Class 12, Prose, WB Board

The Strong Roots (APJ Abdul Kalam)

Posted on August 10, 2026August 18, 2026 by Dipayan Dutta

The Strong Roots – A.P.J. Abdul Kalam

Detailed Summary

The Strong Roots is an autobiographical extract from A.P.J. Abdul Kalam’s autobiography Wings of Fire. In this extract, Kalam looks back at his childhood in Rameswaram and describes the people, values and experiences that shaped his personality. The title Strong Roots refers to the deep moral, spiritual and emotional foundations that Kalam received from his family and childhood surroundings.

1. Kalam’s Childhood and Family

A.P.J. Abdul Kalam begins by describing his childhood in a middle-class Tamil Muslim family in Rameswaram. His father, Jainulabdeen, had little formal education and did not possess much wealth, but he was a man of great wisdom, simplicity and generosity. Kalam deeply admired his father’s character.

His mother, Ashiamma, was equally compassionate and generous. She regularly fed many people outside the family, and Kalam remembers that the number of outsiders who ate in their house was often greater than the number of family members. His parents were considered an ideal couple, and their influence played a major role in shaping his character.

Kalam grew up with several siblings in their ancestral house on Mosque Street in Rameswaram. Although his father avoided unnecessary luxuries, all the children’s basic needs were properly taken care of. Kalam therefore considers his childhood secure both materially and emotionally. He fondly remembers eating simple but delicious meals with his mother in the kitchen.

2. A Harmonious Religious Environment

Rameswaram had a predominantly Muslim population, but many Hindu families also lived there. The different communities lived together peacefully. The famous Shiva temple was located close to Kalam’s house, while an old mosque stood in his locality.

Kalam’s father regularly took him to the mosque for evening prayers. As a young boy, Kalam did not understand the Arabic prayers, but he believed that the prayers reached God. What impressed him even more was the respect that people of different religions showed towards his father.

People would wait outside the mosque with bowls of water. Kalam’s father would dip his fingers into the water and offer a prayer. The water would then be taken home for sick or disabled people. When people recovered, they sometimes came to thank him. His father would humbly tell them to thank Allah, the merciful, rather than himself.

This experience taught Kalam that religion should bring people together rather than divide them.

3. Friendship Between Different Religions

One of the strongest examples of communal harmony in the extract is the friendship between Kalam’s father and Pakshi Lakshmana Sastry, the high priest of the Rameswaram temple.

Although Jainulabdeen was a Muslim and Lakshmana Sastry was a Hindu priest, they were close friends. Kalam vividly remembers seeing the two men, dressed in their respective traditional clothes, discussing spiritual matters together.

Their friendship became an important lesson for Kalam. It demonstrated that true spirituality goes beyond religious boundaries and that people belonging to different faiths can share deep respect and understanding.

4. Kalam Asks His Father About Prayer

As Kalam grew older, he became curious about the meaning and purpose of prayer. He therefore asked his father why people prayed.

His father explained that prayer was not something mysterious. According to him, prayer creates a communion of the spirit between human beings. When a person prays sincerely, he rises above his physical identity and becomes part of a larger cosmic reality. This spiritual reality does not recognize differences based on wealth, age, caste or creed.

His father’s explanation had a profound effect on young Kalam. It gave him a broad and inclusive understanding of spirituality.

5. The Meaning of Suffering and Adversity

Kalam’s father also taught him how to face difficulties in life. He explained that every human being is a part of the larger divine existence, regardless of whether the person is good or bad or at whatever stage of life he may be.

Therefore, people should not be unnecessarily afraid of difficulties, suffering and problems. Instead, when troubles arise, they should try to understand what those experiences can teach them.

His father emphasized that adversity provides an opportunity for introspection. In other words, difficult situations can make people examine themselves, understand their weaknesses and discover their inner strength.

This becomes one of the most important lessons of the entire extract: suffering should not merely be feared; it can become a means of self-discovery and personal growth.

6. His Father’s Explanation About People Seeking Help

Kalam then asks his father why he does not explain these ideas directly to the people who come to him for help and advice.

His father explains that human beings naturally seek help when they are lonely, troubled or unable to find a solution to their problems. People often look for someone who can guide them when they reach an impasse.

