Bright Tutorials Bright Tutorials
CBSE Class 9 English Question 8 of 38

My Childhood — Question 8

Back to all questions
8
Question
“ On the whole, the small society of Rameswaram was very rigid in terms of the segregation of different social groups,” says the author. Which social groups does he mention? Were these groups easily identifiable (for example, by the way they dressed)? 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.) The author
Answer

The author talks about the people who belong to various castes and follow various religious preachings. Yes, these groups were easily identifiable. Their dressing, traditions, culture and rituals were different.
They did share their personal experiences and friendships. Lakshmana Sastry summoned the teacher who separated the author and his friend in the class and told him that he should not spread the poison of social inequality and communal intolerance in the minds of innocent children.
The school teacher encouraged communal differences and Lakshmana Sastry and Sivasubramania Iyer discouraged this malpractice.
The influential people can do both the things. A teacher has the ability to bridge communal differences and can play with sentiments of the innocent and ignorant people. This is what the new teacher did. But the Science teacher Sivasubramania Iyer changed his wife’s attitude and showed her the right path.

Overview: My Childhood

APJ Abdul Kalam describes growing up in Rameswaram, Tamil Nadu, in a Muslim family. His father Jainulabdeen was an honest, self-disciplined boat owner; his mother Ashiamma was generous. Kalam's closest friends were Hindu — Ramanadha Sastry, Aravindan, and Sivaprakasan. When a new teacher tried to separate Kalam from a Hindu friend, the issue was resolved through dialogue. Kalam was shaped by his parents' values, his teachers' guidance, and Rameswaram's organic communal harmony.

Key Points

  • Born in Rameswaram, Tamil Nadu — island town
  • Father Jainulabdeen: honest, self-disciplined, austere
  • Mother Ashiamma: kind, generous — fed many people daily
  • Close friends: Ramanadha Sastry, Aravindan, Sivaprakasan (all Hindu)
  • New teacher separated Kalam from Hindu friend due to religion
  • Kalam's father and school headmaster resolved the issue
  • Rameswaram was a model of communal harmony
  • Hindu and Muslim traditions coexisted naturally
  • Kalam credits parents and teachers for shaping his values
  • Theme: communal harmony, influence of family, overcoming prejudice

Frequently Asked Questions

How did Rameswaram demonstrate communal harmony?
In Rameswaram, Hindus and Muslims lived together peacefully. Kalam's Muslim family had close Hindu friends. His father had deep knowledge of both Hindu and Muslim traditions. The town's famous temple and Kalam's mosque coexisted. This organic harmony shaped Kalam's secular values.
What was the incident with the new teacher?
A new teacher, seeing a Muslim boy (Kalam) sitting next to a Hindu Brahmin boy (Ramanadha Sastry), made Kalam sit at the back of the class. When Kalam's father and the school headmaster spoke to the teacher, he apologised and the discrimination ended.

Common Mistakes

  • Not reading the text carefully before attempting questions.
  • Giving vague answers without specific textual references.
  • Confusing characters, events, or themes from different chapters.
  • Writing too much for short-answer questions (should be 30-40 words).

Scoring Tips

  • For extract-based MCQs: read the passage carefully; eliminate wrong options systematically.
  • For short answers: be concise (30-40 words), use key vocabulary from the text.
  • For long answers: structure with introduction, body, conclusion. Quote from the text.
  • Always identify the chapter/poem name and author when answering.