1. What did Dr. Kalam's father tell him about the 'relevance of prayer'?
or, What was Kalam's father's response query about prayer and spirituality?
Or, Is there anything mysterious about Prayer?
Ans. When Dr. Kalam attained the age to ask questions, he asked his father about the 'relevance of prayer'. He told Kalam that there was nothing mysterious about prayer. He regarded prayer as a means of Communion of the spirit between. Through prayer a man can go beyond his bodily existence existence and become a part of the Cosmos. The cosmos Knows no division of wealth, age, caste or creed. Thus Kalam's father justified the relevance of prayers.
( Q.2.) Why don't you say this to people who Come to you for help and advice"
(a) who said this and to whom ?/ who asked this to whom?
(b) what is the word referred to by the word 'this'?
(c) Why do the people come to the person Spoken to?
or, (d) what answer did the speaker get?
Ans (a) A.P. J. Abdul Kalam Said/asked this question to his father Jainulabdeen.
(b) Here 'this' refers to the Spiritual Concept of Jainulabdeen. According to him this world is nothing but manifestation of God. Every human being is a specific element within the whole of the manifest divine being.
(c) People would come to Kalam's father, Jainulabdeen for divine help and advice when they were in trouble.
(d) The Speaker got the answer that in every woe and welfare human beings Look for a Special helper Suitable for a particular purpose. A Lonely person looks for company a man in trouble Looks for a helper.
Whenever human beings reach an impasse, they Search for a guide to show them the way out. For people in destress he himself was a mediator in their attempt to please demonic forces with prayers and offerings. But he did not approve of this approach.
(Q.3) "His answer filled me with strong energy and enthusiasm"-
(a) I who is the speaker? (b) whose answer is being referred to here? (c) What was the answer?
Or,
(a) Whose answer had such impact? (b) Who was thus impressed? (c) What was the answer?
And.(a) Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam is the speaker here.
(b) A-P.J. Abdul Kalam's father, Jainulabdeen's • answer is being referred to here.
(c) APJ Abdul Kalam's father, Jainculaden answered that every recurrent anguish, Longing and desire demands its own special helpes for the people in distress, he was a mediator in their attempt to please demonic forces with prayers and offerings.
Or,(a) The answer given by APJ Abdul Kalam's father to his son's query had such impact.
Or,(b) APJ Abdul Kalam was highly impressed by his father, Jainulabdeen's answer to his question.
(Q:4) "Our locality was predominantly muslim"--
(a) Who is the speaker?
(b) How does the speaker describe the Locality?
(c) what picture of communal harmony do you find in the description ?
Ans. (a) A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, the writer of the piece "Strong Roots" is the speaker here.
(b) The Locality where Kalam lived was predominantly muslims. A lot of hindus families also lived there. There was a great shiva temple in the locality, which made Rameswaram very famous to pilgrims. There was a very old mosque in the locality too. Kalam used to go there with his father for evening prayer.
(c) In the description of Kalam's autobiography We find the following picture of Communal Harmony. Hindus and muslims lived together دوستان amicably. The shiva temple and the old mosque were situated in the same locality. Though Pakshi Lakshmana Sastry and Kalam's father belonged to different religions, they were close friends and discussed spiritual matters. So, there was no discrimination among religions.
(Q.5) "I normally ate with my mother" -
(a) who ate with his mother? Name his mother?
(b) where did he eat with his mother?
(c)what did he eat with his mother?
Ans. In the autobiographical writing, "Strong Roots" A.P.J. Abdul Kalam says that he ate with his mother. His mother's name is Ashiamma.
(b) Dr. Abdul Kalam ate with his mother, Sitting on the floor of the Kitchen.
(C) A.P.J. Abdul Kalam would eat rice, aromatic Sambar, a variety of sharp, home-made pickles and a dollop of fresh coconut chutney with his mother on a banana leaf placed by his mother.
(Q.6) What had remained the routine for Abdul Kalam's father even when he was in his Late sixties? what does Abdul Kalam say about his emulation of his father?
Ans. Kalam's father, Jainulabdeen was a religious person. He Started his day at 4 am by reading the namaz before down. After the namaz, he used to walk down to a small Coconut grove they possessed about four miles away. He would return home with about a dozen Coconuts tied together thrown over his shoulder and only then he would have his breakfast. This remained his routine even when he was in his Late Sixties.
Abdul Kalam tried to emulate his father in his own world of science and technology throughout his life. He has endeavoured جدوجہد کرنا to understand the fundamental truths revealed to him by his father and feel Convinced that there exists a divine Power that can lift one up from confusion, misery, melancholy and failure and guide one to one's true place.
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