Questions and answers of Strong Roots

Strong Roots broad / long / descriptive important questions and answers for Class -  12 | WBCHSE | Strong Roots questions and answers | Strong Roots - APJ Abdul Kalam questions answers 

Q.  Why Does APJ Abdul Kalam feel that he had a secure childhood? 

                              OR

Describe Kalam's Childhood in "Strong Roots" as described by APJ Abdul Kalam.

Ans :- From APJ Abdul Kalam's "Strong Roots" we come to know that APJ Abdul Kalam was born in a middle class Tamil family. His father, Jainulabdeen,had neither much formal education nor much wealth but he had a great innate wisdom. His mother, Asiamma, was busy with the household services. Overall his parents were an ideal couple. Kalam was short boy with rather undistinguished looks. He lived in their ancestral house which was large pucca house, made by limestone and brick. He was provided with all essential comforts like food, medicine and clothing in his childhood. He was brought up in happiness. That is why Kalam says that he had a secure childhood without any hardship or difficulties.

Q. “Our locality was predominantly Muslim” - Who is the speaker? How does the speaker describe the locality? What picture of communal harmony do you find in this description?

Ans :- Dr. A .P. J. Abdul Kalam is the speaker here. 

        Dr. A .P. J. Abdul Kalam lived in the island town of Rameswaram which was famous for the great Shiva temple. Many pilgrims came there all the year around. Though it was a predominantly a Muslim locality but  many Hindu families also  lived there amicably. In that locality there was a very old mosque where Kalam’s father used to take him every day for evening prayers. The people of every religion gathered to seek his father’s blessings when he came out from the mosque after prayer. The head priest of The Shiva temple, Pakshi Laxmana Sastry shared a spiritual bond with Kalam’s father. So it can be said that the locality was completely free from narrow communalism in every sense of the term.

              The locality where Kalam was born was predominantly Muslim. But there were many Hindu families too who lived there with Muslim families very peacfully .There was no particular communal character of that small island town. A devout Muslim and the head priest of the famous Shiva temple discussed spiritual matters in their traditional attire. Though they had different religious faith there was cultural oneness between them. All these uphold the fact that Rameswaram was an ideal place for all the communities to live in.

Q. “I normally ate with my mother.” - Who ate with his mother? Name his mother. Where did he eat with his mother? What did he eat with his mother? 

Ans :- The narrator, A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, ate with his mother.

           His mother was Ashiamma.

         He ate with his mother, sitting on the floor of the kitchen.

           His mother would place a banana leaf before him on which she would place rice and aromatic sambar, a variety of sharp, home-made pickle and a dollop of fresh coconut chutney.

Q. What was Kalam's father's response to his son's query about prayer and spirituality?

Ans :- Kalam's father was a religious person. Naturally Kalam was brought up in a religious atmosphere. One day when Kalam asked his father about the relevance of prayer his father explained it very clearly. He told that there was nothing mysterious about prayer. In fact prayer made possible a communion of spirit between people. He further told that when a person prayed he transcended his body and became a part of the cosmos. He becomes a part of the cosmos without any division of wealth, age, caste or creed. As for spirituality Kalam's father told that every human being is a specific part within the whole of the manifest divine being. So we should not be afraid of our sufferings. When we are in trouble we should try to understand the relevance of our trouble because adversity always presents opportunities for introspection.

Q.What was Kalam’s father’s advice about dealing with adversity?

Ans :- Kalam’s father could convey complex spiritual concepts in a very simple down to earth Tamil. He once told Kalam that in his own place, in own time – every human being is a specific element within the whole of the manifest divine Being. So one should not be afraid of difficulties, sufferings and problems. When troubles come, one should try to understand the relevance of those sufferings. He always told Kalam that adversity always presents opportunities for introspection.

Q. How did his father's attitude to adversity influence young Kalam?

Ans :- Kalam was immensely inspired by his father's advice from his childhood. His father once told him that people should always try to understand the relevance of their sufferings if they are in trouble because adversity always presents opportunities for introspection. Kalam throughout his life followed his father's words in his world of science and technology. He always tried to understand the fundamental truths revealed to him by his father. He felt convinced that there existed divine power. This divine power could lift one up from confusion, misery etc. He even realised that it could guide a person to his true place. Once an individual could free himself from his emotional and physical bond he would achieve freedom, happiness and mental peace.

Q. “Why don’t you say this to the people who come to you…?” - Who says this and to whom? What is referred to by the word ‘this’? Why do the people come to the person spoken to?

Ans :- In his autobiography APJ Abdul Kalam says this to his father Jainulabdeen.

                According to Jainulabdeen, “every human being is a specific element withing the whole of the manifest divine being. So, why be afraid of difficulties, sufferings and problems? When troubles come, try to understand the relevance of your sufferings. Adversity always presents opportunities for introspection”. This fact is referred to by the word ‘this’.

