According to Jainulabdeen, such type of approach is not correct because it is the outcome of fear ridden vision of destiny. According to him, the correct approach is to find out the enemy of fulfilment within oneself.

4 “We lived in our ancestral house”- who said this? When was the house built? What kind of house was it? How did the inmates of the house lead their lives in the house?

 Ans. APJ Abdul Kalam said this.

The house was built in the middle of the 19th century.

The house was a fairly large pucca house. It was made of limestone and brick. It was on the Mosque Street of Rameshwaram.

The persons who lived in the house led their lives very simply without any kind of unnecessary luxury comfort. They were given all kinds of essential things like food, medicine and clothes. They were secured both materially and emotionally.

5 What role did Kalam’s father play as a mediator in helping the distressed people?

Ans. Kalam wanted to know from his father why he did not tell the people who came to him to ask for help and advice in distress that adversity always brings the opportunity for introspection. In reply to this question, Jainulabdeen told Kalam that when someone is in distress or finds himself alone, he seeks company and help from others. Each and every pain or distress has a special helper. He should find out the relevance of sufferings. He told Kalam that he was just playing the role of a mediator in appeasing the demonic forces in a person through prayers and offerings, though he also said that it was not a correct approach and even this should not be followed. But he helped them out of sympathy and love. 

6. Significance of the title of the story, “Strong Roots”

 

Ans. "Strong Roots" recounts the roots of all morals, knowledge and philosophy of Kalam’s life. His life inspires us to believe that with hard work, self-confidence we can control our destiny. Here Dr. Kalam recollects the secure days of his childhood. The ascetic life led by his parents, his mother's benevolent nature and the spiritual and moralistic lessons he received from his father, helped him to stay rooted to his homeland. His father's view as to how to face the adversities in life enabled him to believe in the omnipresence of a divine power that can guide one to one's actual destination. The strong foundation of his character made by his parents brought him success in every step of his later life. Thus, the title of the story becomes absolutely appropriate.