Class 9, Chapter 6: My Childhood

Chapter 6 in "Beehive" is **"My Childhood"** (an extract from "Wings of Fire" by A.P.J. Abdul Kalam).

Chapter 6: My Childhood**

**Thinking about the Text**

**I. Answer these questions in one or two sentences each.**

1. **Where was Abdul Kalam’s house?**

    * **Answer:** Abdul Kalam’s house was on the Mosque Street in Rameswaram.

2. **What do you think Dinamani is the name of? Give a reason for your answer.**

    * **Answer:** Dinamani is likely the name of a local newspaper. The reason is that Abdul Kalam used to try to trace the stories of the Second World War in the headlines of Dinamani, and later he helped his cousin Samsuddin distribute it.

3. **Who were Abdul Kalam’s school friends? What did they later become?**

    * **Answer:** Abdul Kalam’s school friends were Ramanadha Sastry, Aravindan, and Sivaprakasan.

        * Ramanadha Sastry became the high 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.

4. **How did Abdul Kalam earn his first wages?**

    * **Answer:** Abdul Kalam earned his first wages by helping his cousin Samsuddin catch the bundles of newspapers thrown out from the moving train on the Rameswaram Road, as the train halt at Rameswaram station was suspended during the Second World War.

5. **Had he earned any money before that? In what way?**

    * **Answer:** Yes, he had earned some money before that. He used to collect tamarind seeds and sell them to a provision shop on Mosque Street, earning about one anna a day.

**II. Answer each of these questions in a short paragraph (about 30 words).**

1. **How does the author describe: (i) his father, (ii) his mother, (iii) himself?**

    * **(i) His father:** The author describes his father, Jainulabdeen, as possessing great innate wisdom and a true generosity of spirit, though he had neither much formal education nor much wealth. He was also austere and avoided inessential comforts and luxuries.

    * **(ii) His mother:** The author describes his mother, Ashiamma, as an ideal helpmate to his father. She was kind and generous, feeding many outsiders along with her own family members every day.

    * **(iii) Himself:** The author describes himself as a short boy with rather undistinguished looks, born to tall and handsome parents. He mentions he was one of many children.

2. **What characteristics does he say he inherited from his parents?**

    * **Answer:** He says he inherited honesty and self-discipline from his father, and faith in goodness and deep kindness from his mother.

**III. Discuss these questions in class with your teacher and then write down your answers in two or three paragraphs each.**

1. **“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)?**

        * **Answer:** The author mentions two main social groups: Orthodox Brahmins and Muslims. Yes, these groups were easily identifiable. For example, Ramanadha Sastry, a Brahmin boy, wore a sacred thread, while Abdul Kalam, a Muslim boy, wore a cap which marked him as a Muslim.

    * **(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.)**

        * **Answer:** Although there were differences, they also naturally shared friendships and experiences. Kalam’s mother and grandmother would tell bedtime stories from the Ramayana and the life of the Prophet, indicating a sharing of cultural narratives. His closest friends were from orthodox Brahmin families. During the annual Shri Sita Rama Kalyanam ceremony, his family used to arrange boats with a special platform for carrying idols of the Lord from the temple to the marriage site, situated in the middle of the pond called Rama Tirtha, which was 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?**

        * **Answer:** People very aware of differences included the new school teacher who could not stomach a Hindu priest's son sitting with a Muslim boy and asked Kalam to sit on the back bench.

            People who tried to bridge these differences included Lakshmana Sastry (Ramanadha Sastry’s father), who summoned the new teacher and told him not to spread the poison of social inequality and communal intolerance. Sivasubramania Iyer, Kalam’s science teacher, an orthodox Brahmin with a very conservative wife, invited Kalam to his home for a meal and even served him with his own hands when his wife refused, thus trying to break social barriers.

    * **(iv) Narrate two incidents that show how differences can be created, and also how they can be resolved. (How can people change their attitudes?)**

        * **Answer:**

            * **Incident creating difference:** When the new teacher came to Kalam's school, he asked Kalam, a Muslim, to move to the back bench because he was sitting with Ramanadha Sastry, a Brahmin. This created a feeling of sadness and difference.

            * **Resolution:** Lakshmana Sastry, Ramanadha's father, firmly told the teacher that he should not spread communal intolerance and made him apologize or quit. The teacher regretted his behavior and reformed.

            * **Second incident creating difference:** When Sivasubramania Iyer invited Kalam for a meal, his conservative wife refused to serve Kalam in her ritually pure kitchen.

            * **Resolution:** Sivasubramania Iyer himself served Kalam and sat down beside him to eat. The next time Kalam was invited, the wife served him food inside her kitchen.

