“Our locality was predominantly Muslim,” | “I normally ate with my mother.”-Who ate with his mother?

Here, the speaker is APJ Abdul Kalam. Kalam spent his childhood in their ancestral house in Rameswaram with his parents and siblings. The famous Shiva temple of Rameswaram was situated in their locality. The locality was predominantly Muslim, yet quite a lot of Hindu families dwelled in peace with their Muslim neighbours.

The locality where they lived was a perfect picture of communal harmony. Kalam, along with his father visited a very old mosque in their locality for evening prayers. The people of Rameswaram irrespective of their religions, gathered outside the mosque after their evening prayers to receive Kalam’s father’s blessings to cure the invalids because they believed that he possessed the healing power. Many people were often cured and went back to thank him. The high priest of the Shiva temple of Rameswaram, Pakshi Lakshmana Sastry had high regard for Kalam’s father and discussed spiritual matters with him. The two shared a good rapport. This spirit of brotherhood was prevalent in the town.

The great Indian scientist and 11th President of India, Dr APJ Abdul Kalam ate with his mother.

The name of his mother is Ashiamma.

Abdul Kalam usually ate with his mother, sitting on the floor of the kitchen of their ancestral house in Rameswaram. 

Kalam and his mother ate authentic South Indian food. Kalam’s mother would place a banana leaf before him, on which she then ladled rice and aromatic sambar, a variety of sharp, home-made pickle and a dollop of fresh coconut chutney.