However, Kalam’s father does not consider himself a supernatural healer. He says that he is merely a go-between for people who come to him hoping to appease mysterious or demonic forces through prayers and offerings. He considers such fear-based dependence on supernatural forces incorrect.

Instead, people should learn to distinguish between a fear-driven understanding of destiny and a healthier vision that encourages them to search for the obstacles to fulfilment within themselves.

Thus, his father encourages self-reliance, courage and introspection rather than superstition and fear.

7. His Father’s Simple and Disciplined Life

Kalam then recalls his father’s daily routine. His father would wake up at around 4 a.m. and perform the namaz before dawn. After praying, he would walk approximately four miles to the family’s coconut grove.

There, he would collect about a dozen coconuts and carry them back home on his shoulder. Only after completing this physical work would he have breakfast.

What makes this memory particularly significant is that his father continued this routine even when he was in his late sixties. His life was therefore characterized by discipline, simplicity, hard work and physical activity.

8. The Lasting Influence of His Father

At the end of the extract, Kalam explains how deeply his father’s teachings influenced his own life. Throughout his career in science and technology, he tried to follow the principles that his father had taught him during childhood.

He attempted to understand the fundamental truths that his father had revealed to him and developed a strong belief in the existence of a divine power capable of guiding people through confusion, misery, sadness and failure.

Kalam believes that this divine power can help a person discover his true place in life. He also suggests that when a person frees himself from excessive emotional and physical attachments, he can move towards freedom, happiness and peace of mind.

Conclusion

The Strong Roots is essentially a reflection on the foundations of A.P.J. Abdul Kalam’s personality. His achievements as a scientist and statesman were rooted not merely in education and professional knowledge but also in the values he learned during childhood.

His father taught him simplicity, discipline, spirituality, courage, self-reliance and acceptance of adversity. His mother taught him generosity and compassion. His surroundings taught him communal harmony and respect for people of different faiths.

The title Strong Roots is therefore highly significant. Just as a tree with strong roots can withstand difficulties and grow steadily, Kalam’s strong moral and spiritual foundations enabled him to face the challenges of life and achieve greatness. The extract shows that great achievements are often built upon the quiet values learned in childhood.

Detailed Analysis of “Strong Roots” by A.P.J. Abdul Kalam

Strong Roots is an autobiographical prose extract from A.P.J. Abdul Kalam’s Wings of Fire. It presents Kalam’s childhood in Rameswaram and, more importantly, examines the family values, spiritual beliefs, discipline and communal harmony that shaped his personality. The title refers to the strong moral and spiritual foundations that Kalam received during his childhood. The text is included in the Class XII section of A Realm of English B as an extract from the chapter Orientation.

1. The Central Idea of the Prose

The central idea of Strong Roots is that a person’s character and achievements are deeply influenced by the values instilled during childhood.

Kalam became one of India’s most respected scientists and public figures, but he does not attribute his success simply to education or intelligence. Instead, he looks back at his childhood and identifies his parents, particularly his father, as the source of his moral and spiritual strength.

His father taught him that human beings are connected by a larger spiritual reality and that difficulties should not be feared. His mother taught him generosity and compassion through her habit of feeding people outside the family. His childhood environment taught him that people belonging to different religions could live together peacefully.

Thus, the prose is not merely a recollection of childhood memories. It is an exploration of how values become the foundation of a person’s life.

2. Significance of the Title: “Strong Roots”

The title is highly symbolic.

Literally, roots provide a tree with stability, nourishment and strength. A tree with deep roots can withstand storms and continue to grow. Similarly, Kalam’s childhood experiences gave him the inner strength to face the difficulties and challenges of his later life.

His strong roots consisted of:

his parents’ love and guidance
simplicity and discipline
generosity and compassion
religious faith
communal harmony
self-reliance
acceptance of adversity
introspection
freedom from unnecessary material attachment

The textbook’s own exercise identifies the title as symbolising the important values instilled in Kalam during his childhood.

There is therefore an important connection between roots and growth. Kalam’s later achievements can be understood as the growth of a tree whose roots were firmly established in childhood.

3. Character Analysis of Jainulabdeen

Kalam’s father, Jainulabdeen, is the most important figure in the prose.

He does not have much formal education or wealth, but Kalam emphasizes that he possesses “great innate wisdom” and generosity of spirit. This contrast is significant. The passage suggests that formal education and true wisdom are not necessarily the same thing.

