Word Meaning
- Erstwhile – প্ৰাক্তন
- Innate – জন্মজাত (সহজাত)
- Austere – সৰল অথচ কঠোৰ নিয়মানুবৰ্তী
- Undistinguished – সাধাৰণ (বিশিষ্টতাহীন)
- Ancestral – পূৰ্বপুৰুষৰ
- Erupted – হঠাৎ প্ৰাদুৰ্ভাৱ ঘটা
- Casualty – ক্ষয়-ক্ষতি
- Suspension – সাময়িক স্থগিতকৰণ
- Orthodox – গোড়া (পৰম্পৰাগত ধৰ্মীয় বিশ্বাসী)
- Segregation – পৃথকীকৰণ
- Downcast – বিষণ্ণ (তলমূৰ কৰা)
- Conviction – দৃঢ় বিশ্বাস
- Imminent – আসন্ন (অহাটো নিশ্চিত)
- Perturbed – উদ্বিগ্ন (অশান্ত)
- Summoned – মতাই অনা (তলব কৰা)
বাক্যাংশ (Phrases):
- Generosity of spirit – উদাৰ মনোভাৱ
- Could not stomach – সহ্য কৰিব নোৱাৰা
- Broke out – হঠাৎ আৰম্ভ হোৱা
- Figures of authority – কর্তৃত্বশীল ব্যক্তি
- A helping hand – সহায়ৰ হাত
- In accordance with – নিয়ম অনুসৰি
Thinking About the text
I. Answer these questions in one or two sentences each.
- Where was Abdul Kalam’s house?
Ans:-On the Mosque street in Rameswaram.
- What do you think Dinamani is the name of? Give a reason for your answer.
Ans:-Dinamani is the name of a newspaper. Abdul Kalam attempts to trace the Second World War’s news in the headlines in this newspaper.
- Who were Abdul Kalam’s school friends? What did they later become?
Ans:- Abdul Kalam’s School friends were Ramanadha Sastry, Arvindan and Sivaprakasan.
Ramanadha Sastry became the priest of the Rameswaram temple. Aravindan went into the business of arranging transport for visiting pilgrims. Sivaprakasan became a catering contractor for the southern Railways.
- How did Abdul Kalam earn his first wages?
Ans:- Abdul Kalam earned his first wages by distributing newspaper in Rameswaram.
- Had he earned any money before that? In what way?
Ans:-Yes, by selling tamarind seeds.
II. Answer each of these questions in a short paragraph (about 30 words)
- How does the author describe: (i) his father, (ii) his mother, (iii) himself?
Ans:- The author describes his father as a wise and generous(দয়ালু) person. His father had not much formal education and wealth. He avoided inessential comfort and luxuries.
His mother was a noble(মহান) and kind hearted person. She used to feed large number of people everyday.
The author was born into a middle class Tamil family. He was a short boy with undistinguished look.
- What characteristics does he say he inherited from his parents?
Ans:- The author inherited honestyandself-discipline from his father .From his mother he inherited goodness(সাধুতা) and deep kindness.
III. Discuss these questions in class with your teacher and then write down your answers in two or three paragraphs each.
- “On the whole, the small society of Rameswaram was very rigid in terms of the segregation of different social groups,” says the author.
(i) Which social groups does he mention? Were these groups easily identifiable (for example, by the way they dressed)?
Ans:- The author says about the people who belongs to different caste and follow different religious preachings (ধৰ্ম প্ৰচাৰ কৰা)
These groups are easily identifiable by their dressing, traditions, culture and rituals(ধৰ্মীয় ৰীতি-নিতী). For example, the Brahmins boy worn sacred thread and the Muslim boy wore a cap in his head.
(ii) Were they aware only of their differences or did they also naturally share friendships and experiences? (Think of the bedtime stories in Kalam’s house; of who his friends were; and of what used to take place in the pond near his house.)
Ans:-No, they were not aware only of their differences. They naturally shared close friendships and experiences:
Bedtime Stories: Kalam’s mother and grandmother told the children stories from both the life of the Prophet and the Ramayana.
Friendships: Kalam’s three closest childhood friends were all from orthodox Hindu Brahmin families, and they never felt any religious barriers between them.
The Pond Events: During the annual Shri Sita Rama Kalyanam festival, Kalam’s Muslim family arranged the boats with a special platform to carry the temple idols to the marriage site at the Rama Tirtha pond, which was right near his house.
(iii) The author speaks both of people who were very aware of the differences among them and those who tried to bridge these differences. Can you identify such people in the text?
Ans:-Yes, the text clearly identifies both groups:
People aware of differences
- The new schoolteacher: He forced Kalam to sit on the back bench because he couldn’t accept a Muslim boy sitting next to a Hindu priest’s son.
- The science teacher’s wife: An orthodox Brahmin who initially refused to serve Kalam a meal in her ritually pure kitchen.
People who bridged differences
- Lakshmana Sastry: The high priest who strongly reprimanded(ধমক দিয়া) the new teacher and forced him to apologize for spreading communal intolerance.
- Sivasubramania Iyer (The science teacher): He served Kalam dinner with his own hands, ate alongside him, and explicitly(স্পষ্টভাৱে) urged him to break social barriers to change the system.
(iv) Narrate two incidents that show how differences can be created, and also how they can be resolved. How can people change their attitudes?
Ans:-
Incident 1: The New Schoolteacher
- Created: A new teacher forced Kalam to the back bench because he was sitting next to a Hindu priest’s son.
- Resolved: The high priest Lakshmana Sastry confronted the teacher, demanding an apology or resignation, which reformed him.
Incident 2: The Science Teacher’s Wife
- Created: An orthodox Brahmin wife refused to serve Kalam in her ritually pure kitchen.
- Resolved: Her husband calmly served Kalam himself. This quiet example changed her attitude, and she served Kalam inside her kitchen on his next visit.
How attitudes change
Prejudices (পক্ষপাত) dissolve when firmly (দৃঢ়ভাৱে)challengedby respected leaders and when people witness quiet, positive examples that prove social barriers are baseless.
- (i) Why did Abdul Kalam want to leave Rameswaram?
Ans:- To study at the district headquarter at Ramanathapuram.
(ii) What did his father say to this?
Ans:-His father gave his permission by comparing Kalam to a seagull. He said:
“Abdul! I know you have to go away to grow. Does the seagull not fly across the sun, alone and without a nest?”
He also quoted the poet Khalil Gibran to Kalam’s hesitant mother, telling her that her children were not her own, but the sons and daughters of Life’s longing for itself, and that she could give them her love but not her thoughts.
(iii) What do you think his words mean? Why do you think he spoke those words?
Ans:-
What they mean: The words mean that children must independently venture(উদ্যম) out into the world to fulfill their potential(প্ৰতিভা) and achieve growth. Parents cannot hold them back or force their own thoughts upon them.
Why he spoke them: He spoke these words to comfort (সান্ত্বনা দিয়া)and convince (পতিয়ন নিওৱা)Kalam’s mother, who was deeply reluctant(অনিচ্ছুক) to let her young son leave home. He wanted to help her accept the practical reality of their child growing up and moving out.
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