            People can change their attitudes through firm and principled stands taken by influential individuals (like Lakshmana Sastry and Sivasubramania Iyer), through education, by directly confronting their prejudices (as Sivasubramania Iyer did with his wife), and by observing others who demonstrate equality and respect.

2. **(i) Why did Abdul Kalam want to leave Rameswaram?**

    * **Answer:** Abdul Kalam wanted to leave Rameswaram to study at the district headquarters in Ramanathapuram. He wanted to pursue higher education and felt that Rameswaram offered limited opportunities for that.

    * **(ii) What did his father say to this?**

        * **Answer:** His father, though initially perhaps hesitant, understood his son's ambition. He told Kalam's mother, quoting Khalil Gibran, that her children were not hers but sons and daughters of Life’s longing for itself. He said they come through parents but not from them, and though parents can give them love, they cannot give them their thoughts, for children have their own thoughts. He encouraged Kalam to go and pursue his dreams.

    * **(iii) What do you think his words mean? Why do you think he spoke those words?**

        * **Answer:** His father's words mean that children have their own destinies, aspirations, and individual paths to follow. Parents are a medium for their arrival into the world but should not try to impose their own thoughts or restrict their children's growth and pursuit of their dreams. Children need freedom to develop their own potential.

            He likely spoke those words to console his wife who was upset at the thought of her son leaving, and to wisely guide his son. He wanted Kalam to understand the importance of following one's own path while also reassuring his wife that this separation was natural and necessary for Kalam's development. He showed great understanding and foresight.

**Thinking about Language**

**I. Find the sentences in the text where these words occur:**

*erupt, surge, trace, undistinguished, casualty*

Look up their meanings in a dictionary. Then use them in sentences of your own.

* **erupt:**

    * *Text sentence:* "For reasons I have never been able to understand, a sudden demand for tamarind seeds **erupted** in the market."

    * *Meaning:* To burst out suddenly and violently; to begin suddenly.

    * *Own sentence:* Laughter **erupted** in the classroom when the teacher told a joke.

* **surge:**

    * *Text sentence:* "A sudden demand for tamarind seeds erupted in the market. I used to collect the seeds and sell them to a provision shop on Mosque Street. A day’s collection would fetch me the princely sum of one anna. My brother-in-law Jallaluddin would tell me stories about the War which I would later attempt to **trace** in the headlines in Dinamani. Our area, being isolated, was completely unaffected by the War. But soon India was forced to join the Allied Forces and something like a state of emergency was declared. The first **casualty** came in the form of the suspension of the train halt at Rameswaram station. The newspapers now had to be bundled and thrown out from the moving train on the Rameswaram Road between Rameswaram and Dhanuskodi. That forced my cousin Samsuddin, who distributed newspapers in Rameswaram, to look for a helping hand to catch the bundles and, as if naturally, I filled the slot. Samsuddin helped me earn my first wages. Half a century later, I can still feel the **surge** of pride in earning my own money for the first time."

    * *Meaning:* A sudden powerful forward or upward movement; a sudden large increase.

    * *Own sentence:* A **surge** of excitement went through the crowd when the rockstar appeared on stage.

* **trace:**

    * *Text sentence:* "My brother-in-law Jallaluddin would tell me stories about the War which I would later attempt to **trace** in the headlines in Dinamani."

    * *Meaning:* To find or discover by investigation; to follow the course or development of.

    * *Own sentence:* The detective tried to **trace** the origin of the anonymous letter.

* **undistinguished:**

    * *Text sentence:* "I was one of many children — a short boy with rather **undistinguished** looks, born to tall and handsome parents."

    * *Meaning:* Not celebrated, popular, or well known; not distinctive.

    * *Own sentence:* He lived an **undistinguished** life in a small village, yet he was very content.

* **casualty:**

    * *Text sentence:* "The first **casualty** came in the form of the suspension of the train halt at Rameswaram station."

    * *Meaning:* A person or thing badly affected by an event or situation; a victim.

    * *Own sentence:* The old library building was a **casualty** of the earthquake.

**II. 1. Match the phrases in Column A with their meanings in Column B.**

| A | B |

| :---------------------------- | :------------------------------------------------- |

| (i) broke out | (a) to be obeyed (government orders) |

| (ii) in accordance with | (b) began suddenly (a war, a disease, a fire etc.) |

| (iii) a helping hand | (c) a sudden rush or increase |

| (iv) could not stomach | (d) help |

| (v) generosity of spirit | (e) according to a particular rule, principle, or system |

| (vi) figures of authority | (f) an attitude of kindness, a readiness to give freely |

| (vii) an air of demand | (g) was unable to tolerate |

| (viii) a first surge of demand| (h) persons with power to make decisions |

**Answer:**

(i) broke out – **(b) began suddenly (a war, a disease, a fire etc.)**

(ii) in accordance with – **(e) according to a particular rule, principle, or system**