Jainulabdeen is:

Simple

He avoids unnecessary comforts and luxuries. However, he ensures that his family has everything necessary for a secure life. Kalam specifically describes his childhood as secure both materially and emotionally.

Generous

His household welcomes people from outside the family, while his wife, Ashiamma, feeds them generously.

Spiritual

He regularly performs namaz and has a profound understanding of prayer.

Humble

When people thank him after recovering from illness, he does not take credit. He asks them to thank Allah instead.

Rational

Although he is deeply religious, he does not encourage blind superstition. He explicitly rejects the idea of approaching supernatural forces through fear and offerings.

Disciplined

He wakes at 4 a.m., performs his prayers, walks four miles to the coconut grove, carries coconuts home and only then has breakfast. He maintains this routine even in his late sixties.

Jainulabdeen therefore represents the combination of faith and reason, spirituality and practicality, simplicity and strength.

4. Character Analysis of Ashiamma

Although Kalam’s father receives greater attention in the extract, his mother, Ashiamma, is equally important in establishing the family’s values.

Kalam remembers that his mother regularly fed many outsiders. In fact, he says that the number of outsiders she fed was greater than the number of members of their own family.

This detail reveals her:

generosity
hospitality
compassion
selflessness
concern for others

Her influence helps create the emotionally secure childhood that Kalam remembers so warmly.

She represents the practical expression of compassion, while his father represents the philosophical and spiritual dimensions of compassion.

5. The Theme of Spirituality

Spirituality is one of the strongest themes in the prose.

However, Kalam presents spirituality in a way that is inclusive rather than narrow or sectarian.

His father explains that prayer creates a communion of the spirit between people. According to him, when a person truly prays, he rises above physical distinctions and becomes part of a larger cosmic reality that does not recognize differences based on wealth, age, caste or creed.

This is a particularly important idea because it transforms prayer from a mere religious ritual into a means of human unity.

Kalam’s father therefore sees religion as something that should help people transcend divisions rather than strengthen them.

6. Communal Harmony

The setting of Rameswaram is important because it provides an example of religious coexistence.

The locality is predominantly Muslim, but Hindu families also live there amicably. A famous Shiva temple is located near Kalam’s home, while his father regularly visits the mosque with him.

The strongest illustration of communal harmony is the friendship between Jainulabdeen and Pakshi Lakshmana Sastry, the high priest of the Rameswaram temple.

They belong to different religious traditions, yet they are close friends and discuss spiritual matters together. Kalam remembers the two men in their traditional clothing, engaged in serious spiritual conversation.

This memory challenges the idea that religious identity necessarily separates people.

Kalam’s message is clear:

Different religious beliefs do not prevent people from sharing common human and spiritual values.

This theme is particularly important because Kalam himself became a national figure associated with India’s pluralistic and secular identity.

7. Religion versus Superstition

One of the most intellectually interesting aspects of the prose is that Kalam’s father distinguishes genuine spirituality from fear-based superstition.

People come to him when they are suffering and seek his help. His father explains that human beings naturally look for someone to guide them when they are lonely, distressed or trapped in difficult situations.

But he rejects the idea that people should approach mysterious or demonic forces through prayers and offerings simply because they are afraid. Instead, they should look within themselves and identify the obstacles that prevent fulfilment.

This distinction is central:

Superstition → fear and dependence

True spirituality → understanding, courage and self-knowledge

Thus, Jainulabdeen’s faith is not presented as blind belief. It is associated with reason, self-awareness and moral responsibility.

8. The Theme of Adversity and Introspection

Another major theme is the importance of difficulties in human life.

Kalam’s father tells him that people should not be afraid of difficulties, sufferings and problems. Instead, they should try to understand the relevance of their suffering because adversity creates opportunities for introspection.

This is one of the most important lessons of the prose.

The father does not suggest that suffering is pleasant or desirable. Rather, he suggests that difficult experiences can force people to examine themselves.

For Kalam, this becomes an important philosophy of life:

Difficulties can become opportunities for self-discovery.

This idea also helps explain the title. Strong roots do not mean a life without storms. They mean possessing enough inner strength to survive the storms.

9. Self-Reliance and Personal Responsibility

Jainulabdeen’s philosophy encourages people to take responsibility for their own lives.

He tells Kalam that people often search for external forces to explain their problems. However, people must distinguish between a fear-ridden vision of destiny and a vision that encourages them to search for the obstacles to fulfilment within themselves.

