1. What is the source of ‘Strong Roots’?
Ans: ‘Strong Roots’ is taken from Dr APJ Abdul Kalam’s autobiography, Wings of Fire.
2. In whom did Abdul Kalam’s father have an ideal helpmate? [H.S. – 2015]
Ans: Abdul Kalam’s father had an ideal helpmate in his wife, Ashiamma.
3. In which town was Dr APJ Abdul kalam born? [H.S. -2016]
Ans. Dr APJ Abdul Kalam was born in the island town of Rameswaram in the erstwhile Madras state.
4. Who was bestowed the title of Bahadur in ‘Strong Roots’? [H.S. – 2017]
Ans. One of the forebears of Kalama’s mother was bestowed the title of ‘Bahadur’.
5. Describe the ancestral house of Kalam? [H.S. – 2018]
Ans: The ancestral house of kalam was a fairly large pucca house made of limestone and brick. It was built in the middle of the 19th century.
6. What did Kalam’s father use to avoid? [H.S. – 2019, 2022]
Ans: Kalam’s father used to avoid all inessential comforts and luxuries.
7. Who were Kalam’s parents?
Ans: Jainulabdeen and Ashiamma were Kalam’s parents.
8. How did Kalam’s father convey spiritual concepts?
Ans: Kalam’s father could convey spiritual concepts in very simple and down-to-earth Tamil.
9. What is Dr. Kalam’s full name?
Ans: Dr. Kalam’s full name is Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam.
10. What according to Kalam, did his father possess?
Ans: Kalam’s father possessed great innate wisdom and generosity of spirit.
11. How many people did Kalam’s mother feed every day?
Ans: Kalam’s mother fed every day more outsiders than the total number of family members.
12. How was Abdul Kalam’s mother’s lineage different from his father’s? [H.S. – 2020]
Ans: Abdul Kalam’s mother’s lineage was more distinguished than his father’s as one of her forebears was bestowed the title of ‘Bahadur’ by the British.
13. What according to Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam’s father, does adversity always present? [H.S. – 2016]
Ans: According to Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam’s father, adversity always presents opportunities for introspection.
14. Who was a very close friend of Abdul Kalam’s father? [H.S. – 2020]
Ans. Pakshi Lakshmana Sastry, the high priest of Rameswaram temple was a very close friend of Abdul Kalam’s father.
15. Whom did Kalam consider to be a very close friend of his father? [H.S. – 2019]
Ans. Kalam considered Pakshi Lakshmana Sastry, the high priest of Rameswaram temple to be a very close friend of his father.
16. What does Kalam’s father say about the relevance/importance of prayer? [H.S. – 2018, 2022]
Ans: According to Kalam’s father, prayer made possible a communion of the spirit between people.
17. Why didn’t Kalam have any idea of the meaning of the prayers?
Ans: Kalam did not have any idea of the meaning of the prayers because they were chanted in Arabic.
18. Where was Kalam’s ancestral house located?
Ans: Kalam’s ancestral house was located on Mosque Street, Rameswaram.
19. When was Kalam’s ancestral house built?
Ans: Kalam’s ancestral house was built in the middle of the 19th century.
20. How was Kalam’s childhood?
Ans: APJ Abdul Kalam had a secure childhood both materially and emotionally.
21. With whom did Kalam eat?
Ans: Kalam normally ate with his mother.
22. Where did Kalam usually eat in his childhood?
Ans: Kalam usually ate on the floor of the kitchen in his childhood.
23. What food did Kalam’s mother serve him?
Ans. Kalam’s mother served him rice, aromatic sambar, a variety of homemade pickles and fresh coconut chutney.
24. How does Kalam describe his appearance?
Ans: Kalam describes himself as a short boy with a rather undistinguished appearance.
25. What made Rameswaram famous to pilgrims?
Ans: The Shiva temple made Rameswaram famous to pilgrims.
26. How far was Rameswaram temple from Kalam’s house.?
Ans: Rameswaram temple was about ten minutes walk from Kalam’s house.
27. How was the locality of Kalam?
Ans. The locality of Kalam was predominantly Muslim but many Hindu families lived there peacefully.
28. Where would kalam’s father take him in the evening?
Ans: Kalam’s father would take him to an old mosque in the evening.
29. What did Kalam tell about the Arabic prayer?
Ans: Kalam told that he did not understand the meaning of the Arabic prayers but he was convinced that they reached God.
30. Who waited for Kalam’s father outside the mosque?
Ans: People of different religions waited for Kalam’s father outside the mosque.
31. What did the people offer Kalam’s father outside the mosque?
Ans: The people offered Kalam’s father bowls of water outside the mosque.
32. How did Kalam’s father sanctify water?
Ans. Kalam’s father used to sanctify the water by dipping his fingertips and saying a prayer.
33. What was Kalam’s ancestral house built with?
Ans: Kalam’s house was built using limestone and brick.
34. When did Kalam’s father start his day?
Ans: Kalam’s father started his day at 4 a.m after reading the Namaz.
35.How far was the coconut grove from Kalam’s house?
Ans: The Coconut grove was four miles away from Kalam’s house.
36. Where did Kalam try to emulate his father?
Ans: Kalam had tried to emulate his father in his own world of science and technology.
37. Why did the people carry the sanctified water?
Ans: The people carried the sanctified water for invalids at home.
38. What, according to Kalam’s father, happens when we pray?
Ans: According to Kalam’s father, when we pray we transcend our body and become a part of cosmos.
39. What according to Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam’s father, do human beings do whenever they find them alone?
Ans: According to Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam’s father human beings look for company whenever they find them alone.
40. What do human beings do when they reach an impasse?
Ans: When human beings reach an impasse, they look for someone who can show them the way out.
41. What did Kalam’s father use to do after namaz?
Ans: Kalam’s father used to walk four miles to their groove after namaz.
42. How did Kalam’s father evaluate himself?
Ans: Kalam’s father evaluated himself as a mediator between people in distress and God.