               People come to the person spoken to because they are in trouble and in distress condition. They come to Kalam’s father for help and advice to get rid of their problems.

Q. “I have endeavoured to understand the fundamental truths” – who is ‘I’ referred to here? What are the fundamental truths? Who revealed them to the speaker?

Ans :- Here ‘I’ referred to A.P.J Abdul Kalam, the author of the piece ‘Strong Roots’.

               The Fundamental truths referred to here are that there exists a divine power that can lift one up from confusion, misery, melancholy and failure, and guide one to one’s true place. And once an individual severs his emotional and physical bond, he is on the road to freedom, happiness and peace of mind.

              A.P.J.Abdul Kalam's father Jainulabdeen revealed them to his son A.P.J Abdul Kalam.

Q. Who was a very close friend of Jainulabdeen? What did they discuss? What did Kalam’s father say about prayer?

Ans :- The high priest of the Rameswarm temple, Pakshi Lakshmana Sastry, was a very close friend of Jainulabdeen.

           They used to discuss spiritual matters.

           According to Kalam’s father, there is nothing mysterious about prayer. Rather, prayer makes possible a communion of the spirit between people. When we pray, we transcend our body and become a part of the cosmos, which knows no division of wealth, age, caste or creed.

Q. “His answer filled me with a strange energy and enthusiasm.” - Who is the speaker ? Whose answer is being referred to here? What was the answer? 

Ans :- Dr. A.P. J. Abdul Kalam, the author of ‘Strong Roots’ is the speaker here.

        The person whose answer is being referred to here is the author’s father, Jainulabdeen.

            Kalam found a great teacher and an ideal mentor in his father. He learnt the lessons of life and spirituality from his father who was very wise and humble. He learnt the values like discipline, tolerance and fellow-feelings from his father. Kalam’s father was a true spiritualist. Kalam's father taught him not to be afraid of adversity, for every odd situation in our life opens up an opportunity for introspection. And these lessons filled Kalam with energy and enthusiasm. Kalam also had a firm belief on the absolute power of a divine being. In fact whatever he learnt from his father, he practically applied in the every walk of his own life though they belonged to completely two different worlds.

Q. Describe Kalam's father's daily routine.

                                  OR

What kind of life would Kalam's father lead?

Ans :- Kalam's father Jainulabedeen was a religious person. So he would lead an austere and simple life leaving all inessential comforts and luxuries. He would start his day by reading the Namaz before dawn. After Namaz he would walk down to a small coconut grove they possessed. The coconut grove was about four miles away from their house. He would return home with about a dozen coconuts tied together thrown over his shoulder. Only then he would have his breakfast. This maintained this routine even when he was in his sixties.

Q. Give a brief account of Kalam's locality. 

Ans :- We come to know from APJ Abdul Kalam's "Strong Roots"  that APJ Abdul Kalam was born in a middle class Tamil family. He was born in the island town of Rameswaram in erstwhile Madras state. He lived in their ancestral house which was on the mosque street. The locality was predominantly Muslim, but a lot of Hindu families lived there. There was an amicable atmosphere between these two different religions. They lived in harmony and peace. He also mentions that the high priest of the temple was a very close friend of his father. They discussed their religious beliefs peacefully.

Q. What had remained the routine for Abdul Kalam’s father even when he was in his late sixties? What does Abdul Kalam say about his emulation of his father ? 

Ans :- According to Kalam his father led a life of discipline and spirituality. He Started his day by reading the Namaz at dawn. Then he used to walk four miles to reach the coconut grove they owned. He returned home with a dozen of coconuts hanging over his shoulder. Only then he partook of his breakfast. This was his daily routine till his late sixties. 

       Kalam’s father looked upon man as a specific element within the whole of the manifest divine being. He advised his son not to be afraid of difficulties or sufferings as adversity always presents the opportunity for introspection. This spiritual ideology left a deep and long-lasting influence on young Kalam. In his later life whenever he faced setbacks of any sort, he remembered his father’s advices and bounced back to confidence to overcome that failure. In every walk of his life Kalam applied all the lessons he learnt from his father.

See also ▶ Strong Roots by A.P.J.Abdul Kalam Multiple Choice Questions (MCQ) with answers

▶ Strong Roots by A.P.J.Abdul Kalam Short Questions And Answers (SAQ)

▶ Strong Roots by A.P.J.Abdul Kalam broad / long / descriptive important questions and answers

▶ Textual Grammar of Strong Roots with answers

👉 Topic wise Multiple Choice Questions (MCQ) with answers

👉 Topic wise short questions and answers (SAQ)

👉Topic wise broad / long / descriptive important questions and answers

👉 Most important writings for Class - 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th and 12th

👉 Grammar for Class - 8th - 12th