This is a powerful message of self-reliance.

Instead of asking:

“What external force has caused my suffering?”

a person should ask:

“What can I understand about myself from this experience, and what can I do about it?”

This makes the prose philosophical as well as autobiographical.

10. Simplicity and Materialism

Kalam’s childhood is not described as luxurious.

His father deliberately avoids unnecessary comforts, but the family has food, clothing, medicine and emotional security. Kalam remembers eating simple food with his mother while sitting on the kitchen floor.

The description of rice, sambar, pickle and coconut chutney creates a vivid picture of his childhood.

The passage therefore suggests that happiness does not depend upon luxury.

Kalam’s childhood was simple but secure because the family possessed something more valuable than material wealth: love, discipline, generosity and emotional stability.

11. Discipline and Hard Work

Jainulabdeen’s daily routine is an important example of discipline.

He begins his day at 4 a.m., performs his prayers, walks approximately four miles to the coconut grove, collects coconuts and carries them home before eating breakfast. He continues this routine even in old age.

This episode is important because Kalam later says that he tried to emulate his father in his own life in science and technology.

The lesson is therefore not simply that his father was hardworking. It is that discipline becomes a habit when it is observed and practised from childhood.

12. The Influence of Parents on Kalam

The prose demonstrates the enormous influence that parents can have on a child’s personality.

Kalam receives different but complementary lessons from his parents.

Parent	Major Influence
Jainulabdeen	Spirituality, discipline, wisdom, self-reliance, courage
Ashiamma	Compassion, generosity, hospitality, emotional security

Together, these influences form Kalam’s moral foundation.

This is why the title Strong Roots is so appropriate. His later intellectual achievements are connected to the moral education he received at home.

13. The Narrative Perspective

The prose is written in the first person, making it autobiographical.

Kalam looks back on his childhood from the perspective of an adult. This creates two levels of understanding:

The child Kalam experiences events without fully understanding them.
The adult Kalam looks back and understands their deeper significance.

For example, as a child he does not understand the Arabic prayers, but he is convinced that they reach God. Later, as an adult, he understands the broader spiritual significance of his father’s teachings.

This makes the narrative reflective rather than merely descriptive.

14. Use of Personal Memories

Kalam uses small, concrete memories to communicate larger ideas.

For example:

sitting on the kitchen floor and eating with his mother
visiting the mosque with his father
seeing people waiting outside with bowls of water
watching his father talk to the Hindu temple priest
asking his father about prayer
watching his father leave early in the morning for the coconut grove

These apparently ordinary memories become vehicles for larger philosophical ideas.

The technique makes the prose personal, intimate and believable.

15. Style and Language

Kalam’s prose style is simple, conversational and reflective.

This simplicity is particularly appropriate because the central ideas are philosophical. Rather than using complicated philosophical terminology, Kalam presents his father’s ideas through ordinary conversations.

The text itself emphasizes that Jainulabdeen could explain complex spiritual ideas in simple, down-to-earth Tamil.

The language combines:

autobiographical narration
descriptive details
dialogue
philosophical reflection
emotional recollection

The result is accessible but intellectually meaningful.

16. Symbolism of Food and the Home

The family home represents security, belonging and moral education.

The description of the food prepared by Ashiamma is more than a nostalgic memory. It communicates warmth and affection.

Similarly, the ancestral house becomes symbolic of Kalam’s cultural and emotional roots.

The home is where he learns the first lessons of:

love
generosity
religious tolerance
discipline
simplicity
responsibility

Thus, the physical home becomes the foundation of his inner life.

17. Symbolism of the Coconut Grove

The coconut grove is another significant detail.

Jainulabdeen’s four-mile walk to the grove represents his discipline and connection with physical labour.

He does not simply pray and contemplate spiritual matters. He also performs demanding physical work.

This combination is important because the prose does not separate the spiritual life from everyday responsibilities.

For Kalam’s father, spirituality and work belong together.

18. The Ending and Its Significance

The final part of the prose moves from childhood memory to adult reflection.

Kalam says that throughout his life he tried to follow his father’s teachings in his own world of science and technology. He believes in a divine power that can guide people through confusion, misery, melancholy and failure towards their true place in life.

