My Childhood
Abdul Kalam, one of India’s most illustrious sons, reminisces about his humble upbringing …
Para 1 .. A. P. J Abdul Kalam is a household name in India, particularly among students and teachers. He was born in Rameswaram in a Tamil family. His father, Jainulabdeen, was a man of modest education and modest means. But, he had a generous mind and did everything within his means to do good to others. Kalam’s mother, Ashiamma, was a perfect wife, who actively cooperated with her husband in his benevolent activities. She cooked food to feed the needy and hungry every day. Kalam, then a child, recollects that the number of people fed by her mother was well above the number of her family members.
Para 2 .. Kalam lived with his parents in a fairly large pucca house that was inherited by his father from his grandfather. The house was built some time in the middle of nineteenth century. The house stood in the Mosque Street of Rameswaram. Jainulabdeen had inherited the large building from his father. Kalam had a few more siblings. His father avoided unwarranted expenses, but gave enough money for the family’s bare necessities. Thanks to his father’s wisdom, Kalam and others never suffered due to lack of food, medicines, and clothing. Unlike his well-built father and mother, Kalam had a short, unimpressive frame. His childhood passed off in the coziness of his family.
Part 3 … The World War 2 broke out in 1939 when Kalam was eight years in age. Due to some unknown reasons, the demand for tamarind seeds skyrocketed. Kalam went on errands to collect the seeds from near the trees and elsewhere. He handed over the day’s collection of tamarind seeds to a grocery store in his lane and got one anna in return! Jalaluddin, his brother-in-law, helped Kalam to make sense of the War that was unfolding. Dinmani, a local newspaper, published war stories in its headlines. In later years, Kalam could think and corelate the happenings in the war front with Dinmani’s headlines.
As the War dragged on, India was pulled into the side of the Allied powers to augment supply of manpower and materials. For the people of Rameswaram, it brought a very different result. The train stop at Rameswaram Road was done away with. As a result, trains ran from Rameswaram to Danuskodi non-stop. For newspaper vendors, it was a challenge. Someone on board the train carrying the newspaper bundles had to throw the newspaper sacks onto the Rameswaram Road railway platform. Holding on to the sack flying off a running train was quite a task. Samsuddin, Kalam’s brother, was one such vendor who had to catch the newspaper bundle being flung from the train. Kalam lent his shoulders to his brother Samsuddin in this operation, and got some wages from his brother as reward. It was Kalam’s first earning of his life. He fondly remembers this success.
Part 4 .. Kalam had three brothers and a sister. The parents instilled the goodness of their natures in the children. His father taught him to be honest and disciplined, where as his mother molded his mind to be virtuous and compassionate. Thus, the noble nature of his father and mother shaped his mind and character.
Ramanadha Sastry, Aravindan and Sivaprakasan were Kalam’s closest friends. Their orthodox Brahminic family background didn’t ever hinder their friendship. The divergence of their faith didn’t separate them in any way. Ramanadha Sastry was the son of Pakshi Lakshmana Sastry, who worked in the the Rameswaram temple as a high priest. In later years, Ramanandha Sastry occupied the same position that his ageing father left. Aravindan became a transport entrepreneur to cater to the needs of the pilgrims, and went into the business of arranging transport for visiting pilgrims. Sivaprakasan became a catering contractor for the Southern Railways.
Part 5 … In Rameswaram, a famous annual event called Shri Sita Rama Kalyanam was conducted with a lot of fanfare. Kalam’s family played a big role in this profoundly Hindu ritual. His father was in charge of arranging boats to carry the idols of Lord Rama from the temple to the marriage site. Lord Rama’s idol was seated on a well-decorated throne on board the boat. The marriage site was at the middle of a pond called Rama Tirtha. Such was the way Kalam’s family contributed to a Hindu religious function. Kalam recollects how his parents used to narrate bedtime stories based on Hindu scriptures and the life of the Prophet. Such was the seamless and tolerant orientation of Kalam and his siblings to Hinduism and Islam.
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