Chapter 6 of the Class 9 English textbook – Beehive – includes a prose piece titled My Childhood, which is based on Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam’s autobiography “Wings of Fire,” in which he discusses his youth. Interested in learning more? Here is a prose description of his childhood in CBSE English Notes Class 9 style for you to read and explore. CBSE Class 9 students may obtain a simple prose summary of the CBSE Class 9 English Prose Notes – My Childhood, which they can refer to when preparing the chapter for their examinations.
Students may also learn how to write an excellent essay during the test by reading the writings at SkillYogi
CBSE Class 9 English notes will assist students in studying the topic thoroughly and clearly.
These CBSE Class 9 English notes were written by subject experts who made the study material very basic, both in terms of language and format.
Introduction
Birth, Childhood And First Earning Of Abdul Kalam
Abdul Kalam was born in 1931 in the Tamil Nadu island town of Rameswaram to a middle-class Muslim family.
Throughout his childhood, he was influenced significantly by his parents, teachers, and friends.
Abdul’s father, Jainulabdeen, was illiterate but a generous and kind man.
He was not wealthy, but he provided a secure childhood for Abdul and his siblings.
Ashiamma was Abdul’s mother’s name. Abdul inherited his father’s honesty and self-discipline and his mother’s faith in goodness and profound kindness.
Abdul first earned money by assisting his cousin, Samsuddin, who distributed newspapers in Rameswaram. Abdul was only eight years old when the Second World War began in 1939.
At the time, there was a high demand for tamarind seeds. Abdul used to collect and sell these seeds in the market.
Incidents Of Abdul Childhood
He had three close friends during his youth: Ramanadha Sastry, Aravindam, and Sivaprakasha.
Each of these young men came from an orthodox Hindu Brahmin family.
When he was in the fifth standard, a new teacher requested that he refrain from sitting in the front row with the upper caste Brahmin boys.
When Abdul got up and went to the last row, he discovered Ramanadha Sastry crying.
This left an indelible impression on Abdul. This matter was brought to Lakshmana Sastry’s (Ramanadha Sastry’s father’s) attention. He was the temple’s head priest.
He advised the teacher not to sow the seeds of social inequality and communal intolerance in the minds of impressionable children. The teacher acknowledged his error.
Anti-Casteist Action Of Abdul’s Science Teacher
On the other hand, Abdul was profoundly influenced by Sivasubramania Iyer, his science teacher.
He learned how to overcome social barriers from him. Iyer invited him to a meal at his home.
His wife was an orthodox Brahmin who refused to serve a Muslim boy food in her ostensibly ‘ritually pure’ kitchen. lyer served him and sat beside him to eat his meal with his own hands.
He persuaded his wife to serve Abdul with her own hands the next time he visited, successfully altering his wife’s conservative attitude.
Abdul Gets Permission For Higher Education
Abdul sought permission from his father to leave Rameswaram and study at the district headquarters in Ramanathapuram for higher education.
Abdul’s father happily granted permission for him to pursue his own career.
His father persuaded his hesitant mother by quoting Khalil Gibran, who stated that parents are merely a means for children to develop independence from them; children do not belong to their parents.
Outro
SOLVED QUESTIONS & ANSWERS NCERT SOLVED QUESTIONS
I. Answer these questions in one or two sentences each.
- Where was Abdul Kalam’s house?
Answer :Abdul Kalam lived on Rameswaram’s Mosque Street. It was a reasonably sized pucca house constructed of limestone and brick. - What do you think Dinamani is the name of? Give a reason for your answer.
Answer : Abdul Kalam’s habit of reading headlines to stay informed about World War II and his assistance to his cousin in collecting newspaper bundles thrown from trains indicate that Dinamani is the name of a daily newspaper. - Who were Abdul Kalam’s school friends? What did they later become?Answer : Ramanadha Sastry, Aravindam, and Sivaprakashan were among Abdul Kalam’s friends. Ramanadha Sasrry, one of his friends, became a priest in Rameshwaram.Aravindan, another friend, established a business arranging transportation for visiting pilgrims. Sivaprakasan, the third friend, became a caterer for the Southern Railway.
- How did Abdul Kalam earn his first wages?Answer :When trains were suspended at Rameswaram due to the war, his cousin requested his assistance in collecting newspaper bundles thrown from the moving train. Abdul Kalam earned his first salary through this task.
- Had he earned any money before that? In what way?Answer : Prior to the newspaper incident, there was an unexpectedly high demand for tamarind seeds in the market. Abdul Kalam used to collect tamarind seeds daily and sell them for one anna to a provision shop.
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?Answer : The author describes his father as a man who lives frugally but takes care of his family’s needs.He has described his mother as a kind and generous woman who used to feed anyone who came to the house.
Abdul Kalam has described himself as a small and frail child whose parents were tall and handsome.
- What characteristics does he say he inherited from his parents?
Answer :He inherited his father’s integrity and self-discipline. He inherited a sense of kindness and faith in goodness from his mother.
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)?
Answer :
(i) According to Kalam, Rameswaram is home to two distinct social groups: Hindus and Muslims. They each followed their own set of dress codes and rituals. For instance, Kalam wore a cap, while his friend Ramanadha Sastry wore the sacred thread.
“On the whole, the small society of Rameswaram was very rigid in terms of the segregation of different social groups,” says the author. –
(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 : Kalam mentions three childhood friends, all of whom had Hindu names, indicating their friendship. Kalam also mentioned his mother telling him bedtime stories from the Ramayana and the life of the Prophet.
Additionally, Kalam’s family used to organise boats for the transportation of Hindu gods’ idols. This explains the natural cooperation between Hindus and Muslims in the majority of India. They were aware of their multiple identities, but they coexisted peacefully, just as people do in any other society.
“On the whole, the small society of Rameswaram was very rigid in terms of the segregation of different social groups,” says the author. –
(iii) The author speaks both types of people who were aware of the differences among different people and those who tried to bridge these differences. Can you identify such people in the text?
Answer : The first person mentioned was Rarnanadha’s father, who was the temple’s high priest. He called the teacher and convinced him to rescind his decision after hearing char the new reacher attempted to segregate pupils based on religious affiliations.
Sivasubramania Iyer, the science teacher, was the second individual. He invited Kalam to his home for a meal. He was able to change his conservative wife’s mind with this gesture.
“On the whole, the small society of Rameswaram was very rigid in terms of the segregation of different social groups,” says the author. –
(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 : The first incident occurred when a new teacher at Kalam’s school attempted to instil a sense of community among students.
Another incident occurred when the wife of a science teacher refused to serve food to Kalam because he was a Muslim boy. In both instances, the individuals attempting to alter mindsets stood their ground.
They spoke plainly and modelled what they preached. This resulted in a shift in the attitudes of those with traditional beliefs.
(i) Why did Abdul Kalam want to leave Rameswaram?
(ii) What did his father say to this?
(iii) What do you think his words mean? Why do you think he spoke those words?
Answer : (i) Kalam wanted to get a better/higher education which was available in the city. So, he wanted to leave Rameswaram.(ii) His father encouraged him to leave Rameshwaram. He gave Abdul the example of young seagulls who leave their parents’ nest to learn to fly.
(iii) The father’s words had a very deep meaning. Unlike human beings, most animals grow on their own after a certain age. This makes them more independent.
Even in the plant kingdom, most of the seeds cannot germinate if they are left lying under the mother tree. They get spread by various means and then only are they able to sprout to become a new plant and ultimately a tree.
In humans also, after a certain age, a certain degree of responsibility and independence is always helpful in making a better adult.