The ending therefore connects:

Childhood → Values → Character → Adult Life

The memories of Rameswaram are not merely sentimental. They explain the intellectual and moral person Kalam eventually became.

19. Major Themes at a Glance

a. Family and Childhood

The family provides the first and most important education in values.

b. Spirituality

True prayer connects human beings with one another and with a larger divine reality.

c. Communal Harmony

Hindu and Muslim communities can live together with mutual respect.

d. Simplicity

A meaningful life does not require material luxury.

e. Discipline

Regularity, hard work and self-control are essential for personal development.

f. Adversity

Difficulties can become opportunities for introspection and growth.

g. Self-Reliance

People should not allow fear or superstition to control their understanding of life.

h. Compassion

True spirituality must express itself through kindness and service to others.

i. Freedom from Attachment

Kalam’s final reflection connects freedom and peace of mind with reducing excessive emotional and physical attachment.

20. Overall Interpretation

At a deeper level, Strong Roots is a prose piece about formation. Kalam is interested in looking backwards and asking: What made me the person I became?

His answer is not simply education, scientific training or professional success. His personality was formed much earlier, through ordinary experiences at home and in his community.

His father’s wisdom taught him how to think.
His mother’s generosity taught him how to care.
His religious environment taught him how to respect difference.
His father’s discipline taught him how to work.
His father’s philosophy of adversity taught him how to face difficulties.

That is the deeper significance of Strong Roots. Great achievements may appear later in life, but the foundations of character are laid much earlier.

The prose ultimately presents Kalam’s childhood as the moral soil from which his later life grew. His scientific achievements and public stature were the visible branches, but the values of simplicity, spirituality, discipline, compassion, tolerance and self-belief were the roots that sustained them.

Strong Roots – Fill in the Blanks

A. Fill in the blanks

A.P.J. Abdul Kalam was born into a middle-class ______ family in Rameswaram.
Kalam’s father’s name was ______.
Kalam’s mother was named ______.
Kalam’s father possessed great innate wisdom and a true generosity of ______.
Kalam’s parents were widely regarded as an ______ couple.
Kalam and his family lived in their ______ house on Mosque Street in Rameswaram.
The ancestral house was made of ______ and brick.
Kalam’s father avoided all inessential comforts and ______.
Kalam describes his childhood as secure both materially and ______.
Kalam usually ate with his mother, sitting on the ______ of the kitchen.
His mother served rice, aromatic sambar, homemade pickle and fresh ______ chutney.
The famous ______ temple was about a ten-minute walk from Kalam’s house.
The locality where Kalam lived was predominantly ______.
The Muslim and Hindu families lived ______ with one another.
Kalam’s father took him to the old ______ for evening prayers.
The Arabic prayers were believed by young Kalam to reach ______.
The water blessed by Kalam’s father was carried home for ______.
People who recovered from illness visited Kalam’s home to offer ______.
Kalam’s father asked people to thank ______, the merciful.
The high priest of the Rameswaram temple was ______.
Pakshi Lakshmana Sastry was a very close ______ of Kalam’s father.
Kalam remembered the two men discussing ______ matters.
According to Kalam’s father, prayer makes possible a ______ of the spirit between people.
Through prayer, a person becomes a part of the ______.
The cosmos knows no division of wealth, age, caste or ______.
Kalam’s father believed that human beings should not be afraid of difficulties, sufferings and ______.
According to him, adversity always presents opportunities for ______.
When people are in trouble, they look for someone to ______ them.
When people reach an impasse, they look for someone to show them the way ______.
Kalam’s father described himself as a ______ in the efforts of distressed people.
His father warned that trying to propitiate ______ forces through prayers and offerings was not the correct approach.
People should distinguish between a fear-ridden vision of ______ and a vision that helps them seek the enemy of fulfilment within themselves.
Kalam’s father began his day at ______ a.m.
He began his day by reading the ______ before dawn.
After prayer, he walked to a small ______ grove.
The coconut grove was about ______ miles from their home.
Kalam’s father would return with about a ______ coconuts.
This daily routine continued even when his father was in his late ______.
Kalam tried to ______ his father throughout his life.
Kalam tried to emulate his father in his own world of ______ and technology.

