Descriptive Questions Answers from Strong Roots by APJ Abdul Kalam

February 23, 2024June 30, 2020 by MANOJ

Questions Answers from Strong Roots by APJ Abdul Kalam

The passage “Strong Roots” has been taken from the famous autobiography “Wings of Fire” of Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam who was instrumental in developing ISRO. He is also known as the Missile Man of India as he took important role in developing many missiles like Agni, Prithvi in India.

The passage “Strong Roots” is an autobiographical description of Kalam’s childhood, his parentage, the influence of his father on him. The descriptive questions answers mentioned below will help to analyse the passage “Strong Roots.”

Important Descriptive Questions Answers from Strong Roots

(1) What does Dr.Kalam say about his early life and his parentage?

Ans:- In “Strong Roots” taken from the first chapter of APJ Abdul Kalam’s autobiography “Wings of Fire”, Kalam gives us a vivid description of his childhood, parentage, the generosity of his mother, the practical wisdom and deep influencing thoughts of his father. Kalam tries to convey that all these help to make him a perfect man. Kalam belonged to a middle-class Tamil family. He was born in the island town of Rameswaram.

Though his family was not rich but Kalam frankly speaks out ‘mine’ was a very secure childhood, materially and emotionally. He got everything in terms of food, medicine or clothing. Kalam followed his father who tried to avoid nonessential luxuries.

Kalam’s ancestral house was made of bricks and limestone, built in the middle of the nineteenth century, was fairly large. It was on the Mosque Street at a short distance from the famous Shiva Temple of Rameswaram. Kalam recalled that his parents were highly respected by the people of the locality.

Though his father had no formal education, but the great innate wisdom of his father helped people in time of necessity. His mother came of a respectable lineage. She, too, was kind and hospitable to the people. Thus, Kalam’s childhood which was grown up in the soft and yielding soil of his family helped him to grow up as a large tree having a strong root.

You may also like:

Ode to a Nightingale Questions Answers

Tree Plantation Programme Report Writing

Uses and Abuses of Internet

What Should Do and Don’t in COVID-19

(2) What was Kalam’s father’s attitude towards adversity? How far was Kalam impressed by that?

Ans:- Kalam’s father expressed his attitude towards adversity to him when he was young in age. He conveyed complex spiritual concepts in simple down to earth Tamil. He once told Kalam that in his own place, in own time – every human being is a specific element of the manifest divine being.

So, one should not be afraid of difficulties, sufferings and problems ; though every human being tries to avoid it. According to Kalam’s father, difficulties, problems, sufferings are natural to human life. So one must not get nervous then but try to assess his power of resistance.

One must have to study his inner strength of forbearance at time of adversity. Then adversity must be taken as blessing – an opportunity for self-assessment and one should understand the relevance of his sufferings.

(3) What picture of communal harmony presented by Dr. Kalam in “Strong Roots?”

Ans:- Abdul Kalam in his autobiographical essay “Strong Roots” highlights the communal harmony while describing his locality, Rameswaram where he was born. The locality was then predominantly Muslims. But a great number of Hindu families lived there with their Muslim brethren.

A sweet and cordial relationship existed between them. Rameswaram was famous to the pilgrims for the Shiva Temple. There was also an old mosque. Kalam said that the high priest of Rameswaram temple was a close friend of his father who was also a devout Muslim. But they often indulged themselves in the discourse on spiritual matters without any feeling of animosity.

Kalam’s father believed in the non-existence of spiritual barriers. He regarded everyone as a creation of same God. So people of different religions brought bowls of water to him. He dipped his fingertips and uttered a prayer. It was then carried home by them to cure the invalids. So, it was quite clear that there existed an amicable relationship between the two communities, the Hindus and Muslims.

(4) What was the fundamental truth revealed by Kalam’s father? How was Kalam influenced with the fundamental truths revealed by his father?

Ans:- The fundamental truth revealed by Kalam’s father was the perception in the existence of Divine power which helped everyone to overcome from all confusions, miseries, sufferings and troubles.

Kalam’s father believed that every human being is a specific element within the whole of the manifest Divine power which guides everyone to the true path of life. Kalam’s father also revealed the fundamental truth regarding the relevance of prayer.

His father believed that prayer made a possible communion of spirits between people. The prayer enables one to transcend his physical existence and become a part of cosmos where there is no difference of caste or creed; no difference of age or wealth. If a person can uplift himself from materialistic pleasures, he can achieve the path of freedom and peace of mind.

The realistic and wise teachings in discipline and austerity of Kalam’s father helped Kalam immensely in moulding his character. Even in his working field of science and technology, Kalam tried to follow his father’s beliefs. Kalam also believed that his father’s ideologies and spiritual notions helped him a lot to attain the path of success and peace of mind.

(5) What did Kalam’s father tell Kalam about the relevance of prayer and spirituality?

Ans:- Kalam’s father was a devout person who regularly went to the old mosque of his locality in the evening for prayer. When Kalam was young in age he used to accompany him in the evening prayer. Although Kalam could not make out the sense of the prayer that was chanted in Arabic language; but he was fully convinced that the prayer reached God or Allah.

Kalam felt curious to know the relevance of prayer in life. Then his father explained to him in a very simple, down to earth Tamil language about the purpose of prayer. According to him, there was nothing mysterious in prayer. He explained that the prayer made a possible communion between people and divinity.

Kalam’s father also told him that through prayer one could transcend his mere physical existence and became a part of the cosmos. The person then attained eternal peace and freedom in a divine communion without care for caste, creed, age or wealth.

You may also like:

How to Achieve Success in Life

Macbeth Questions Answers

Love and Beauty in Shakespeare’s Sonnets