“My
Early Days” is an excerpt taken from Abdul Kalam’s autobiography, Wings of
Fire. It gives an introduction to Kalam’s boyhood, spent in Rameswaram. In this
excerpt, Abdul Kalam provides an excellent glimpse into his boyhood and the
various people who shaped his thoughts and moulded his personality.
Kalam’s father,
Jainulabdeen, was a person of wisdom and generosity. Though he was not very
rich, he took care of the basic needs of his children. Kalam’s mother,
Ashiamma, was an ideal helpmate to his father. The large Kalam family lived in
an old house located in a Muslim neighbourhood. The famous Shiva temple was
only a ten-minute walk from his house. Kalam remembers the days he went with
his father to the local mosque. When they returned after prayers, some people
carried bowls filled with water. The father used to dip his fingers in the
water and say a prayer, which cured several illnesses.
In
spite of his simple education, Kalam’s father had the wisdom that comes with
age and experience. He understood the inner meaning of prayer. He thought that
prayers are a means to communicate with other human beings without any differences.
Difficulties are nothing to be afraid of, but they always present opportunities
for introspection. When people came to him for spiritual advice and help, he
was always there for them. This simplicity enabled him to maintain friendships
across religion. The high priest of Rameswaram temple, Pakshi Lakshmana Sastry,
was a close friend of Kalam's father and they discussed various spiritual
matters. Kalam’s father had a daily routine which he followed even in his late
60s. He got up at 4.00 AM, offered Namaz
and walked for five miles to his coconut grove and came home on foot with a
dozen coconuts on his shoulders. Kalam tried to maintain the same spirit in his
own world also.
Kalam’s father built a boat with the help of a relative called Ahmed
Jallaludin. The boat took pilgrims from Rameswaram to Dhanuskodi. But in the
great cyclone, the boat was swept away and Panban Bridge collapsed with a train
full of passengers. Kalam understood the angry mood of the sea.
Jallaludin became a close friend of Kalam in spite of the difference in
years. He was fifteen years older than Kalam. Both of them went for long walks
in the evenings, discussing spiritual matters. Though Jallaludin was not
well-educated, was capable of writing English. The people of that area went to
him to have their letters or applications written. He was the one who
introduced Kalam to several new things happening in the world. STR Manickam, a
former 'revolutionary', had a personal library and invited Kalam to read the
books. Samsuddin, a cousin, was a distributor of newspapers. Dinamani was the
most sought-after newspaper and the people discussed politics, astrology, rates
of gold and the war. Kalam recalls the sudden demand for tamarind seeds. He
used to collect the seeds from houses and sell them for a sum of one anna.
During the Second World War, train halts at Rameswaram were suspended and Kalam
earned his first wages by helping Jallaludin in unloading bundles of
newspapers. These three people widened the view of Abdul Kalam.
Kalam
inherited honesty and self-discipline from his father and goodness and kindness
from his mother. From Jallaludin and Samsuddin, he adopted creativity. Though
they were unschooled, they had an innate wisdom.
Ramanatha Sastry, Aravindhan and Sivaprakasan were
childhood friends of Kalam. Though the three belong to an Orthodox Hindu
Brahmin family, they never felt any differences based on religion. People in
Rameshwaram lived amicably without any religious differences. For the Shri Sita
Rama Kalyanam ceremony, Kalam’s family used to arrange boats to carry the
idols. His mother and grandmother tell events from the Ramayana as bedtime
stories to the children. These incidents present the religious harmony of
Rameshwaram.
Kalam’s
boyhood was unmarked by any religious discrimination except on one occasion. A
new teacher made Kalam go to the back benches, as he could not stomach the idea
of Kalam sitting close to a Brahmin boy. When Lakshmana Sastry came to know
about it, he made the teacher change his ways.
Sivasubramania Iyer, the science teacher of Abdul Kalam, was something
of a rebel. He wanted Kalam to develop his knowledge and to become one of the
highly educated people. He invited Kalam
to his home for a meal. His orthodox wife was shocked by such an act and
refused to serve him food. The teacher served him food and ate with him. He
invited Kalam for dinner the next week. By knowing the hesitation of Kalam, she
advised him to face such problems when he wanted to change the system. When
Kalam went for dinner the next time, his teacher's wife served him.
Kalam
wanted to continue his studies at Ramanathapuram, the district headquarters.
His mother was very reluctant to send him, but his father convinced her. He
said that the children came through her and not from her. He advised her to
give her love to the children and not her thoughts.
Kalam joined Schwartz High School, but he felt
homesick at Ramanathapuram. He wanted to eat the different polis his mother
made. But he recalled the advice of his friend Jalalludin and controlled his
thoughts of homesickness. He believed he would go back to Rameshwarm later, but
the success he met with took him away from home.