Answers

Tamil
Jainulabdeen
Ashiamma
spirit
ideal
ancestral
limestone
luxuries
emotionally
floor
coconut
Shiva
Muslim
amicably
mosque
God
invalids
thanks
Allah
Pakshi Lakshmana Sastry
friend
spiritual
communion
cosmos
creed
problems
introspection
help
out
go-between
demonic
destiny
4
namaz
coconut
four
dozen
sixties
emulate
science

A few more slightly challenging ones

Kalam’s father’s simple explanation of complex spiritual concepts was given in ______ Tamil.
His father believed that every human being was a specific element within the whole of the manifest ______ Being.
Every recurrent anguish, longing and desire finds its own special ______.
Kalam’s father believed that people should seek the enemy of ______ within themselves.
Once an individual severs his emotional and physical bond, he is on the road to freedom, happiness and ______ of mind.

Answers:
41. down-to-earth
42. divine
43. helper
44. fulfilment
45. peace

Strong Roots: Assertion–Reasoning Questions

Directions

Choose the correct option:

A. Both Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are true, and R is the correct explanation of A.
B. Both Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are true, but R is not the correct explanation of A.
C. Assertion (A) is true, but Reason (R) is false.
D. Assertion (A) is false, but Reason (R) is true.

1.

Assertion (A): Kalam considers his childhood to have been secure.

Reason (R): His father avoided unnecessary comforts and luxuries.

Answer: B

Both statements are true, but the father’s avoidance of luxuries alone does not explain why Kalam considered his childhood secure. His basic necessities and emotional needs were also provided for.

2.

Assertion (A): Ashiamma is portrayed as a generous woman.

Reason (R): She fed many outsiders in addition to the members of her own family.

Answer: A

The reason directly explains her generosity.

3.

Assertion (A): Kalam grew up in a religiously harmonious environment.

Reason (R): The locality was predominantly Muslim.

Answer: B

Both statements are true, but the fact that the locality was predominantly Muslim does not explain the religious harmony. The harmony is demonstrated by the amicable relationship between Muslim and Hindu families.

4.

Assertion (A): Kalam’s father had little formal education.

Reason (R): Despite this, he possessed great innate wisdom.

Answer: B

Both statements are true, but his lack of formal education does not explain his wisdom. Rather, the text deliberately contrasts limited formal education with his considerable natural wisdom.

5.

Assertion (A): Kalam’s father and Pakshi Lakshmana Sastry represented communal harmony.

Reason (R): They belonged to different religious traditions but were close friends who discussed spiritual matters.

Answer: A

The reason directly establishes why their relationship represents communal harmony.

6.

Assertion (A): Kalam initially understood the meaning of the Arabic prayers recited in the mosque.

Reason (R): He was convinced that the prayers reached God.

Answer: D

The Assertion is false. Kalam explicitly says that he did not understand the meaning of the Arabic prayers, although he believed that they reached God.

7.

Assertion (A): Kalam’s father regarded prayer as a means of spiritual communion.

Reason (R): He believed that prayer could help a person transcend physical identity and become part of the cosmos.

Answer: A

The reason directly explains his understanding of prayer.

8.

Assertion (A): According to Kalam’s father, prayer reinforces divisions between people.

Reason (R): He believed that the cosmos knows no division of wealth, age, caste or creed.

Answer: D

The Assertion is false. His understanding of prayer is precisely the opposite: prayer helps people transcend such divisions. The Reason is true.

9.

Assertion (A): Kalam’s father believed that adversity could contribute to personal growth.

Reason (R): He believed that adversity presents opportunities for introspection.

Answer: A

The reason directly explains the assertion.

10.

Assertion (A): Kalam’s father believed that people often seek help when they are in distress.

Reason (R): He himself had experienced many difficult situations and therefore needed other people to guide him.

Answer: C

The Assertion is true, but the Reason is false. His explanation concerns human nature in general; the text does not say that he needed others to guide him because of his own difficulties.

11.

Assertion (A): Jainulabdeen rejected a fear-driven approach to destiny.

Reason (R): He encouraged people to seek the obstacles to fulfilment within themselves.

Answer: A

The Reason directly explains the Assertion.

12.

Assertion (A): Kalam’s father encouraged people to propitiate demonic forces through prayers and offerings.

Reason (R): He considered himself merely a go-between for people who came to him in distress.

Answer: D

The Assertion is false. He explicitly says that attempting to propitiate demonic forces is not a correct approach. The Reason is true.

13.

