Why do you think the autobiographical piece has been aptly entitled ‘Strong Roots’? Justify your answer.
‘Strong Roots’ is the story of an eminent personality who recounts the roots of all his morals, knowledge and philosophy of life. His failures, his successes and the unexpected and unprecedented glory he achieved inspire us to believe that with hard work and self-confidence we can control our destiny. Dr APJ Abdul Kalam’s inclination to highlight the role of his family, relatives and mentors in shaping up his career, reflects his gratitude towards them. It is a narrative where 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, to his country even after achieving exemplary success. 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.
Write how Abdul Kalam presents his father in his autobiographical writing ‘Strong Roots’.
Jainulabdeen had a great personality. Kalam himself told us that though his father neither had any formal schooling nor much wealth, yet he was very wise and generous. Jainulabdeen was a religious person who led a simple and disciplined life. He was very hardworking and read the namaz daily before dawn. He had the unique ability to explain complex spiritual concepts in easy and simple Tamil. On one hand, being intelligent and modern in his outlook, Jainulabdeen believed that adversity always provides scope for introspection. On the other hand, he had a lot of sympathy for those who had a fear-ridden vision of destiny and were in trouble. Therefore, he played the role of a mediator in their attempt to satisfy demonic forces. Moreover, it was considered that Jainulabdeen possessed an exclusive power to cure the invalids. He dipped his fingertips in bowls of water and said prayers, which cured many invalids. His lifestyle, as well as his teachings, inspired Kalam to overcome all impediments and attain immeasurable success.
How does the author describe his mother?
“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?
“Our locality was predominantly Muslim,”—Who is the speaker? How does the speaker describe the locality? What picture of communal harmony do you find in this description?
“I normally ate with my mother.”-Who ate with his mother? Name his mother. Where did he eat with his mother? What did he eat with his mother?
“When my father came out of the mosque after the prayers, people of different religions would be sitting outside, waiting for him.” – What would usually happen when Kalam’s father came out of the mosque after the prayers? Why did the people of different religions wait for the narrator’s father? When would his father smile and ask people to thank Allah?
“Why don’t you say this to the people who come to you…?”-Who says this and to whom? What is referred to by the word ‘this’? Why do the people come to the person spoken to?
“This is not a correct approach at all…”—Who said this? What is the approach’? Why is the approach not correct?
“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.”-What do you mean by “.. fear-ridden vision of destiny”? What is the other vision? Which is to be preferred and why?
What kind of a childhood did APJ Abdul Kalam have?
How did Kalam’s father function as a religious healer? How much successful was he?
What was Kalam’s father’s response to his son’s query about prayer and spirituality?
What information do we get about the daily routine of Kalam’s father from the autobiographical piece Strong Roots’? How did it inspire young Kalam?
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?
How did his father’s attitude to adversity influence the young Kalam?
How did Kalam’s father influence Kalam’s perception and interpretation of divine power? How, according to Abdul Kalam, can an individual achieve freedom, happiness and peace of mind?
What do you learn from APJ Abdul Kalam’s autobiography?
How does Abdul Kalam express his gratitude towards his father?