(iii) a helping hand – **(d) help**

(iv) could not stomach – **(g) was unable to tolerate**

(v) generosity of spirit – **(f) an attitude of kindness, a readiness to give freely**

(vi) figures of authority – **(h) persons with power to make decisions**

(vii) an air of demand – **(a) to be obeyed (government orders)** *(This might be slightly different. "An air of demand" means an atmosphere where something is being demanded or expected. "To be obeyed" relates more to figures of authority or rules.)*

    * *(A better match for (vii) might be 'a feeling that something is expected or required'. However, from the given options, (a) is the closest, implying a situation that demands obedience or action.)*

(viii) a first surge of demand – **(c) a sudden rush or increase** *(This should be "a first surge of pride" as per text)*

    * *(Correction if it is "a first surge of **pride**" from text:* **(c) a sudden rush or increase** (of that feeling). If it is "demand" then still (c) would fit the general meaning of surge of demand.)

    *Revised and precise matching for (vii) is tricky with given options. Let's assume the intended connection:*

    (vii) an air of demand - *(Implying a situation that commands or expects something, often met by authorities).* **This does not fit (a) perfectly.** *A better option for (vii) from the options given for column B is not directly available. This matching seems problematic in the NCERT textbook for this specific phrase with these options.*

2. **Study the words in italics in the sentences below. They are formed by prefixing ‘un–’ or ‘in–’ to their antonyms (words opposite in meaning).**

    * I was a short boy with rather **un**distinguished looks. (undistinguished = not distinguished)

    * My austere father used to avoid all **in**essential comforts. (inessential = not essential)

    * The area was completely **un**affected by the war. (unaffected = not affected)

    * He inherited honesty and self-discipline from his father; from his mother, he inherited faith in goodness and deep kindness, and so did his three brothers and sister. (**in**herited = received from parents or ancestors) - *Note: "inherited" is not formed by adding a prefix to its antonym here. This example seems misplaced for the rule being explained.*

    **Now form the opposites of the words below by prefixing un– or in–. The prefix in– can also have the forms il–, ir–, or im– (for example: illiterate – il + literate, impractical – im + practical, irrational – ir + rational). You may consult a dictionary if you wish.**

* adequate – **in**adequate

* acceptable – **un**acceptable

* regular – **ir**regular

* tolerant – **in**tolerant

* demanding – **un**demanding

* active – **in**active

* true – **un**true

* permanent – **im**permanent (or non-permanent)

* patriotic – **un**patriotic

* disputed – **un**disputed

* accessible – **in**accessible

* coherent – **in**coherent

* logical – **il**logical

* legal – **il**legal

* responsible – **ir**responsible

* possible – **im**possible

* consistent – **in**consistent

* patient (adj.) – **im**patient

* effective – **in**effective

* mature – **im**mature

* literate – **il**literate

* respectful – **dis**respectful (Note: 'unrespectful' also exists but 'disrespectful' is more common)

* efficient – **in**efficient

* pleasant – **un**pleasant

* practical – **im**practical

**III. Passive Voice**

(This section explains active and passive voice and usually provides exercises.)

**IV. Rewrite the sentences below, changing the verbs in italics into the passive form.**

1. In Rameswaram, the newspapers *were distributed* by Samsuddin.

    * **Answer:** The newspapers **were distributed** by Samsuddin in Rameswaram. (Already in passive or phrase can be reordered).

    * *If the active was: Samsuddin distributed the newspapers in Rameswaram.* Passive: The newspapers **were distributed** by Samsuddin in Rameswaram.

2. The famous scientist *was congratulated* by the President.

    * **Answer:** The famous scientist **was congratulated** by the President.

3. When I came out of the house, I *was drenched* by the rain.

    * **Answer:** When I came out of the house, I **was drenched** by the rain.

4. A state of emergency *had been declared* by the government.

    * **Answer:** A state of emergency **had been declared** by the government.

5. Kalam's father *was respected* by many people.

    * **Answer:** Kalam's father **was respected** by many people.

    * *Assuming the sentences given were already in a form (like a phrase) that needs to be made fully passive:*

        1. The newspapers are distributed by Samsuddin in Rameswaram. (If active: Samsuddin distributes the newspapers...)

        2. The President congratulated the famous scientist. (Passive: The famous scientist **was congratulated** by the President.)

        3. The rain drenched me when I came out of the house. (Passive: When I came out of the house, I **was drenched** by the rain.)

        4. The government had declared a state of emergency. (Passive: A state of emergency **had been declared** by the government.)

        5. Many people respected Kalam's father. (Passive: Kalam's father **was respected** by many people.)

**V. Dictation** (This is a dictation exercise.)