Assertion (A): Jainulabdeen’s daily routine demonstrates his disciplined nature.

Reason (R): He began his day at 4 a.m. with namaz and then walked about four miles to the coconut grove.

Answer: A

The routine directly demonstrates his discipline.

14.

Assertion (A): Kalam’s father stopped his demanding daily routine when he became old.

Reason (R): He continued the routine even in his late sixties.

Answer: D

The Assertion is false, while the Reason is true.

15.

Assertion (A): Kalam’s father’s influence extended beyond his childhood.

Reason (R): Kalam states that he tried to emulate his father in his own world of science and technology.

Answer: A

The Reason directly establishes the lasting influence of his father.

16.

Assertion (A): Kalam’s father believed that spirituality and human life were closely connected.

Reason (R): He believed that every human being was a specific element within the whole of the manifest divine Being.

Answer: A

The Reason explains his spiritual understanding of human existence.

17.

Assertion (A): The title Strong Roots refers only to Kalam’s ancestral house.

Reason (R): The house was a large pucca structure made of limestone and brick.

Answer: D

The Assertion is false because the title is symbolic of the values and influences that shaped Kalam. The Reason is true as a factual description of the house, but it does not explain the symbolic title.

18.

Assertion (A): The prose presents Kalam’s parents as important influences on his personality.

Reason (R): His mother demonstrated generosity, while his father provided wisdom, discipline and spiritual guidance.

Answer: A

The Reason directly explains the Assertion.

19.

Assertion (A): Kalam’s childhood was marked by material luxury.

Reason (R): His father avoided all inessential comforts and luxuries.

Answer: D

The Assertion is false, while the Reason is true. Kalam’s childhood was materially secure but simple.

20.

Assertion (A): The prose presents religion as a force capable of bringing people together.

Reason (R): Kalam’s father and the Hindu temple priest maintained a close friendship despite belonging to different religions.

Answer: B

Both statements are true, but the friendship is an example supporting the broader idea of religious harmony; it is not the complete explanation of how Kalam’s father understood religion and prayer.

21.

Assertion (A): Kalam’s father believed that people should examine themselves when facing difficulties.

Reason (R): He believed that adversity creates opportunities for introspection.

Answer: A

The Reason directly explains the Assertion.

22.

Assertion (A): Kalam’s father’s teachings were difficult for Kalam to understand because they were expressed in complicated philosophical language.

Reason (R): His father could convey complex spiritual concepts in very simple, down-to-earth Tamil.

Answer: D

The Assertion is false. The Reason is true.

23.

Assertion (A): Kalam’s memories of eating with his mother contribute to the emotional dimension of the prose.

Reason (R): The meal consisted of simple food such as rice, sambar, homemade pickle and coconut chutney.

Answer: B

Both are true, but the specific description of the food does not by itself explain the emotional significance of the memory. It mainly creates a vivid picture of his simple family life.

24.

Assertion (A): Kalam’s father regarded suffering as something that should always be avoided.

Reason (R): He believed that adversity could lead to introspection.

Answer: D

The Assertion is false. He specifically teaches Kalam not to be afraid of difficulties and suffering. The Reason is true.

25.

Assertion (A): The final part of the prose connects Kalam’s childhood values with his later life.

Reason (R): Kalam says that he tried to emulate his father in his own world of science and technology.

Kalam describes his childhood as insecure because his family could not provide him with basic necessities.

Answer: False

He encouraged people to look within themselves and identify the obstacles to fulfilment.

23.

Jainulabdeen considered himself a supernatural healer.

Answer: False

He described himself as a go-between for people who came to him in distress.

24.

Kalam’s father encouraged people to propitiate demonic forces through prayers and offerings.

Answer: False

He explicitly rejected this fear-based approach.

25.

Jainulabdeen began his daily routine at around four o’clock in the morning.

Answer: True

34.

Kalam presents his father’s spirituality as completely separate from everyday life and physical work.

Answer: False

His father’s disciplined prayer life was accompanied by regular physical labour and responsibility.

35.

The prose is purely a description of Kalam’s childhood and contains no philosophical ideas.

Answer: False

The childhood memories are used to explore spirituality, adversity, self-reliance, communal harmony and the formation of character.

36.

The prose suggests that the values learned in childhood can influence a person throughout life.

Answer: True

This is one of the central ideas of Strong Roots.

Dipayan Dutta

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