Class 9- English -Beehive – Chapter 6
Chapter-6
I. Answer these questions in one or two sentences each.
1. Where was Abdul Kalam’s house?
Abdul Kalam’s house was on the Mosque Street in Rameswaram.
2. What do you think Dinamani is the name of? Give a reason for your answer.
Dinamani is the name of a local newspaper. It is so because Kalam traced the stories of the war in the head lives in Dinamani.
3. Who were Abdul Kalam’s school friends? What did they later become?
Ramanadha Sastry, Aravindan and Shivaprakasan were Abdul Kalam’s school friends. Ramanadha Shastry became the high priest of the Rameshwaram temple, Aravindan a transport businessman and Shivprakasan was the catering contractor for the southern railways.
4. How did Abdul Kalam earn his first wages?
When stoppage of trains was suspended at Rameswaram because of the World War, his cousin asked him for help in collecting newspaper bundles which were thrown from the moving train. This task helped Abdul Kalam earn his first wages.
5. Had he earned any money before that? In what way?
Yes, he had earned some money in this process of helping his cousin who was a newspaper distributor. A sudden increase in demand for tamarind seeds that could be seen in the market after the second world war broke out. He collected some of the seeds and sold them at a provision shop on mosque street. He earned up to one anna from daily basis.
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?
Kalam’s father, Jainulabdeen was not a wealthy or educated person. However, he was an honest and generous man, who possessed great innate wisdom. He was self-disciplined and avoided all inessential luxuries.
Kalam’s mother, Ashiamma was an ideal helpmate to her husband. She believed in goodness and profound kindness, and fed many people everyday.
The author describes himself as a short boy with undistinguished looks, who had a secure childhood. He is an honest and self-disciplined person, who believes in goodness and deep kindness.
2. What characteristics does he say he inherited from his parents?s
The author says that he inherited honesty and self-discipline, faith in goodness, and deep kindness from his parents.
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)?
(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.)
(iii) The author speaks both of people who were very aware of the differences among them and those who tried to bridge these differences. Can you identify such people in the text?
(iv) Narrate two incidents that show how differences can be created, and also how they can be resolved. How can people change their attitudes?
Kalam has mentioned Hindus and Muslims as two distinct social groups living in Rameshwaram. They had their different dress codes and rituals. For example Kalam used to wear a cap while his friend Ramanadham used to wear the sacred thread.
Kalam has mentioned three childhood friends and all of them have Hindu names, so their friendship is evident. Kalam has also mentioned about bedtime stories from Ramayana being told by his mother. Moreover, Kalam’s family used to arrange for carrying idols of Hindu gods. This explains the natural Hindu Muslim cooperation in most parts of India. They were aware of their different identities but they were living harmoniously as people do in any normal society.
The first person mentioned was Ramanadhan’s father. He, after hearing that the new teacher tried to segregate pupils on the basis of religious divisions, called the teacher and convinced him to revert his decision. The second person was Shivasubramania Iyer, the science teacher. He invited Kalam to have meal with him. This way he changed his conservative wife’s mindset.
The new teacher in Kalam’s school tried to create communal differences among students. Science teacher’s wife did not want to serve food to Kalam as he was a Muslim boy. In both incidences the persons who are trying to change the mindsets stood firm on their ground. They did the straight talk and practiced what they preached. This created a change of attitude among people who were of old thoughts.
(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?
Kalam wanted to leave Rameswaram for further studies. He wanted to study at the district headquarters in Ramanathapuram.
His father said to this that he has to go away to do progress.he again says, Does the seagull sat fly across the sun alone and without a nest.
I think he spoke those words to encourage Abdul Kalam and to control the emotional attachment of his wife for Kalam.