Podcast
Questions and Answers
In what type of family was the author born?
In what type of family was the author born?
What was the occupation of the author's father?
What was the occupation of the author's father?
What was the author's age when the Second World War broke out?
What was the author's age when the Second World War broke out?
What was the unusual demand for in the market during the Second World War?
What was the unusual demand for in the market during the Second World War?
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How much money did the author earn from selling tamarind seeds?
How much money did the author earn from selling tamarind seeds?
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Why was the train halt at Rameswaram station suspended?
Why was the train halt at Rameswaram station suspended?
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What did the author inherit from his father?
What did the author inherit from his father?
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What did the author's friends, Ramanadha Sastry, Aravindan, and Sivaprakasan, grow up to do?
What did the author's friends, Ramanadha Sastry, Aravindan, and Sivaprakasan, grow up to do?
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What was the significance of the Rama Tirtha pond in the author's childhood?
What was the significance of the Rama Tirtha pond in the author's childhood?
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Why did the new teacher ask the author to move to the back bench?
Why did the new teacher ask the author to move to the back bench?
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Study Notes
Childhood and Family
- The author was born into a middle-class Tamil family in Rameswaram, Madras State.
- His father, Jainulabdeen, had little formal education and wealth, but possessed great wisdom and generosity.
- His mother, Ashiamma, was an ideal helpmate and would feed many outsiders daily, more than their own family members.
Ancestral Home and Upbringing
- The author lived in his ancestral house, built in the mid-19th century, on Mosque Street in Rameswaram.
- The house was made of limestone and brick, and his father avoided unnecessary comforts and luxuries.
- Despite this, all necessities were provided, including food, medicine, and clothes.
- The author had a secure childhood, both materially and emotionally.
The Second World War
- The Second World War started in 1939, when the author was eight years old.
- A sudden demand for tamarind seeds emerged, and the author would collect and sell them for one anna per day.
- The war had little impact on Rameswaram, but India's involvement led to the suspension of the train halt at Rameswaram station.
- The author's cousin, Samsuddin, needed help to catch newspaper bundles thrown from the moving train, and the author filled the slot.
First Job and Earnings
- The author earned his first wages by helping Samsuddin, which gave him a sense of pride.
- This experience, half a century later, still evoked a sense of pride in earning his own money.
Inherited Traits and Childhood Friends
- The author inherited honesty and self-discipline from his father, and faith in goodness and kindness from his mother.
- He had three close friends, Ramanadha Sastry, Aravindan, and Sivaprakasan, from orthodox Hindu Brahmin families.
- Despite their religious differences, they never felt any distinction among themselves.
Annual Ceremonies and Bedtime Stories
- The author's family would arrange boats to carry idols of the Lord during the Shri Sita Rama Kalyanam ceremony.
- Bedtime stories told by his mother and grandmother included events from the Ramayana and the life of the Prophet.
Incident in the Fifth Standard
- A new teacher in the fifth standard at Rameswaram Elementary School asked the author to move to the back bench because of his Muslim cap and seating arrangement next to Ramanadha Sastry, who wore a sacred thread.
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Description
Take this quiz to learn more about the early life and family of APJ Abdul Kalam, the 11th President of India. This quiz covers his childhood, family, and upbringing in Rameswaram.
